US defense secretary scraps visit to Israel: Reports
The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has scrapped a visit to Israel that was put together in recent days, Israeli media reported on Friday.
Hegseth was planning to travel to Israel in the days ahead of President Donald Trump's visit to the Gulf next week, sources familiar with his travel plans said.
But on Friday, Israeli media reported that the trip had been canceled without elaborating.
The Pentagon had not made any official announcements regarding his travel to Israel, but it is expected that he will travel with Trump next week for the president's first official overseas visit, which will take him to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Israeli officials have been caught by surprise multiple times since Trump took office, despite a widespread belief that the US president would accept embattled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans for the region.
In recent days, Trump made a surprise announcement that the US and Yemen's Houthi militia had agreed to a ceasefire in the Red Sea. And despite the announcement coming hours after Israel responded to a Houthi attack on Ben Gurion Airport, the truce did not include stopping Houthi attacks on Israel.
Last month, Trump revealed that the US and Iran were engaging in talks to reach a new nuclear deal. Sitting next to Trump in the Oval Office, Netanyahu was visibly surprised.
And before that, the Trump administration engaged in direct talks with Hamas over the release of American hostages being held in Gaza, much to the chagrin of Netanyahu and his government.
One common theme the US and Israel agree on is not allowing Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. Netanyahu has been lobbying for a direct strike on Iran's nuclear facilities but was held back last month by Trump. Trump has threatened military force if Iran does not agree to a new deal. The fourth round of talks between Washington and Tehran is expected to be held in the coming weeks.
Trump's special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, has been accused by many pro-Israeli sides in Washington of being weak and appeasing Iran.
Witkoff hit back at critics during an interview aired on Friday and said Trump does not think military force is 'productive in many circumstances.'
In the interview with Breitbart News, Witkoff said attacks on his negotiations with Iran were a result of a 'neocon element' that 'believes war is the only way to solve things.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Asharq Al-Awsat
13 minutes ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Oil Inches Up on Supply Concerns and Weaker Dollar
Oil prices ticked up on Tuesday on concerns about supply, with Iran set to reject a US nuclear deal proposal that would be key to easing sanctions on the major oil producer, while weakness in the dollar also supported prices. Brent crude futures gained 21 cents, or 0.32%, to $64.84 a barrel by 0437 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude was up 27 cents, or 0.43%, to $62.79 a barrel, after rising about 1% earlier in the session. The oil market surged higher on Monday as rising geopolitical risks and a supply hike from OPEC+ that fell short of expectations provided a boost, said ING analysts in a note. "The strength continued into early morning trading today," ING said on Tuesday. Both contracts gained nearly 3% in the previous session after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, known as OPEC+, agreed to keep output increases in July at 411,000 barrels per day, which was less than some in the market had feared and the same hike as the previous two months. "With the worst fears not panning out, investors unwound their bearish positions they had built prior to the weekend's meeting," ANZ analysts said in a note. Meanwhile, the dollar index, which measures its performance against six other major currencies, held near six-week lows as markets weighed the outlook for President Donald Trump's tariff policy and its potential to hurt growth and stoke inflation. A weaker US currency makes dollar-priced commodities such as oil less expensive for holders of other currencies. "Crude oil prices continue to rise, supported by the weakening dollar," said Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at Phillip Nova. Geopolitical tensions also supported prices. Iran was poised to reject a US proposal to end a decades-old nuclear dispute, an Iranian diplomat said on Monday, saying it fails to address Tehran's interests or soften Washington's stance on uranium enrichment. If nuclear talks between the US and Iran fail, it could mean continued sanctions on Iran, which would limit Iranian supply and be supportive of oil prices. Adding to supply worries, a wildfire in the province of Alberta in Canada has prompted a temporary shutdown of some oil and gas production, which could reduce supply. According to Reuters calculations, wildfires in Canada have affected more than 344,000 bpd of oil sands production, or about 7% of the country's overall crude oil output.
Asharq Al-Awsat
14 minutes ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Egypt, Iran to Hold Regular Political Consultations to Develop Relations
Egypt and Iran agreed on Monday to continue discussions to develop their relations. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Cairo for talks with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty. During a press conference with Araghchi, Abdelatty announced the launch of political consultations between Egypt and Iran to discuss bilateral ties. An Egyptian presidency statement said Sisi and Araghchi stressed the importance of continuing efforts to 'explore prospects of developing ties between their countries.' Abdelatty confirmed that there was a mutual desire to develop relations. For his part, Araghchi said this was his fourth time meeting Sisi and that he had met the foreign minister of Egypt over ten times, reflecting Iran's keenness on developing ties. 'There is a desire to expand relations, political consultations and cooperation on the political and economic levels and all others,' he added. 'We have a desire to overcome obstacles that have been impeding these ties. The opportunity is available now more than ever,' he stated. 'Trust between Cairo and Tehran has never been this high,' he noted. Egypt and Iran had severed diplomatic relations in 1979 before restoring them to the level of charge d'affaires eleven years later. Egyptian and Iranian officials have met several times over the past two years to tackle the possibility of developing relations. The Iranian presidency in May 2023 ordered that the necessary measures be taken to boost ties with Egypt. Sisi and late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met in Riyadh in November 2023. Huda Raouf, head of the Iranian Studies Unit at the Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Araghchi's visit to Cairo sought to explore just how much rapprochement can be achieved with Egypt. Iran has been trying to improve relations in recent years, while Egypt has been reluctant, she noted. The FM's visit is a notable development, which may lead to greater rapprochement in the future, especially when it comes to tourism, trade and cooperation in regional files, starting with the war on Gaza and Red Sea security, she remarked. Sisi and Araghchi also discussed the 'rapid developments in the region.' Sisi expressed Cairo's rejection of the 'expansion of the conflict,' urging a de-escalation 'to avert a regional war that will have dangerous repercussions on the security of all regional countries and their people.' He therefore underscored the 'importance of the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the United States' over Tehran's nuclear program, said an Egyptian presidency spokesman. Sisi stressed the need for an 'immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the delivery of humanitarian aid.' Talks between Araghchi and Abdelatty also tackled Gaza, as well as the developments in Syria and Lebanon and Red Sea security. Abdelatty stressed the need to 'protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the importance of restoring calm in the region.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
14 minutes ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
At Least 24 Palestinians Killed near Gaza Aid Site
At least 24 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire near a food distribution site in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, local health authorities said, in the latest bout of chaos and bloodshed to plague the aid operation. The Israeli military said its forces had opened fire on a group of individuals who had left designated access routes near the distribution center in Rafah. It added it was still investigating what had happened. The deaths came hours after Israel said three of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, as its forces pushed ahead with a months-long offensive against Hamas militants that has laid waste to much of the enclave. Reuters could not independently verify the reports in northern and southern Gaza. The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation launched its first distribution sites last week in an effort to alleviate widespread hunger amongst Gaza's war-battered population, most of whom have had to abandon their homes to flee fighting. The Foundation's aid plan, which bypasses traditional aid groups, has come under fierce criticism from the United Nations and established charities which say it does not follow humanitarian principles. The private group, which is endorsed by Israel, said it distributed 21 truckloads of food early Tuesday and that the aid operation was "conducted safely and without incident within the site". However, there have been reports of repeated killings near Rafah as crowds gather to get desperately needed supplies. On Sunday, Palestinian and international officials reported that at least 31 people were killed and dozens more injured. On Monday, three more Palestinians were reportedly killed by Israeli fire. The Israeli military has denied targeting civilians gathering for aid and called reports of deaths during Sunday's distribution "fabrications" by Hamas. On Tuesday it said Israeli army forces had identified "a number of suspects" moving towards them while deviating from the access routes. "The forces fired evasive shots, and after they did not move away, additional shots were fired near the individual suspects who were advancing towards the forces," it said. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday he was 'appalled' by reports of Palestinians killed and wounded while seeking aid and called for an independent investigation. Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 assault in which Hamas-led gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. In the subsequent fighting, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, local health authorities say.
