Diplomat News Network – Somalia & Global News

Aden Abdi

Aden Abdi – Lead MENA Reporter
Covers politics, security, and economic developments across the Middle East and North Africa, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Türkiye, Iran, UAE, Kuwait, Egypt, and Morocco. Based in Dubai.
Journalists at Diplomat News Network adhere to the Editorial Code of Ethics.
Türkiye and Nigeria sign a mining cooperation memorandum in Istanbul during the 2nd Istanbul Natural Resources Summit (INRES 2026), aiming to expand joint investment, exploration, and technology exchange in the minerals sector.

Türkiye, Nigeria target mineral investment in new deal

22/05/2026 - 02:44:53
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Istanbul (Diplomat.so) - Türkiye Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and Nigeria Solid Minerals Development Minister Oladele Henry Alake signed mining cooperation memorandum in Istanbul Thursday during INRES 2026 updating 2021 agreement.
Rescue teams search through the rubble of a collapsed four-storey residential building in Fez, Morocco, where at least nine people were killed and several others injured in an overnight disaster.

Morocco: Fez Four-Storey Collapse Leaves 9 Dead

22/05/2026 - 01:08:53
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Fez (Diplomat.so) - The Fez Public Prosecutor's Office said on Thursday, May 21, that at least nine people were killed and others injured after a four-storey residential building collapsed overnight in the Moroccan city of Fez, prompting ongoing rescue operations and evacuations nearby.
Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.

Iran Claims Strengthened Military Post-Ceasefire Era

20/05/2026 - 23:23:28
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Tehran (Diplomat.so) - Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said on Wednesday, May 20, in Tehran that Iran's armed forces remain prepared for renewed conflict, asserting that regional tensions and maritime developments reflect continued external pressure…
Photo shows an explosive-laden drone reportedly used in Hezbollah operations targeting Israeli military positions in southern Lebanon, amid intensified cross-border clashes on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

Lebanon: Hezbollah claims strikes on Israeli units in border areas

20/05/2026 - 23:08:12
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Beirut (Diplomat.so) – Israeli and Hezbollah forces exchanged intensified cross-border attacks in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, May 20, as an explosive drone strike and subsequent retaliatory operations left multiple Israeli soldiers wounded and triggered renewed clashes across border villages.
Official photo issued by the Iranian Presidency captures President Masoud Pezeshkian (right) during talks with Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi (center) in Tehran on May 20, 2026.

Iran–US talks: Pakistan's Naqvi makes 2nd Tehran visit

20/05/2026 - 22:29:25
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Tehran (Diplomat.so) – Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran on Wednesday for his second visit within a week, meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and senior officials as Islamabad intensifies mediation efforts between Iran and the United States, Iranian state media reported.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu criticizes the handling of

Israel PM: Ben-Gvir Conduct "Not Israel's Values"

20/05/2026 - 18:20:46
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Tel Aviv (Diplomat.so) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over the handling of detained "Freedom Flotilla" activists in Israel on Wednesday, after naval forces intercepted the vessel at sea and transferred detainees to custody,…
Global Freedom Flotilla vessels en route to Gaza were intercepted by Israeli forces at sea amid heightened regional tensions and international attention.

Israel Seizes 40+ Gaza-Bound Flotilla Boats at Sea

19/05/2026 - 16:51:29
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Tel Aviv (Diplomat.so) – The Israeli Navy on Tuesday, May 19, seized more than 40 vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla and detained over 300 activists aboard boats bound for Gaza, according to Israeli security sources cited by local media and flotilla organizers.
Troops from Israel Defense Forces are positioned near the Lebanon border amid heightened alert levels following renewed clashes, drone interceptions, and evacuation warnings issued to multiple southern villages.

Israeli Army Orders Immediate South Lebanon Exodus

19/05/2026 - 16:35:30
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Beirut (Diplomat.so) - Israel Defense Forces ordered residents of 12 villages and towns in southern Lebanon to evacuate immediately on Tuesday after accusing Hezbollah of violating an extended ceasefire agreement through renewed cross-border attacks.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Smotrich says ICC warrant is "declaration of war"

19/05/2026 - 16:02:39
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Tel Aviv (Diplomat.so) – Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Tuesday, May 19, in Jerusalem that the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him, calling it a "declaration of war."
Greek Migration Minister, Thanos Plevris.

Greece: 550,000 migrants waiting in Libya routes

19/05/2026 - 11:58:48
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Tripoli (Diplomat.so) - International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that 741 migrants were intercepted and returned by Libyan authorities across Mediterranean operations between May 10 and May 16, 2026 on Sunday May 18.
Lebanon Prime Minister Nawaf Salam

Lebanon PM Salam Calls for State Monopoly on Arms

16/05/2026 - 00:22:24
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Beirut (Diplomat.so) - Lebanon Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reaffirmed Lebanon's exclusive state authority over arms and constitutional decision-making during remarks in Beirut on Friday, May 15, at a dinner hosted by the Makassed Charity Association.
Leader of the Ansarullah movement in Yemen, Abdul-Malik Badruddin al-Houthi.

Yemen's Houthi Leader Calls for Action Against "Zionist Plan"

15/05/2026 - 22:29:32
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Sana'a (Diplomat.so) – Leader of the Ansarullah movement in Yemen, Abdul-Malik Badruddin al-Houthi, issued a statement in Sana'a on Friday, 15 May, condemning alleged repeated insults to the Quran and calling for what he described as coordinated Muslim mobilisation against Israeli and United…
Izzaddin Al-Haddad

Israeli jets, drones hit Al-Haddad in Gaza City raid

15/05/2026 - 21:51:07
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Gaza City (Diplomat.so) – Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported that Israeli forces carried out a coordinated drone and fighter jet strike targeting Hamas military wing commander Izzaddin Al-Haddad in a Gaza City apartment on Friday, May 15, during an operation also aimed at an evacuating vehicle.
Ezzedine al-Haddad

Israel Targets Hamas Commander al-Haddad in Gaza Strike

15/05/2026 - 21:33:37
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Gaza City (Diplomat.so) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Friday that Israeli forces targeted Ezzedine al-Haddad, a senior Hamas military commander accused by Israel of helping plan the Oct. 7, 2023 attack, during an operation in Gaza City.
Unsafe irregular migration journeys from Libyan coasts toward Greece and Italy have resulted in tens of thousands of deaths since 2007, highlighting the persistent and deadly risks of Mediterranean sea crossings.

Egypt finds 12 decomposed migrant bodies in Sidi Barrani

14/05/2026 - 20:56:10
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Cairo (Diplomat.so) - Egyptian medical and rescue authorities on Thursday, recovered approximately 12 decomposed bodies believed to be irregular migrants along the Abu Ghalila area in Sidi Barrani, northwestern Egypt, after waves washed them ashore with wreckage fragments from a suspected boat.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih Al-Zaidi.

Iraq Parliament Approves PM Ali Al-Zaidi Cabinet

14/05/2026 - 20:16:32
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Baghdad (Diplomat.so) - Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih Al-Zaidi secured parliamentary approval for his new government and ministerial program on Thursday after the Iraqi parliament voted to grant confidence during a session attended by a majority of lawmakers in Baghdad.
Israeli forces from the Golani Brigade and Egoz Unit, alongside engineering and armored corps units, established operational control over an area about 10 kilometers from the border in Lebanon as part of preparations to expand operations against Hezbollah.

Lebanon says 10 killed, 27 injured in Israeli strikes

14/05/2026 - 00:48:08
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Beirut (Diplomat.so) – The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health reported on Wednesday, May 13, that Israeli airstrikes across the southern districts of Nabatieh and surrounding villages killed 10 civilians and injured 27 others amid escalating cross-border hostilities.

Iraq denies foreign base in Najaf–Karbala desert

13/05/2026 - 13:04:48
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Baghdad (Diplomat.so) – Iraqi Security Forces and Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), on Tuesday, launched the "Imposing Sovereignty" operation across desert areas between Najaf and Karbala in central Iraq to secure major transit routes after social media reports alleged the presence of a foreign…
A heavily fortified wall stands outside an Israeli prison facility, marking the perimeter of a secure detention complex designed to restrict movement and maintain controlled confinement of detainees.

Israel creates military tribunal for Oct 7 suspects cases

13/05/2026 - 02:31:48
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Tel Aviv (Diplomat.so) – Israeli Knesset lawmakers approved a new law establishing a special military court to prosecute individuals accused of participating in the 7 October 2023 cross-border attacks from Gaza into southern Israel during a parliamentary vote held on Monday.
Iranian enriched uranium is believed to be stored within deep underground facilities, amid heightened international scrutiny of the country's nuclear program.

Rezaei: Iran May Enrich Uranium to 90% if Struck

13/05/2026 - 01:38:46
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Tehran (Diplomat.so) - Iranian Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission spokesperson Ebrahim Rezaei said on Tuesday, that Iran could enrich uranium up to 90 percent purity if the country is attacked again, in remarks posted on X and presented to lawmakers in Tehran.