The Weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain
Week commencing 29th May 2026
The Weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain
Week commencing 29th May 2026
The Weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain
The roar of missiles over the Persian Gulf as Gaza burns and Iran fires warning shots at vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. Yes, the shaky Middle East cease-fire was again on the brink of collapse last week following American air strikes on drone and missile bases near the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas and the inevitable Iranian retaliation against the US base from which the attack was launched. But the redoubled efforts of the Pakistani and Turkish mediation teams have kept both sides talking, with the Americans considering a 60-day extension to the truce to buy time to finalise a framework agreement aimed at establishing de-escalation arrangements and ending the conflict.
Usually reliable sources, quoted in the Arab media, say that the proposed arrangement is not a final agreement but rather a memorandum of understanding designed to outline immediate political, military and maritime steps following months of regional escalation. The sources added that the memorandum does not include any clause related to Iran’s nuclear industry, which is expected to be addressed in a separate track after the framework is signed.
The understanding reportedly focuses on ending the war, implementing de-escalation measures, and facilitating maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping choke-point now under a double-blockade by the Iranians and the USA.
These sources told the Le anese Al Mayadeen TV channel that the memorandum includes the withdrawal of the US fleet from areas surrounding Iran and the end of the American naval blockade imposed during the war. It also includes the release of half of Iran’s frozen assets, estimated at around $12 billion, alongside a 30-day period to reach a separate nuclear agreement after the signing of the framework.
The Israelis, who have been frozen out of America’s secret negotiations with the Islamic Republic, are determined to kick their way back to the bargaining table by resuming their genocidal war against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and ordering their troops to advance further into southern Lebanon, regardless of cost.
It’s still, nevertheless, a heavy price to bear – even for the Netanyahu government that is still licking its wounds from the pounding it got from the Iranians that left much of Tel Aviv and its other major cities in ruins. But Netanyahu’s days may soon be over. Legislative elections are scheduled to be held in Israel by 27th October 2026, and a swing to the communist-led Hadash bloc and its “Israeli-Arab” allies could make them king-makers in the new 120-strong Knesset, the Israeli parliament.
This new “Joint List” would become the third largest faction in the Knesset if elections were held today, according to the results of a recent poll broadcast on Channel 13 News. According to the poll, the Joint List would win 16 seats, while Netanyahu’s Likud drops to 23 seats and the opposition “Beyachad” (Together) party dips to 21 seats. In this scenario, Netanyahu’s Likud-led extremist right-wing slate drops to 53 seats, while the Zionist opposition platform holds 51 seats. To form an alternative government, Beyachad would need the Joint List to secure a majority of 67 Knesset members.
Hadash list chairman Yousef Jabareen says that the Joint List is the key to toppling the government. “Only the Joint List will bring down the government on the Knesset’s very first day. I promise that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich [rabid Zionist settler fanatics] will not be in the government – we will bring about a strong Jewish-Arab partnership.”