Mediterranean Sea

A cargo ship seen in the Mediterranean

2 min

Middle East

Sanctioned Russian ship used to transport equipment to Syria sinks at sea

Out of the 16 onboard the Ursa Major, a vessel sanctioned by the US and under surveillance by Ukraine, 14 have been rescued

Read time: 2 min.

The Canaanite jars exposed to daylight after more than 3,300 years.

7 min

Archaeology

Oldest ship ever found in deep seas discovered off Israeli coast

Archaeologists say the landmark discovery completely changes the understanding of ancient mariners' navigational skills

Read time: 7 min.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, second right, talks with the commanding officer of the USS Gerald R. Ford, Captain Rick Burgess, right, during an unannounced visit to the ship.

4 min

Middle East

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower nuclear aircraft carrier enters Red Sea - report

Meanwhile, USS Gerald R. Ford is said to have headed home as it withdrew from the Mediterranean

Read time: 4 min.

Members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) marching during the annual "Sacred Defence Week" military parade marking the anniversary of the outbreak of the 1980-1988 war with Saddam Hussein's Iraq, in the capital Tehran. September 22, 2019.

5 min

Iran & Eastern States

Iran threatens Mediterranean closure over Gaza, without saying how

The statement comes amid intensified hostilities in the Red Sea

Read time: 5 min.

A migrant of African origin is comforted by a member of the Tunisian coast guard after being transferred from a small boat carrying people trying to flee to Europe, at sea between Tunisia and Italy.

2 min

North Africa

At least five migrants drown off Tunisian coast, seven still missing

Out of 35 on the boat, 23 were rescued; a local court in Tunisia launched an investigation

Read time: 2 min.

Migrants gather in an area near the Libyan-Tunisia border.

3 min

North Africa

Tunisia says over 900 migrants drowned off its coast this year

Tunisia has become a major gateway for irregular migrants and asylum-seekers attempting the perilous sea voyages in the hopes of a better life in Europe

Read time: 3 min.

A Lebanese navy boat patrols the Mediterranean sea off the coast of the Lebanese capital Beirut.

2 min

Israel

4.2-magnitude earthquake in Mediterranean Sea felt in Israel

The quake hit the Mediterranean sea off the coast of Lebanon

Read time: 2 min.

A lifeguard station is seen on the Mediterranean Sea beachfront in Tel Aviv, Israel, on August 17, 2021.

3 min

Environment

Scientists warn of dire effects as Mediterranean Sea heats up

In the eastern Mediterranean basin – Israel, Lebanon, Cyprus, and Syria – the situation is particularly dire

Read time: 3 min.

Jellyfish on the beach in Tel Aviv, Israel, on July 04, 2022.

2 min

Environment

Israel: Jellyfish swarm spotted off coast of Haifa Bay

There are over 15 species of jellyfish in Israel's waters

Read time: 2 min.

Egyptian navy ship anchored near the sea border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, March 16, 2021.

2 min

Defense News

Four Palestinian fishermen detained off Gaza coast

Palestinians reported other incidents involving Israeli security forces

Read time: 2 min.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a news conference in Moscow, Russia, on April 26, 2022.

2 min

War in Ukraine

Russia to allow Ukraine’s wheat ships into Mediterranean if waters demined - FM

Russian FM Lavrov says it’s up to West, Ukraine to resolve food crisis

Read time: 2 min.

An Egyptian woman holds a poster and her national flag as she takes part in a commemoration march near the Cairo Opera House in the Egyptian capital on May 26, 2016.

2 min

North Africa

Report: Pilot smoking, not terrorism, cause of 2016 airline crash

EgyptAir flight MS804 disappeared over the Mediterranean Sea, killing all 66 people onboard

Read time: 2 min.

A picture taken at the port of Sfax in central Tunisia shows the recovered bodies of 20 migrants who died in a separate, earlier sinking after their boat capsized at sea on December 24, 2020.

2 min

North Africa

Tunisia: At least 10 dead after four migrant boats sink

Sfax is a key exit hub for migrants embarking on the perilous journey from Africa to Europe

Read time: 2 min.

Commander of the Israeli Navy Vice Adm. David Saar Salama, left, and United States Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, during the "Intrinsic Defender" naval exercise that started on March 27, 2022.

3 min

Defense News

Israeli Navy, US 5th Fleet begin largest ever joint drill

300 soldiers and commanders from each country participating in 'Intrinsic Defender' naval exercise

Read time: 3 min.

Smog obscures the view from the Saad Abad mountain north of the Iranian capital Tehran with high levels of air pollution, on January 13, 2021.

3 min

Environment

World Bank: Pollution costs Middle East, North Africa $141b annually

The Mediterranean is one of the most plastic-polluted seas in the world, the World Bank says

Read time: 3 min.

Israeli soldiers clean tar off the Palmachim beach following an offshore oil spill which drenched most of the Israeli coastline. February 22, 2021.

2 min

Environment

Suspected oil spill detected off coast of central Israel

Report comes almost exactly one year after a massive oil spill caused an environmental disaster

Read time: 2 min.

A flock of starlings near the city of Rahat in southern Israel, on January 22, 2022.

3 min

Environment

Israel: Earthquake felt throughout the country

The Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Institute recorded the earthquake slightly stronger as a 4.1-magnitude

Read time: 3 min.

Aminata Traoure, a 28-year-old refugee who survived a shipwreck in early March while trying to reach Europe, looks at a boat in the Tunisian coastal city of Sfax on April 22, 2021.

3 min

North Africa

Tunisia: Shipwreck leaves four migrants dead, seven missing

Jebabli says 'Search operations to find the other missing persons are continuing'

Read time: 3 min.

A woman stands on the beach and watches the full moon as it rises over the Mediterranean sea in the southern city of Larnaca, Cyprus, December 18, 2021.

3 min

International

US no longer supports EastMed gas pipeline

The EastMed pipeline would stretch across the Mediterranean Sea, connecting Israel to Europe

Read time: 3 min.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln transits the Suez Canal in Egypt, May 9, 2019.

3 min

North Africa

Egypt: Suez Canal expansion to finish in July 2023

Accelerated plans were announced following the six-day grounding of the Ever Given vessel in March 2021

Read time: 3 min.

Migrants rest on the deck of the rescue ship Sea Watch-3 in Italian waters at the Mediterranean, near Sicily island, Italy, October 22, 2021.

2 min

International

Migrant deaths in Mediterranean reach grim numbers in 2021

In 2021, over 18,000 migrants attempted to cross the Mediterranean, 1,506 of whom recorded dead or missing

Read time: 2 min.

An areal view of the beach in the coastal city of Ashkelon, Israel, on June 1, 2019.

4 min

Technology & Science

Israeli researchers extract electricity from seaweed

'I believe that our idea can lead to a real revolution in clean energy,' Ph.D. student Yaniv Shloshberg said

Read time: 4 min.

The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman transits the Strait of Hormuz, December 26, 2015

2 min

Europe

US aircraft carrier to remain in Mediterranean to reassure allies

USS Harry S. Truman will hold off scheduled voyage to Middle East as tension soar with Russia

Read time: 2 min.

This handout released on September 9, 2021 by Italy's Guardia Costiera, shows a rescue operation of migrants by Lampedusa Coast Guard boats, off the Conigli island of Lampedusa.

2 min

Europe

Italy’s coast guard rescues nearly 300 migrants at sea

Many migrants attempt to cross the Mediterranean each year, a journey that is often fatal

Read time: 2 min.