MINNEAPOLIS — Somali and Muslim communities in Minnesota are once again condemning a social media post by President Trump, alleging it communicates “anti-Muslim bigotry” toward children.
Trump posted a 14-second video clip showing children singing in graduation outfits, with girls also wearing hijabs. The children had sashes that read “kindergarten” on one side and “graduate” on the other. The video posted Monday appears to be from a Somali TV Minnesota news clip filming a ceremony at a charter school in St. Paul.
Included in Trump’s TruthSocial post is a screenshot of a caption from an X account that first posted the video in June. The caption said, “Public school in St. Paul, Minnesota. Every girl is in a hijab … in kindergarten.”
The post drew statements from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Somali American Partnership and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“By using his global platform to amplify anti-Muslim bigotry and target Muslim children at this elementary school, President Trump is putting lives at risk,” said a statement from the national and Minnesota chapter of CAIR.
Trump and other Republican leaders have repeatedly been accused of making xenophobic and racist attacks against Muslim Americans in recent months. Trump has specifically singled out the Somali community in Minnesota numerous times, calling them “garbage” in December.
“Somali Americans are an integral part of Minnesota’s past, present, and future,” the Somali American Partnership said in a statement. “Our children deserve to be recognized for their potential — not used to fuel fear, division, or anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant narratives.
“Those with public platforms have a responsibility to protect children, not endanger them.”
In a statement on X, Walz accused Trump of “attacking a group of kindergarteners because of the clothes they wore to school.”
The Somali American Partnership, a collection of Minnesota-based nonprofit organizations that assist the Somali community, plans to hold a news conference Wednesday to address “the growing climate of anti-Somali and anti-Muslim rhetoric.”
Members of the Muslim community in Minnesota have expressed fear for their safety numerous times in recent months, citing such rhetoric. In May, community members tied the rhetoric to a disturbance at a mosque in Lakeville, days after three people were killed at a San Diego mosque.
Last fall, Jaylani Hussein, the executive director of the Minnesota chapter of CAIR, said there had been more than 40 instances of vandalism, arson or other disturbances at mosques in the last three years, higher than any other state. Damage totaled more than $3 million, Hussein said.
He said at the time that Islamophobic comments directed at Muslim institutions in Minnesota were “completely on a new level.”
The coach of former Sheffield United player Maddy Cusack had called her a “psycho” and was playing mind games with her before her death, an inquest has heard.
Cusack, 27, was found unconscious by her father David at their family home in Horsley, Derbyshire, on 20 September 2023 and died the same day.
An inquest at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court heard on Tuesday that Jonathan Morgan had made comments about Cusack’s weight and her relationship while he was Sheffield United’s women’s team manager.
Grace Riglar, who played for the team and was in a relationship with Cusack, said Cusack was “anxious” about Morgan joining the club after her experience of working with him at Leicester City.
At the inquest, she said: “I think it was stuff she told me about her previous experience prior to Jonathan coming to Sheffield.
“I think she said that they played a game against a team while Jonathan was the manager. She had done something on the pitch and Jonathan called her a psycho from the sideline.
“I don’t think she let anyone know those types of comments affected her, but they did and they made her uncomfortable.”
She told the inquest Morgan joining United was a big cause of Cusack’s stress.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help is available through the BBC Action Line
Riglar added Cusack thought the coach had made a “personal attack” on her by not putting her in the starting line-up for matches.
She said: “She was used to starting every game, she was an important member of the team. When Jonathan came, she was in and out from the starting team a bit.
“Her going from starting, to being on the bench quite a lot… she saw that as a setback. That impacted her a lot.
“I just think she almost felt like it was a bit of a personal attack, and that Jonathan was playing mind games with her by starting her one week and dropping her the next.
“She just felt those little things were intentional.”
WASHINGTON — Blunt-spoken Donald T. Regan testified today that he repeatedly urged President Reagan to break off arms sales to Iran, once telling him, “We’ve been snookered again.”
And when it became known late last year that money from those sales had been diverted to the Nicaraguan contras , Regan said, he pushed for making a clean breast of the story despite the opposition of former National Security Adviser John M. Poindexter and the doubts of the late CIA Director William J. Casey.
Regan, who was fired in February as Reagan’s chief of staff after being blamed by the Tower Commission for allowing “chaos” to descend on the White House, was the next-to-last public witness in the long congressional Iran-contra hearings. He is to be followed by Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger on Friday.
Kept in the Dark
Regan said he never knew that Lt. Col. Oliver L. North, a member of the National Security Council staff, was conducting covert operations, including the transfer of Iranian arms sales profits to the contras.
Asked his reaction when he learned last November, he replied in a single word–”horror.”
Recounting his version of the arms-sales history, Regan said that on Dec. 7, 1985, at a meeting with the President, Secretary of State George P. Shultz and Weinberger, he had said “we weren’t getting anywhere” with Iran despite the arms sales and had recommended: “Why bother, cut your losses, get out of it.”
Enter McFarlane
Instead, he said, the President sent former National Security Adviser Robert C. McFarlane to London to talk with Iranian representatives to see whether the attempt at better relations could be salvaged. He said McFarlane returned “quite disgusted with the sleazy type of characters that he had met there.”
Yet, when the matter of arms shipments came up again the following month, Regan endorsed further shipments. “It seemed again a worthwhile effort,” he testified.
One thousand TOW missiles then were shipped to Iran from the United States, but the hostages were not released.
Then, said Regan, he told the President that “I thought we ought to break it off, that we’d been snookered again. And how many times do we put up with this rug-merchant type of stuff? Or words to that effect.”
Seemed to Understand
Regan said the President seemed to share his view.
“Did he instruct anyone to terminate their activities?” asked Terry A. Smiljanich, the associate Senate committee counsel.
“No,” Regan said.
“There was a pause then, and I sort of lost track of what was going on.” He said the budget then occupied his time.
Among Regan’s disclosures and quips:
–Iran was running a “bait-and-switch” operation, with hostages the bait and Reagan the victim.
–He is certain that Reagan did not know of the diversion of arms-sales proceeds until Meese told the President last Nov. 24, the day before Meese announced discovery of the fund diversion on television.
“This guy was an actor and he was nominated at one point for an Academy Award,” Regan said of the President. “But I’d give him an Academy Award if he knew anything about this” and hid that knowledge so skillfully.
–He said he doubted Reagan would have approved of the fund diversion if he had known about it.
–”It didn’t occur to me that men of that caliber (Poindexter and North) would be destroying documents or . . . clean up the record.”
Airline passengers took to Reddit to complain about some of the most disgusting things they’d seen passengers get up to on a plane, and many agreed their habits were best left in the privacy of their homes
09:37, 18 Jun 2026Updated 09:38, 18 Jun 2026
Bare feet were a common theme in passenger complaints(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Being trapped in a metal tube at 30,000 feet seems to bring out the worst in people, and despite sharing a small space with dozens of others, some people treat the plane cabin like their personal living space.
A thread on Reddit’s AskUK titled “Worst thing you seen on a plane? What do you think is just not acceptable?” brought in over 200 responses, with holidaymakers keen to call out bad behaviour they’d seen onboard. And there were definitely some common themes among the complaints.
The original poster started the ball rolling, writing: “For me, it was that the lady sitting next to me was picking her toenails!” and many agreed lack of shoes was a huge etiquette breach. “I was sat next someone yesterday who took off their shoes and socks as soon as the opportunity allowed. They even went to the toilet barefoot.”, claimed one poster.
They added: “It wasn’t just the fact they were barefoot it was the general hygiene, e.g.: coughing and sneezing without covering, etc. They had me on edge the whole time thinking “right… I’m catching whatever disease they’ve absorbed through the soles of their gross feet.””
In a similar thread, posters complained about passengers doing tasks more suited to their private bathroom: “I don’t like it when people clip their toenails. I’ve seen it 3 times. Twice a row across from me and other time in my same row.”, said one. While another posted: “My wife and I were sitting in 1C and 1D. The guy in 1B pulled out dental floss after the meal and started going at his mouth like he was giving himself a root canal. Full on two handed flossing right in his seat.”
Another said: “I try to be kind and understanding of the difficulties and lack of facilities on this, but, a woman changed her baby’s ‘filled’ nappy in the middle of the cabin… twice. The stench roamed right through that B777.”
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Instagram account @passengershaming has amassed over 1.3 million followers thanks to its hilarious posts that highlight some of the worst behaviour on planes. In one classic reel, a woman was seen using the overhead air vent to dry the crotch of her knickers. The viral video was captioned: “PRO TRAVEL TIP: Airplane air vents aren’t for drying underwear Kthx!”
Other examples posted to the account over the years include a woman using a foot file to remove hard skin, and a man opening a can of tuna on a plane for a snack, seemingly unperturbed about the smell in a confined space.
While the examples above are mostly harmless, if disgusting, behaviour, recently there have been calls to create a national database for abusive passengers, which would allow airlines to share information on disruptive passengers and restrict their access to flights.
According to the BBC, Department for Transport officials will be meeting later this month to discuss the proposals, and the database would likely be a collaboration between the government and the airline industry.
Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
President Donald Trump on Monday said he called off a new round of airstrikes he claimed were set for tomorrow. In a post on his social media outlet, Trump said he made the decision at the best of Gulf Arab allies because of improving efforts to end the war.
“I have been asked by the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to hold off on our planned Military attack of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow, in that serious negotiations are now taking place,” Trump proclaimed on Truth Social, adding that, “in their opinion, as Great Leaders and Allies, a Deal will be made, which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all Countries in the Middle East, and beyond.”
“This Deal will include, importantly, NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!” the president emphasized. “Based on my respect for the above mentioned Leaders, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, The Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Daniel Caine, and The United States Military, that we will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow, but have further instructed them to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.”
US President Trump says he called off a new military attack on Iran, which “was scheduled for tomorrow,” because “serious negotiations are now taking place […] and a Deal will be made, which will be very acceptable” for the US https://t.co/sXNJHuuj8B
However, as Axios reporter Barak Ravid noted, “Trump has extended deadlines and postponed planned attacks on Iran at least half a dozen times since the war began.”
So it remains to be seen whether this latest statement has any merit or if it is another effort to kick the can down the road.
Why it matters: Trump has extended deadlines and postponed planned attacks on Iran at least half a dozen times since the war began https://t.co/2wehNVefHg
Trump’s latest claim about the war highlights the ever-changing narrative of events. Earlier in the day, Axios reported that Iran had given an updated proposal for a deal to end the war, “but the White House believes it is not a meaningful improvement and is insufficient for a deal,” citing a senior U.S. official and a source briefed on the situation.
At issue is the future of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and specifically their stockpile of enriched uranium. Trump’s bottom line is that Iran needs to give up any and all future nuclear ambitions, and the enriched uranium it already has, while the Iranians maintain they have the right to enrich uranium and will not hand over any of their existing material. Tehran’s control of the Strait, its ballistic missile and drone arsenal, and support for proxies are other sticking points.
U.S. officials say Trump wants a deal to end the war, but is considering resuming it “due to Iran’s rejection of many of his demands and refusal to make meaningful concessions on its nuclear program,” Axios added. “Trump is expected to convene his top national security team in the Situation Room on Tuesday to discuss military options, two U.S. officials said.”
Axios stated that the senior U.S. official said if Iran won’t shift its position, the U.S. will have to continue the negotiations “through bombs.”
🚨בכיר אמריקני: “לא השגנו הרבה התקדמות. אנחנו נמצאים היום בנקודה מאוד רצינית. הלחץ הוא על איראן. היא צריכה להגיב בצורה הנכונה. הגיע הזמן שהאיראנים יזרקו כמה סוכריות על השולחן. אנחנו צריכים שיחה אמיתית, רצינית ומפורטת [בנוגע לתוכנית הגרעין]. אם זה לא יקרה, ננהל את השיחה באמצעות… https://t.co/1bHnnUuyAZ
In contrast, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday told reporters that his country’s “nuclear enrichment is a right that ‘already exists,’” an indication that Tehran isn’t budging on its stance. Still, Baghaei also described how negotiations with the United States are still continuing through Pakistani mediation.
Iran’s nuclear enrichment is a right that ‘already exists’, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said in a media briefing.
Baghaei described how negotiations with the United States are still continuing through Pakistani mediation. pic.twitter.com/SOJAKm1dOq
— Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) May 18, 2026
All this comes against the backdrop of reports that the U.S. and Israel have been carrying out their most intense preparations yet to renew attacks on Iran, possibly as soon as this week, two Middle Eastern officials told The New York Timeson Friday.
Monday’s back and forth comes a day after Trump issued a new warning to Tehran, saying “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”
“For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!” – President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/33gyF0c0O5
In the wake of renewed threats from Trump, Iran claims it is prepared to defend against the U.S. and Israel if needed.
“In case of aggression against Iran again, Iran’s armed forces have new #surprises for the enemy,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei warned, according to a post on X by the official Iranian IRIB media outlet. “Contradictory behaviors and threats of the enemy do not confuse or scare us.”
🚨Spokesperson of Iran’s FM: – In case of aggression against Iran again, Iran’s armed forces have new #surprises for the enemy. – Contradictory behaviors and threats of the enemy do not confuse or scare us. pic.twitter.com/Zgln9KrFVZ
— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) May 18, 2026
The tough talk between the U.S. and Iran clearly also includes some amount of bluster as the two sides seek a way forward without appearing to have caved to the other’s demands. Trump’s claim about holding off on an attack due to improving negotiations may be another example of that. But eventually time on this kind of posturing will run out and this week could be that inflection point.
UPDATE: 5:53 PM EDT –
New satellite imagery shows damage to three Iranian ships caused by the U.S-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran’s Navy.
Satellite imagery dated May 17 from Shahid Bahonar Port appears to show the IRIS Makran, a forward base ship of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, with a large hole in the deck alongside other heavy damage.
Satellite imagery dated May 17, 2026 from Shahid Bahonar Port (https://t.co/Sx4P4ZrWUK) shows the IRIS Makran, a forward base ship of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, with a ~30 m × 30 m hole in the deck alongside other heavy damage due to U.S.-Israeli strikes. pic.twitter.com/Sol8PBKX8N
Satellite imagery dated May 12 also shows the Iranian IRIS Kordestan, an Iranian Navy forward base ship in the Persian Gulf with light to moderate damage due to the airstrikes.
Dozens of U.S. Air Force refueling jets now deployed to Ben Gurion Airport are expected to stay in Israel at least until the end of this year, Israel’s N12 News reported on X.
“The presence of the aircraft—not the U.S. military—is causing significant operational difficulties at Ben Gurion Airport, as they are parked almost everywhere possible at the port,” the outlet added.
בישראל התקבלו מסרים מהאמריקנים שלפיהם עשרות מטוסי התדלוק המוצבים בנמל התעופה בן גוריון צפויים להישאר בארץ לפחות עד סוף השנה האזרחית. נוכחות המטוסים שלא הצבא האמריקני מעוררת קשיים משמעותיים בתפעולו של נתב”ג, שכן הם חונים כמעט בכל מקום אפשרי בנמל@Dean_Fisher_
On Monday, the country’s Supreme National Security Council said a newly formed Iranian agency, called the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), would provide “real-time updates” on operations and the latest developments in the Strait, a crucial chokepoint through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas pass in peacetime.
The announcement about the PGSA follows news that Iran “started a Bitcoin-backed insurance service for shipping companies that want to transit the Strait of Hormuz,” Bloomberg News reported, citing the semi-official Fars news agency reported, which claimed it has documents obtained from Iran’s Ministry of Economy and Financial Affairs.
Dubbed Hormuz Safe, “the Iranian government says it could generate more than $10 billion in revenue for the Islamic Republic,” Bloomberg noted, adding that Fars provided no time frame or a breakdown of how the service would work.
Iran has started a Bitcoin-backed insurance service for shipping companies that want to transit the Strait of Hormuz, the semi-official Fars news agency reported https://t.co/0L0nyM3eAT
The effort is widely seen as a way for Iran to get around calling any fee for crossing the Strait a toll.
“The Iranian regime is introducing a formalized toll system under the guise of maritime insurance policies and continuing to deploy incentives and threats to vessels in the Persian Gulf as part of their efforts to normalize and solidify Iranian control over the Strait,” the Institute for the Study of War posited. “This system appears designed to be more palatable than an outright ‘toll’ by framing it as a ‘maritime insurance policy.’ The insurance presumably insures the vessel against an Iranian attack.”
“As the President stated, the Strait is international water, and we are not going to let Iran toll the Strait or normalize an illegal regime where they attempt to control traffic through the Strait.,” a White House official told us.
Coinciding with its growing efforts in the Strait, PGSA unveiled an account on X on Monday.
“The Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) is the legal entity and representative authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran for managing the passage and transit through the Strait of Hormuz,” PGSA asserted. “Navigation within the introduced boundaries of the Strait of Hormuz, which were previously determined by the Armed Forces and authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, is contingent upon full coordination with these entities, and passage without permission will be considered illegal.”
2/ دریانوردی در حریم معرفی شدهٔ تنگه هرمز، که حدود آن پیش از این از سوی نیروهای مسلح و مقامات جمهوری اسلامی ایران تعیین شده، منوط به هماهنگی کامل با این نهاد است و عبور بدون مجوز، غیرقانونی تلقی خواهد شد.
— PGSA | نهاد مدیریت آبراه خلیج فارس (@PGSA_IRAN) May 18, 2026
Iran has divided its operational control over the Strait of Hormuz area between the Iranian Navy and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) Navy.
“From the shores of Makran to the Strait of Hormuz, it is managed by the Iranian Navy, and the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf are managed by the IRGC Navy,” the official Iranian IRIB news outlet announced on X.
🚨A division of duties has been carried out among the Iranian armed forces.
From the shores of Makran to the Strait of Hormuz, it is managed by the Iranian Navy, and the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf are managed by the IRGC Navy. pic.twitter.com/PU2Md8eOim
— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) May 18, 2026
Despite the ongoing U.S. blockade of its ports, Iran is still loading crude into tankers, “although (not right now) in Kharg Island,” Bloomberg commodities and energy columnist Javier Blas reported on X. “Instead, it’s loading a tanker at Jask, an alternative terminal outside the Strait of Hormuz (but inside the US Navy blockade line).”
Iran is still loading crude into tankers — although (not right now) in Kharg Island. Instead, it’s loading a tanker at Jask, an alternative terminal outside the Strait of Hormuz (but inside the US Navy blockade line).
In a post on X, TankerTrackers.com stated that there “are actually plenty of able, cargo-empty tankers within the US Navy blockade perimeter but Iran has already lowered its oil production to match consumption and some storage buildup on land. The storage situation does not appear to be dire for the time being.”
As we have previously reported, a major goal of the blockade is to hurt Iran economically, including by threatening its ability to store oil.
Incorrect. There are actually plenty of able, cargo-empty tankers within the US Navy blockade perimeter but Iran has already lowered its oil production to match consumption and some storage buildup on land. The storage situation does not appear to be dire for the time being. https://t.co/mmlpHIr9ZI
— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) May 18, 2026
Pakistan’s contribution to the mutual aid pact includes Chinese weapons, Reuters explained. It “has deployed a full squadron of around 16 aircraft,” mostly JF-17 Thunder fighters, which were sent to Saudi Arabia in early April. Pakistan had also sent “two squadrons of drones,” Reuters reported, adding that Islamabad could also send more troops, plus a Chinese-made HQ-9 long-range surface-to-air missile system.
The equipment is operated by Pakistani personnel and financed by Saudi Arabia, the news outlet pointed out. It remains unclear exactly what this means, if it pertains to the deployment or to the hardware itself.
Earlier this year, we reported that talks about the jets were underway, potentially to be paid for by converting some of the billions of dollars of Saudi loans taken out by Islamabad. However, at the time, shortly before the war broke out, it remained unclear if the Saudis even would want a light fighter like the Thunder at all, especially considering it could cause a rift with the U.S. at a critical time. In the past months, the kingdom had been offered the U.S.-made F-35, as you can read about here, and operates advanced fighters like the F-15SA and Typhoon.
The JF-17 was developed jointly by China’s Chengdu and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), and the first prototype took to the air in 2003. The aircraft is powered by a single Russian-designed RD-93 turbofan engine, an improved version of the RD-33 that is found in the twin-engined MiG-29 Fulcrum. Presumably, the JF-17s will help defend Saudi skies from drone and cruise missile attacks, although that too isn’t perfectly clear at this time.
Pakistan’s Air Force fighter JF-17 fighter jets fly past during the multinational naval exercise AMAN-25 in the Arabian Sea near Pakistan’s port city of Karachi on February 10, 2025. (Photo by Asif HASSAN / AFP) ASIF HASSAN
It is possible that amid the shaky ceasefire, Iran’s proxies may be carrying out attacks on Arab Gulf nations. On Sunday, both the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia said they were attacked by drones. UAE officials said the attacks were carried out by Iran or its proxies while Saudi said it was struck by drones launched from Iraq.
The UAE Defense Ministry said an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant was struck by one of three drones launched at the country. Two other drones were successfully intercepted, it said.
In its initial statement on X, the MoD said that the drones “entered the country from the western border direction,” without assigning blame. UAE officials later updated that to say the drone was “launched by Iran or one of its proxies” in what officials called a “dangerous escalation.”
The officials did not get more specific. The Houthi rebels of Yemen operate southwest of the UAE while several Iranian-backed militias operate in Iraq, northwest of the country.
The Emirate MoD “affirmed that it remains fully prepared and ready to address any threats and will firmly confront any attempts to undermine the country’s security, in a manner that safeguards its sovereignty, security and stability, and protects its national interests and gains.”
UAE air defences intercept 3 UAVs.
The Ministry of Defence announced that on 17th May 2026, UAE air defence systems intercepted three UAVs that entered the country from the western border direction.
The ministry said that two of the UAVs were successfully intercepted, while the… pic.twitter.com/Ca6JRwc8w8
In a post on X, the IAEA expressed “grave concern” about the incident and said military activity that threatens nuclear safety is unacceptable. The [director general] reiterates call for maximum military restraint near any NPP to avoid the danger of a nuclear accident.”
The IAEA has been informed by the UAE that radiation levels at the Barakah NPP remain normal and no injuries were reported after a drone strike this morning caused a fire in an electrical generator located outside the inner site perimeter of the NPP. Emergency diesel generators… pic.twitter.com/km2rg08Gvd
— IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) May 17, 2026
Pakistan on Monday “strongly condemned” the drone attack on the UAE’s nuclear power plant.
“Any deliberate targeting of nuclear facilities constitutes a grave violation of international law, including international humanitarian law, the United Nations Charter, and the fundamental principles of nuclear safety and security enshrined in the Statute and resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency,” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in an X post. “Nuclear installations must never be targeted under any circumstances. Such reckless actions carry potentially catastrophic and irreversible consequences for human life, the environment and regional, as well as global peace and security.”
Pakistan’s condemnation comes as it is trying to keep a flagging peace process going amid an increasingly tenuous ceasefire.
🔊 PR No.1️⃣1️⃣8️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣
Pakistan Strongly Condemns the Drone Attack on the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant of the United Arab Emirates
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) May 18, 2026
Saudi Arabia said it too was attacked by drones on Sunday, but did not say who launched them.
The official spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense (MoD), Major General Turki Al-Maliki, “stated that on the morning of Sunday…three drones were intercepted and destroyed after entering the Kingdom’s airspace coming from Iraqi airspace,” the Saudi MoD stated on X. Al-Maliki “affirmed that the Ministry of Defense reserves the right to respond at the appropriate time and place, and will take and implement all necessary operational measures to respond to any attempt to infringe on the Kingdom’s sovereignty, security, and the safety of its citizens and residents on its territory.”
صرح المتحدث الرسمي باسم وزارة الدفاع اللواء الركن تركي المالكي أنه في صباح يوم الأحد الموافق (17 مايو 2026م) تم اعتراض وتدمير 3 مسيّرات بعد دخولها المجال الجوي للمملكة قادمة من الأجواء العراقية.
وأكد اللواء المالكي على أن وزارة الدفاع تحتفظ بحق الرد في الزمان والمكان المناسبين،… pic.twitter.com/80hZw8z7BU
On Monday Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a phone call with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan. According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the two discussed issues related to the ongoing diplomatic process and the latest regional developments, in their seventh call since the ceasefire began.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a phone call with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan, a day after Riyadh said it was attacked by three drones originating from Iraq.
According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the two discussed issues related to the ongoing… pic.twitter.com/UiuEZ8RMno
— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) May 18, 2026
In its story, the Times stated the base it was writing about pre-dated the current conflict and was used during last year’s 12-Day War between Israel and Iran. The newspaper also said a Bedouin shepherd was killed by helicopter fire after stumbling on the base in an effort to keep it secret.
The Times story lines up with our earlier reporting that Israel likely created facilities in Iraq during the 12-Day War. We also predicted at the time that it would likely happen again in the future.
As we noted in the past, Israel used the base reported on by the Journal to stage troops and equipment and provide combat search and rescue service if needed for downed pilots during the current conflict.
Israel spent over a year preparing a covert site in Iraq for its operations against Iran, regional officials say. Iraqi officials later confirmed the existence of a second base. By @ErikaSolomon & Falih Hassanhttps://t.co/l6fIJdfTFx
Amid its own ceasefire agreement with the Lebanese government, Israel is continuing to hit Hezbollah targets in the southern part of that country where it has a growing military presence.
חיל-האוויר וכוחות חטיבה 769 בפיקוד אוגדה 91 השמידו בסגירת מעגל מהירה מחסן נ״ט ששימש את ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה נגד הכוחות הפועלים במרחב. pic.twitter.com/WmBpY0gbdM
Lying horizontal on the pad, the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket is being prepared to launch the ViaSat-3 F3 Satellite from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on Sunday. ViaSat-3 will be the third latest generation VisSat satellite to be lifted to a geosynchronous orbit. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo
April 27 (UPI) —SpaceX‘s first Falcon Heavy rocket in 18 months was called off due to unfavorable weather Monday at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The rocket, which was meant to carry a ViaSat-3 F3 communications satellite into orbit, was scheduled to launch during an 85-minute window beginning at 10:21 a.m. EDT.
SpaceX announced on social media that the launch would be rescheduled.
“Standing down from today’s Falcon Heavy launch of the @viasat-3 F3 mission due to unfavorable weather,” the company said on X. “Vehicle and payload remain healthy. A new target date will be shared once confirmed.”
The 45th Weather Squadron earlier said that Monday’s launch window had about a 70% chance of favorable weather conditions.
The Falcon Heavy, which last launched in October 2024, uses three modified versions of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage, with an upper stage contained in the central booster. The Falcon Heavy features 5.1 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, making it the second most powerful rocket in current use, after NASA’s Space Launch System moon rocket, which boasts 8.8 million pounds of thrust.
The 6.6-ton ViaSat-3 F3 satellite will head to geostationary orbit 22,236 miles over the surface of the Earth. It will provide broadband coverage to ViaSat’s commercial, defense and consumer customers in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Falcon Heavy rocket made its first flight in 2018, and has since launched for 10 missions, including carrying previous ViaSat-3 satellites into orbit.
Dave Abrahamian, ViaSat’s vice president of satellite systems, said the newest satellite is expected to be ready for use faster than the most recent ViaSat-3 satellite, which was carried into orbit by United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 rocket.
“Falcon Heavy is a more powerful vehicle than Atlas 5 was, so they can put us in a more favorable transfer orbit for the electric propulsion,” Abrahamian told Spaceflight Now.
Children race to push colored eggs across the grass during the annual Easter Egg Roll event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on April 21, 2025. Easter this year takes place on April 5. Photo by Samuel Corum/UPI | License Photo
