Israel’s parliament passed a law on Monday evening making death by hanging a default sentence for Palestinians convicted in military courts of deadly attacks, fulfilling a pledge by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right allies.

Iranian media yesterday reported that a wave of US-Israeli strikes hit military bases, a cancer drug plant and a religious site -- a day after President Donald Trump threatened to destroy the country’s oil wells and power grid.

Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was elected a vice-president by the lower house yesterday, parliament officials said, with the coup leader edging closer to becoming president and maintaining his rule.

Japan has deployed long-range missiles in a southwest region near China, its defence minister said yesterday, at a time when ties with Beijing are at their lowest in recent years.

Italy last week denied permission for US military aircraft to land at the Sigonella air base in Sicily before heading to the Middle East, sources said yesterday, because Washington had not sought prior authorisation from the government in Rome.

Ukrainian drones yesterday struck Russia’s Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga for the fifth time in 10 days, and sources told Reuters an oil loading terminal was hit, likely adding to Russia’s difficulties in exporting crude.

US President Donald Trump has indicated that he may send troops to seize control of Iran’s key oil export terminal at Kharg Island in the northern Gulf. So what’s behind this, how would it work and what are the risks?

The two countries outlined a joint initiative "for restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East region"

More than 1,200 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since March 2

Hamas ​and Israel have traded blame for violations of a ceasefire agreed last October

"I believe that we need to have a panel," Philippe Lazarini told reporters

Qeshm is the largest Iranian island in the Gulf, stretching for around one hundred kilometres across the Strait of Hormuz

Here's what the world's second-largest economy is weighing up in its relationship with Iran and the Middle East

Israeli forces clash with Iran-backed Hezbollah

The legislation has drawn international criticism of Israel, which is already under scrutiny for increasing violence by Jewish settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and its war in Gaza.

Both main oil contracts fell Tuesday, though West Texas Intermediate and Brent were still sitting well above $100 a barrel.

Trump said the United States was speaking to a "more reasonable regime" in Tehran, which has denied any talks and accused him of lying about negotiations as cover while readying a ground invasion.

US average retail gasoline prices top $4/gallon, highest in three years

There were no injuries, according to the report, and Dubai authorities later said firefighters had extinguished the blaze

Over the weekend, 2,500 Marines arrived in the Middle East