The United States has temporarily lifted sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian territories, following a recent court ruling. The State Department said the Trump administration removed her name from the sanctions list after a federal judge ordered a suspension of enforcement. However, the department emphasized that Washington’s policy position regarding Albanese remains unchanged and that it has appealed the court’s decision.

The sanctions were originally imposed in July 2025 after Albanese recommended that the International Criminal Court issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials. The Italian human rights expert has long criticized Israel’s policies toward Palestinians and described the situation in Gaza as genocide. Her family filed a lawsuit in Washington, D.C., arguing that the sanctions violated her constitutional rights, including freedom of expression.

Judge Richard Leon ruled in Albanese’s favor on May 13, stating that the government acted against her because of her opinions. The State Department indicated that if the court’s order is overturned, Albanese’s name will be reinstated on the Specially Designated Nationals list.

A new Fox News poll shows growing opposition among Americans to the ongoing U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran. According to the survey, 60 percent of respondents now oppose the war, up from 55 percent last month. The poll also found that 91 percent believe the conflict has worsened the country’s economic situation, adding political pressure on President Donald Trump.

Public dissatisfaction with the economy has also intensified. Seventy-seven percent of respondents described the current economic condition as poor, compared with 73 percent last month and 71 percent a year earlier. Criticism of Trump’s handling of the economy has risen sharply, with 71 percent now disapproving of his economic policies, up from 56 percent a year ago.

Overall, Trump’s popularity continues to decline, as 61 percent of Americans expressed disapproval of his performance in the latest poll.

US President Donald Trump has expressed deep dissatisfaction with NATO members’ response to the ongoing military activities surrounding Iran, according to senior US diplomat Marco Rubio. Speaking to reporters, Rubio said frustration within the Trump administration over NATO’s stance is growing, particularly after Spain refused to allow the US to use its military bases. He noted that such cooperation is central to NATO’s purpose, enabling rapid military deployment in crisis regions like the Middle East.

Rubio questioned the logic of NATO membership for countries that restrict such cooperation, emphasizing that the alliance’s strength lies in shared military access and readiness. He added that NATO members’ support for US efforts related to the Iran conflict has been far below expectations, which has intensified Trump’s disappointment with the alliance.

The remarks highlight ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and NATO, continuing a pattern of US criticism over European allies’ defense spending and military collaboration.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller has issued a stern warning to Iran amid stalled negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Speaking to Fox News, Miller said that Iran’s current leadership now faces a final deadline from the United States after talks failed to make progress. He stated that Tehran must choose between signing an agreement acceptable to Washington or facing a military response unlike anything seen in modern history.

The warning comes as diplomatic discussions between the two nations remain deadlocked, with no breakthrough reported. Miller emphasized that the Iranian administration has only two options left—either comply with the terms favored by the United States or face severe military consequences. His remarks underscore the growing tension surrounding the unresolved negotiations.

The statement signals a hardening U.S. stance toward Iran, suggesting that Washington may be preparing to escalate pressure if Tehran refuses to meet its conditions.

Australia has summoned the Israeli ambassador following a video posted by Israel’s far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The footage showed detained flotilla workers with their hands tied and forced to kneel while the minister appeared to taunt them. The incident prompted strong condemnation from Australia, joining other countries that have expressed outrage.

In a statement on social media platform X, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called the images posted by Ben-Gvir, who is under Australian sanctions, deeply distressing and unacceptable. She condemned both the minister’s actions and the degrading treatment of detainees by Israeli authorities. Wong reiterated Australia’s call for the release of 11 Australian citizens who were part of the flotilla and urged Israel to ensure humane treatment of all detainees in line with international obligations.

Wong confirmed that she instructed the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to summon the Israeli ambassador to deliver Australia’s message firmly.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu engaged in a tense phone conversation on Tuesday over their differing approaches to advancing the conflict with Iran, according to a U.S. official cited by CNN. The exchange followed Trump’s earlier decision to delay a planned targeted strike on Iran, reportedly named “Operation Sledgehammer,” after requests from Gulf allies including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The White House and Pakistani mediators have since been in close contact with Gulf states to outline a diplomatic path forward.

The delay frustrated Netanyahu, who has long favored a more aggressive stance against Tehran. Israeli officials said the prime minister pressed Trump during the hour-long call to resume military action, arguing that postponement only benefits Iran. Trump, however, maintained that diplomacy should continue, emphasizing that the situation was at a “final stage.”

Meanwhile, Iran confirmed through state-linked media that it continues indirect message exchanges with Washington via Pakistan. Pakistan’s army chief is expected to visit Tehran as part of ongoing mediation efforts, though key differences over Iran’s nuclear program and frozen funds remain unresolved.

The United States announced sanctions on Tuesday against four activists involved in flotilla missions attempting to break Israel’s 19-year blockade of Gaza. The US Treasury Department accused the organisers of supporting Hamas but did not publicly provide evidence. The sanctions target members of the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA) and Samidoun, including Mohammed Khatib, Jaldia Abubakra, Saif Abu Keshek, and Hisham Abu Mahfouz. The measures freeze any US-based assets and prohibit Americans from conducting business with them, potentially restricting their access to global financial systems.

Activists and rights advocates condemned the sanctions as an effort to criminalise humanitarian solidarity with Gaza. Organisers said the flotillas were peaceful missions to deliver aid and protest what they described as Israel’s collective punishment of Palestinians. They also reported that Israeli forces intercepted the latest flotilla in international waters, detaining hundreds of activists from more than 46 countries. Several governments, including Turkiye, Spain, and Brazil, criticised the interceptions, while UN officials warned of escalating risks to civilians at sea.

The sanctions come as Gaza faces severe shortages of food, medicine, and fuel under Israel’s blockade, which has been in place since 2007. Activists vowed to continue their efforts through alternative strategies despite the restrictions.

The United States has lifted sanctions imposed on Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories. The decision was confirmed through information published on the U.S. Treasury Department’s website. The move came a week after a federal judge issued a temporary suspension of the sanctions.

In its observation, the court noted that the Trump administration may have violated Albanese’s right to freedom of expression by punishing her for criticizing what she described as Israel’s ‘genocidal war’ in Gaza. Albanese has long been a vocal critic of Israeli military operations in Gaza and has expressed concern over the human rights situation of Palestinians in her reports and statements.

The lifting of sanctions marks a significant development in the ongoing debate over freedom of expression and accountability in international human rights advocacy.

A recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) report has claimed that the United States has lost or sustained damage to at least 42 military aircraft in its ongoing conflict with Iran. The list includes fighter jets, drones, and support aircraft such as four F-15E Strike Eagles, one F-35A Lightning II, one A-10 Thunderbolt II, seven KC-135 Stratotanker refueling planes, one E-3 Sentry AWACS, two MC-130J Commando II, one HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter, 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones, and one MQ-4C Triton drone.

According to the report, the Pentagon has not yet released a full accounting of the losses. CRS stated that its findings were based on analysis of various news reports and statements from the US Department of Defense and CENTCOM. Jules Hurst III, the Pentagon’s top financial officer, said the cost of the Iran-related military operations has reached about $29 billion, largely due to updated estimates for equipment repair and replacement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shared the CRS report on social media, asserting that Iran has learned important lessons from US and Israeli operations and warning of stronger resistance if future conflicts occur.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump postponed a planned military strike on Iran after receiving warnings that launching an attack during the Hajj season could severely damage Washington’s image in the Muslim world, according to a report by Middle East Eye. Two senior Gulf officials reportedly cautioned the Trump administration that such an operation could trigger a major crisis in the region, potentially trapping hundreds of thousands of pilgrims in Saudi Arabia. A senior U.S. official confirmed that discussions took place and that Trump was warned about possible reputational harm.

The report notes that the Hajj, scheduled to begin on May 24 and last six days, draws around one million foreign pilgrims annually. An attack during this period could have disrupted air travel across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, particularly affecting passengers from South and East Asia. Trump later stated that he delayed the strike at the request of Gulf leaders, including those of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

Unnamed officials suggested that hostilities might resume after the Hajj. The report also highlights ongoing regional tensions following earlier U.S. and Israeli strikes and Iran’s retaliatory actions against American interests in the Gulf.

Former US Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who served under two presidents, long opposed costly and overly complex weapons programs, urging instead for affordable next-generation arms. Two decades later, little has changed. The Iran war revealed that producing a Patriot missile takes 36 months and costs $4 million each, while the US military used over 1,200 of them, including against Iran’s low-cost Shahed drones. The conflict underscored Gates’s earlier criticism, exposing serious deficiencies in America’s defense industrial capacity.

Current Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is now addressing the issue, seeking a record $1.5 trillion military budget while calling for “85 percent solution” weapons and multiple suppliers to expand production. Experts, however, argue that financial increases alone cannot fix structural flaws. Rachel Hoff of the Ronald Reagan Institute said real change requires cultural and procedural reform within the Pentagon’s contracting and acquisition systems.

Analysts like Mackenzie Eaglen of the American Enterprise Institute blame the Pentagon’s slow procurement habits and limited-scale buying for production bottlenecks. Officials claim reforms are underway to boost manufacturing three to four times and to engage new defense technology firms.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has become the first official from President Donald Trump’s administration to publicly criticise Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir. Huckabee’s remarks came after Ben-Gvir posted a video showing detained foreign activists from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla being taunted and mistreated. Several countries, including Italy, France, the Netherlands and Canada, summoned Israeli ambassadors in protest. Huckabee condemned Ben-Gvir’s behaviour as a betrayal of national dignity but his comments followed closely after the US Treasury sanctioned the flotilla’s organisers.

Analysts said the episode highlighted a double standard in US policy toward Israel and Palestinians. The sanctions targeted four organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which sought to break Gaza’s blockade and deliver aid. The US Treasury described the effort as supporting Hamas, while organisers rejected the accusation, calling the sanctions an act of complicity in genocide. Advocacy groups such as DAWN and the Quincy Institute argued that Washington’s actions reinforced Israeli impunity and showed the Trump administration’s unwillingness to meaningfully criticise Israel.

Observers said the incident underscored growing divergence between the US and other Western nations on international law and humanitarian principles.

The White House has confirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump will attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit scheduled to take place in France from June 15 to 17. His participation had previously been uncertain due to tensions with allied nations. The confirmation ends speculation about whether Trump would join the high-level gathering.

According to the report, Trump is interested in shaping the meeting as more trade-focused than a traditional diplomatic event. French President Emmanuel Macron had earlier proposed hosting a post-summit dinner at the Palace of Versailles to encourage Trump’s attendance. The summit dates were also adjusted to avoid a scheduling conflict with a planned UFC fight at the White House on Trump’s 80th birthday.

The announcement signals renewed engagement between the U.S. and its G7 partners, though the tone and focus of discussions are expected to reflect Trump’s emphasis on trade issues.

A heated verbal exchange erupted in the US House of Representatives over the ongoing Iran war, when Democratic lawmaker Seth Moulton questioned Admiral Brad Cooper, head of the US Central Command, about the country’s plan to achieve victory. Moulton, a former Marine Corps officer during the Iraq war, expressed concern that the United States appeared to be losing, citing the absence of a nuclear deal and restricted access to the Strait of Hormuz. He asked how many more Americans would have to die due to what he described as strategic mistakes.

Admiral Cooper, known for his calm demeanor, reacted sharply, calling Moulton’s remarks “completely inappropriate.” Earlier, Cooper had asserted that the United States had achieved all its military objectives in the Iran war and remained prepared for any large-scale developments despite the current ceasefire. He avoided commenting on reports that a US strike on an Iranian school on February 28 killed about 170 children.

The exchange highlighted growing tensions within US leadership over the direction and justification of the Iran conflict.

U.S. journalist Alex Marquardt has warned that President Donald Trump’s patience over the Iran issue is wearing thin, heightening concerns about a possible new American attack on the country. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Marquardt said Trump had earlier delayed a strike on Iran at the request of close Gulf allies, but the likelihood of reaching any agreement now appears remote.

Marquardt cautioned against relying on Trump’s two-to-three-day deadline given to Iran for reaching a deal, noting that sources in Washington believe the president’s patience is clearly diminishing. He added that a ceasefire has been in place for several weeks, with both sides communicating indirectly through mediators including Pakistan, Gulf allies, and Turkey, but no real progress has been achieved.

According to Marquardt, if the current stalemate continues, there remains a real possibility of renewed U.S. military strikes, which could extend beyond military targets to include civilian infrastructure such as power grids and bridges.