May 20, 2026
Elis Gjevori, Adam Hancock and Jillian Kestler-D'Amours
Pakistan minister in Iran to ‘facilitate exchange of messages’ with US
Iran’s Tasnim news agency has shared new comments from Esmaeil Baghaei, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, about negotiations with the United States.
Baghaei said a new visit by Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to Iran aims “to facilitate the exchange of messages and provide additional explanations to clarify the texts sent between the parties”.
Iranian media reported earlier that Naqvi was making his second trip to the country over the past week during efforts to reach a deal between Washington and Tehran.
According to Tasnim’s report, Baghaei also reiterated Iran is “pursuing the path of negotiations with seriousness and good faith” despite having “strong and reasonable suspicion” of the US side.
12m ago (17:00 GMT)
Spain summons Israeli envoy over ‘monstrous’ treatment of flotilla activists
Spain has joined other nations in summoning Israeli diplomats over the treatment of the abducted Gaza flotilla activists.
In a post on X, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said the move is “in response to the monstrous, undignified, and humiliating treatment by an Israeli minister toward the Spaniards and the rest of the flotilla members”.
Albares also called for the immediate release of the activists and an apology from the Israeli government.
27m ago (16:45 GMT)
Why is Trump’s Gaza Board of Peace facing crippling cash crunch?
By Mohammad Mansour
The Board of Peace, founded by Trump in January to oversee the administration and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, is facing a crippling cash crunch that threatens to derail its ambitious $70bn reconstruction plan for the devastated enclave.
The US-led board recently reported a critical gap between its financial commitments and actual disbursements, warning of an urgent liquidity crisis. However, experts tracking international aid to Palestinians said the funding shortfall is neither surprising nor purely administrative.
“Donors are terrified of engaging with a board that carries no political vision and treats Gaza merely as an American security protectorate,” Moath al-Amoudi, an expert in international aid to Palestinians, told Al Jazeera.
32m ago (16:39 GMT)
Germany, Belgium condemn Israel over flotilla abuse footage
Germany and Belgium are the latest countries to condemn Israel over its treatment of activists abducted from a Gaza-bound flotilla after footage showed them bound, abused and humiliated.
Germany’s ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, said in a post on X that the actions were “wholly unacceptable”.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot described the images as “deeply disturbing” and said Belgian citizens are among those detained, calling Israel’s actions “unacceptable”.
42m ago (16:30 GMT)
Canada also summons Israeli ambassador over Ben-Gvir video
Foreign Minister Anita Anand says she’s directed officials to summon Israel’s ambassador to Canada “regarding the mistreatment of civilians aboard the [Gaza] flotilla”.
“What we’ve seen, including the video shared by Itamar Ben-Gvir, is deeply troubling and absolutely unacceptable,” Anand told reporters.
“Canada has already imposed strict sanctions on Ben-Gvir, including asset freezes and a travel ban, in response to his repeated incitement of violence. The protection of civilians and respect for human dignity must be upheld at all times.”
Asked by a Radio-Canada journalist whether Ottawa had any information about Canadian flotilla participants detained by Israel, Anand said the government is there “to support Canadian citizens who travel to other countries”.
The Gaza flotilla participants were not travelling to Israel. They were intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters while trying to draw attention to the situation in Gaza, which has faced Israel’s genocidal war and a crippling years-long siege.
52m ago (16:20 GMT)
Iran’s football team still waiting for US visas for World Cup
Iranian officials say Iranian football players and staff have yet to receive visas to attend the World Cup in the United States.
They are planning to apply for visas at the Canadian embassy in Turkey.
Iran’s team is scheduled to open their Group G campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, before facing Belgium in the same city and then Egypt in Seattle.
58m ago (16:13 GMT)
‘Do we go and finish it up?’ Trump says of Iran
Trump has spoken briefly about Iran during a commencement address at the US Coast Guard Academy.
“Everything’s gone. Their navy’s gone. Their air force is gone. Just about everything,” the US president said.
1h ago (16:10 GMT)
Netherlands summons Israeli envoy over Gaza flotilla activist abuse
The Netherlands will summon Israel’s ambassador to address the “unacceptable” treatment of detained Gaza flotilla activists.
1h ago (16:04 GMT)
Turkiye condemns Israel’s ‘barbaric mentality’ after Gaza flotilla video
Turkiye has denounced Israel over the verbal and physical violence inflicted on activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla.
Israeli forces intercepted the Gaza aid convoy in international waters.
“The minister in question – one of the main actors of the genocide carried out by Israel in Gaza – has once again openly demonstrated to the whole world the violent and barbaric mentality of the Netanyahu government,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Ankara is working with other countries to secure the immediate and safe release of detained Turkish nationals and other flotilla participants, it added.
1h ago (16:00 GMT)
Xi, Putin discuss Middle East conflict and global energy disruption
Following a meeting in Beijing with President Xi, Putin said ties between China and Russia were at an “unprecedentedly high level”, while Xi described relations as “unyielding”.
The Chinese leader also made an apparent swipe at the US when he warned of “unilateral and hegemonic countercurrents running rampant” in the international system.
Regarding the conflict in the Middle East, Xi told Putin that the region was at a “critical juncture” and called for an “early end to the conflict”, in particular to secure energy supplies.
“A comprehensive ceasefire is of utmost urgency, resuming hostilities is even more inadvisable and maintaining negotiations is particularly important,” Xi said.
When discussing the disruption to global energy supply caused by Iran’s near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Putin described the energy sector as “the locomotive of economic cooperation”, adding that Russia would remain a “reliable supplier” of resources to China against the backdrop of the war.
1h ago (15:35 GMT)
Oil prices fall more than 5% as Trump tries to manage markets over Iran
Oil prices have fallen more than 5 percent as the US president seeks to manage markets with expressions of optimism over Middle East talks.
The price of Brent crude oil dropped to $105.70.
Trump said on Wednesday that negotiations with Iran were in “the final stages”, while warning of further attacks unless Tehran agrees to a peace deal.
1h ago (15:30 GMT)
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister praises Trump for pausing Iran attack
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud says his country welcomed Trump’s decision to allow more time for negotiations with Iran and “to give diplomacy a chance to reach an acceptable agreement to end the war, restore the security and freedom of maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz”.
In a post on X, he also called on Iran to “urgently respond to the efforts to advance the negotiations leading up to a comprehensive agreement”.
1h ago (15:15 GMT)
Palestinians in Gaza barred from Hajj, animal sacrifice
Before the war erupted in 2023, at least 3,000 pilgrims from Gaza performed the Hajj every year.
“The border crossing is closed. Why is this happening to pilgrims? They want to fulfil their Hajj obligation, they do not want to do anything else,” a Palestinian said.
2h ago (15:05 GMT)
Iran-US talks ongoing through Pakistan: Iranian Foreign Ministry
Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has told Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo that negotiations between Tehran and Washington “are continuing through Pakistani mediators”.
“Basically, what we want is not a demand but our rights,” he said, as reported by Iran’s IRNA news agency.
That includes Iran’s demand that US sanctions against the country be lifted, which Baghaei said is “part of our rights”.
2h ago (15:00 GMT)
US imposes sanctions on Gaza flotilla organisers: Why it matters
By Caolán Magee
The US has imposed sanctions on four activists involved in flotilla missions seeking to break Israel’s 19-year siege on Gaza.
The sanctions were announced on Tuesday after at least 430 activists were abducted during Israeli interceptions of aid ships heading towards Gaza, which has been facing shortages of food and other necessities due to Israeli curbs on aid deliveries into the enclave.
Organisers said they fear the sanctions and accusations of Hamas links are being used to justify further crackdowns. The concerns come amid previous allegations by activists of abuse, including sexual abuse, during past interceptions by Israeli officials.
2h ago (14:56 GMT)
Two Israeli officers, 1 soldier injured in southern Lebanon drone strike
The Israeli army says two officers and a soldier have been injured in a drone strike in southern Lebanon that it blames on Hezbollah.
2h ago (14:45 GMT)
Iran risks future diplomatic ties with warning of expanded conflict: Analyst
Iran’s threat that the war could spread far beyond the Middle East if the US attacks again could harm Tehran’s future diplomatic ties, Zeidon Alkinani, founding director of the Arab Perspectives Institute, says.
“It is very unfair to the countries that were not originally involved in this war and even advocated for this war not to happen. This means Iran will face a phase of severe diplomatic relations, which has nothing to do with the US following this war.”
Alkinani also told Al Jazeera that China and Russia are playing similar roles in the context of the Middle East conflict.
“They can silently, comfortably and confidently watch it all without having to sacrifice their own relations with any of the countries or players that are involved in this war or any of the regional players that have been impacted directly by this war,” he said.
Such a position could allow Moscow and Beijing to “fill many of the economic and political voids and power vacuums that the US might leave behind” in the Middle East.
2h ago (14:35 GMT)
Netanyahu says instructed authorities to deport Gaza flotilla activists
While claiming Israel has “every right” to intercept Gaza-bound flotillas, Netanyahu says the way his far-right ally, Ben-Gvir, dealt with the activists “is not in line with Israel’s values and norms”.
“I have instructed the relevant authorities to deport the provocateurs as soon as possible,” he said.
However, international activists taking part in several previous Gaza flotillas have accused Israeli authorities of a range of mistreatment in detention, including physical violence and psychological abuse.
Earlier this month, the UN rights office called for an investigation into “disturbing accounts of severe mistreatment” of two flotilla participants, Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila, who were previously detained.
Adalah, a legal centre for Palestinian rights in Israel, said the pair had faced severe physical abuse that amounted to torture.
Elis Gjevori, Adam Hancock and Jillian Kestler-D'Amours
- Iran has warned that the Middle East war would spread far beyond the region if the United States and Israel resumed their attacks.
- US President Donald Trump has given Iran “two to three days” to reach a deal, as his deputy, JD Vance, said the two sides have made a “lot of progress” in talks.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping is hosting Russian leader Vladimir Putin for talks expected to focus on energy and weapons deals that are heavily influenced by the wars in Iran and Ukraine.
- Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi heading to Tehran for talks. Iran’s state media reported.
- Israeli forces have intercepted another boat from the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, the 61st so far, as international outrage grows over the abduction of hundreds of activists.
Pakistan minister in Iran to ‘facilitate exchange of messages’ with US
Iran’s Tasnim news agency has shared new comments from Esmaeil Baghaei, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, about negotiations with the United States.
Baghaei said a new visit by Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to Iran aims “to facilitate the exchange of messages and provide additional explanations to clarify the texts sent between the parties”.
Iranian media reported earlier that Naqvi was making his second trip to the country over the past week during efforts to reach a deal between Washington and Tehran.
According to Tasnim’s report, Baghaei also reiterated Iran is “pursuing the path of negotiations with seriousness and good faith” despite having “strong and reasonable suspicion” of the US side.
12m ago (17:00 GMT)
Spain summons Israeli envoy over ‘monstrous’ treatment of flotilla activists
Spain has joined other nations in summoning Israeli diplomats over the treatment of the abducted Gaza flotilla activists.
In a post on X, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said the move is “in response to the monstrous, undignified, and humiliating treatment by an Israeli minister toward the Spaniards and the rest of the flotilla members”.
Albares also called for the immediate release of the activists and an apology from the Israeli government.
27m ago (16:45 GMT)
Why is Trump’s Gaza Board of Peace facing crippling cash crunch?
By Mohammad Mansour
The Board of Peace, founded by Trump in January to oversee the administration and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, is facing a crippling cash crunch that threatens to derail its ambitious $70bn reconstruction plan for the devastated enclave.
The US-led board recently reported a critical gap between its financial commitments and actual disbursements, warning of an urgent liquidity crisis. However, experts tracking international aid to Palestinians said the funding shortfall is neither surprising nor purely administrative.
“Donors are terrified of engaging with a board that carries no political vision and treats Gaza merely as an American security protectorate,” Moath al-Amoudi, an expert in international aid to Palestinians, told Al Jazeera.
32m ago (16:39 GMT)
Germany, Belgium condemn Israel over flotilla abuse footage
Germany and Belgium are the latest countries to condemn Israel over its treatment of activists abducted from a Gaza-bound flotilla after footage showed them bound, abused and humiliated.
Germany’s ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, said in a post on X that the actions were “wholly unacceptable”.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot described the images as “deeply disturbing” and said Belgian citizens are among those detained, calling Israel’s actions “unacceptable”.
42m ago (16:30 GMT)
Canada also summons Israeli ambassador over Ben-Gvir video
Foreign Minister Anita Anand says she’s directed officials to summon Israel’s ambassador to Canada “regarding the mistreatment of civilians aboard the [Gaza] flotilla”.
“What we’ve seen, including the video shared by Itamar Ben-Gvir, is deeply troubling and absolutely unacceptable,” Anand told reporters.
“Canada has already imposed strict sanctions on Ben-Gvir, including asset freezes and a travel ban, in response to his repeated incitement of violence. The protection of civilians and respect for human dignity must be upheld at all times.”
Asked by a Radio-Canada journalist whether Ottawa had any information about Canadian flotilla participants detained by Israel, Anand said the government is there “to support Canadian citizens who travel to other countries”.
The Gaza flotilla participants were not travelling to Israel. They were intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters while trying to draw attention to the situation in Gaza, which has faced Israel’s genocidal war and a crippling years-long siege.
52m ago (16:20 GMT)
Iran’s football team still waiting for US visas for World Cup
Iranian officials say Iranian football players and staff have yet to receive visas to attend the World Cup in the United States.
They are planning to apply for visas at the Canadian embassy in Turkey.
Iran’s team is scheduled to open their Group G campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, before facing Belgium in the same city and then Egypt in Seattle.
58m ago (16:13 GMT)
‘Do we go and finish it up?’ Trump says of Iran
Trump has spoken briefly about Iran during a commencement address at the US Coast Guard Academy.
“Everything’s gone. Their navy’s gone. Their air force is gone. Just about everything,” the US president said.
1h ago (16:10 GMT)
Netherlands summons Israeli envoy over Gaza flotilla activist abuse
The Netherlands will summon Israel’s ambassador to address the “unacceptable” treatment of detained Gaza flotilla activists.
1h ago (16:04 GMT)
Turkiye condemns Israel’s ‘barbaric mentality’ after Gaza flotilla video
Turkiye has denounced Israel over the verbal and physical violence inflicted on activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla.
Israeli forces intercepted the Gaza aid convoy in international waters.
“The minister in question – one of the main actors of the genocide carried out by Israel in Gaza – has once again openly demonstrated to the whole world the violent and barbaric mentality of the Netanyahu government,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Ankara is working with other countries to secure the immediate and safe release of detained Turkish nationals and other flotilla participants, it added.
1h ago (16:00 GMT)
- At least 19 have been killed and 17 wounded in Israeli attacks across southern Lebanon as ceasefire violations continue, the Health Ministry reports.
- President Trump tells US lawmakers the war on Iran will end “very quickly” and “hopefully … in a very nice manner”.
- Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has commemorated the second anniversary of the death of former President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, saying Iran is putting up a “unique historical resistance against two global terrorist armies”.
- South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun says a South Korean-operated vessel carrying two million barrels of crude oil is passing through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with Iranian authorities.
- At least 72,773 people have been killed and 172,723 wounded by Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since October 2023, its Health Ministry says.
- Lebanon’s Health Ministry says Israeli attacks have killed at least 3,073 people and wounded 9,362 since March 2 when fighting resumed.
Xi, Putin discuss Middle East conflict and global energy disruption
Following a meeting in Beijing with President Xi, Putin said ties between China and Russia were at an “unprecedentedly high level”, while Xi described relations as “unyielding”.
The Chinese leader also made an apparent swipe at the US when he warned of “unilateral and hegemonic countercurrents running rampant” in the international system.
Regarding the conflict in the Middle East, Xi told Putin that the region was at a “critical juncture” and called for an “early end to the conflict”, in particular to secure energy supplies.
“A comprehensive ceasefire is of utmost urgency, resuming hostilities is even more inadvisable and maintaining negotiations is particularly important,” Xi said.
When discussing the disruption to global energy supply caused by Iran’s near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Putin described the energy sector as “the locomotive of economic cooperation”, adding that Russia would remain a “reliable supplier” of resources to China against the backdrop of the war.
1h ago (15:35 GMT)
Oil prices fall more than 5% as Trump tries to manage markets over Iran
Oil prices have fallen more than 5 percent as the US president seeks to manage markets with expressions of optimism over Middle East talks.
The price of Brent crude oil dropped to $105.70.
Trump said on Wednesday that negotiations with Iran were in “the final stages”, while warning of further attacks unless Tehran agrees to a peace deal.
1h ago (15:30 GMT)
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister praises Trump for pausing Iran attack
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud says his country welcomed Trump’s decision to allow more time for negotiations with Iran and “to give diplomacy a chance to reach an acceptable agreement to end the war, restore the security and freedom of maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz”.
In a post on X, he also called on Iran to “urgently respond to the efforts to advance the negotiations leading up to a comprehensive agreement”.
1h ago (15:15 GMT)
Palestinians in Gaza barred from Hajj, animal sacrifice
Before the war erupted in 2023, at least 3,000 pilgrims from Gaza performed the Hajj every year.
“The border crossing is closed. Why is this happening to pilgrims? They want to fulfil their Hajj obligation, they do not want to do anything else,” a Palestinian said.
2h ago (15:05 GMT)
Iran-US talks ongoing through Pakistan: Iranian Foreign Ministry
Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has told Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo that negotiations between Tehran and Washington “are continuing through Pakistani mediators”.
“Basically, what we want is not a demand but our rights,” he said, as reported by Iran’s IRNA news agency.
That includes Iran’s demand that US sanctions against the country be lifted, which Baghaei said is “part of our rights”.
2h ago (15:00 GMT)
US imposes sanctions on Gaza flotilla organisers: Why it matters
By Caolán Magee
The US has imposed sanctions on four activists involved in flotilla missions seeking to break Israel’s 19-year siege on Gaza.
The sanctions were announced on Tuesday after at least 430 activists were abducted during Israeli interceptions of aid ships heading towards Gaza, which has been facing shortages of food and other necessities due to Israeli curbs on aid deliveries into the enclave.
Organisers said they fear the sanctions and accusations of Hamas links are being used to justify further crackdowns. The concerns come amid previous allegations by activists of abuse, including sexual abuse, during past interceptions by Israeli officials.
2h ago (14:56 GMT)
Two Israeli officers, 1 soldier injured in southern Lebanon drone strike
The Israeli army says two officers and a soldier have been injured in a drone strike in southern Lebanon that it blames on Hezbollah.
2h ago (14:45 GMT)
Iran risks future diplomatic ties with warning of expanded conflict: Analyst
Iran’s threat that the war could spread far beyond the Middle East if the US attacks again could harm Tehran’s future diplomatic ties, Zeidon Alkinani, founding director of the Arab Perspectives Institute, says.
“It is very unfair to the countries that were not originally involved in this war and even advocated for this war not to happen. This means Iran will face a phase of severe diplomatic relations, which has nothing to do with the US following this war.”
Alkinani also told Al Jazeera that China and Russia are playing similar roles in the context of the Middle East conflict.
“They can silently, comfortably and confidently watch it all without having to sacrifice their own relations with any of the countries or players that are involved in this war or any of the regional players that have been impacted directly by this war,” he said.
Such a position could allow Moscow and Beijing to “fill many of the economic and political voids and power vacuums that the US might leave behind” in the Middle East.
2h ago (14:35 GMT)
Netanyahu says instructed authorities to deport Gaza flotilla activists
While claiming Israel has “every right” to intercept Gaza-bound flotillas, Netanyahu says the way his far-right ally, Ben-Gvir, dealt with the activists “is not in line with Israel’s values and norms”.
“I have instructed the relevant authorities to deport the provocateurs as soon as possible,” he said.
However, international activists taking part in several previous Gaza flotillas have accused Israeli authorities of a range of mistreatment in detention, including physical violence and psychological abuse.
Earlier this month, the UN rights office called for an investigation into “disturbing accounts of severe mistreatment” of two flotilla participants, Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila, who were previously detained.
Adalah, a legal centre for Palestinian rights in Israel, said the pair had faced severe physical abuse that amounted to torture.
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