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Iran’s IRGC Navy threatens to sink US warships approaching Strait of Hormuz
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A view of streets as daily life continues amid fragile ceasefire in Tehran, Iran on May 12, 2026. [Fatemeh Bahrami – Anadolu Agency]
A senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy threatened to sink US warships on Tuesday if they approach the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA.
“We are waiting for American warships to approach the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz so that we can sink them,” Rear Adm. Ali Azmaei said in televised remarks, adding that Iranian forces are “counting down” for the encounter.
Azmaei claimed US warships “do not dare” approach the strategic waterway because of their vulnerability, saying a US aircraft carrier worth $13 billion had moved 700 kilometers (435 miles) from the strait.
“If the Americans want to see whether the Strait of Hormuz is open or closed, let them enter the field and see who controls it,” he said.
Azmaei also said Iranian forces released information about two cases in which “violating vessels” were punished, accusing the US and its regional partners of maintaining a media blackout on the incidents.
READ: Americans urged to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia over Iranian, Houthi attack threats
He claimed the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf are under the control of the IRGC Navy, while Iran’s regular navy controls the Gulf of Oman.
Azmaei said the IRGC exercises “smart control” over the Strait of Hormuz, issuing permits for vessels traveling to and from Iran to use Iranian waterways.
He added that Iranian forces are better prepared now than they were at the beginning of the war.
Tensions in and around the Strait of Hormuz have remained high amid the Iran-US war and disputes about navigation through the strategic waterway.
Tehran maintains that it controls passage through Iranian waters in the strait and has warned vessels against using routes it considers unauthorized, while Washington has insisted on freedom of navigation through the waterway. Recent attacks on commercial vessels in and around the strait have further heightened maritime tensions.
READ: Iranian attacks target 6 ships near Strait of Hormuz in 1 day, highest since war with US began
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone … unless he gets distracted or falls asleep.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. New Labour UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham continues Labour party policy of active support and complicity in Israel’s genocide.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.
Ed Miliband says that he and the Labour Party are full of shit criminalising people holding signs as terrorists despite anything he says.

Andy Burnham stands with Israel
13 October 2026
Israeli army arrests 30 Palestinians as occupiers assault family in occupied West Bank
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Israeli forces conduct a raid into West Bank city of Nablus, detaining a Palestinian, on October 07, 2026. [Nedal Eshtayah – Anadolu Agency]
The Israeli army rounded up 30 Palestinians in military raids across the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, while occupiers assaulted a Palestinian family near Nablus, leaving several people injured, Anadolu reports.
The Prisoners’ Media Office said Israeli forces carried out widespread raids involving searches of homes and the conversion of one house into an interrogation center.
The arrests were concentrated in the northern Nablus province, where 15 Palestinians were detained in the village of Tell, 12 in Asira al-Shamaliya and another in Talfit, the office said.
Israeli forces also raided several homes in Asira al-Shamaliya and turned one into an interrogation center.
Another Palestinian was arrested in Tubas in the northeastern West Bank and one more in Hebron in the south after Israeli forces raided and searched their homes, the same source said.
Separately, several Palestinians were injured early Tuesday when Israeli occupiers wearing military uniforms attacked a family in Talfit, south of Nablus, according to local sources.
READ: Abduction of Palestinians by Israeli occupiers on rise in occupied West Bank: Officials
The sources told Anadolu that the occupiers, disguised as Israeli soldiers, knocked on the door of the home of Yusuf Munawwar Abu Aisha before severely beating him and members of his family.
Several family members sustained injuries and bruises and were taken to a hospital.
The Israeli army simultaneously raided several Palestinian homes in the village, according to the same sources.
Two more Palestinians were also injured when Israeli occupiers assaulted them while they were harvesting olives in the town of Beit Lid near Tulkarem in the northern West Bank.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said its teams treated two Palestinians injured after being beaten by Israeli occupiers on agricultural land in Beit Lid during the olive harvest.
Israeli army raids and attacks by occupiers against Palestinians and their property have intensified across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023.
Palestinians say illegal settlement expansion and attacks threaten the possibility of establishing an independent Palestinian state in line with relevant international resolutions.
READ: Israeli occupiers give 47 Palestinian families 24 hours to leave West Bank homes
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone … unless he gets distracted or falls asleep.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. New Labour UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham continues Labour party policy of active support and complicity in Israel’s genocide.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.
Ed Miliband says that he and the Labour Party are full of shit criminalising people holding signs as terrorists despite anything he says.

Andy Burnham stands with Israel
13 October 2026
Qatar emir calls for accountability over Gaza genocide perpetrators
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to discuss cooperation in economy, investment and other fields in Doha, Qatar, on April 22, 2026. [Syrian Presidency / Handout – Anadolu Agency]
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Tuesday called for accountability for Israel’s ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, Anadolu reports.
“What happened in the Gaza Strip is unquestionably genocide, and its perpetrators must not be allowed to escape accountability,” Tamim said during an address opening the 55th annual session of Qatar’s Shura Council in Doha.
Qatar has played a mediating role in efforts to end the Israeli war in Gaza.
Israel has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and injured over 175,000 in Gaza since October 2023, most of them women and children, while around 90% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to Palestinian authorities.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
READ: UN verifies 1,076 Palestinian deaths in Gaza since ceasefire, warns of possible war crimes
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN’s principal judicial organ, is also hearing a case brought by South Africa and joined by several countries accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
“We will continue working with our brothers and our international and regional partners to keep our region stable and secure,” the Qatari emir added.
Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye mediated a ceasefire agreement in Gaza that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, as part of a plan proposed by US President Donald Trump.
Despite the agreement, Israel’s genocide has continued, killing 1,493 Palestinians and injuring 5,299 others, most of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Israel has also continued to restrict the entry of agreed quantities of food, medicine, medical supplies, shelter materials and prefabricated homes into Gaza, where around 2.4 million Palestinians live, including some 2.15 million displaced people, amid severe humanitarian conditions.
READ: Eisenkot calls for halt to Qatari aid transfers to Gaza, investigation into reported $100 million
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone … unless he gets distracted or falls asleep.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. New Labour UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham continues Labour party policy of active support and complicity in Israel’s genocide.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.
Ed Miliband says that he and the Labour Party are full of shit criminalising people holding signs as terrorists despite anything he says.

Andy Burnham stands with Israel
13 October 2026
Israel attacks Netherlands over ban on Israeli football fans attending match
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Maccabi supporters wave yellow flags next to Israeli flags during the UEFA Europa League, League phase – Matchday 4, football match between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv at the Johan-Cruijff stadium, in Amsterdam on November 7, 2024. [Robin van Lonkhuijsen /AFP via Getty Images]
Israel criticised the Netherlands on Monday evening over a decision to bar fans of Israeli football club Hapoel Be’er Sheva from attending their Europa League match against AZ Alkmaar, claiming the move “rewards those who threaten and incite violence”.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a statement after local authorities in Alkmaar reaffirmed the ban on the Israeli team’s supporters attending the match, scheduled for 15 October, citing security concerns.
“Two years after Israelis were hunted through the streets of Amsterdam, the Dutch answer is to ban the victims, not the attackers,” the ministry said.
READ: Netherlands bans trade in products from Israeli settlements
It described Alkmaar’s decision as contrary to the fundamental principles and spirit of sport, claiming it “rewards those who threaten and incite violence”.
The ministry claimed that such attacks were “fuelled by anti-Israel incitement from Dutch politicians and public figures.”
It added that barring Israeli fans from the match, alongside the boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest, was “another stain on the Netherlands”. It also claimed that “the country increasingly becomes one of the world’s leading hotspots for antisemitism.”
READ: Netherlands ‘deeply regrets’ Israel’s decision to revoke status of Dutch diplomats in Ramallah
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone … unless he gets distracted or falls asleep.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone … unless he gets distracted or falls asleep.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. New Labour UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham continues Labour party policy of active support and complicity in Israel’s genocide.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.
Ed Miliband says that he and the Labour Party are full of shit criminalising people holding signs as terrorists despite anything he says.

Andy Burnham stands with Israel
13 October 2026
Haaretz: Saudi crown prince opposes Israeli involvement in war against Houthis
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
(Combo) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (R).
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has opposed Israel’s participation in military operations against the Houthis, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.
According to the report, published on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for Israel to join military operations against the Houthis, but Saudi Arabia’s position is an obstacle to the move. Riyadh’s stance reflects its regional security concerns and the potential consequences of widening the conflict in Yemen and the Red Sea.
The report highlights differences between Netanyahu and bin Salman over Israel’s role in the confrontation. While the Israeli prime minister is seeking direct military involvement, the Saudi crown prince opposes the move, reflecting the sensitivity surrounding Israel’s direct participation in a regional war.
READ: Saudi Arabia says Dammam airport attacked as Houthis claim strikes on aviation, oil facilities
Previous Israeli media reports said military officials had recommended avoiding putting Israel at the forefront of the confrontation with the Houthis and instead focusing on building a regional and international coalition to address the threats.
The report concluded that the disagreement reflects differing views on the limits of Israel’s role in the war, rather than necessarily indicating a difference over the seriousness of the Houthi threat itself. Direct Israeli military involvement could widen the conflict and trigger further responses, including from Iran and Hezbollah.
Remove repeated points about opposition attribute analysis more cautiously.
READ: Saudi Arabia prepared for various scenarios amid Houthi attacks
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone … unless he gets distracted or falls asleep.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. New Labour UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham continues Labour party policy of active support and complicity in Israel’s genocide.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.
Ed Miliband says that he and the Labour Party are full of shit criminalising people holding signs as terrorists despite anything he says.

Andy Burnham stands with Israel
13 October 2026