The request comes as Iran attacks ships and plants mines in the all-important Strait of Hormuz, responsible for the shipment of one-fifth of the world's oil. The disruption has led to globally skyrocketing gas and oil prices.
Tens of thousands of people have gathered around the world for al-Quds Day, an annual event on the final Friday of Ramadan demonstrating solidarity with Palestine and opposition to Israeli occupation. Rallies took place across numerous countries, including Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kashmir and Yemen.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday told reporters it's up to Trump "whether it's the beginning, the middle or the end" of the war. Trump, during the course of one speech at a House Republican gathering on Monday, went from calling the war a "short-term excursion" that could end soon to proclaiming "we haven't won enough."
Anthony Glees, Emeritus Professor at the University of Buckingham, called the US and Israeli decision to attack Iran a 'war of choice' and the first red flag which previously led to the last two world wars. He claimed that the conflict in the Middle East did not start out of necessity or self-defense, but as a deliberate decision by two leaders focused on gaining power and keeping it.
For several weeks now, we've been bolstering our presence and the forces in the [region]—this statement from Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Richard Knighton reflects the military's acknowledgment of preparedness efforts, yet the sudden escalation demonstrated gaps in readiness despite these ongoing measures to strengthen British military capabilities in the Middle East.
The fact is that we don't have any positive experience of negotiating with the United States. You know, especially with this administration. We negotiated twice last year and this year, and then in the middle of negotiations, they attacked us. So we see no reason why we should engage once again with those who have, who are not honest in negotiation, and they don't and do not enter into negotiation in good faith.
We were told it would leave several times shortly, but nothing happened. People were exhausted and worried about what was going on. The aircraft never left the runway, and passengers were eventually disembarked after hours of waiting.
Energy consultancy Cornwall Insight predicts that Ofgem's price cap for the period from July to September could reach £1,801 per year for a typical dual-fuel household. This is about £160 higher than the cap set in April, representing a roughly 10% increase. Cornwall Insight describes this potential rise as a 'cause for concern' and notes that higher gas costs will also impact electricity prices, given the UK's ongoing reliance on gas-fired power generation.
Doubling down on renewables is, yes, right for climate change, it's, yes, right for jobs, it is also essential because we keep on seeing these lived examples of how instability, through regional instability, is creeping into our energy prices, for which the British Government has no agency.
Early Monday morning, an Iranian-made Shahed drone—allegedly shot from Lebanon, according to the Cypriot government—crashed on one of the runways at the Akrotiri airbase in the south of the island, causing no injuries and only minor damage. Two other drones traveling in the same direction were intercepted throughout Monday, and another was spotted over the civilian airport in Paphos, forcing its closure for a few hours.
