Iran says defence capabilities ‘never’ up for negotiation as US seeks end to nuclear enrichment
Iran's top diplomat said Friday that his country's missile and defence capabilities would "never" be on the negotiating table, as US...
Geostrategy
Netanyahu, US envoys discuss opening Rafah crossing: Israeli media
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reopen the Rafah crossing between Gaza and...
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Saudi-led coalition warns of intervention against Yemen separatists
The statements came a day after reported Saudi airstrikes on separatist positions in Yemen's Hadramawt province — and after Washington...
- Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman posted on X that troops from the separatist STC should “peacefully hand over” two regional governorates to the government.
- In recent weeks, the UAE-backed STC, which seeks to revive the formerly independent state of South Yemen, swept through swaths of the country.
Geostrategy
Zelensky to meet Trump in Florida on Sunday for talks on how to end the Russian invasion
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is to meet US President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday for talks on how to...
- The meeting to discuss new peace proposals comes amidst Trump's intensified efforts to broker an agreement to end the conflict
- The latest plan is a 20-point proposal that would freeze the front line but open the door for Ukraine to pull back troops from the east
Geostrategy
China’s high-speed rail network passes 50,000km mark
Beijing, China -- China's sprawling high-speed rail network passed 50,000 kilometers (31,000 miles) in total operating distance with the opening...
- The country has the world's largest rail network -- one-fifth longer than the circumference of the earth.
- China's rail network has expanded by around 32 percent compared to 2020, state-owned China Railway added Friday in a statement.
Geostrategy
Yemen separatists say Saudi air strikes will not deter them
A Yemeni military official said around 15,000 Saudi-backed fighters were amassed near the Saudi border -- but were not given...
- There were no immediate reports of casualties in the air strikes, which came amid a dramatic escalation in the decade-long conflict.
- The strikes came as a Yemeni government official in Riyadh told AFP that Saudi may be considering military action against the separatists if talks fail.
Geostrategy
14 countries condemn Israel’s expansion of West Bank settlements, say actions ‘violate international law’
Fourteen countries, including France, Britain, and Germany, condemned on Wednesday Israel's recent approval of new Jewish settlements in the occupied...
- In their statement, the countries stressed such unilateral actions "violate international law" and risk undermining the ceasefire in Gaza
- They also reaffirmed their "unwavering commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution."
Geostrategy
Saudi Arabia urges Yemen separatists to cede seized territory
The Kingdom said the military movements in the governorates of (Hadramawt and Al-Mahra), recently conducted by the Southern Transitional Council,...
- "These movements resulted in an unjustified escalation that harmed the interests of the Yemeni people with all of its segments," it added.
- The 11-year war in Yemen has pitted the Iran-backed rebels against the internationally-recognized government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition that includes the UAE.
Geostrategy
Iran Guards seize foreign-crewed oil tanker in Gulf: state media
Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Wednesday seized an oil tanker in the Gulf carrying more than a dozen foreign crew members,...
- Iranian forces regularly announce the interception of ships it says are illegally transporting fuel in the Gulf
- They regularly target tankers that Tehran accuses of being part of the illicit trade in the Strait of Hormuz
Geostrategy
Israel to invest $110 billion over the next decade to develop its own independent arms industry
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel would invest $110 billion over the next decade to develop its own...
- In a controversial speech, Netanyahu said Israel was becoming increasingly isolated and had to adopt a "super-Sparta" approach
- In 2026, Israel will allocate about 16 percent of its public budget to defence -- around $35 billion out of an overall budget of $208 billion
Geostrategy
Libyans united in grief for army chief killed in plane crash
General Mohammed al-Haddad and his four aides died on Tuesday after a visit to Ankara, with Turkish officials saying an...
- "It will be hard to find a man of his calibre," Nasreddine al-Maghribi told AFP at a cafe in Libyan capital Tripoli.
- Until a successor is selected, Haddad's deputy, General Salaheddine al-Namroush, will stand in for him, according to the presidential council.
Geostrategy
Palestinian Authority says Israel tightening control over West Bank with new settlements
The Palestinian Authority condemned on Tuesday Israel's recent approval of 19 settlements in the occupied West Bank, accusing it of...
- On Sunday, Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the authorities had greenlit the settlements
- The latest move brings the total number of settlements approved over the past three years to 69, Smotrich's office said
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Iran says defence capabilities ‘never’ up for negotiation as US seeks end to nuclear enrichment
Iran's top diplomat said Friday that his country's missile and defence capabilities would "never" be on the negotiating table, as US...
Geostrategy
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Russia joins Chinese, Iran warships for military drills off South Africa
A Russian warship arrived off South Africa's main naval base Friday to join Chinese and Iranian vessels for military exercises that...
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Defiant Khamenei insists ‘won’t back down’ in face of growing Iran protests
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday insisted the Islamic republic would "not back down" in the face of...
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Israel president meets diplomat expected to serve on Trump’s Gaza peace board
Israel's President Isaac Herzog on Thursday met with former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov, whom media reports say is...
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Yemen separatist leader fled to UAE: Saudi-led coalition
Aidaros Alzubidi was accused of high treason and removed from Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council on Wednesday, while the coalition bombed...
- Last month's STC offensive brought fresh turbulence to fractured Yemen and exposed deep rifts between Gulf allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
- The oil-rich neighbors formed the backbone of the coalition fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who overran the capital Sanaa in 2014 and still control much of the country
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Saudi strikes Yemen after separatist leader skips talks
A Saudi-led coalition struck the home province of Yemen's UAE-backed separatist leader on Wednesday, after he failed to show up...
- The separatists said they were open to discussions but warned they had lost contact with their delegation in Riyadh
- On Wednesday, more than 15 air strikes hit Dhale, a local official told AFP, killing four people, according to two hospital sources
Geostrategy
US energy secretary says will control Venezuelan oil sales ‘indefinitely’
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Wednesday that Washington will control sales of Venezuelan oil "indefinitely," a day after President...
- Trump said Tuesday that 30–50 million barrels of Venezuelan crude will be shipped to US ports, with the revenue under his control
- On Saturday, US special forces snatched Maduro and his wife from Caracas and whisked them to New York to face trial on drug charges