Trump denies he gave UK green light to recognise Palestinian state
Trump told reporters on Air Force One that acknowledging a Palestinian state would be 'rewarding Hamas'.
"You're rewarding Hamas if you do that. I don't think they should be rewarded," he said.
His comments are a U-turn from what he told Starmer during a meeting on Monday between Starmer and Trump in Aberdeen, and mirror the Israeli foreign ministry's earlier comments on Tuesday.
The UK government said they are prepared to recognise a Palestinian state in September at the United Nations General Assembly in response to public anger over Israel using starvation as a weapon of war.
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Al Etihad
30 minutes ago
- Al Etihad
UAE continues airdrop operations, sends 58 relief trucks to Gaza under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3
30 July 2025 19:05 GAZA (WAM)The UAE, in coordination with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, continued its humanitarian airdrop missions over the Gaza Strip as part of the 'Birds of Goodness' July 30, the 57th airdrop was carried out, the fourth consecutive day of operations, targeting the most affected and hard-to-reach areas due to restricted ground efforts fall within the framework of Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, reflecting the UAE's unwavering commitment to supporting the Palestinian people, and alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, particularly amid ongoing security challenges that hinder overland aid the initiative began, a total of 3,775 tonnes of food and relief supplies have been airdropped using 196 specialised aircraft, ensuring precision targeting and access to the most vulnerable populations. In parallel, the UAE also delivered 58 humanitarian aid trucks today via multiple land crossings into Gaza. These trucks are part of a broader relief effort that includes the extension of a water pipeline from desalination plants, aiming to improve living conditions for the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip.
Middle East Eye
42 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
While Iran stalls, Azerbaijan and Israel push forward
In his posthumously published memoirs, Iranian political heavyweight Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani recalled his meetings with Heydar Aliyev, then president of Azerbaijan, during the first Nagorno-Karabakh war in November 1993. According to Rafsanjani, Aliyev was demanding that Iran provide military support to Azerbaijan in the conflict with Armenia. Rafsanjani wrote: 'One of his constant remarks was that Iran should seize the opportunity of the war with the Armenians to expand its presence in Azerbaijan. At times, he even mentioned that Azerbaijan belonged to Iran, urging us to come, defend it, and take control.' He added: 'When we were in Nakhchivan, he said similar things. He argued that if Iran brought Azerbaijan under its influence, it would shake Russia's dominance over the entire Caucasus.' Thirty-two years later, the tables have turned. No longer do Azerbaijani officials seek Tehran's involvement in Baku's affairs. Now it is Iranian politicians who seem unsure how to manage relations with a small but assertive neighbour. A neighbour that gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, but was once part of Iran before being ceded to the Russian Empire through the treaties of Golestan (1813) and Turkmenchay (1828). New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Over the past decade, the power dynamic between the two countries has shifted significantly. Some Azerbaijani figures and media outlets are now even calling for the annexation of parts of Iranian territory. Meanwhile, Iran's recent 12-day war with Israel and the United States has deepened the political divide. In Tehran concerns are mounting over Azerbaijan's expanding military and intelligence ties with Israel. Where did the Israeli drones come from? Right after Israel's war on Iran ended, residents near Iran's northwestern border reported sightings of Israeli drones entering from the direction of Azerbaijan. These accounts were later echoed by Iran's state broadcaster, whose director is appointed by the supreme leader. The reports suggested that drones used in attacks on cities including Tehran, Tabriz and Urmia have crossed into Iran from Azerbaijan. The claims drew enough attention that foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei was asked about them during a news conference. 'We shared the cases with the neighbouring countries, and we are following up on this issue,' he said. A few days later, Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian stated that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had assured him that Israel had not used Azerbaijani territory to launch attacks. This reassurance did not convince many in Iran. Neither the media nor political experts accepted it. A Tehran-based professor of international relations, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the fact that both the foreign ministry and the president discussed the matter shows how serious it is for Iran. 'If Iran wasn't sure about Israeli involvement from the Azerbaijani border, it wouldn't have brought it up at such a high level,' the expert said. He also argued that Pezeshkian's comments about Aliyev's assurances show the failure of Iran's foreign policy in the Caucasus. 'What Pezeshkian said is just diplomatic language. In reality, Iran hasn't known how to deal with Azerbaijan since the last Karabakh war. Since then, Azerbaijan has gone from being a friendly - or at least neutral - country to a quiet but serious threat.' He pointed to high-level meetings between Azerbaijani and Israeli officials as further evidence of close collaboration between Baku and Tel Aviv. Israel on Iran's doorstep After breaking from the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan first grew close to Turkey, Iran's regional rival. Later, it also deepened its military and economic ties with Israel, which Iran sees as its main enemy. In recent years, Azerbaijan has become one of the leading suppliers of oil and gas to Israel, while importing advanced Israeli military and intelligence equipment. According to some reports, Israel provided nearly 70 percent of Azerbaijan's military arsenal between 2016 and 2020. Now, Azerbaijan is also working with the new Syrian government, which has shifted away from Iran after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. 'With no clear strategy in the Caucasus, Iran is now watching as Tel Aviv moves closer to its borders,' the expert said. He stressed that a new regional alliance between Israel, Syria and Azerbaijan could soon bring Israel to Iran's doorstep through Turkey. The only obstacle is the 43km stretch of land between Armenia and Iran that links Azerbaijan to its exclave, Nakhchivan. Control over this pass, also known as the Meghri or Zangezur corridor, has been a key demand from both Azerbaijan and Turkey since the 44-day Karabakh war in 2020. If war breaks out again between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Iran fears this corridor could fall into Azerbaijani hands. The expert warned that Azerbaijan is not just aligning itself with Israel, but it is also copying its military strategies. 'In recent years, Azerbaijan has favoured short but intense wars. This approach has helped it reach its goals. That's why another war with Armenia seems likely. In the long run, Iran should prepare for potential military pressure from its northwest. Even now, we're hearing louder voices from Azerbaijan calling for parts of Iranian territory,' he said. Demand for separating Iran's regions The expert was referring to increasing calls from some Azerbaijani figures for the separation of Iran's Turkish-speaking regions. Pan-Turkists refer to those areas as 'South Azerbaijan.' These include the provinces of East and West Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Zanjan, and even parts of Iran's Kurdish regions. Supporters of a Greater Kurdistan and Greater Armenia also claim some of these same areas. After ceasefire, Iran is preparing for the long war with Israel Read More » One of the latest campaigns promoting separation came after the 12-day war from the media outlet Araznews on X. The campaign, in Persian and Turkish, called for unity between the Turks of Tabriz in Iran, Baku in Azerbaijan, and Ankara in Turkey. Many participants shared videos of themselves flashing the hand sign of the far-right Grey Wolves group. In another example, Azerbaijani news outlet Caliber ran an English-language report describing Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the "main enemy of the Azeris". A retired Iranian diplomat, who worked in the foreign ministry in the years after Azerbaijan gained independence, said these tactics started soon after Azerbaijan lost the first Karabakh war (1988-94). 'Once Baku realised it couldn't drag Iran into a military conflict with Armenia, it quickly turned to Iran's enemy, Israel,' said the former diplomat. 'There were concerns, but Azerbaijan wasn't seen as a major player in military, political, or economic terms, so Iran didn't develop a clear policy toward it.' That calculation has since changed. 'Active neutrality' Azerbaijan has built strong military ties with Israel and boosted its economy through oil and gas exports. But according to the diplomat, Iran's approach towards Azerbaijan has not shifted. Iran has called its stance 'active neutrality' in the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia - a policy that, the former diplomat argues, has now backfired. 'Iran is paying the price for this so-called neutrality. It may have made sense early on, but as Azerbaijan grew closer to Israel, it ended up hurting Iran. In reality, it wasn't neutrality, it was passivity.' He also dismissed the Iranian government's claim that its opposition to the Zangezur Corridor is about preserving trade routes to Europe through Armenia. Trade data from 2023 shows Iran exported just $412m worth of goods to Armenia and imported only $45m. 'With no clear strategy in the Caucasus, Iran is now watching as Tel Aviv moves closer to its borders' - Professor of international relations, Tehran Instead, he pointed to two deeper reasons for Iran's stance: first, its long-standing policy of aligning with Russian interests in the region; second, its fear of Israel getting too close to its borders. 'The establishment's leaders never expected to face a security threat from Azerbaijan. They focused on expanding their influence in Arab countries and didn't see this coming. That's where they got caught off guard.' While he declined to confirm whether Israel used Azerbaijani airspace in the recent attacks, the diplomat said Azerbaijan's use of Israeli-made drones, surveillance tech, and defence systems is clear proof of how far Israeli influence has reached. Right now, he added, Iran has no choice but to engage in diplomacy with Azerbaijan. But in the long run, that may only make things worse and give Israel another pressure point to use against Tehran. 'Whether or not Israel launched attacks from Azerbaijani territory, the real issue is that Iran knows it's vulnerable on its northwest border. The question now is whether the high-ranking decision makers will act, or continue down the same failed path of 'active neutrality',' the diplomat said.
Middle East Eye
42 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
'If Egypt is free, Gaza will be free,' says activist who locked Cairo embassy
An Egyptian activist who chained shut the gates of Egypt's embassy in The Hague has told Middle East Eye that he did so in protest against Cairo's 'complicity' in Israel's genocide in Gaza. Last week, Anas Habib filmed himself attaching a bicycle lock around the gates of the embassy in the Netherlands, as a symbolic gesture in solidarity with Palestinians besieged by Israel and Egypt in Gaza. He went on to do the same act at the Jordanian embassy in response to the kingdom's response to Israel's war. The action went viral on Arabic social media, prompting similar demonstrations in other countries, including Turkey and the UK, where activists also chained shut the gates of Egyptian embassies. 'I know for 100 percent sure that the Egyptian regime is complicit in the genocide,' Habib told MEE's live show on Tuesday. 'This is just not an accusation; it's a fact.' New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters He said that in the first two months of Israel's war, in late 2023, before Israeli forces had occupied the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, Cairo had the ability to allow aid and food into the enclave but refused to do so. 'After it got occupied by the [Israeli military], now they are saying: 'No, it's closed',' said Habib. He added that the late former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's role in ending a previous Israeli war on Gaza in 2012 showed what the country was capable of achieving. 'It's something that we can do. Egypt is capable of stopping this genocide, stopping this war very easily, but he does not want that to happen,' Habib added, referring to President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. At the age of 15, Habib was detained by Egyptian authorities for two years as a political prisoner. He said that if he were to return there now, he would be arrested or killed. Around 60,000 political prisoners are currently being held in Egyptian jails. As further evidence of Egyptian complicity, Habib questioned why Egyptians were being arrested for showing solidarity with Palestinians. 'Why do you arrest the people trying to send money to Gaza?' he asked. 'Why, if anyone tries to hold [the] Palestinian flag in Egypt, will [they] be vanished?' 'If you really love Palestine so much, why are you doing this to your people?' 'Hurts me so much as an Egyptian' The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa), the largest humanitarian provider in Gaza, has had 6,000 trucks loaded with food and medical supplies waiting in Egypt and Jordan for four and a half months. Israel has yet to allow them entry. Hundreds of international activists attempting to march to the Gaza Strip through Egypt have been violently attacked, detained and deported since the beginning of the conflict. They were among 4,000 activists from 80 countries who sought to break Israel's total siege. Habib said he holds Jordan and Egypt accountable for Israeli crimes in Gaza. 'If it was not for Sisi, if it was not for the king of Jordan… this genocide wouldn't last for two years,' he said. 'I'm Egyptian. It hurts me so much to see that my country is doing this to Palestine.' He said that freedom within Egypt from autocratic rule would ensure that 'Gaza will never face this type of genocide'. 'If it was not for Sisi, if it was not for the king of Jordan… this genocide wouldn't last for two years' - Anas Habib, activist 'If Egyptian people are free, Gaza also will be free,' Habib said. 'That's why [Israel and the US] want someone like Sisi in power.' Nearly 150 Palestinian children and adults in Gaza have died from starvation since Israel's onslaught on Gaza began in October 2023. The blockade on the Palestinian enclave has fluctuated in intensity. However, since 2 March, Israel has prevented all food and aid from reaching starving Palestinians. Last week, more than 100 international human rights and humanitarian organisations called for an end to the siege, citing widespread starvation affecting their staff. Unrwa communications director Juliette Touma also told MEE last week that several of the organisation's staff fainted on duty due to malnutrition. More than 58,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israel's war on Gaza, which several countries, as well as many international rights groups and experts, now classify as genocide.
