The Media Line

The moral barometer: Iran uses its people as live targets, as America values every life - opinion

Let’s not forget for one moment that one nation here believes in civilized democracy, while the other tortures its own people.

 L to R: Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and US President Donald Trump against backdrop of respective flags and missile strikes.
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif speaks during an interview with Reuters in Islamabad, Pakistan, October 20, 2025.

Pakistan Defense Minister deletes anti-Israel post from X after diplomatic backlash

Map of Middle East

US-Iran ceasefire pauses war - nuclear, Hormuz, and Lebanon issues remain

A man stands on the rubble as emergency services operate at the site of an Israeli strike carried out on Wednesday, in Ain Al Mraiseh in Beirut, Lebanon, April 9, 2026

Voices from the Arab press: Internal Arab fractures amid Iran war


Meloni warns Iran's plan to charge for passage through Strait of Hormuz could disrupt global trade

Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo ⁠Salvini said on Wednesday that Italy would not deploy naval vessels to patrol the area without authorization from the United Nations. 

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks during a joint statement with President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides, at Chigi Palace, in Rome, Italy, February 26, 2026.

Pakistan tightens security in Islamabad ahead of US-Iran negotiations

According to security sources, a US Air Force C-130 aircraft carrying an advance security and tactical team landed at Nur Khan Air Base on Thursday afternoon. 

Army soldiers sit in a truck, as Pakistan prepares to host the US and Iran for peace talks, in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 10, 2026.

Melania Trump denies any Epstein connection, seeks end to ‘lies,' calls for Congressional hearing

Melania Trump denied any involvement with Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell, called for public hearings on Epstein’s victims, and rejected online smears in a speech at the White House.

US First Lady Melania Trump delivers remarks regarding the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, from the White House, April 9, 2026.

Syria, Jordan, Turkey sign deal to launch regional trade corridor

The agreement prioritizes the railway sector, including a proposal to link Anatolia in the north with the port of Aqaba in the south and extend toward the Gulf.

View of Amman from Temple of Hercules ruins at Amman Citadel on July 27, 2025 in Amman, Jordan.

Hormuz war pushing millions into poverty, warns Bahrain Foreign Minister

Since the onset of the war with Iran, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has declined by more than 90%, a disruption that the UN warns could send 45 million people worldwide into acute hunger.

A worker rides a bicycle at the Zubair oil field in Basra, Iraq, April 6, 2026.

US boots on the ground in Iran could lead to widespread regional conflict, experts say

US forces operating on Iranian soil could trigger an unstoppable chain reaction across global shipping lanes, energy markets, and political fault lines.

US Army Soldiers conduct low-light, live fire training with M240B machine guns in the US Central Command area of responsibility.

Canadians pray for Jerusalem as Parliament penalizes quoting the Bible - opinion

The success of the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast in Ottawa suggests that there is still a hunger for unity, moral clarity, and courage.

Israeli Ambassador to Canada Iddo Moed receives a memorable gift from Christian leaders at the inaugural Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast in Ottawa, Canada, March 2026.

India expands Africa push with rice aid, long-term mineral ambitions

In recent weeks, New Delhi has shipped rice to Burkina Faso, Malawi, and Mozambique while policy thinkers in India are urging a stronger push into Africa’s critical minerals sector.

ILLUSTRATIVE: A WORKER carries sacks of rice inside a warehouse at a wholesale market in Navi Mumbai, India, January 13, 2026.

Cross-border tunnels spotlight Syria-Lebanon smuggling, security tensions

Official Syrian sources told The Media Line that army units, during sweeping security operations in border areas, uncovered two tunnels stretching between Syrian and Lebanese territory.

DEFENSE MINISTER Marhaf Abu Qasra inspects an armored brigade in the Syrian Army, March 31.

Turkey’s rearrest of fugitive revives mystery of Syrian defector’s disappearance

The capture of a convicted kidnapper is renewing scrutiny of how two Syrian defectors were abducted in Turkey and handed to Assad’s security apparatus.

Önder Sığırcıkoğlu, in the custody of Turkey's National Intelligence Organization.