BREAKING: Middle East live: Washington lifts sanctions against UN rapporteur on Gaza
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Featured Middle East Ongoing Published on: 05/21/2026 – 04:42 UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, at Roma Tre University, in Rome, Italy, October 6, 2025. © Remo Casilli, Reuters The United States on Wednesday lifted sanctions against Francesca Albanese, an expert in the UN specialist in the Palestinian territories having strongly criticized Israel, following a court decision. Iran announced Wednesday evening that it was examining a new American peace proposal via the Pakistani mediator, with Donald Trump warning that the situation was “on the edge”, between an agreement or a resumption of hostilities. Follow our live stream. 05/21/2026 – 04:41 The United States lifts sanctions against the UN rapporteur on Gaza The United States on Wednesday lifted the sanctions taken against Francesca Albanese, a UN expert specializing in the Palestinian territories who strongly criticized Israel, following a court decision. A note published on the website of the American Department of Finance indicated that the sanctions against Francesca Albanese had been lifted. She was placed on an international blacklist, preventing her from using credit cards or carrying out many banking transactions. “Protecting freedom of expression is ‘always’ in the public interest,” federal judge Richard Leon wrote in his opinion accompanying his decision to suspend the sanctions last week. 05/21/2026 – 04:40 The latest developments Donald Trump says that the situation with Iran is “on the edge” Donald Trump declared that the situation with Tehran was “on the edge”, between an agreement to end the war in the Middle East and a resumption of strikes against Iran. Oil is falling, a breath of fresh air for the stock marketsBoosted by the plunge in crude prices and renewed hope for a resolution of the conflict in the Middle East, world stock markets ended sharply higher. The United States arrests an Iranian tanker The American army announced on Wednesday that it had boarded an Iranian-flagged tanker the day before in the Gulf of Oman, suspected of circumventing the port blockade. Washington added that it had diverted 91 ships in total to enforce compliance with this measure. Iran is examining a new American proposal Iran said it was “examining” a new proposal from the United States as part of the visit to Tehran by Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsen Naqvi, whose country is mediator between the two belligerents. With AFP and Reuters
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Source: This article was originally published by France 24 – Infos, news & actualités – L'information internationale en direct and adapted for our international English-speaking audience.
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