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Saudi Arabia and UAE say drone attacks were launched from Iraq
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said that recent drone attacks targeting their territory originated from Iraq, increasing pressure on Baghdad to address the activities of Iranian-backed militias operating inside the country. The incidents come amid continued regional tensions involving Iran and have intensified scrutiny of Iraq’s newly formed government.
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UAE sanctions Hezbollah-linked financial network, reflecting US designations
The UAE’s designation of 16 Hezbollah-linked individuals and five affiliated organizations mirrors prior US Treasury sanctions targeting the broader web of financial, accounting, and institutional entities connected to Hezbollah’s economic ecosystem.
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US, Nigerian forces kill senior Islamic State leader
The US military, “in coordination with the Armed Forces of Nigeria,” killed Abu Bilal al Minuki and several other senior Islamic State leaders in an operation in northeastern Nigeria. President Trump and US Africa Command described Minuki as the Islamic State’s second in command and director of global operations.
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Hamas commander Izz al Din al Haddad targeted in Israeli airstrike
The Israeli military attacked an apartment in Gaza City, targeting Izz al Din al Haddad, Hamas’s leader in Gaza. Al Haddad is one of the last remaining senior members of Hamas who were responsible for the October 7 attack.
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Iraq forms new government with only 14 of 23 ministers
Iraq’s parliament approved the new government six months after parliamentary elections in November 2025. Ali al Zaidi is now the prime minister, but key ministries remain unfilled amid disagreements between Tehran and Washington and their partners over the government’s formation.
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Israel trains new civilian security squads for 67 Gaza border communities
Israel is expanding civilian security preparedness in communities near the Gaza border through a new training program led by Magen 48, a non-profit civilian-led initiative, in cooperation with the Israel Defense Forces. The program, created after the October 7 Hamas attack, trains local volunteer armed response teams in tactics, medical support, and community defense.
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Iraqi security forces and politicians react to reports of ‘secret’ Israeli base
A report alleging that Israel operated a secret military base in Iraq’s Najaf desert has sparked controversy and conflicting statements among Iraqi politicians and security forces. The report emerged amid sensitive political negotiations in Baghdad and broader tensions involving Iran-backed militias, Israel, the United States, and Iran.
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3 October 7 perpetrators identified with facial recognition software
Open-source information and commercially available facial recognition tools have identified three suspects— Amjad Qadoum, Yasir Samir, and Mustafa Shaheen—who were involved in the October 7 Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel. Facial recognition tools and social media exploitation can yield verifiable identity data from the extensive footage recorded by the terrorists’ own devices.
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Israel assassinates commander of Hezbollah Radwan Force
On May 6, Israel conducted its first strike in the greater Beirut metropolitan area since the onset of a ceasefire on April 16. The strike targeted an apartment building in Dahiyeh, and one of the alleged fatalities was Ahmad Ghaleb Ballout, whom Israel claimed was the newest leader of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force commando unit.
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Protests in Syria’s Kurdish region highlight demand for rights
Protests erupted in Hasaka in eastern Syria after authorities replaced Kurdish and Arabic on a government billboard with English and Arabic, angering local residents. The incident reflects broader tensions as Damascus seeks to reassert control over eastern Syria following agreements with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
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Iran targets Kurdish Iranian opposition groups in northern Iraq
Iran has intensified attacks on Kurdish Iranian opposition groups in northern Iraq, targeting camps linked to the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran and Komala with drones in early May. The strikes are part of a broader campaign by Iran and its allied militias against Kurdish groups operating in the Kurdistan Region.
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Israeli forces face challenges as Hezbollah ramps up use of FPV drones
During the renewed conflict with Israel, Hezbollah has increasingly relied on an arsenal of first-person view (FPV) drones that it amassed and developed over the 15 months of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire. These drones, which are guided by fiber-optic cables instead of radio, are proving effective against Israeli forces because they are hard to intercept and detect, and the IDF was unprepared to deal with this threat.
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Syria reports neutralizing Hezbollah plot to assassinate senior officials
On May 5, Syrian authorities said that security forces dismantled a Hezbollah-linked militant network operating across multiple governorates, arresting 11 operatives, seizing weapons, and foiling planned assassinations.
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Talks over Hamas disarmament stall, IDF reports 19 Gaza ceasefire violations April 21–May 5
Hamas and other Palestinian terrorists continued to violate the Gaza ceasefire toward the end of April and beginning of May, according to Israeli military reports. Hamas remains adamant that it will not even begin to discuss disarmament before a complete IDF withdrawal from the territory.
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Russian Aerospace Forces reportedly get new commander
Colonel-General Aleksandr Chaiko reportedly has been appointed commander of Russia’s Aerospace Forces. He is an unusual choice for the position, given his army background and unimpressive record in Ukraine.
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Iran claims strike on US warship as US attempts to reopen Strait of Hormuz
CENTCOM denied Iranian claims that a US warship was struck on the same day the US announced “Project Freedom,” an effort to “restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.”
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US offers rewards for 3 Iraqi militia leaders
The United States has intensified pressure on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, offering multimillion-dollar rewards for information on additional key leaders linked to attacks on US personnel and facilities. The latest rewards target figures from three groups: Kataib Hezbollah, Kataib Sayyid al Shuhada, and Harakat Ansar Allah al Awfiya.
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2 Jewish men stabbed in London, Ashab al Yamin claims attack
The Iran-linked front group Ashab al Yamin claimed credit for a stabbing attack in London that wounded two Jewish men. The group has claimed more than a dozen attacks in Europe, most of them targeting Jewish institutions.
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Charity founded by Hamas member raising funds on US-based platform
A Hamas operative who was killed during the recent war with Israel founded a Gaza-based charity that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars online. The charity continues to solicit donations, including through a New York-headquartered platform.
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Venezuelan president to end amnesty, hundreds of political prisoners still unreleased
Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez Delcy Rodríguez said the country’s recent amnesty is ending as the NGO Foro Penal reports that 473 political prisoners remain in custody. In addition, Caracas is fast-tracking investment laws, opposition leader María Corina Machado plans to return to the country this year, and US Southern Command launched new a combat unit covering the Caribbean and Latin America.
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Iraq nominates little-known businessman to be next prime minister
After months of political deadlock, the Shiite parties that comprise Iraq’s largest parliamentary bloc named Ali al Zaidi as the country’s prime minister-designate. Zaidi, a businessman who has not previously held a government position or been publicly affiliated with a specific party, now has 30 days to form a government.
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Kosovo military team evaluates Gaza deployment amid continuing ceasefire violations
Kosovo has moved toward contributing forces for the International Stabilization Force (ISF) mission in Gaza, sending a military team to assess a future deployment area and coordinate with local and multinational officials. The security situation in Gaza remains tense despite a ceasefire, with uncertainty over Hamas’s disarmament.
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JNIM and allied rebels surge across Mali, take several cities, pressure capital
Al Qaeda’s Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) and its allies in the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) conducted a massive, widespread offensive in Mali, from Bamako to Kidal, on Saturday. Several cities fell under the complete or partial control of the militant alliance, while others, including Mali’s capital, remain under intense pressure.
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Russian Shahed drone maker recruiting for new unmanned systems brigade
As part of Moscow’s efforts to expand its Unmanned Systems Forces, a vocational training center affiliated with Russia’s main Shahed drone producer is recruiting for a new unmanned systems brigade. Its recruitment messaging highlights fulfilling mandatory military service requirements while earning the pay of enlisted troops serving under contract but without the associated danger.
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Houthis portray steadfast support for Iran, reportedly consider Red Sea toll
The Houthis have reiterated support for Iran despite their limited involvement in the Islamic Republic’s recent war with Israel and the United States. The Yemeni terrorist group is also reportedly weighing a toll for the safe transit of ships in the Red Sea, a move it has implemented before.
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Syria thwarts Hezbollah plot, vows at UN to fight terrorist groups
Syria says it disrupted a Hezbollah-linked plot and uncovered rockets near the Quneitra area of the Golan Heights. Officials also reported arrests tied to another terrorist cell, plus the seizure of 500,000 Captagon pills in a joint anti-smuggling operation with Iraq. At the United Nations, Syria pledged to continue counterterrorism operations, while criticizing Israeli actions in southern Syria.
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Iran attacks vessels in Hormuz, avoids concrete stance on ceasefire extension
Tehran has refused to take an official position after US President Donald Trump’s announcement of an extension of the US ceasefire with Iran, while conditioning further negotiations on the lifting of the US naval blockade. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also threatened regional oil and digital infrastructure and attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
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Hamas says it may give up some weapons, IDF reports 5 ceasefire violations April 17-21
Hamas has reportedly indicated a readiness to give up thousands of rifles belonging to its police and internal security forces. The weapons conceded would still fail to meet the total disarmament required by President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan. The Israel Defense Forces also tracked five ceasefire violations between April 17 and 21.
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Iraq aims to select new PM as US warns of Iran-backed threats, IRGC-QF head visits
Iraq faces mounting political pressure as Shiite parties in the Coordination Framework (CF) seek to select a new prime minister amid tensions between the US and Iran. On the evening of April 20, the CF delayed its decision to nominate a candidate for the office until April 22. The US has reportedly paused some coordination with Baghdad pending investigations into attacks on US interests, and Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force commander Esmail Qaani visited Iraq on April 19.
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US Treasury designates 7 Iran-backed Iraqi militia commanders as terrorists
The US Treasury Department announced the designation of seven high-level members of Iran-backed Iraqi militias as Specially Designated Global Terrorists on April 17. Their organizations are previously US-designated terror groups that, operating under front groups, have conducted numerous attacks on the US presence in Iraq since the start of the war with Iran on February 28.
