KSrelief Masam Project Clears 1,095 Mines in Yemen in One Week
KSrelief Masam Project Clears 1,095 Mines in Yemen in One Week
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Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
US confident in Syrian partners to prevent ISIS resurgence amid troop withdrawal
A US defense official told Al Arabiya English on Wednesday that Washington's vetted Syrian partners are well-trained, well-equipped, and prepared to prevent any resurgence of ISIS in Syria, even as American forces continue to withdraw from the country. Earlier this week, US officials confirmed to Al Arabiya English that at least 500 American troops had been withdrawn from Syria in recent weeks, and several military bases were either shut down or handed over to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). US Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, noted that the US would maintain a presence at one of its eight long-standing bases in Syria. The defense official emphasized that the ongoing consolidation of forces is being carried out in a 'safe, deliberate, and professional' manner. 'This consolidation reflects the significant steps we have made toward degrading ISIS's appeal and operational capability to carry out attacks both regionally and globally,' the official said, reaffirming Washington's commitment to ensuring the group's enduring defeat. The official also expressed cautious optimism about Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa. 'So far, the Syrian government… is saying and doing the right things in going after ISIS,' the official said. 'We will continue to vigilantly monitor the new government and their behavior.' 'We also appreciate Syria's efforts to cooperate with other regional partners who share our desire to extinguish ISIS.' Acknowledging the persistent threat posed by ISIS, the official underscored that US efforts to prevent a resurgence remain steadfast. 'After nearly a decade of partnership with us, [our Syrian partners] are a strong and capable force that will keep ISIS suppressed. Their expertise and previous sacrifices in combatting ISIS are widely known, and they will continue to play a critical role in protecting Syria from ISIS and Al-Qaeda in the future,' the official said. The official also pointed to ISIS's significantly weakened state as a justification for the drawdown. However, US forces will continue to conduct targeted operations against remaining ISIS elements and work closely with local partners to carry out essential counterterrorism missions, including the security of ISIS detention facilities and camps.
Asharq Al-Awsat
3 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
UN Says ‘Deliberate' Choices ‘Systematically' Depriving Gazans
The UN aid chief said Wednesday that recent "horrifying scenes" of Gazans being killed while seeking food aid were the result of "deliberate choices that have systematically deprived" them of essentials to survive. A US and Israeli-backed group operating aid sites in the Gaza Strip announced the temporary closure of its facilities on Wednesday, with the Israeli army warning that roads leading to distribution centers were "considered combat zones". The announcement by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation follows a string of deadly incidents near the distribution sites it operates. On Tuesday, 27 people were killed in southern Gaza when Israeli troops opened fire near a GHF aid site, with the military saying the incident was under investigation. "The world is watching, day after day, horrifying scenes of Palestinians being shot, wounded or killed in Gaza while simply trying to eat," UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said in a statement. "Emergency medical teams have confirmed treating hundreds of trauma cases. Yesterday alone, dozens were declared dead at hospitals after Israeli forces said they had opened fire. "This is the outcome of a series of deliberate choices that have systematically deprived two million people of the essentials they need to survive." He echoed the call by UN chief Antonio Guterres for immediate independent investigations, saying they were not isolated incidents, and the perpetrators must be held accountable. "No-one should have to risk their life to feed their children," said Fletcher. The GHF began operations a week ago, but the UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with it over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. Meanwhile the United Nations has described the amount of aid allowed into Gaza, after Israel partially lifted a more than two-month total blockade, as a trickle. "We must be allowed to do our jobs: we have the teams, the plan, the supplies and the experience," said Fletcher, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator. "Open the crossings -- all of them. Let in life-saving aid at scale, from all directions. Lift the restrictions on what and how much aid we can bring in. "Ensure our convoys aren't held up by delays and denials. Release the hostages. Implement the ceasefire."
Al Arabiya
4 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Trump says Iran ‘slowwalking' as Khamenei opposes nuclear proposal
US President Donald Trump accused Tehran on Wednesday of 'slowwalking' on a nuclear deal, after Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said the latest proposal from Washington was against Iran's national interest. The longtime foes have held five rounds of talks since April to thrash out a new accord to replace the deal with major powers that Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018, but sharp differences remain over whether Tehran can continue to enrich uranium. On Saturday, Iran said it had received 'elements' of the US proposal through Omani mediators, the details of which have not been publicly disclosed. 'The proposal presented by the Americans is 100 percent against' notions of independence and self-reliance, Khamenei said in a televised speech, invoking ideals of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. 'Independence means not waiting for the green light from America and the likes of America.' Iran's enrichment of uranium has emerged as a major point of contention. Trump said on Monday his administration would not allow 'any' enrichment, despite Tehran's insistence it is its right under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin who 'suggested that he will participate in the discussions with Iran.' 'It is my opinion that Iran has been slowwalking their decision on this very important matter, and we will need a definitive answer in a very short period of time!' Trump said. Low-level enrichment Khamenei said enrichment is 'key' to Iran's nuclear program and that the United States 'cannot have a say' on the issue. 'If we have 100 nuclear power plants but don't have enrichment, they will be of no use to us,' because 'nuclear power plants need fuel' to operate, he said. The New York Times reported Tuesday that the US proposal includes 'an arrangement that would allow Iran to continue enriching uranium at low levels' as the US and other countries 'work out a more detailed plan intended to block Iran's path to a nuclear weapon.' It said the proposal would see the United States facilitating 'the building of nuclear power plants for Iran and negotiate the construction of enrichment facilities managed by a consortium of regional countries.' Iran has previously said it is open to temporary limits on its enrichment of uranium, and is willing to consider the establishment of a regional nuclear fuel consortium. But it has stressed that such a consortium is 'in no way intended to replace Iran's own uranium enrichment program' Iran's chief negotiator, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, said in a Wednesday post on X: 'No enrichment, no deal. No nuclear weapons, we have a deal.' Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent, far above the 3.67-percent limit set in the 2015 deal but still short of the 90 percent threshold needed for a nuclear warhead. 'Less than satisfactory' The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in its latest quarterly report last week that Iran had further stepped up its production of highly enriched uranium. In a separate report, it also criticized 'less than satisfactory' cooperation from Tehran, particularly in explaining past cases of nuclear material found at undeclared sites. The reports came ahead of a planned IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna later this month which will review Iran's nuclear activities. Washington and other Western governments have continued to accuse Iran of seeking a nuclear weapons capability. Iran insists its program is for peaceful purposes only. The 2015 deal provided Iran with relief from international sanctions in return for UN-monitored restrictions on its nuclear activities. Trump reimposed US sanctions when he quit the agreement in 2018 and has since tightened them with secondary sanctions against third parties who violate them. Britain, France and Germany, the three European countries who were party to the 2015 deal, are currently weighing whether to trigger the sanctions 'snapback' mechanism in the accord. The mechanism would reinstate UN sanctions in response to Iranian non-compliance – an option that expires in October. Iran has criticized the IAEA report as unbalanced, saying it relied on 'forged documents' provided by its arch foe Israel.
