GCC secretary general attends Gulf parliament speakers' meeting
RIYADH: Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Jasem Al-Budaiwi participated in a meeting of the speakers of the Shura, Representatives, National and Ummah Councils of the GCC states, alongside President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Al-Budaiwi emphasized the importance of establishing a stable mechanism to regulate the relationship between the Gulf parliaments and the European Parliament, an official report said.
'The importance of this meeting lies in its timing, which comes at a time when Gulf-European relations are witnessing a growing trend on most levels and a convergence of views on many regional and international issues,' he said in an official statement.
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Saudi Gazette
4 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Several flights canceled as Kuwait and Bahrain shut their airspace amid heightened escalation
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — Shortly after Iran launched missile attacks on US military bases in Qatar and Iraq on Monday, several nations including Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain have closed their air spaces while the United Arab Emirates imposed some restrictions on aviation operation. Kuwait and Bahrain have announced temporary closure of their airspace amid intensifying escalation in the region. The Directorate General of Kuwait's Civil Aviation announced the temporary closure of Kuwaiti airspace as a precautionary measure to ensure the security and safety of the country in light of the precautionary measures taken in a number of neighboring countries. Qatar had earlier on Monday announced the shutting of its airspace temporarily. "The relevant authorities confirm that this decision comes within the framework of maintaining the highest levels of safety and security in light of regional developments," the Kuwait aviation directorate said while noting that there has been constant coordination with the relevant authorities locally and internationally to monitor developments and take the necessary measures." The directorate called on all travelers and airlines to follow official updates as soon as possible and cooperate with the relevant authorities in implementing this decision for the public interest. The Civil Aviation Affairs (CAA) at the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications in Bahrain also announced the temporary suspension of air traffic in Bahraini airspace as a precautionary measure amid ongoing regional developments. The relevant authorities are continuously monitoring the situation in coordination with international partners, emphasizing the importance of following instructions issued by official agencies to ensure public safety. Multiple airlines including Air India Express and Etihad have either diverted or cancelled their flights. Abu Dhabi-based Etihad airways, Air India Express, Egypt Air, Singapore Airlines Ltd, and British Airways, are among airlines either diverted or cancelled flights in response to airspace restrictions in parts of the Middle East. Etihad Airways said it is re-routing several flights on June 23 and June 24. Air India Express has diverted two Doha bound flights. The airline said that it has no other flights bound for Qatar and no aircraft are on the ground in Qatar. Egypt Air said flights to Gulf cities have been suspended until the regional situation stabilizes. Singapore Airlines said it would suspend service to Dubai until Wednesday night and warned more flights could be cancelled. Sharjah Airport has advised all passengers to stay updated on their flight schedules as several services have been delayed or cancelled due to temporary airspace closures in parts of the Middle East.
Arab News
5 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistani PM speaks to Saudi, Qatari envoys as Iran fires missiles at US air base in Qatar
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed concern over Iran's missile attack on a United States (US) military base in Qatar and called for efforts to restore peace in the region, Sharif's office said on Monday, following his telephonic talk with Qatari and Saudi envoys to Islamabad. Iran launched missile attacks Monday on US military bases in Qatar and Iraq in retaliation for the American bombing of its nuclear sites, state media said, amid escalating tensions in the volatile region. Qatar said it had 'successfully intercepted' missiles targeting the US base, and added it reserved the right to respond in accordance with international law. The US confirmed its air base was targeted by missile attack from Iran and said no casualties were reported. Shortly after the attack, Sharif spoke with Qatar's Ambassador to Islamabad Ali Mubarak Ali Essa Al-Khater and expressed solidarity with the Qatari government and people. He then spoke with Saudi Arabia's Ambassador Nawaf bin Said-Al Malki. 'The Prime Minister urged that all efforts must be made to de-escalate tensions and restore peace in the region,' Sharif's office said, following his conversation with the Saudi envoy. 'He said Pakistan would continue to work closely with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to intensify peace efforts.' The Qatari and Saudi envoys thanked the prime minister for expressing solidarity and immediately reaching out to them after the development that could imperil peace and stability in the region, according to Sharif's office. Qatar earlier said it condemned the Iranian missile attack, calling it a 'flagrant violation' of its sovereignty. 'We express the State of Qatar's strong condemnation of the attack on Al-Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and consider it a flagrant violation of the State of Qatar's sovereignty and airspace, as well as of international law,' foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said in a statement. The Al-Udeid air base is home to the US Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC), which provides command and control of air power across the region as well as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, the largest expeditionary wing in the world. Iran's retaliation came a day after the US launched a surprise attack Sunday morning on three of Iran's nuclear sites, joining Israel in the biggest Western military action against the Islamic Republic since its 1979 revolution. Just before the explosions, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on the social platform X: 'We neither initiated the war nor seeking it. But we will not leave invasion to the great Iran without answer.'
Arab News
5 hours ago
- Arab News
What the intensifying Israel-Iran conflict says about the future of diplomacy
LONON/DUBAI: The Iranian missile attack which was intercepted by Qatar on Monday night when it launched missiles against US troops stationed at Al-Udeid Air Base comes as a major setback for peace in the region. As Iranian missiles lit up the sky over Doha in a retaliatory strike targeting the US military, a diplomatic solution to the Israel-Iran conflict, which has now drawn in the US, seemed further away than ever, with Tehran appearing to wash its hands of further nuclear talks. Although no casualties were reported at Al-Udeid Air Base — the largest US base in the region — Iran's counterattack is likely to invite additional American strikes and further regional escalation. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have both condemned the attack on Qatari sovereignty. The Saudi foreign ministry lambasted Iran for its 'unjustifiable' attack, offering to deploy 'all its capabilities' to support Doha. Since the Israeli-Iran conflict dramatically escalated over the weekend, the mixed global response to Israeli and US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities is testing the limits of modern diplomacy and exposing deep divisions among major powers. What most seem to agree on is that while diplomacy is on the decline, it could have been the solution. Experts say the fractured international reaction to the escalation reflects a shifting global order and the erosion of the post-Cold War consensus. 'There is no 'global response' to speak of at this moment,' Brian Katulis, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Arab News. 'This Israel-Iran war is taking place in a fractured geopolitical context.' He argues that divisions among the US, China and Russia 'make it next to impossible to marshal a collective diplomatic effort in the way that the world did in previous eras, like the immediate post-Cold War period of the 1990s. 'That's why we will continue to see a lot of empty words disconnected from the actions that are actually reshaping the Middle East as we know it.' On June 13, Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites including Natanz, Isfahan and Tehran, reportedly killing senior officials, nuclear scientists and civilians. In response, Iran launched 'Operation True Promise III,' firing missiles and drones into Israel. Several struck Tel Aviv, Haifa and other cities, causing civilian casualties. Despite initially assuring G7 allies that the US would stay out of the conflict, President Donald Trump reversed course on June 22, ordering B-2 bombers to strike Iran's underground nuclear facilities with MOP 'bunker-buster' bombs — weapons only the US possesses. Although Trump declared that the strikes had 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear program, it remains unclear whether Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium was destroyed or relocated in time. If material and technical capacity remain, diplomacy may be the only path to prevent Iran from eventually building a nuclear weapon — a goal the regime could now prioritize more urgently. Even with severe military losses and the effective loss of airspace control, Iran appears undeterred. Hostilities with Israel continue, and the possibility of Iranian retaliation against US targets is growing. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that the war will not end until Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is removed from power. The US entry into the conflict has triggered a range of diplomatic responses — from enthusiastic support to fierce condemnation. Netanyahu praised Trump's decision as a 'courageous choice' that would 'alter history.' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, meanwhile, called it an 'outrageous, grave and unprecedented violation' of international law, insisting Tehran reserves 'all options' to defend its interests. Iran's ambassador to the UN demanded an emergency Security Council session and called the strikes 'premeditated acts of aggression.' Russia, a close ally of Iran, 'strongly condemned' the US action. Its Foreign Ministry labeled the strikes a 'gross violation of international law,' while Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia's Security Council, dismissed their impact and provocatively suggested some states might now help Iran obtain nuclear weapons. China echoed the condemnation. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the strikes 'seriously violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter,' and warned of regional destabilization. Chinese Ambassador to the UN Fu Cong called on Israel to halt hostilities immediately and backed a UN resolution demanding an unconditional ceasefire. Chinese analysts have also warned that the conflict threatens global trade routes such as the Strait of Hormuz. Other voices have called for diplomacy. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of a 'hazardous escalation,' stressing that 'military solutions are not viable' and urging a return to negotiations. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer — positioning himself as a bridge between the US and Europe — highlighted the danger of the war spreading beyond the region. While stopping short of endorsing the US strikes, he reiterated that Iran must not develop nuclear weapons and called for negotiations to stabilize the region. European powers had previously been pressing for a deal requiring Iran to halt uranium enrichment, curb its missile program and stop supporting proxy groups. But Iran has rejected a full halt, claiming its enrichment is for peaceful purposes. With Western diplomacy faltering, regional actors are stepping in. Most Arab states — including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and the Gulf states — have condemned Israel's strikes on Iran and are working to deescalate tensions. Still, these efforts have so far achieved little. Strikes continue, ceasefire mechanisms remain absent and attempts to coordinate sanctions or arms embargoes have stalled. A narrow diplomatic window may remain. Recent Geneva meetings involving Iranian, US, and European officials showed conditional openness to talks. But the latest US strikes have likely hardened positions. Analysts say the only viable path forward begins with renewed diplomacy, ideally starting with a ceasefire. Yet fundamental disagreements over Iran's nuclear ambitions and widespread distrust leave a comprehensive solution elusive. Some fear that Israel, emboldened by US support, may escalate its military campaign to seek regime change in Tehran — a move that would risk greater instability across the Middle East, as the world has seen in the recent attack over Qatar. Others argue that Iran's military retaliation is a necessary step before negotiations can resume. However, nobody seems to safely conclude just how far this retaliation will go. Firas Maksad, managing director for the Middle East and North Africa at Eurasia Group, told CNN that without such a response, Iran would lack both international leverage and domestic legitimacy to reenter talks. Still, he later added: 'Diplomacy is dead for the foreseeable future.' With Iran and Israel entrenched and global powers divided, prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough appear slim. Yet Katulis believes regional 'swing states' — such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE — could help shift the dynamic. 'One of the biggest brakes on further escalation lies right in the heart of the Middle East itself,' he said. 'The key 'swing states' like Saudi Arabia and the UAE could lead more regional collective efforts to avoid further escalation by working publicly and quietly with the main combatants to find pathways toward a diplomatic settlement.' In geopolitical terms, these 'swing states' balance relationships with Washington, Moscow and Beijing — and can influence outcomes through neutrality or engagement. Katulis believes Riyadh, in particular, could help change the calculus. Right now, he said, Israel and Iran 'have more incentives to engage in military action than they do to pursue diplomacy.' But 'the key powers in the region like Saudi Arabia could do even more than they are already doing to change the calculus for Israel and Iran.' Saudi Arabia has condemned Israel's actions as violations of international law and warned that continued escalation threatens long-term regional stability. The Kingdom has urged the UN Security Council to take meaningful steps to prevent further deterioration and has refused to allow its airspace to be used in military operations — a clear signal of its neutrality and strategic caution. Looking ahead, the stakes remain dangerously high. Maksad has warned that unchecked escalation could have serious consequences. 'The last step in that escalatory ladder is to go after American bases, whether it is in the GCC, or perhaps even attempt to disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, where some 20 percent of global energy passes through,' he told CNN. As the war drags on, the fragmented international response highlights the fragility of global diplomacy and the difficulty of conflict resolution in an increasingly multipolar world. For Tehran, halting enrichment altogether would not only undermine decades of strategic investment but also damage regime legitimacy. As Maksad put it, Tehran's 'entire prestige rests on enrichment.' Still, he sees a potential way forward: Focusing not on enrichment itself, but on preventing a weapon. 'That,' he said, 'opens up the possibility of a negotiated outcome.'
