
If Trump passes on Ukraine, it'll be up to us
Former US senator George Mitchell is rightly credited with making a decisive contribution to peace in Northern Ireland, helping to steer for over two years the talks that led to the Good Friday agreement in 1998. Even for him, a man of wisdom and humility, it was often an exasperating process that required exceptional persistence — in his own words 'seven hundred days of failure and one day of success'. In what already seems a different age of American leadership, Mitchell brought to the process qualities of trustworthiness, fair-mindedness, leverage and, above all, patience.
In its efforts to end the war in Ukraine, the US is taking the opposite approach. Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, has already threatened to give up trying, with President

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Libyan Express
10 hours ago
- Libyan Express
US envoy Massad Boulos to visit Libya next week
BY Libyan Express Jun 15, 2025 - 04:03 Massad Boulos, US special envoy to Africa, pictured with President Donald Trump during a White House meeting Massad Boulos, the United States' special envoy to Africa under President Donald Trump, is scheduled to visit Libya next week amid escalating tensions in the region. This will be his first official trip to the country. According to Middle East Eye, Boulos intends to begin his visit in Tripoli, the seat of the Government of National Unity, before travelling to Benghazi, where forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar are based. Earlier this year, Boulos was expected to visit Libya but instead went to Cairo, reportedly at the request of Egyptian authorities. Sources cited by Middle East Eye reveal that during this period, Boulos held talks with a senior advisor to former Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah regarding the unfreezing of billions of dollars in Libya's sovereign wealth funds, which remain frozen under sanctions. The discussions included the potential investment of some of these funds through American companies operating in Libya. In a related development, NBC reported that the Trump administration allegedly pressured the Libyan government to accept up to one million Palestinians from Gaza—where Israeli military operations have been ongoing since 7 October 2023—in exchange for the release of these funds. Meanwhile, Saddam Haftar, son of Khalifa Haftar, is reportedly gaining influence within the Trump administration's national security circles. According to US and Arab sources speaking to Middle East Eye, Saddam's profile has risen, positioning him as a potential future leader. In April, Saddam Haftar visited Washington, meeting with Boulos at the State Department. Notably, he also held confidential discussions with senior US intelligence officials, details of which had not previously been disclosed. Middle East Eye also notes that in 2019, former President Trump gave tacit approval to Khalifa Haftar's offensive to capture Tripoli, although the campaign ultimately failed following Turkish intervention. The views expressed in Op-Ed pieces are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Libyan Express. How to submit an Op-Ed: Libyan Express accepts opinion articles on a wide range of topics. Submissions may be sent to oped@ Please include 'Op-Ed' in the subject line.


Shafaq News
2 days ago
- Shafaq News
US distances itself from Israeli strikes on Iran
Shafaq News/ US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed late Thursday that the United States was not involved in Israel's military strikes against Iran, describing the operation as a 'unilateral action' by Tel Aviv. 'Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran,' Rubio said in a statement issued by the White House shortly after reports of explosions in Tehran surfaced. 'We are not involved in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region.' Rubio noted that Israel had informed Washington of its intention to strike and had framed the action as a matter of self-defense. He emphasized that President Donald Trump's administration has taken 'all necessary steps' to ensure the safety of US personnel and maintain coordination with regional partners. The remarks came as Israel confirmed launching Operation Rising Lion, a broad military campaign that targeted key Iranian nuclear and military sites. Iranian media reported explosions in Tehran and other cities. 'Iran should not target US interests or personnel,' Rubio warned, making clear that while the US was not a party to the strikes, it would act to defend its assets if provoked.


India Today
2 days ago
- India Today
Israel struck heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment programme: Netanyahu
Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, announced that the Israeli military has launched an operation targeting Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities. He called the action a necessary step to protect Israel's existence, stating, "We are at a decisive moment in Israel's history."In a televised address on Friday, Netanyahu confirmed that the Israeli Air Force carried out a series of strikes inside Iran. The attacks were aimed at key locations involved in Iran's nuclear development program and missile production sites. "We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment programme, and nuclear weaponization programme," he said.#WATCH | Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says, "Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival. This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2025advertisementThe Prime Minister said that the operation was preemptive and targeted. He made it clear that Israel does not seek conflict with the Iranian people. "Our fight is not with the people of Iran. Our fight is with Iran's dictatorship," Netanyahu TARGETS IRAN'S NUCLEAR FACILITIES According to Netanyahu, the Israeli military targeted nuclear facilities -- including the Natanz site -- which have long been suspected of playing a big role in uranium enrichment. He claimed that Israeli forces had hit locations where senior Iranian scientists involved in nuclear weapons development were working."We are launching a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival," Netanyahu said. "This operation will continue for as many days as it takes." advertisement Following the strikes, Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, warned that Iran is expected to respond soon. "Following the preemptive strike by the State of Israel against Iran, a missile and UAV (drone) attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate timeframe," Katz said in a public response to escalating tensions, the United States stated Israel acted unilaterally. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio "Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region."Must Watch