
Saudi crown prince, Iranian president discuss ceasefire in phone call
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke on the phone on Tuesday with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, during which he welcomed a ceasefire between Iran and Israel announced earlier in the day, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Prince Mohammed expressed the Kingdom's hope that the truce would help restore security and stability in the region and prevent the risk of further confrontation, SPA added.
He underscored Saudi Arabia's consistent position in supporting diplomatic dialogue as the preferred path to resolving disputes.
The pause in fighting was announced after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Monday launched missile strikes targeting Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military installation in the Middle East.
Following the attack, the crown prince reaffirmed Saudi Arabia's full solidarity with Qatar during a call with the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and strongly condemned what he described as Iran's 'unjustified and blatant aggression' against the Gulf state.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Al Arabiya
20 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
US intel says strikes did not set back Iran's nuclear program despite Trump claims
A classified preliminary US intelligence report has concluded that American strikes on Iran set back Tehran's nuclear program by just a few months – rather than destroying it as claimed by President Donald Trump. US media on Tuesday cited people familiar with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) findings as saying the weekend strikes did not fully eliminate Iran's centrifuges or stockpile of enriched uranium. The aerial bombardments and missile strikes sealed off entrances to some facilities without destroying underground buildings, according to the report. US media coverage of the DIA assessment appeared to anger Trump, who insisted news outlets like CNN and The New York Times were out to 'demean' the military strike by saying it only set back Iran's nuclear program by a few months. 'THE NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED!' Trump posted in all caps on his Truth Social platform. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the authenticity of the DIA assessment but said it was 'flat-out wrong and was classified as 'top secret' but was still leaked' in an attempt to undermine Trump and discredit the military operation. 'Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration,' Leavitt posted on X. Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steven Witkoff, appeared on Fox News to trumpet the White House version. 'The reporting out there that in some ways suggests that we did not achieve the objective is just completely preposterous,' he said Tuesday. Witkoff repeated the assertion that the nuclear facilities at Natanz, Isfahan and Fordo had been 'obliterated.' 'All three of those had most if not all of the centrifuges damaged or destroyed,' he said. 'In a way it will be almost impossible for them to resurrect that program for -- in my view and in many other experts' views who have seen the raw data, it will take a period of years.' US B-2 bombers hit two Iranian nuclear sites with massive GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs over the weekend, while a guided missile submarine struck a third with Tomahawk cruise missiles. Trump called the strikes a 'spectacular military success' and said they had 'obliterated' the nuclear sites, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington's forces had 'devastated the Iranian nuclear program.' General Dan Caine, the top US military officer, has offered a more cautious tone, saying the strikes caused 'extremely severe damage' to the Iranian facilities. Iran's government said Tuesday it had 'taken the necessary measures' to ensure the continuation of its nuclear program. 'Plans for restarting (the facilities) have been prepared in advance, and our strategy is to ensure that production and services are not disrupted,' the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Mohammad Eslami, said in a statement aired on state television. An adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei meanwhile said his country still had stocks of enriched uranium and that 'the game is not over.' Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign targeting Iranian nuclear sites, scientists and top military brass on June 13 in a bid to set back Tehran's nuclear efforts. Trump had spent weeks pursuing a diplomatic path to replace the nuclear deal with Tehran that he tore up during his first term in 2018, but he ultimately decided to take military action. The US operation was massive, with Caine saying it involved more than 125 US aircraft including stealth bombers, fighters, aerial refueling tankers, a guided missile submarine and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.


Saudi Gazette
32 minutes ago
- Saudi Gazette
Australian journalist wins unfair dismissal case over Gaza post
SYDNEY — A journalist has won her case against Australia's national broadcaster, with a court ruling she was unfairly sacked over a social media post about the war in Gaza. Antoinette Lattouf said the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) cut short her stint as a fill-in radio presenter in December 2023 due to her political views, her race and after lobbying from pro-Israel groups. Hours before her sacking, Lattouf shared a post from Human Rights Watch (HRW) that was critical of Israel, a move that the ABC said breached its editorial policy. The ABC apologised to Lattouf after the ruling, saying that it had "let down our staff and audiences" in its handling of the matter. On Wednesday, Justice Darryl Rangiah ruled that the ABC sacked Lattouf for reasons including her opinions on the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. He rejected allegations the presenter — who is of Lebanese heritage — was fired because of her race. She was awarded damages of A$70,000 (£33,400, $45,400), but Justice Rangiah said he would hear arguments from both sides on further penalties. Speaking outside court, Lattouf said "punished for my political opinion", adding she will "have more to say in due time". Her dismissal triggered a wave of public outrage and created turmoil at the public broadcaster — raising questions over its independence and reviving concerns over how it supports staff, particularly those who are culturally diverse. Lattouf has been a regular contributor in Australian media for years, but also made a name for herself as an activist on issues like racism, discrimination in media and mental health. The ABC disputed that she was fired, because they had paid her contract in full, and said she had been removed from her duties not as punishment, but to protect the broadcaster's reputation. When opening his remarks, Justice Rangiah said the Israel-Gaza war has become the "most covered, contested and controversial news story in the world". The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. At least 55,706 people have been killed in Gaza since then, including more than 15,000 children, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. During the case, the ABC argued Lattouf was instructed not to post anything about the conflict but Justice Rangiah found Lattouf had been "merely advised not to post anything controversial", rather than being given a "direction". He said there was a clear "orchestrated campaign by pro-Israel lobbyists to have Lattouf taken off air" right from the outset of her employment, which was causing consternation among senior ABC managers. When she re-shared the HRW post — which said Israel was using starvation as a tool of war, a claim the country denies — it was "bound to be controversial", Justice Rangiah said. Describing her decision as "ill-advised and inconsiderate of her employer", he said it turned the "consternation" of her bosses into "what can be described as a state of panic". "Within the hour, a decision was made that Lattouf would be taken off air," he said. He said ABC's former ABC chief content officer Chris Oliver-Taylor had "no more than a suspicion" that Lattouf "may" have breached some policy or guideline — but wanted to "mitigate the anticipated deluge of complaints and criticism" by firing her. And so, shortly after she finished her third morning as a presenter, Lattouf was told to pack up her things and leave. The policies she was alleged to have breached were not identified, nor was she given any opportunity to defend herself, the judge said. The decision to remove her from the airwaves was promptly leaked to the media, something Lattouf says left her reputation in tatters. She took her case to Australia's Fair Work Commission last year, and after a win there, to the Federal Court. There, Lattouf's team argued the ABC had been influenced by external pressure about her appointment. The court heard that ABC's former chair Ita Buttrose and former managing director David Anderson had forwarded several emails complaining about Lattouf to Oliver-Taylor. Justice Rangiah said the decision to sack Lattouf was Oliver-Taylor's alone, but Anderson's opinion of her had influenced him. In a statement, new ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks said it was clear the matter "was not handled in line with our values and expectations". "[It] has caused concerns to be expressed about the ABC's independence and integrity, which are critical to the great trust the Australian public places in us." There was "much to consider" in the wake of the decision, he said, adding that the company's social media guidelines have already been reviewed and replaced. Outside the court, Lattouf's lawyer said the ruling "goes right to the top of the ABC" and "undermines" its credibility, adding that "significant penalties" will be sought and claiming that the broadcaster continues to "blacklist" Lattouf. — BBC


Al Arabiya
35 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
Israeli army says seven soldiers killed in Gaza
Israel's army on Wednesday said seven of its soldiers were killed in combat in Gaza, where the war with Palestinian militant group Hamas continued. The army's website listed the names of five soldiers and a platoon commander from the same battalion who 'fell during combat in the southern Gaza Strip.' It added that a seventh soldier was also killed, but his family had not given permission for him to be named. More than 430 Israeli soldiers have died in the war, triggered by Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. The militants also seized 251 hostages -- 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 56,077 people, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry. The United Nations considers its figures reliable. The territory of more than two million people is suffering from famine-like conditions after Israel blocked all supplies from early March to the end of May and continues to impose restrictions, according to rights groups. After Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday, Israel's military chief Eyal Zamir said focus would now shift back to Gaza.