The E1 project has put the UAE’s relationship with Israel – and the future of the Abraham Accords – under growing strain The joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of eight Arab and Muslim countries was one of the clearest diplomatic signals of recent weeks. Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Pakistan, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates did more than condemn Israel’s E1 settlement project. They demanded that the plan be halted, the decisions approving it reversed, and sanctions considered against individuals and entities involved in settlement expansion. The signatories also reaffirmed that an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, remains the only viable path toward a lasting settlement, according to an official statement released by the UAE Foreign Ministry. This was not just another communiqué intended to regi...
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Tehran says regional security talks have been proposed as the Saudi-Turkish-Pakistani alliance elicits concern in Israel Iran has denied reports that it has been invited to join the Mecca defense pact comprising Saudi Arabia, Türkiye. and Pakistan, while confirming that proposals have been made for talks with the three countries on regional security. The clarification comes after Mehdi Rahimi, the head of the Iranian parliament’s Khaneh Mellat news agency, told Al Mayadeen on Saturday that Tehran had received an invitation to become a member of the Mecca pact and was considering it. On Monday, however, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei rejected the claim, stating that no formal invitation had been received in Tehran. At the same time, he said that discussions with the pact members concerning broader regional security have been proposed and are under consideration. The three fou...
Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergey Koretsky earlier asked Tokyo for air defense systems, including interceptor missiles Japan does not plan to supply Ukraine with weapons, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara has said. At a press briefing on Monday, he told reporters that Tokyo “is not considering any deliveries” of defensive or offensive weapons “at this time.” Kihara was responding to Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergey Koretsky , who asked Japan on Sunday for anti-ballistic missiles, in an interview with Kyodo News. “I would like to kindly ask one and only thing... anti-ballistic missiles,” he was cited as saying. “It’s the most important thing we need... I very much hope and count on your country.” Koretsky took office in July and was reportedly close to disgraced businessman Timur Mindich, a close associate of Vladimir Zelensky who fled to Israel amid...
The facility was reportedly put out of operation for four days after an Iran-linked hack A small-scale British power plant was taken offline because of a cyber attack, with UK authorities blaming an Iranian-linked hacking group, The Telegraph reported on Saturday. In the UK, dozens of small-scale power plants are connected to the national grid, many of them gas-fired facilities that operate for just a few hours a week. The newspaper did not specify which facility was targeted but noted that it was out of operation for four days in July. The authorities reportedly notified the National Cyber Security Centre, a public-facing branch of the Government Communications Headquarters, held emergency briefings for energy company executives and sent businesses guidance on strengthening security measures. According to The Telegraph, the incident coincided with a series of cyberattacks targeting water infrastructur...
Denying people entry on nationality grounds is against the law, a judge has ruled A US court has overturned a Trump administration rule that suspended the issuing of immigrant visas to people from 75 countries. The State Department announced the restrictions in Janurary, which did not apply to tourist or student visas, saying they were needed to prevent the entry of those who would “take welfare and public benefits.” Russia, Brazil, Colombia, Albania, Egypt, Haiti, Somalia, and Pakistan were among the nations covered by the policy. Judge Jeannette Vargas of Manhattan said in her ruling on Friday that US consular staff had been ordered to reject visas for all applicants from the blacklisted countries even if they were able to support themselves. Under American laws, an immigrant’s application can only be turned down if the person is determined likely to become a “public charge...
Tehran has warned neighboring states it will close the Strait of Hormuz if they take part in Washington’s economic pressure campaign Iran has said that not “a single drop of oil” will leave the Persian Gulf and threatened to attack alternative export routes if neighboring states take part in the US economic pressure campaign against Tehran. The warning comes after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday called on Washington’s allies and other countries to choose sides and stop doing business with Iran, as the US prepares what he touted as “the greatest coordinated economic isolation in the history of the world.” In an interview with state broadcaster IRIB which aired on Saturday, Mohsen Rezaei, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, urged other countries not to participate “in the economic war with America,” saying that otherwise Tehr...