The Day with Brent Goff: Austria in Mourning – DW – 06/10/2025
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Middle East: 'Unimaginable' suffering in Gaza, say ministers – DW – 08/12/2025
An international coalition of foreign ministers has condemned the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, calling for Israel to allow vital aid into the besieged enclave. DW has more.A group of 24 foreign ministers have once again condemned the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and called for immediate action to combat hunger and starvation. "The humanitarian suffering in Gaza has reached unimaginable levels," read a statement signed by the foreign ministers of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. "Famine is unfolding before our eyes. Urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse starvation. Humanitarian space must be protected, and aid should never be politicized," the ministers stressed. The statement, which was also signed by European Union figures, criticized "restrictive new registration requirements" which it said were preventing international NGOs from distributing aid. "We call on the government of Israel to provide authorization for all international NGO aid shipments and to unblock essential humanitarian actors from operating," it read. The signatories called for a "ceasefire that can end the war, for hostages to be released and aid to enter Gaza by land unhindered." Hello and welcome to DW's coverage of developments in the Middle East on Tuesday, August 12. A group of 24 foreign ministers from around the world have called for urgent action as the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip continues to deteriorate as a result of Israeli restrictions on aid. Meanwhile, Israel's ambassador to Germany says diplomatic ties with Berlin strained after a curb on weapons exports.
DW
3 hours ago
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How will Iran respond to 'Trump route' in South Caucasus? – DW – 08/12/2025
A peace plan between Armenia and Azerbaijan brokered by Donald Trump calls for a US-backed transit corridor in the South Caucasus. Tehran's response has been surprisingly mixed. A US-brokered peace declaration between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been met with mixed reactions in Iran. Tehran has welcomed peace between the two ex-Soviet nations, but also expressed opposition to growing US influence in its backyard. Armenia and Azerbaijan are both located on Iran's northwestern frontier in the South Caucasus. After decades of territorial disputes, the two nations signed a peace declaration at the White House on August 9. The agreement provides for the construction of a transit corridor between Azerbaijan and its exclave of Nakhchivan, which goes through a 32-kilometer (20-mile) strip of Armenian territory. The corridor, which allows the US development and usage rights, is to be named the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity" after the current US president, Donald Trump. Azerbaijan has established itself as a major oil and gas producer, and the new route would offers a more direct trade connection to Turkey and onward to Europe. For Iran, also a major energy power, this would be a severe blow. Also, Tehran maintains rather close ties to Armenia and is sensitive to moves that might limit its diminishing influence in the region. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video On August 9, Ali Akbar Velayati, advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said Iran, "will not allow the creation of this corridor," as the US presence in the South Caucasus poses a threat to Iranian interests. However, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian quickly contradicted this assessment a day later. The peace plan "also takes Iran's views into account," he said during a phone call on Monday with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, which was reported in Armenian media. The planned route would not cut off Iran's access to Armenia, Pezeshkian emphasized. The corridor is much more than a transit project, said Afshar Soleimani, a former Iranian ambassador in Azerbaijan. "The main problem is the strategic competition between Russia and the West," he told DW. Solemani added that the West, and the US especially, are trying to diminish Russian influence in the South Caucasus, and take advantage of a power vacuum brought on by Russia being bogged down in Ukraine. Shireen Hunter, an Iran expert at Georgetown University in the US, told Iranian news website Tabnak that she doesn't think Russia can "win back" its former dominance in the region, even if it is set to remain an important actor. "It is conceivable that Russia and the US are now seeking a comprehensive agreement on Ukraine and the Caucasus," she said. According to Hunter, the construction of pipelines and trade routes that bypass Iran has been part of US strategy since the 1990s. "Trump has merely accelerated this process and now achieved the signing of the agreement,' said Shireen, who was an Iranian diplomat prior to the 1979 Islamist revolution. The new "Trump route" would serve as a significant reinforcement of Iran's geopolitical isolation, she said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The military exchange with Israel earlier this year, the loss of proxy militias in the Middle East, along with growing dissatisfaction among the population with political repression and the economic situation, have all significantly weakened the position of Iran's leadership. While Iran still maintains good relations with Christian-influenced Armenia, its relations with Muslim-majority Azerbaijan are tense. "Tehran attempted to curb Israel's influence in Azerbaijan by establishing closer ties with Armenia," Reza Talebi, an Iran expert at Germany's University of Leipzig, told DW. "The result, however, is that Azerbaijan is now even more closely linked to Israel," Talebi added. Azerbaijan was separated from Iran in 1828 after a Russian-Persian war and annexed to the Russian Empire. Two Iranian provinces along the northwestern border still bear the names West and East Azerbaijan. The number of Iranian citizens with Azerbaijani roots is estimated at around 18 million, which is more than the total population of Azerbaijan, at 10.2 million. There is also concern in Tehran about separatist groups wanting to secede from Iran and form a "South Azerbaijan." In Baku, there are also nationalist movements that speak of a "greater Azerbaijan" that would include Iranian Azerbaijanis. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video According to Leipzig-based expert Talebi, Iranian President Pezeshikan is trying to adjust Iran's regoinal policy, including towards Azerbaijan, the Iraqi region of Kurdistan, Pakistan, and Turkey. The government's goal is to avoid a new conflict in the context of Iran's growing isolation. The president himself is half Kurdish and half Azerbaijani. He met with Azerbaijan's president, Ilham Aliyev, in Baku in April, and spoke Azerbaijani in front of the cameras. With both global and regional alliances shifting, Iran must fundamentally rethink its entire foreign policy and adapt its goals to the changed realities, which would include accepting US regional presence, and resolving issues with Washington, said expert Shirin article has been translated from German
DW
4 hours ago
- DW
How will Iran respond to 'Trump route' in South Caucuses? – DW – 08/12/2025
A peace plan between Armenia and Azerbaijan brokered by Donald Trump calls for a US-backed transit corridor in the South Caucuses. Tehran's response has been surprisingly mixed. A US-brokered peace declaration between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been met with mixed reactions in Iran. Tehran has welcomed peace between the two ex-Soviet nations, but also expressed opposition to growing US influence in its backyard. Armenia and Azerbaijan are both located on Iran's northwestern frontier in the South Caucuses. After decades of territorial disputes, the two nations signed a peace declaration at the White House on August 9. The agreement provides for the construction of a transit corridor between Azerbaijan and its exclave of Nakhchivan, which goes through a 32-kilometer (20-mile) strip of Armenian territory. The corridor, which allows the US development and usage rights, is to be named the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity" after the current US president, Donald Trump. Azerbaijan has established itself as a major oil and gas producer, and the new route would offers a more direct trade connection to Turkey and onward to Europe. For Iran, also a major energy power, this would be a severe blow. Also, Tehran maintains rather close ties to Armenia and is sensitive to moves that might limit its diminishing influence in the region. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video On August 9, Ali Akbar Velayati, advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said Iran, "will not allow the creation of this corridor," as the US presence in the South Caucasus poses a threat to Iranian interests. However, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian quickly contradicted this assessment a day later. The peace plan "also takes Iran's views into account," he said during a phone call on Monday with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, which was reported in Armenian media. The planned route would not cut off Iran's access to Armenia, Pezeshkian emphasized. The corridor is much more than a transit project, said Afshar Soleimani, a former Iranian ambassador in Azerbaijan. "The main problem is the strategic competition between Russia and the West," he told DW. Solemani added that the West, and the US especially, are trying to diminish Russian influence in the South Caucuses, and take advantage of a power vacuum brought on by Russia being bogged down in Ukraine. Shireen Hunter, an Iran expert at Georgetown University in the US, told Iranian news website Tabnak that she doesn't think Russia can "win back" its former dominance in the region, even if it is set to remain an important actor. "It is conceivable that Russia and the US are now seeking a comprehensive agreement on Ukraine and the Caucasus," she said. According to Hunter, the construction of pipelines and trade routes that bypass Iran has been part of US strategy since the 1990s. "Trump has merely accelerated this process and now achieved the signing of the agreement,' said Shireen, who was an Iranian diplomat prior to the 1979 Islamist revolution. The new "Trump route" would serve as a significant reinforcement of Iran's geopolitical isolation, she told DW. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The military exchange with Israel earlier this year, the loss of proxy militias in the Middle East, along with growing dissatisfaction among the population with political repression and the economic situation, have all significantly weakened the position of Iran's leadership. While Iran still maintains good relations with Christian-influenced Armenia, its relations with Muslim-majority Azerbaijan are tense. "Tehran attempted to curb Israel's influence in Azerbaijan by establishing closer ties with Armenia," Reza Talebi, an Iran expert at Germany's University of Leipzig, told DW. "The result, however, is that Azerbaijan is now even more closely linked to Israel," Talebi added. Azerbaijan was separated from Iran in 1828 after a Russian-Persian war and annexed to the Russian Empire. Two Iranian provinces along the northwestern border still bear the names West and East Azerbaijan. The number of Iranian citizens with Azerbaijani roots is estimated at around 18 million, which is more than the total population of Azerbaijan, at 10.2 million. There is also concern in Tehran about separatist groups wanting to secede from Iran and form a "South Azerbaijan." In Baku, there are also nationalist movements that speak of a "greater Azerbaijan" that would include Iranian Azerbaijanis. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video According to Leipzig-based expert Talebi, Iranian President Pezeshikan is trying to adjust Iran's regoinal policy, including towards Azerbaijan, the Iraqi region of Kurdistan, Pakistan, and Turkey. The government's goal is to avoid a new conflict in the context of Iran's growing isolation. The president himself is half Kurdish and half Azerbaijani. He met with Azerbaijan's president, Ilham Aliyev, in Baku in April, and spoke Azerbaijani in front of the cameras. With both global and regional alliances shifting, Iran must fundamentally rethink its entire foreign policy and adapt its goals to the changed realities, which would include accepting US regional presence, and resolving issues with Washington, said expert Shirin article has been translated from German
