The Times, the Financial Times, the Associated Press, Reuters and The Telegraph report that President Trump warned the Iranian government yesterday that he has ordered the US navy to destroy any of its gunboats that threaten American warships in the Gulf. Reuters reports that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday called for Iran to be held accountable for the launch of a military satellite, adding that he thinks the action defied a UN Security Council resolution.

The Telegraph reports that Lebanon has become the first Middle Eastern country to legalise cannabis farming, as it hopes to boost its debt-ridden economy and curb illegal production of the drug. 

The Guardian reports that two defectors from the Syrian regime are set to go on trial in Germany for war crimes, as Anwar Raslan and Eyad al-Gharib are accused of roles in Bashar Assad regime’s torture apparatus.

The Times reports that the woman in charge of securing the biggest US airbase in Iraq had to “gamble” with the lives of her subordinates while awaiting a ballistic missile strike by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to an official account.

Reuters reports that Saudi Arabia is exploring re-routing millions of barrels of oil onboard tankers sailing to the US if President Donald Trump decides to block imports of crude from the kingdom, shipping and trade sources say.

The Associated Press report that migrant workers in oil-rich Gulf Arab states are finding themselves trapped by the coronavirus pandemic, losing jobs, running out of money and now desperate to return to their home countries as Covid-19 stalks their labor camps.

Reuters reports that Libya’s internationally-recognised government is focused on trying to push its enemies out of artillery range of Tripoli after making advances in the main western battle fronts last week, the interior minister said.

The Financial Times reports that a 40-year-old Qatari businessman who is the brother-in-law of the Gulf state’s ruler is the new owner of London’s Ritz Hotel, UK company filings show.

The Times reports that the families of 37 men and boys beheaded in a mass execution in Saudi Arabia a year ago today are calling for the return of their relatives’ bodies.

In the Financial Times, David Gardner asserts that Benjamin Netanyahu has drawn “another winning hand” by becoming Israel’s prime minister yet again, whilst the new unity government gives the Israeli leader “the political manoeuvring room he needs”.

In The Telegraph, James Rothwell claims Iran’s proxies have swooped in to tackle the coronavirus in order to deliver a propaganda victory, as pro-Shi’ite militias in Iraq and Lebanon try to win hearts and minds.

In The Guardian, Ruth Michaelson writes that divisions between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan are deepening as Ethiopia prepares to open its Nile dam, despite Egyptian complaints that the dam could lead to ‘hydro-hegemony’ in the region.

All the Israeli media reports that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Israel is 14,592, while 191 patients have died. 136 patients are in serious condition, a decline of 8 per cent in the past 24 hours, of which 107 are in need of ventilator support, a decline of 2 per cent. At least 112 patients are in moderate condition and 8,819 have mild symptoms. The number of Israelis who have recovered from the virus now stands at 5,334. The number of recoveries has now exceeded the number of new diagnoses for the eighth day in a row.

Maariv reports that the new coalition is preparing today to promote the amendments to the Basic Law that will make it possible to swear in two prime ministers in an alternating premiership simultaneously. According to the draft, “Every minister in the alternating government will be identified as having a connection to the prime minister or the alternate prime minister and will be equal in number. After the alternating government is formed, it will face the Knesset and announce who the prime minister and alternate prime minister are and the date that has been set for the switch. The alternating government will then ask the Knesset for a vote of confidence based on the announcement. Netanyahu and Gantz will state their confidence during the swearing-in ceremony in the Knesset. On the day of the changeover, the alternate prime minister will take office with no need to be sworn in again.” Meanwhile, the opposition has demanded that debate not be held. They argued, “The matter is liable to precipitate a direct confrontation between the Knesset and the High Court of Justice at an indelicate and problematic timing … therefore we demand that the aforementioned bills be delayed until the Supreme Court issues a ruling, and that the agenda that has been set on the matter be cancelled.”

Kan Radio News reports the Labour Party leadership has approved joining the government and authorised Labour Party Chairman Amir Peretz to cooperate with Blue and White. The move is supported by Peretz and number two in the party Itzik Shmueli. However, the third MK, Merav Michaeli, said that her party was democratic and that she believed that on Sunday, the Labour Party members would vote against the “suicidal act” of joining the government. In an interview, she said that the Labour Party had promised its voters that it would not join a government led by Netanyahu. She said the Labour Party must not be in a government led by someone with three indictments against him and who intended to annex Judea and Samaria (the West Bank).

The Israeli media report that the Shin Bet security services exposed three Hamas operatives from the West Bank that planned to carry out several deadly attacks, including at Jerusalem’s Teddy Stadium that has a capacity of over 30,000 people. The members of the terror cell were Ahmed Sajadia, 27, from Qalandiya refugee camp, Muhammad Hamad, 26, from Kafr ‘Aqab near Jerusalem and Omar Eid, 24, from the village of Deir Jarir near Ramallah. Eid also holds an Israeli identity card, which he used to attend a football match at Teddy Stadium in order to assess the level of security at the location. According to the Shin Bet investigation, the three became friends during their studies at Birzeit University near Ramallah, where Hamas runs its main student cell. The student cell’s high-profile official provided funds for the terror activity and also served as the contact between the three and senior Hamas operatives. Shin Bet said the man, named Rahman Hamdan, conducted the terror activity while in administrative detention in Israel. The investigation also revealed they planned to use improvised explosive devices to attack IDF vehicles and checkpoints in the West Bank. The three had tried to manufacture explosives using instructions from the internet but were arrested last month before they could complete the process.