Iran has stepped up the rounding up and jailing of perceived critics, while at the same time pursuing a potential diplomatic opening with U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on nuclear talks. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/10/world/politics/iran-arrests-us-talks/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #iran #middleeast #us #ayatollahalikhamenei
Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates condemned Israel's move to widen its powers in the West Bank, a step critics said went in the direction of annexing occupied land. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/10/world/politics/arab-states-israel-west-bank/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #saudiarabia #jordan #uae #middleeast #israel #gaza #israelhamaswar #palestinians
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday ruled out Tehran ever giving up uranium enrichment in its negotiations with Washington, insisting it will not be intimidated by the threat of war with the United States. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/08/world/politics/iran-us-enrich-uranium/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #iran #us #nuclearweapons #middleeast #donaldtrump
A senior Hamas leader said Sunday that the Palestinian Islamist movement would not surrender its weapons nor accept foreign intervention in Gaza, pushing back against U.S. and Israeli demands. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/08/world/politics/hamas-disarmament-foreign-rule/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #middleeast #israel #gaza #israelhamaswar #palestinians #hamas #us
The Board of Peace touted by U.S. President Donald Trump will hold its first leaders meeting on Feb. 19. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/08/world/politics/board-of-peace-meeting-feb-19/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #boardofpeace #middleeast #israel #gaza #us #donaldtrump #republicans
Iran's top diplomat said on Friday that nuclear talks with the U.S. mediated by Oman were off to a "good start” and set to continue. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/07/world/politics/iran-us-oman-talks/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #iran #irannuclearprogram #nuclearweapons #us #donaldtrump #middleeast #oman
Iran is pushing to focus squarely on its nuclear program during talks with the United States set for Friday in Oman, while Washington's demands go beyond that. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/06/world/politics/iran-us-talks-thorny-issues/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #us #iran #middleeast #uranium #nuclearweapons #donaldtrump
Israeli tanks and airstrikes killed 24 Palestinians including seven children in Gaza on Wednesday, the latest violence to undermine the nearly four-month-old ceasefire. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/05/world/israeli-strikes-kill-24-gaza/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #middleeast #israel #gaza #israelhamaswar #palestinians
The U.S. and Iran have agreed to hold talks in Oman on Friday, even as they remained at odds over Washington's insistence that negotiations include Tehran's missile arsenal. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/05/world/politics/us-iran-talks-oman-agenda/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #iran #oman #middleeast #us
Global container liners are bracing for lower profits in 2026 as the potential reopening of the Red Sea shipping route weighs on freight rates, exacerbating oversupply issues and aggravating trade pains. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/02/04/companies/shipping-firms-red-sea/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #companies #shipping #redsea #trade #middleeast
Nongovernmental organizations are battling to quantify the scale of Iran’s crackdown on protesters, a task complicated by the internet shutdown, manipulated content and threats against sources inside the country. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/04/world/ngos-iran-crackdown-death-count/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #iran #middleeast #humanrightsactivistsnewsagency #iranhumanrights
Syria began deploying security forces in Kurdish-controlled areas, implementing a U.S.-backed agreement to integrate Kurds with state institutions and take control of northeastern territories in the country. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/03/world/politics/syria-kurdish-us-deal/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #middleeast #syria #kurds #us
Israel reopened the Rafah crossing to Palestinians for the first time in months, a major step in a U.S.-backed plan to end the war, though strict Israeli security checks slowed the process. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/03/world/gaza-border-israel-rafah/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #middleeast #israel #gaza #israelhamaswar #palestinians #egypt #us
Iran’s leadership is increasingly worried a U.S. strike could break its grip on power by driving an already enraged public back onto the streets, following a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/03/world/politics/iran-us-strike-protests/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #iran #middleeast #us
Israel announced Sunday it was terminating Doctors Without Borders’ humanitarian operations in Gaza after the charity failed to provide a list of Palestinian staff. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/02/world/israel-msf-gaza-palestinian-staff/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #unrwa #doctorswithoutborders #middleeast #israel #gaza #israelhamaswar #palestinians #hamas #benjaminnetanyahu
Iran’s supreme leader warned of a "regional war” as tensions continued to mount over potential U.S. strikes on Tehran and top Israeli military officials visited Washington. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/02/world/iran-regional-war-trump-demands/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #iran #middleeast #israel #us #usmilitary #donaldtrump
Iran has declared the armies of European countries "terrorist groups," following the European Union's decision to apply the same designation to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/01/world/politics/iran-eu-armies-terrorist-irgc/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #europe #eu #terrorism #middleeast #israel #gaza #iran #lebanon #hezbollah #us
Israel partially reopened the Rafah crossing between the devastated Gaza Strip and Egypt on Sunday following months of urging from humanitarian organizations, though access is limited to the movement of people. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/01/world/israel-reopen-rafah-crossing/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #middleeast #israel #gaza #israelhamaswar #palestinians #hamas
The U.S. special envoy for Iraq, named by U.S. President Donald Trump in October, is no longer in that role, sources say. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/01/world/politics/us-iraq-al-maliki/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #iraq #middleeast #nourialmaliki #us #donaldtrump
Iran's top security official said Saturday that progress had been made toward negotiations with the United States, even as the Islamic Republic's army chief warned Washington against launching military strikes. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/01/world/politics/iran-us-talks/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #iran #middleeast #donaldtrump #us #usmilitary