Middle East

• Iran's supreme leader vows to crack down on protesters, blames Trump - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei excoriated protesters as 'saboteurs' and insisting the Islamic Republic would 'not back down,' even as the country remains in the throes of a full communications blackout amid growing anti-govern
• Iran on edge as Trump threatens action following Venezuela operation amid protests - Perhaps no nation is alarmed as Iran by the U.S. attack on Venezuela to capture as Nicolás Maduro. Its leaders are facing a fresh bout of anti-government demonstrations and threats from President Trump.
• Israel-backed Gaza militias tout themselves as part of any post-conflict solution - Israel wants to use the factions as local proxies to secure parts of the enclave under its control.
• A Middle Eastern lifeline built on family, faith and fear - Volunteers from the Druze religious sect in Israel have built a lifeline of aid to help fellow Druze in Syria. The effort now shapes survival, power and the future of Syria's Druze.
• Trump’s Diplomats Act More Like Cowboys. Could That Be a Good Thing? - Sometimes Trump’s unconventional foreign policy just works.
• Pope Leo XIV delivers peace message to 150,000 at Beirut Mass - Pope Leo XIV, on the last day of his first international trip since assuming he papacy in May, celebrated a Mass attended by 150,000 in Beirut and called on people in the Middle East to set aside old divisions and strive or peace.