
Never too late to negotiate, says German minister to Iran
Germany's foreign minister appealed to Iran's leaders to make credible assurances that it is not seeking a nuclear weapon and to show it is willing to find a negotiated solution as fears mount of further military escalation between Iran and Israel.
"We are still ready to negotiate a solution. However, Iran must act urgently ... it is never too late to come to the negotiating table if one comes with sincere intentions," Johann Wadephul said at a news conference with his Jordanian counterpart on Wednesday.
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Tahawul Tech
an hour ago
- Tahawul Tech
U.S. on alert for Iranian cyberattacks
Critical infrastructure installations across the U.S. such as Hospitals, water dams and power plants are on alert for any potential Iranian cyberattacks in retaliation for recent US airstrikes on Iran nuclear sites. The United States dropped massive bombs on three nuclear sites inside Iran on Saturday, decisively entering into conflict with the country. In the three days since the US strikes, the US power grid's cyberthreat-sharing centre has monitored the dark web for Iranian activity, and hospital executives have checked in on the threat level with the FBI. It's a state of vigilance dictated by common sense: For Iran, retaliation against the US is far easier in cyberspace than physically. Tehran-linked hackers have previously attacked American hospitals and water facilities. 'Iran's kinetic retaliation is already in motion and the digital dimension to that may not be far behind', Adam Meyers, a Senior Vice President at cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, said shortly after Iran fired missiles towards a US military base in Qatar in retaliation for the US strikes. 'This cyber element is what lets them extend their reach and there's an air of deniability to it'. There haven't been any new confirmed breaches of US organisations from Iranian hackers, Meyers said. But hackers linked with Iran have reportedly been scanning the internet for vulnerable software and have been talking openly about retaliating against US organisations, he said. Less planning may be needed for any Iranian response in cyberspace, and hacking operations can also be far below the threshold of war. Tehran has been opportunistic in the past about finding vulnerable US critical infrastructure to exploit, according to US officials. 'If it's there, and vulnerable, they have a higher likelihood of targeting it,' one US official, who was monitoring potential Iranian hacking threats to critical infrastructure. After the Israel-Gaza war began in fall of 2023, there were multiple cyberattacks on US water facilities that American officials blamed on Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. In one instance, pro-Iran hackers breached internet-connected industrial equipment that was sitting online at a water plant outside of Pittsburgh, forcing the plant to operate one of its pump stations manually. The hackers inscribed an anti-Israel message on the monitor that they breached. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a part of DHS, 'is actively coordinating with government, industry, and international partners to share actionable intelligence and strengthen collective defence,' CISA spokesperson Marci McCarthy said in a statement. 'There are currently no specific credible threats against the homeland.' Right now, US officials and corporate executives are keeping a close eye on that same group of hackers and other so-called 'hacktivist' personas linked to Iran. These hackers often exaggerate their success to gain a psychological edge over their targets. One of the alleged Iranian personas previously contacted American reporters in attempts to convince them to promote their cyberattacks. 'Low-level cyber attacks against US networks by pro-Iranian hacktivists are likely, and cyber actors affiliated with the Iranian government may conduct attacks against US networks', DHS said in a public advisory Sunday. 'Iranian cyberattacks have been plays for attention as well as impact,' said Anne Neuberger, who served as deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology under President Joe Biden. Some cybersecurity executives are trying to flip the script on those mind games by preaching vigilance without over-hyping the threat. 'We understand from direct communications with the federal government that heightened vigilance and reporting is warranted for both cyber and physical threats', said John Riggi, a former FBI official who is now national advisor for cybersecurity and risk at the American Hospital Association. The association, he said, 'is in close coordination with the FBI regarding any physical or cyber threats to hospitals and the broader healthcare sector'. Iran's cyber capabilities are not as advanced as those of China or Russia, experts say, but they can be more unpredictable. The FBI blamed Tehran for a cyberattack on Boston Children's Hospital in 2021 and for creating a website in 2020 that threatened US election officials with bull's-eyes over photos of their faces. 'Iran's growing expertise and willingness to conduct aggressive cyber operations make it a major threat to the security of U.S. networks and data', the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in its threat assessment in March. 'Guidance from Iranian leaders has incentivised cyber actors to become more aggressive in developing capabilities to conduct cyber attacks'. Source: CNN Image Credit: Stock Image


The National
an hour ago
- The National
Israel's Leviathan gasfield to resume production after shutdown during Iran conflict
Israel's NewMed Energy said the Leviathan gasfield that supplies Egypt and Jordan will resume operations on Wednesday after being shut down for nearly two weeks during the war with Iran. Two of Israel's three gasfields – Leviathan and Karish – have been shut since June 13, when the country began attacking Iran. Israeli officials said this was a precautionary measure taken in anticipation of an Iranian retaliation. Gas supplies to Egypt and Jordan were halted to prioritise domestic consumption. US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran from Tuesday that appeared to be holding. Israel's Energy Ministry said that after a security assessment, the larger Leviathan field and smaller Karish would reopen. This would lead to the resumption of gas exports, a rise in state tax revenue and greater flexibility in managing the electricity and industrial sectors. Leviathan produces 12 billion cubic metres of gas per year for sale to Israel, Egypt and Jordan. Israeli gas accounts for about 15-20 per cent of Egypt's consumption, data from the Joint Organisations Data Initiative shows. To counter the unexpected drop in supplies, Egypt arranged to use three floating regasification units, two in the Red Sea and one in the Mediterranean, sources told The National last week. These receive shipments of liquefied natural gas, regasify it and then pump it through the national power grid. The Egyptian government also forced fertiliser factories to halt production nationwide because of the large amounts of natural gas they use. Israel resumed lower-volume gas supplies to Egypt on Thursday last week, the sources said. But the supplies halted again on Sunday.


Zawya
2 hours ago
- Zawya
Jordan highlights entrepreneurship role at Euromed 2025 in Istanbul
AMMAN — President of the Economic and Social Council Musa Shteiwi participated in the Euro-Mediterranean Summit of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions (Euromed 2025), held in Istanbul on Monday and Tuesday. The summit was organised by the European Economic and Social Committee and focused on the "New Charter for the Mediterranean," the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. In a specialised session titled "Promoting Entrepreneurship in the Euro-Mediterranean Region," Shteiwi highlighted the role of entrepreneurship in Jordan's economy, highlighting its importance as a 'key' element of the "Smart Jordan" pillar in the Economic Modernisation Vision. He said that entrepreneurship helps drive economic growth and provides 'high-quality' job opportunities for youth and women, which contributes to advancing sustainable development. Shteiwi referred to 'encouraging' national indicators, including the presence of 40 business incubators and a 34 per cent increase in early-stage entrepreneurship activity between 2023 and 2024. Women's participation in early-stage entrepreneurship also rose significantly from 11 per cent in 2023 to 20 per cent in 2024 alongside a growing share of entrepreneurs aged 18 to 34, he said. Shteiwi added that while most Jordanian entrepreneurs target the local market, 7.9 per cent of early-stage ventures generate over 25 per cent of their sales from foreign markets. Participants discussed a draft document prepared by the European Commission aimed at establishing a unified regional approach and promoting cooperation and knowledge exchange among countries on both sides of the Mediterranean. Speaking on behalf of the Union of Arab Economic and Social Councils during the opening session, Shteiwi addressed key shared challenges facing the Mediterranean region, including climate change, water scarcity, migration and unemployment. He stressed the need for a unified strategy, calling for launching institutional dialogue between Arab and European councils to develop joint agendas that support the region's shared interests. The Euromed Summit aims to reinforce regional cooperation among advisory and social institutions and formulate cohesive responses to pressing economic and social issues in the Mediterranean. © Copyright The Jordan Times. All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (