Caolán Magee

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About the author

Caolan writes news and features with a particular focus on the arms industry, big tech and human rights. He is based between London, UK and Beirut, Lebanon and has previously reported for The Guardian, CNN, The Times and the Independent. In 2026, he won Amnesty International’s Gaby Rado Award for his reporting from Syria on disappearances under the Assad government, after being shortlisted for the same award in 2025 for his reporting on weapons sales to Israel. He has also covered the Israel-Lebanon war from Beirut, migration from Morocco and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the French elections from Paris.

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‘They broke his neck’: Families of Syria’s disappeared still seek closure

Najwa, 60, and Ghada, 55, sitting in a living room in Damascus.

Meta profits as ads promote illegal Israeli settlements in West Bank

Heavily armed Israeli soldiers at a barbed-wire barrier.

Orphaned by Israel, two child amputees find each other in Lebanon

A closeup of Omar's face, where the extensive scarring to the left side of his face is visible. He still smiles at the camera, the scars on the left puckering around his large eyes

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Analysts say mine clearance alone is unlikely to make shipping ‘safe’ in the Strait of Hormuz.

MUSCAT, OMAN - JUNE 22: Crude oil tankers, bulk carriers and vessels sit anchored around Qaboos Port on June 22, 2026 in Muscat, Oman. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for the region's oil and gas, was effectively blockaded since the outbreak of war between the United States and Iran in late February. This week's provisional peace deal between the countries was meant to reopen the waterway to shipping traffic, but the pace of that reopening is unclear amid continued fighting in Lebanon and the need to clear the Strait of sea mines. On Sunday, U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland for high-level talks with the Iranian delegation, as the two sides seek to clarify the terms of ending the war. (Photo by Elke Scholiers/Getty Images)

As Washington pressures Tehran, Gulf states weigh sanctions against the risk of escalation.

US President Donald Trump speaks with Arab Gulf leaders.

These were the updates on 22 August 2026.

epa13165937 Iranian women walk next to an anti-US billboard at the Enghelab square in central Tehran, Iran, 13 August 2026. Tensions between Iran and the US remain high as opposing claims persist over shipping control in the Strait of Hormuz. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH RESTRICTIONS: NO Access Israel Media/Persian Language TV Stations Outside Iran/Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV. (As mandated by Iran's Directorate General for Foreign Media) --

Amnesty International said they ‘must be released immediately and unconditionally’.

ro-democracy activists Lee Cheuk-yan, left, Cheung Man-kwong and Chow Hang-tung, centre right, at a 2019 vigil for the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre. [File: REUTERS/Tyrone Siu]

Experts say the project would partition the occupied West Bank, making the prospect of Palestinian statehood impossible.

UNSPECIFIED, ISRAEL - AUGUST 22: A view over the separation wall, the Arab village of Al-Eizariya, and The Jewish city of M'aale Adomim, near where the Israeli government plans to build a new neighborhood as part of E1 settlement project on August 22, 2025 in near Jerusalem, Israel. On Wednesday Israel approved plans put forward by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that would see a new Israeli settlement of 3,400 homes built east of Jerusalem in the E1 zone, effectively bisecting much of the occupied West Bank. Until now construction in the area has been prohibited for two decades, and is considered illegal under international law. The move has been condemned by the international community, with critics accusing Israel of sabotaging any prospect of a future two-state solution. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)

These were the updates from the US-Israel war on Iran and Israel’s attacks on Gaza and Lebanon from August 15, 2026.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has blamed the US for a reutrn to violence in the Strait of Hormuz, and said new paths will be required to reach a lasting peace. [File: Elke Scholiers/Getty Images]

These were the updates on the US-Israel war on Iran from Friday, August 14, 2026.

Analysts say Saudi Arabia is strengthening its position with regional allies as the Houthis increase their attacks.

Damage in the aftermath of Houthi strikes on the Red Sea port city of Mocha, Yemen

These were the updates on the US-Israel war on Iran from Wednesday, August 12, 2026.

KHAN YUNIS, PALESTINE - AUGUST 12 : (EDITORS NOTE: Image depicts graphic content) An 11-year-old child, Khalid Shaat, who is severely injured after an Israeli drone attack, is brought to Nasser Hospital for medical treatment, as a child and an elderly man are wounded after the strike, on August 12, 2026 in Khan Yunis, Palestine. ( Abed Rahim Khatib - Anadolu Agency )

These were the updates on the US-Israel war on Iran from Tuesday, August 11, 2026.

Caolán Magee

About the author

Contact

Featured

‘They broke his neck’: Families of Syria’s disappeared still seek closure

Meta profits as ads promote illegal Israeli settlements in West Bank

Orphaned by Israel, two child amputees find each other in Lebanon

Latest Posts

Why Hormuz remains high risk for ships despite US claims of mine-clearing

Sanctions or missiles? How Gulf will view Trump’s new Iran approach

Iran updates: Tehran says US sanctions ‘declaration of war’ on all nations

Why are Hong Kong’s Tiananmen vigil organisers facing prison?

Why Israeli tenders for illegal E1 West Bank settlement prompted outrage

Iran war updates: Iran says Hormuz under its control, Israel bombs Lebanon

Iran war updates: Trump says will declare Hormuz US territory ‘pretty soon’

Will all-out war in Yemen reignite as the Houthis escalate attacks?

Iran war updates: Mediators push US-Iran talks as Israel hits Lebanon, Gaza

Iran war updates: Pakistan minister in Tehran as Hormuz talks advance

Caolán Magee

About the author

Contact

Featured

‘They broke his neck’: Families of Syria’s disappeared still seek closure

Meta profits as ads promote illegal Israeli settlements in West Bank

Orphaned by Israel, two child amputees find each other in Lebanon

Latest Posts

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