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US, Israel crossed ‘big red line’, Iran FM says as heads to Moscow

Update US, Israel crossed ‘big red line’, Iran FM says as heads to Moscow
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the US and Israel crossed a major red line in attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities. (AP)
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Updated 22 June 2025

US, Israel crossed ‘big red line’, Iran FM says as heads to Moscow

US, Israel crossed ‘big red line’, Iran FM says as heads to Moscow
  • ‘Through this action, the United States has dealt a serious blow to international peace and security’
  • Iran’s top envoy says any demand to return to negotiations was ‘irrelevant’

ISTANBUL: The United States and Israel crossed a major red line in attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities, Iran’s top diplomat warned Sunday, saying he was heading to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin.

“They crossed a very big red line by attacking (Iran’s) nuclear facilities,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on the sidelines of a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul.

He was speaking just hours after President Donald Trump said US warplanes struck three Iranian nuclear sites, nine days into an Israeli bombing campaign targeting its nuclear facilities.

“The most dangerous one happened only last night,” Araghchi said, while acknowledging he did not know the full extent of the damage done in the strikes, including one at the underground uranium enrichment facility at Fordo.

“I still do not have exact information about the level of damages, but I don’t think it matters... Last night’s attack was a grave crime,” he said.

“Through this action, the United States has dealt a serious blow to international peace and security,” he said, vowing that Iran would defend itself “by all means necessary against... US military aggression.”

Araghchi said he would head to Moscow on Sunday and hold talks with Putin on Monday morning.

“I’m going to Moscow this afternoon” to hold “serious consultations with the Russian president tomorrow,” he said.

After the strikes, Trump said Iran “must now agree to end this war.”

But Araghchi said any demand to return to negotiations was “irrelevant.”

“The world must not forget that it was the United States which — in the midst of a process to forge a diplomatic outcome — betrayed diplomacy by supporting the genocidal Israeli regime’s launch of an illegal war of aggression on the Iranian nation,” he said.

“So we were in diplomacy, but we were attacked... They have proved that they are not men of diplomacy, and they only understand the language of threat and force.”

Turkiye, which was hosting the weekend OIC summit, warned that the strikes risked escalating the Iran-Israel conflict to a global level that could have “catastrophic” consequences.

“The ongoing developments could cause the regional conflict to escalate to a global level. We do not want this catastrophic scenario to come to life,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.


Mediators step up diplomacy after major flareup in Gaza

Mediators step up diplomacy after major flareup in Gaza
Updated 21 October 2025

Mediators step up diplomacy after major flareup in Gaza

Mediators step up diplomacy after major flareup in Gaza
  • Hamas meets with truce mediators in Cairo
  • UN says ‘concerned by all acts of violence’

 JERUSALEM: Two of the United States’ top envoys to the Middle East met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday after weekend violence threatened to wreck a fragile US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza.

The sit-down came as Israel reopened the Kerem Shalom border crossing into Gaza for aid shipments, a security official and a humanitarian source said, after the entry point was closed briefly on Sunday following the killing of two Israeli soldiers.
In response, Israel carried out dozens of strikes targeting Hamas across Gaza — using 153 tonnes of bombs, according to Netanyahu.
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser son-in-law Jared Kushner met Netanyahu on Monday to discuss “developments and updates in the region,” said Shosh Bedrosian, spokeswoman for the prime minister’s office.
Bedrosian added that US Vice President JD Vance and his wife were also due to visit Israel “for a few days and will be meeting with the prime minister.”
Netanyahu later told the Israeli parliament that Vance was due to arrive on Tuesday for discussions on “two things ... the security challenges we face and the diplomatic opportunities before us.”
Vance has already urged Gulf countries to establish a “security infrastructure” to ensure that Hamas disarmed.
A Hamas delegation was in Cairo on Monday for talks with Qatari and Egyptian mediators on the continuation of the truce.
Gaza’s civil defense agency said four people were killed by Israeli forces on Monday in Gaza City.
The people were killed in two separate incidents on Monday morning, both times “by Israeli gunfire as they were returning to check on their homes in the Al-Shaaf area, east of Al-Tuffah neighborhood, in the east of Gaza City,” said Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for the rescue service.
The UN was “concerned by all acts of violence in Gaza,” spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.
“We urge all parties to honor all of their commitments to ensure the protection of civilians and avoid any actions that could lead to a renewal of hostilities and undermine humanitarian operations,” the UN secretary-general’s spokesman said.
The EU is leaving the door open to sanctioning Israel to maintain leverage to ensure the Gaza ceasefire deal is fully implemented, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.


Syria announces seizure of 12 million captagon pills

Syria announces seizure of 12 million captagon pills
Updated 21 October 2025

Syria announces seizure of 12 million captagon pills

Syria announces seizure of 12 million captagon pills
  • The seizure marks one of the largest drug busts since the transitional authority assumed power in late 2024

DAMASCUS: The Syrian interior ministry said Monday it seized about 12 million captagon stimulant pills in a raid on a drug smuggling network operating near Damascus.
The seizure marks one of the largest drug busts since the transitional authority assumed power in late 2024.
Following “precise monitoring and tracking of a smuggling network attempting to traffic large quantities of narcotics abroad,” security forces seized “around 12 million captagon pills in the Al-Dumayr area,” Brig. Gen. Khaled Eid, director of the Anti-Narcotics Department, said in a ministry statement.
The leader of the network was arrested during the operation, according to Eid.
The confiscated drugs will be destroyed.
The operation reflects the department’s “determined approach to combating smuggling, cutting off its sources, and prosecuting” those involved in drug trafficking.
Captagon, which is similar to an amphetamine, became Syria’s largest export during the civil war that erupted in 2011, with its trade serving as a key funding source for the government of ousted president Bashar Assad.
Since Assad’s fall, the new authorities have reported numerous major seizures of agon across the country. However, neighboring countries continue to report the interception of large shipments.


Houthis release 5 Yemeni UN staffers in Sanaa after weekend detention at offices

Houthis release 5 Yemeni UN staffers in Sanaa after weekend detention at offices
Updated 20 October 2025

Houthis release 5 Yemeni UN staffers in Sanaa after weekend detention at offices

Houthis release 5 Yemeni UN staffers in Sanaa after weekend detention at offices
  • The Houthis have a long-running crackdown against the UN and others working in Yemen’s rebel-held areas, including capital Sanaa, the coastal city of Hodeida and rebel stronghold in the northern province Sadaa
  • One mourner, Ayham Hassan, said “Israel is the biggest enemy for Arabs and Muslims”

ADEN, Yemen: Houthi rebels released five Yemeni United Nations staff members and allowed 15 international ones to move freely within the UN compound after detaining them there in Sanaa over the weekend, a UN spokesperson said Monday.
Stéphane Dujarric, the UN spokesperson, also said Houthi security forces had left the compound after the latest of such raids on international organizations.
The Houthis have a long-running crackdown against the UN and others working in Yemen’s rebel-held areas, including capital Sanaa, the coastal city of Hodeida and rebel stronghold in the northern province Sadaa.
The rebels have repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that the detained UN staff and employees of other organizations and embassies were spies, which the UN has denied.
Dozens of people have been detained. A World Food Program worker died in detention earlier this year in Sadaa.
Dujarric also told reporters Monday that Secretary-General António Guterres spoke with the foreign ministers and leaders of Iran, Yemen and ֱ earlier in the day regarding the detainment of staff.
He said that as the UN engages in the sensitive negotiations with the Houthis, it is important for member states who have influence in the region, like those three countries, to use their leverage to assist in the release of international and national staff.
Funeral for military chief
Earlier Monday, the Iran-backed rebels held a funeral for their military chief of staff who was killed in a recent Israeli strike, with more than 1,000 people gathered in Sanaa.
The Houthis acknowledged last week that Maj. Gen. Muhammad Abdul Karim Al-Ghamari was killed in an Israeli airstrike along with other rebel leaders. The Houthis did not say when the strike took place. The death further escalated tensions between the rebels and Israel.
Nearly two months ago, Israeli airstrikes killed senior Houthi government officials in Sanaa, including their prime minister, Ahmed Al-Rahawi.
The Houthis said Al-Ghamari was killed along with his 13-year-old son, Hussain, and “several of his companions,” according to the rebel-controlled SABA news agency, which didn’t provide further details.
Many in the funeral crowd on Monday vented their anger at Israel.
One mourner, Ayham Hassan, said “Israel is the biggest enemy for Arabs and Muslims.” He spoke to The Associated Press by phone from Sanaa.
The UN sanctioned Al-Ghamari for his “leading role in orchestrating the Houthis’ military efforts that are directly threatening the peace, security and stability of Yemen, as well as cross-border attacks against ֱ.”
The US Treasury sanctioned him in 2021 for his responsibility in “orchestrating attacks by Houthi forces impacting Yemeni civilians” and said he had been trained by Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group and Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
The US and Israel had launched an air and naval campaign against the Houthis in response to the rebels’ missile and drone attacks on Israel and on ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis have said they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians over the war in Gaza.
Their attacks over the past two years have upended shipping in the Red Sea, through which about $1 trillion of goods pass each year.

 


What Trump’s ‘historic dawn of a new Middle East’ means for Gaza’s fragile peace

What Trump’s ‘historic dawn of a new Middle East’ means for Gaza’s fragile peace
Updated 21 October 2025

What Trump’s ‘historic dawn of a new Middle East’ means for Gaza’s fragile peace

What Trump’s ‘historic dawn of a new Middle East’ means for Gaza’s fragile peace
  • Gaza ceasefire offered a pause in the fighting, but disputes over governance and arms threaten lasting peace
  • After the exchange of hostages and prisoners, analysts warn the toughest tests of the truce still lie ahead

LONDON: Hopes were high when the US-brokered ceasefire took effect in Gaza on Oct. 10, bringing about the first real pause in fighting in many months and the genuine prospect of peace. Events over the weekend, however, have cast those hopes into doubt.

Having previously declared the deal “the historic dawn of a new Middle East,” US President Donald Trump insisted on Sunday that the ceasefire is still holding after Israel launched deadly strikes on Hamas positions, accusing the group of violating the truce.

Trump, who brokered the deal, downplayed the role of Hamas’ leadership, instead blaming “some rebels within.” He added: “We want to make sure that it’s going to be very peaceful with Hamas. It’s going to be handled toughly, but properly.”

Gaza’s civil defense agency said at least 45 people were killed in the strikes. The Israeli army said it had “renewed enforcement of the ceasefire” but would “respond firmly to any violation.” Hamas denied breaching the truce, accusing Israel of fabricating “pretexts” to resume the war.

Trump had unveiled the ceasefire deal to great fanfare with a whirlwind visit to Israel and Egypt last week. (AFP)

Meanwhile, Hamas politburo member Mohammed Nazzal has told Reuters that the group is only committed to a ceasefire lasting up to five years, with guarantees for what happens next depending on Palestinians being given “horizons and hope” for statehood.

Trump had unveiled the ceasefire deal to great fanfare with a whirlwind visit to Israel and Egypt last week to formally declare an end to the war at a summit in Sharm El-Sheikh attended by dozens of world leaders.

However, the situation on the ground has remained volatile. Israel warns it will resume major operations if its terms are not met, while Hamas is already reasserting control across the embattled enclave.

Tensions escalated on Oct. 16 when Israel threatened renewed fighting after Hamas said it could not recover more remains of deceased hostages without specialized equipment to reach bodies trapped under the rubble.

Since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that triggered Israel’s retaliatory war on Gaza, at least 90 percent of the territory’s civilian infrastructure has been leveled, the BBC reported on Oct. 13.

Under the first phase of Trump’s 20-point peace plan, Hamas released all 20 surviving hostages, while Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

This phase also calls for unrestricted humanitarian access to enter Gaza. However, Israeli officials said the Rafah crossing into Egypt — critical for relief efforts — would open “at a later stage” — not on Oct. 16 as planned.

Video released in mid-October showed Hamas fighters executing eight blindfolded men accused of being “collaborators and outlaws.” (AFP)

As aid stalls, Hamas security forces have returned to the streets, clashing with armed groups and killing alleged gang members in what they call an effort to restore order in areas vacated by Israeli troops.

Video released in mid-October showed Hamas fighters executing eight blindfolded men accused of being “collaborators and outlaws.”

While some Palestinians reportedly welcome the crackdown after months of chaos, the show of force risks undermining the fragile truce.

As both sides test the ceasefire’s limits, analysts question whether Trump’s proclaimed “new Middle East” marks a genuine turning point or merely another brief pause in a conflict with no real end in sight.

Firas Maksad, director for Middle East and North Africa at the Eurasia Group, said that even among attendees of the Gaza peace summit in Sharm El-Sheikh on Oct. 13, “there are a myriad of questions about what comes next.”

He told CNN on Oct. 14 that there are “a lot of gaps still to be filled,” including the structure of a security mechanism in postwar Gaza.

Much, he said, will depend on “sheer political will,” which includes Washington pushing the next phase, Israel’s prime minister managing his right-wing coalition, and Hamas ceding governance while refusing to disarm.

“So much is riding on the sheer political will and investment — the political investment that President Trump has made in seeing that ceasefire through fruition in the various phases ahead,” Maksad said.

INNUMBERS

• 67k+ Palestinians killed in Israel’s military campaign in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023.

• 999 Killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers in the same period.

(Source: Gaza health authority, OCHA)

Indeed, key questions remain unanswered. Whether Israel and Hamas have agreed on postwar governance, reconstruction, or disarmament remains unclear.

Chris Doyle, director of the London-based Council for Arab-British Understanding, said “the parties have not reached an agreement,” adding that first, “we need to define who the parties really are.”

“The agreement has been between the US and Israel, between Donald Trump and (Israeli) Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu — and then Hamas, on behalf of all Palestinians, is meant to sign off on the issue of reconstruction and governance,” Doyle told Arab News.

“But at the same time, Hamas is meant to have no role at all in the future of the Gaza Strip,” he said, arguing that this is “a contradiction.”

“It means a party that the sponsors of this agreement consider to be beyond the pale, unfit to rule Gaza, are being given the authority and legitimacy to agree to a deal that defines the future of Gaza,” Doyle said.

He said a legitimate solution must involve the Palestinian Authority. “There should be a deal that involves the Palestinian Authority — the State of Palestine — on the future of Gaza,” he said.

Doyle noted that all Palestinian factions agree Palestinians must lead reconstruction efforts, supported by international donors.

Tensions escalated on Oct. 16 when Israel threatened renewed fighting after Hamas said it could not recover more remains of deceased hostages. (AFP)

“There is not a single Palestinian faction or leader who believes that it should not be Palestinians who determine the nature of reconstruction, its priorities, and who carries it out under what terms,” he said.

“Every single Palestinian political figure will agree that it must be Palestinians in charge of that, albeit with, of course, international assistance, advice and donor funding.”

Long-term stability, he said, depends on Palestinians governing themselves across all Occupied Territories, making the two-state solution a critical step.

Governance “cannot be solely imposed from the outside — at least not for the medium term,” he said. “There needs to be a legitimate process whereby Palestinians are in control of their destiny, not just in Gaza, but also within the West Bank.”

While some analysts highlight the lack of clarity on governance, others point to unequal pressure on the warring parties.

Muhammed Shehada, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, argued that the delay in reaching a ceasefire resulted from insufficient pressure on Netanyahu, not Hamas.

“Hamas was under immense pressure — inside Gaza, in Qatar, in Turkiye … they were hammered very heavily; Gaza was going through a genocide,” he told Arab News. It’s the lack of pressure on Netanyahu that prevented the deal for so long.”

He said the current agreement mirrors proposals dating back to December 2023, involving Hamas stepping down from governance, an administrative committee taking over, the release of hostages, suspension of operations, and a gradual withdrawal.

“Once Netanyahu was finally pressured, he folded,” Shehada said. “It was only a process of persuasion — telling him it would be good if you signed this deal; it wouldn’t be so bad if you signed that deal.”

So far, only the first phase of Trump’s plan is being implemented. The thorniest issues — including Hamas’ disarmament and Gaza’s future governance — remain unresolved.

Observers now debate whether Trump’s claim that peace was achieved through US support for Israel’s decimation of Iranian proxies holds up — or whether optimism should be tempered given the mixed results in Lebanon and the resilience of Iran’s regional allies.

Under the first phase of Trump’s 20-point peace plan, Hamas released all 20 surviving hostages, while Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. (AFP)

Despite suffering severe blows, both Hamas and Hezbollah have refused to disarm. On Oct. 11, a Hamas official told AFP that disarmament is “off the table” and “not up for discussion.”

Trump, however, insisted on Oct. 14 that Hamas will be forced to disarm. “If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them and it will happen quickly and perhaps violently,” he said.

Maksad said Hamas is willing to hand over governance to a technocratic administration, but not its weapons.

“It’s a scenario that was not too different from where Hezbollah was in Lebanon for many years,” he told CNN on Oct. 9. “They don’t bear any of the responsibility of providing for the people, but that they’re the shadow force that maintains the weapons.”

Still, Maksad said a repeat of that model is unlikely. “There is a need for some creative diplomacy,” he added, referring to suggestions that Egypt could play a role in holding Hamas’ weapons under international supervision.

Hezbollah’s own disarmament remains unresolved in Lebanon.

After the Iran-backed militia’s mauling by Israel in September 2024, the Lebanese government agreed to a phased plan placing all weapons under state control by the end of the year — driven by US pressure and the need for aid.

However, Hezbollah has rejected the plan. “We will never abandon our weapons, nor will we relinquish them,” Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said on Sept. 27, pledging to “confront any project that serves Israel.”

The group continues to demand Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory.

Whether Israel and Hamas have agreed on postwar governance, reconstruction, or disarmament remains unclear. (AFP)

Tel Aviv maintains control over five hilltop positions near the Blue Line, citing “strategic value” and pledges to occupy them indefinitely, even though the November 2024 ceasefire agreement requires Israel to withdraw its forces within 60 days of implementation.

Given the ongoing volatility, Doyle said that it is “totally premature to see the Middle East somehow all at peace.”

“The very idea that President Trump and the US really had a handle in creating the right environment regionally for peace I think should be treated with extreme caution,” he said.

“The tensions are very much there, and not least in the West Bank, which people seem to be ignoring at the moment, where we have seen 999 Palestinians killed since Oct. 7, 2023,” he added, citing figures from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Doyle said the region faces “a massive escalation in tensions,” pointing to Israel’s military presence on Lebanese and Syrian territory and ongoing clashes with Iran-backed groups such as the Houthis in Yemen.

Israel took control of parts of southwestern Syria after the collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime last December, declaring the 1974 Disengagement Agreement void and establishing military outposts deep inside Syrian territory.

Having suffered major blows in its own 12-day war with Israel, not to mention the US strikes on its nuclear sites earlier this year, Iran’s regional influence has dramatically declined.

Shehada said Iran’s “influence on Hamas’ long-term thinking is limited.”

Some Hamas leaders once envisioned a “multi-front confrontation” involving coordinated attacks by Iran, Hezbollah, and allied groups across the region — but “that vision never materialized,” he said. “Hezbollah was quickly neutralized and forced into a ceasefire, and Iran stepped back.

Governance “cannot be solely imposed from the outside — at least not for the medium term,” Chris Doyle said. (AFP)

“The concept of a multi-front war had already collapsed long before Trump ordered strikes on Iran. Earlier confrontations between Israel and Iran had resulted in limited exchanges — sporadic bombardments and retaliations — that both sides soon agreed to end through ceasefires.

“These episodes revealed Iran’s priorities. Tehran was unwilling to risk national destruction for Gaza’s sake; its main concern was self-preservation.”

While the Gaza ceasefire has offered a desperately-needed pause after months of devastation, key issues like Hamas’ disarmament and governance remain unresolved.

And although Trump’s plan has raised justifiable hopes for a “new Middle East,” one question lingers: Is this the start of a lasting peace for the region, or just another brief lull in a seemingly endless conflict?

 


King Abdullah II urges coordination at MED9 Summit to ensure Gaza ceasefire holds

King Abdullah II urges coordination at MED9 Summit to ensure Gaza ceasefire holds
Updated 20 October 2025

King Abdullah II urges coordination at MED9 Summit to ensure Gaza ceasefire holds

King Abdullah II urges coordination at MED9 Summit to ensure Gaza ceasefire holds
  • Accompanied by Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, the king highlighted the EU’s key role in supporting the Palestinian National Authority

LJUBLJANA: Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Monday attended the MED9 Leaders’ Summit of Southern European countries in Portoroz, Slovenia, where he called for coordinated action by Middle Eastern and southern European nations, in partnership with the US and others, to ensure full implementation of the agreement ending the war in Gaza.

Accompanied by Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, the king highlighted the EU’s key role in supporting the Palestinian National Authority and stressed the urgent need for humanitarian aid to reach all areas of the Gaza Strip to alleviate the conflict’s devastating effects.

King Abdullah and French President Emmanuel Macron meet at the summit. (X/@RHCJO)

He also referenced the recent two-state solution conference in New York City, jointly organized by ֱ and France, urging countries to build on its outcomes and increase recognition of the State of Palestine.

King Abdullah underscored the importance of comprehensive calm in the West Bank and Jerusalem, warning against unilateral measures and highlighting support for Palestinian steadfastness.

He added that the challenges facing the Middle East and southern Europe require sustained cooperation, with the MED9 Summit serving as a platform for dialogue and joint solutions.

The summit brought together leaders from nine Southern European nations bordering the Mediterranean — Slovenia, Cyprus, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Croatia — to discuss the Gaza ceasefire, its implementation and the roles these countries could play in fostering lasting peace.

On the sidelines of the summit, King Abdullah held a series of meetings with European leaders, the Jordan News Agency reported.

In Ljubljana, he met Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar to discuss regional developments, reaffirm Jordan-Slovenia relations and emphasize the importance of implementing the Gaza ceasefire.

The leaders also addressed the West Bank and Gaza situation, stressing the need for comprehensive calm and opposing settlement expansion.

Pirc Musar praised Jordan’s humanitarian role in Gaza and its support for Palestinian aid delivered through the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation, while reaffirming Slovenia’s commitment to cooperation in digitalization, green technology, education and humanitarian initiatives. The king also met Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob.

King Abdullah held discussions with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, highlighting the importance of maintaining coordination with the EU on regional developments and reaffirming Jordan’s religious and historical role in safeguarding Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites.

King Abdullah also spoke with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (L) and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (R) on the sidelines of the summit. (X/@RHCJO)

During his trip, King Abdullah also visited the Muslim Cultural Center in Ljubljana, where he was briefed by Mufti Nevzet Poric on the center’s religious, cultural and educational programs.

The mufti commended the king’s initiatives to promote interfaith harmony, including the UN-endorsed World Interfaith Harmony Week, and praised Jordan’s humanitarian support for Palestinians in Gaza, JNA reported.

The king and crown prince toured the center’s mosque, which serves Slovenia’s Muslim community of about 150,000 people.