News Digest — 5/5/26
Iran Strikes UAE And Oman: It Looks Like Only The Beginning
The Iranians, like a wounded animal, launched missile and drone attacks Monday evening (4th) on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Omani capital. Alongside attacks on ships and tankers in the Gulf, this appears to be only the beginning. Senior Revolutionary Guards officials may not be done, and Israel must prepare for the possibility that its home front could soon become a target.
Against the backdrop of recent events, Tehran appears to have understood that if the US succeeds in even partially reopening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, Iran will lose not only its main and only bargaining chip in negotiations – its leverage over the global energy market – but also a humiliation that could threaten the regime’s survival.
Iran understands that Trump has declared “Project Freedom,” which began Monday (4th) after the U.S. used the ceasefire to build up a massive naval, air and ground force facing southern Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. That force gives U.S. Central Command decisive military superiority, including “soft” weapons, electronic warfare, and cyber capabilities, in the Strait and the Gulf of Oman.
And not only military forces: During the ceasefire, the Americans also diligently gathered intelligence on the locations of naval mines laid by the Revolutionary Guards in the Strait of Hormuz and identified safe routes for commercial ships. U.S. Naval destroyers now stand between the Iranian coast and the vessels, ready to respond by all means to attacks against them. That includes missile-jamming -systems, as well as U.S. Central Command reconnaissance aircraft and drones patrolling above the destroyers, detecting every launch and striking it. The same applies to speed boats, six of which the U.S. military says it has already sunk.
In such a situation, the Iranians have no chance of succeeding in a confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz, which would almost certainly end with the destruction of Revolutionary Guards facilities and launchers along the nearby coasts and in southern Iran, That is why Tehran decided to strike the Gulf states, first and foremost the UAE, whose rulers openly encourage Trump to neutralize Iran’s nuclear and ballistic capabilities.
The UAE leads opposition to Iran among the Gulf states, but Tehran has an almost unlimited ability to strike its oil facilities and ports, the source of its wealth. According to reports, the U.S.and Israel have recently worked to bolster the UAE’s missile and drone defenses, but its oil industry remains highly vulnerable to anything launched from nearby Iran.
Given all this, it is reasonable to assume that the launches toward the UAE and Oman were only the beginning. Tehran understands that if it loses the campaign, and Trump’s economic siege on Iran continues, the regime’s survival will be in real danger in the foreseeable future. Iranian citizens will not remain indifferent to the combination of economic hardship and national humiliation, and sooner or later, they may take to the streets.
Lebanese President : Meeting With Netanyahu Is Out Of The Question
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun clarified his nation’s diplomatic stance on Monday (4th) , indicating that a high-level summit with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently out of the question, the Xinhua news agency reported.
Aoun emphasized that the cessation of hostilities must be the primary focus before any direct political engagement can be considered.
The Lebanese Presidency released a formal statement in which Aoun explained that the prevailing conditions do not support a bilateral meeting.
“The timing is not suitable now to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We must first reach a security agreement and stop the Israel attacks against us before raising the issue of a meeting,” he said, according to the statement.
President Aoun has been engaged in a flurry of international activity, meeting with representatives from the United States, Europe, and several Arab nations in an attempt to bring an end to the conflict with Israel.
According to the President, these contacts have been essential in clarifying the official position of the Lebanese government. He noted that his recent diplomatic outreach has been successful in bridging gaps and removing various misunderstandings held by foreign powers regarding Lebanon’s response to the current crisis.
President Aoun, who has been pressured by Washington to meet Netanyahu for direct talks, maintains that the path forward must be rooted in security stability. He reiterated that the implementation of a firm security agreement and a total halt to military operations are absolute prerequisites for any future political dialogue at the leadership level.
Hamas Names Khalil Al-Hayya Head In Gaza, Keeps Leadership Largely Unchanged Ahead Of Top Vote
Khalil al-Hayya has been elected Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Monday (4th), in an internal vote that left the terror group’s leadership structure largely unchanged ahead of an upcoming election for its top political post.
Khaled Mashaal was re-elected as Hamas’ leader abroad, while Zaher Jebarin was formally named to head the terror group’s operations in Judea and Samaria after succeeding Saleh al-Aroun following his assassination in January 2024.
The elections are a prelude to a vote for the leadership of Hamas’ political bureau, in which al-Hayya and Mashaal are expected to compete, likely within the next two weeks, according to the Lebanese paper.
Sources cited by the newspaper, which is affiliated with Iran’s Lebanese proxy Hezbollah, said Hamas plans to appoint another senior figure from Gaza to replace al-Hayya if he is elected to the top post.
A US-brokered ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, ended the two-year war that began when Hamas, other Palestinian terrorist groups, and Gazan civilians invaded Israel’s northwestern Negev on Oct. 7, 2023, slaughtering 1,200 people, wounding thousands and taking 251 hostages.
All three of Hamas’ top leaders: Sinwar in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh abroad, and al-Arouri in Judea and Samaria, were eliminated by Israel’s security forces within roughly a year after the Oct. 7 massacre.
Before Oct. 7, al Hayya served as deputy to Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar. He has maintained close ties with Tehran and was among the top Hamas officials who met with Iran’s now-slain supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
Al-Hayya left the Gaza Strip before the Oct.7 onslaught and has since mostly been based in Qatar, though he has also made visits to Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria.
He has since headed Hamas’ negotiating team in ceasefire talks with the United States.
Tony Blair, a founding member of US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, told the UN Security Council last week that the organization had made “substantial progress” in implementing Washington’s peace plan for Gaza.
“The critical demilitarization talks with Hamas are continuing, led with immense effort by the mediators: Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey together with High Representative for Gaza, Nickolav Mladenov and representatives of the Board of Peace,” according to the former British prime minister.
Senior Hamas leaders like Mashaal and Musa Abu Marzouk have rejected key parts of Washington’s peace plan in recent months, including disarmament, despite having agreed to the proposal in October.
The Izz as-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ “military wing” last month denounced calls for its disarmament under the ceasefire plan as “extremely dangerous.”
Israel-Turkish Tensions Continue To Grow As Ankara Prepares To Launch New Flotilla
Tensions between Turkey and Israel are rising to a dramatic new level, as 20 ships and boats are currently organizing in Turkey to launch a new flotilla after Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud flotilla last week.
For the first time, there is a genuine fear that a military clash could develop between the two forces.
Diplomatic officials are working behind the scenes to defuse tensions, and IDF officials stated that Israel is currently utilizing diplomatic channels with Turkey to try to prevent the flotilla from setting sail.
Additionally, the Israeli Navy has begun preparations to intercept this upcoming flotilla if necessary.
As of now, the ships have not yet departed from Marmaris.
The flotilla is being organized by the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation, which was behind the infamous 2010 “Mavi Mamara” flotilla.
While last week’s interception was largely peaceful, when Shayetet 13 commandos boarded the Mavi Mamara in May of 2010 to prevent it from reaching Gaza, soldiers were met with violent resistance from dozens of activists.
The activists attacked soldiers with knives and clubs, took some soldiers captive, and, according to the IDF, opened fire with live ammunition. The clash resulted in the deaths of 9 activists, with dozens injured on both sides, including 20 activists and 10 commandos.
A significant tactical concern remains. Unlike the interception near Crete last week, this new route’s proximity to the Turkish coast significantly increases the risk of a confrontation between the two national navies.
Taking The Wind Out Of The Gaza Flotilla’s Sails – Nitsana Darshan-Leitner
The stunning preemptive interception of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla from Israel’s shores, last week, was a model of professionalism,discipline and strategic clarity. Once again, the IDF, the Navy and Israel’s intelligence services demonstrated that national security can be defended firmly, intelligently and without unnecessary drama. There were no injuries, no chaos, no televised confrontation, and no manufactured spectacle, for these activists eager to provoke headlines.
This time Israel moved fast and sucked all the wind out of their sails. There was no grandstanding, no CNN, no Gretas, and no opportunity to turn sailors defending their country into villains for international consumption.
The naval blockade of Gaza has been widely recognized in international law as a lawful security measure when properly declared and enforced. In that context, publicly declared attempts to breach a lawful sea blockade must be viewed as unlawful extremist conduct, rather than legitimate protest or humanitarian action. Accordingly, Israel is required to take the necessary and proportionate measures available under international law to enforce its rights and ensure the integrity of the blockade, including actions on the high seas.
The writer is president of Shurat HaDin Law Center. (Ynetnews)
UK’s StarmerTo Meet With Community Leaders To Tackle Antisemitism After Attacks
Prime Minister Keir Starmer will convene leaders from across society on Tuesday (5th) to tackle antisemitism in the wake of the stabbing of two Jewish men and a string of other assaults, his office said.
The attacks have left Jewish communities fearing for their safety and put pressure on the governing Labour Party, particularly ahead of local elections on May 7. The leader of the opposition Conservative Party has called antisemitism a “national emergency.”
The government has since raised the national terrorism threat level to “severe” and announced an additional 25 million pounds ($33.80 million) in funding to bolster protection of the country’s estimated 290,000-strong Jewish community.
Starmer, whose wife is Jewish, said in a statement that last week’s stabbings were part of a pattern of rising antisemitism that has left the country’s Jewish communities feeling frightened and angry.
“Make no mistake, this crisis – it is a crisis for all of us. It is a test of our values… It is not enough to simply say we stand with Jewish communities. We must show it,” he added.
Tuesday’s (5th) meeting will bring together representatives from business, civil society,, health, culture, higher education, and policing, to take part in discussions with members of the Jewish community, hosted by ministers.
The government, which has also promised legislation to deal with state-sponsored threats, says the event forms part of its efforts to accelerate work to confront militancy, protect the Jewish community and strengthen cohesion.
The Global Terrorism Index , issued by the Institute for Economics and Peace, has said that while deaths from terrorism fell worldwide in 2025, terrorism-related fatalities in Western countries surged by 280% compared to 2024, largely driven by antisemitism..
In Britain, government data published last year showed sharp rises in hate crimes against Jewish communities in the months following the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza War.
