Latest news with #Iran-allied
Reuters
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Israeli military says it is working to intercept missile fired from Yemen
May 2 (Reuters) - Israel's military said on Friday it had identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory, and aerial defence systems were operating to intercept the threat. Alarms were activated in several areas, the military added. The Reuters Tariff Watch newsletter is your daily guide to the latest global trade and tariff news. Sign up here. The military said earlier on Friday it had intercepted another missile launched from Yemen. Yemen's Iran-allied Houthis claimed responsibility for that launch, saying they had targeted the Ramat David air base in northern Israel. The Houthis say their attacks on Israel and on Red Sea shipping are in solidarity with the Palestinians under attack by Israel in the Gaza Strip. They pledged to expand their range of targets in Israel in retaliation for a renewed onslaught in Gaza that began two months ago.
Rudaw Net
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraqi Shiite politicians at odds over Sharaa's visit to Baghdad
Also in Iraq KRG, Iraqi officials meet with oil companies to discuss restarting Kurdish oil exports From Russia to Jordan, cultural performances dazzle in Babil Congo-Crimean fever kills two in Kirkuk Mining is a potential '$16 trillion' industry in Iraq: Official A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran-aligned politicians and armed groups in Iraq have expressed strong opposition to the potential participation of Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in an upcoming Arab League summit, set to be held in Baghdad in May. They argue that there is an outstanding arrest warrant against Sharaa in Iraq due to his former ties to al-Qaeda. The Islamic Dawa Party stated on Sunday that 'the blood of Iraqis is not cheap so that those who shed it or violated its sanctity would be invited or welcomed in Baghdad.' Of note, former prime minister and senior member of the Shiite-led Coordination, Nouri al-Maliki, was reelected as the Dawa Party's secretary-general last week. The party's remarks came after Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani held the first of its kind meeting with Sharaa in Qatar on Thursday. The meeting came as Baghdad is set to host the 34th Arab League Summit on May 17. During his participation at the Sulaimani Forum on Wednesday, Sudani confirmed that Sharaa had been invited to attend the key summit, however, his participation remains uncertain. In its Sunday statement, the Dawa party additionally drew comparisons between Sharaa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over core crimes under international law. 'An approach similar [to that of the ICC] must be adopted in Iraq toward those who have committed heinous crimes against its people,' the Dawa Party noted, adding that the issue is a matter of 'respect for Iraqi blood and the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the dignity and honor of this nation.' For his part, Qais al-Khazali, leader of the Iran-allied Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq armed group and another senior official from the Shiite-led Coordination Framework, on Saturday warned against Sharaa's 'premature' visit to Iraq. The US-sanctioned figure also cautioned that the visit would 'lead to consequences, if the law is enforced and he [Sharaa] is arrested by security forces.' Likewise, Abu Ali al-Askari, spokesperson for Kata'ib Hezbollah, another Iran-allied armed group, said on Saturday that the Arab summit "would surely not be cancelled over the absence' of Sharaa. Askari notably referred to the Syrian interim President by his former nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, which he seemingly abandoned after assuming his position. In a subtle rebuttal to the critics of Sharaa's visit to Iraq, National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji stated on Sunday that 'political work is not assessed by sharp slogans, but by its adherence to the constitutional framework, commitment to the public interest, and fostering awareness over reactions.' Sharaa came to power in late January after a coalition of opposition groups headed by the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham he led, toppled the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in early December. While Sharaa was congratulated on his appointment by the majority of Arab countries, Iraq notably withheld support, highlighting its cautious stance vis-a-vis the new leadership in Damascus as well as the potential influence of Iran-aligned groups in Baghdad. In a report it published in March, AFP cited several Iraqi security officials as confirming that an old arrest warrant for Sharaa remains in place from when he was a member of al-Qaeda. Around that same time, the Financial Times reported in March that Sharaa was arrested by US forces in Iraq in 2005 and imprisoned at multiple detention centers, including Abu Ghraib and Camp Bucca, west and south of Baghdad, respectively.
Al Jazeera
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
What's behind escalating US air attacks in Yemen?
The Trump administration has escalated US air attacks in Yemen against the Houthis. According to Yemen's Health Ministry, these near-daily raids have killed dozens, including civilians in residential areas. While the Biden administration had already carried out a series of attacks, the Trump administration is significantly ramping up its military response. The Houthis had launched multiple attacks on shipping in the Red Sea since November 23, 2023. They claim their actions are a way to express solidarity with the Palestinians and condemn Israel's war on Gaza. Humanitarian conditions in Yemen had already deteriorated due to its 10-year civil war between the Iran-allied Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition. This conflict has reached an impasse in recent years. So could Trump's escalating attacks enflame regional tensions? This week on UpFront, Redi Tlhabi speaks with senior policy analyst at the Washington Center for Yemeni Studies, Fatima Abo Alasrar, and political analyst Hussain al-Bukhaiti.
CNN
31-03-2025
- Politics
- CNN
As Trump offers new nuclear talks, Iran weighs the cost of losing its final leverage
Iran is currently mulling over US President Donald Trump's offer for talks on a new nuclear deal. Its answer will hinge on one key factor: Whether it believes that it can come out of it undefeated. Last week, Trump sent Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a rare letter proposing negotiations on a new nuclear deal, with a two-month ultimatum to reach an agreement, a source familiar with the letter's contents told CNN. The communication contained 'more of a threatening posture,' but apparently also offered 'some opportunities' for Iran, the country's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday, saying a response will come 'in the coming days.' Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, delivered the letter to the president of the United Arab Emirates last week, according to the source, and a UAE official passed it on the Iranians. In an interview with journalist Tucker Carlson over the weekend, Witkoff offered some insight into the letter's contents. 'It roughly said: I'm a president of peace, that's what I want. There's no reason for us to do this militarily. We should talk. We should clear up the misconceptions. We should create a verification program so that nobody worries about weaponization of your nuclear material, and I'd like to get to that place, because the alternative is not a very good alternative.' This month, the United States launched strikes on one of the few remaining Iran-allied militias still posing a potent threat to its interests. The attacks on Yemen's Houthi rebels served as a warning shot – a preview of what Iran itself might face if it refuses to cooperate, US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz told ABC News. With Iran's economy in freefall, its grip on the region slipping and public anger mounting, US officials may see a perfect opportunity to force Tehran's hand – by tightening the economic noose and making the threat of military action unmistakably clear. But experts warn it won't be that straightforward: Iran is deeply wary of appearing weak, and the last thing it wants is to be seen as capitulating to Trump. 'This is a very fluid moment,' Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at the Chatham House think tank in London, told CNN. 'There is scope for miscalculation, there is scope for crisis, scope of a military attack on Iran.' Tehran has in recent weeks repeatedly rejected direct negotiations over a potential nuclear deal with the US, saying it won't come to the table with a gun pointed to its head and fears that Washington will once again renege on its commitments, as it did seven years ago during Trump's first presidential term. In its response to Trump's recent letter, Iran will take into account 'both the threats and the opportunities,' Araghchi said, vowing that it wouldn't negotiate 'under pressure and threats or increased sanctions.' Talks would have to take place 'under equal footing,' he said. For Iran, giving in to Trump's maximalist approach of piling on more sanctions and repeatedly threatening military action equates to surrender, a position it is not willing to entertain, experts said. 'The Iranians are trying to disabuse Trump from the belief that they are so weak that capitulation is actually on the table,' Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Washington DC-based Quincy Institute, told CNN. Iranian leaders have dismissed the idea of speaking to Washington, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying this month that Iran 'won't bow in humiliation before anyone.' 'I won't come to negotiate with you. Go do whatever the hell you want,' Pezeshkian was cited as saying by the Tehran Times. It comes after the Trump administration reinstated a maximum pressure campaign on Iran in February, aimed at preventing the Islamic Republic from building a nuclear weapon. According to the memorandum, the US would also 'implement a campaign aimed at driving Iran's oil exports to zero,' and deny Iran intercontinental ballistic missiles. But analysts say that Trump's efforts to arm-twist the Iranians may not have the desired effect, since yielding to Washington completely is considered as too dangerous a move for Tehran under the current geopolitical climate. From Iran's standpoint 'the risk of capitulation is even more dangerous, and I don't think the Trump administration is fully grasping that,' Parsi said. Since Israel began its war in Gaza on October 7, 2023, Iran and Israel have exchanged two rounds of tit-for-tat attacks, the first time either side has directly attacked the other, as Iran-backed militias across the region launched strikes against Israeli and US interests in protest at the Gaza conflict. With Israel's decapitation campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria and the war in Gaza against Hamas, the Islamic Republic's influence in the region has weakened significantly. Its nuclear program is now one of its final points of leverage. In December, United Nations nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told Reuters that Iran is 'dramatically' accelerating its enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, closer to the roughly 90% level that is weapons grade. In January, Grossi again warned that Iran is 'pressing the gas pedal' on its uranium enrichment. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. Experts point to a deep-seated mistrust in Washington's reliability as a key factor behind Iran's hesitation to engage with Trump on a new deal. A controversial exchange between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Oval Office last month only reinforced that idea for the Islamic Republic. During that exchange, Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated the Ukrainian president in front of international media. 'Zelensky was asked to say 'thank you,' admit that Ukraine has 'no cards,' and 'respect' the Americans after he asked for security guarantees,' the Tehran Times wrote, citing Pezeshkian's reasons for refusing to talk to Trump. 'You should be ashamed of yourself after what you did to Zelensky recently,' Iranian media cited Pezeshkian as saying. From Tehran's perspective, if Washington can turn its back on an ally, there's little reason to believe it would keep its commitment to an adversary. As Trump's letter made its way to Iran, Khamenei reiterated his refusal to engage with Washington, reminding the world that this is the same American president who, in 2018, unilaterally withdrew from the landmark nuclear deal brokered with world powers just three years earlier. Formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, the agreement was intended to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of Western sanctions, thereby preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. In a post on X this month, Khamenei said Trump was trying to 'deceive public opinion' by saying Washington is ready to negotiate. 'How could we hold negotiations with (the) US when we know they don't fulfill their commitments?' Khamenei said, adding that 'if the goal of entering negotiations is for the sanctions to be removed, negotiating with this US administration won't result in the sanctions being removed.' Further complicating the potential for new talks between Tehran and Washington are Iran's domestic politics, with anti-US hardliners and pro-talks reformists jostling for power. 'Conservatives see an opportunity at this moment to attack the Pezeshkian administration, to assert themselves domestically but also perhaps in the nuclear dimension,' Vakil told CNN. Experts said that it is in the interest of both the US and Iran to strike a deal while they still can. 'Iran's maximum point of leverage is right now, where there is interest in negotiating and Iran can obtain concessions and sanctions relief during this period,' Vakil said. 'The moment Iran weaponizes (its nuclear program), Iran loses that leverage.' CNN's Rosa Rahimi and Alayna Treene contributed reporting.
Egypt Independent
27-03-2025
- Business
- Egypt Independent
As Trump offers new nuclear talks, Iran weighs the cost of losing its final leverage
Editor's Note: A version of this story appears in CNN's Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a weekly look inside the region's biggest stories. Sign up here. CNN — Iran is currently mulling over US President Donald Trump's offer for talks on a new nuclear deal. Its answer will hinge on one key factor: Whether it believes that it can come out of it undefeated. Last week, Trump sent Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a rare letter proposing negotiations on a new nuclear deal, with a two-month ultimatum to reach an agreement, a source familiar with the letter's contents told CNN. The communication contained 'more of a threatening posture,' but apparently also offered 'some opportunities' for Iran, the country's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday, saying a response will come 'in the coming days.' Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, delivered the letter to the president of the United Arab Emirates last week, according to the source, and a UAE official passed it on the Iranians. In an interview with journalist Tucker Carlson over the weekend, Witkoff offered some insight into the letter's contents. 'It roughly said: I'm a president of peace, that's what I want. There's no reason for us to do this militarily. We should talk. We should clear up the misconceptions. We should create a verification program so that nobody worries about weaponization of your nuclear material, and I'd like to get to that place, because the alternative is not a very good alternative.' This month, the United States launched strikes on one of the few remaining Iran-allied militias still posing a potent threat to its interests. The attacks on Yemen's Houthi rebels served as a warning shot – a preview of what Iran itself might face if it refuses to cooperate, US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz told ABC News. With Iran's economy in freefall, its grip on the region slipping and public anger mounting, US officials may see a perfect opportunity to force Tehran's hand – by tightening the economic noose and making the threat of military action unmistakably clear. But experts warn it won't be that straightforward: Iran is deeply wary of appearing weak, and the last thing it wants is to be seen as capitulating to Trump. 'This is a very fluid moment,' Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at the Chatham House think tank in London, told CNN. 'There is scope for miscalculation, there is scope for crisis, scope of a military attack on Iran.' Tehran has in recent weeks repeatedly rejected direct negotiations over a potential nuclear deal with the US, saying it won't come to the table with a gun pointed to its head and fears that Washington will once again renege on its commitments, as it did seven years ago during Trump's first presidential term. In its response to Trump's recent letter, Iran will take into account 'both the threats and the opportunities,' Araghchi said, vowing that it wouldn't negotiate 'under pressure and threats or increased sanctions.' Talks would have to take place 'under equal footing,' he said. For Iran, giving in to Trump's maximalist approach of piling on more sanctions and repeatedly threatening military action equates to surrender, a position it is not willing to entertain, experts said. 'The Iranians are trying to disabuse Trump from the belief that they are so weak that capitulation is actually on the table,' Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Washington DC-based Quincy Institute, told CNN. 'Do whatever the hell you want' Iranian leaders have dismissed the idea of speaking to Washington, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying this month that Iran 'won't bow in humiliation before anyone.' 'I won't come to negotiate with you. Go do whatever the hell you want,' Pezeshkian was cited as saying by the Tehran Times. It comes after the Trump administration reinstated a maximum pressure campaign on Iran in February, aimed at preventing the Islamic Republic from building a nuclear weapon. According to the memorandum, the US would also 'implement a campaign aimed at driving Iran's oil exports to zero,' and deny Iran intercontinental ballistic missiles. But analysts say that Trump's efforts to arm-twist the Iranians may not have the desired effect, since yielding to Washington completely is considered as too dangerous a move for Tehran under the current geopolitical climate. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks at an event in Tehran, Iran on March 11. Iranian Presidency/Anadolu/Getty Images From Iran's standpoint 'the risk of capitulation is even more dangerous, and I don't think the Trump administration is fully grasping that,' Parsi said. Since Israel began its war in Gaza on October 7, 2023, Iran and Israel have exchanged two rounds of tit-for-tat attacks, the first time either side has directly attacked the other, as Iran-backed militias across the region launched strikes against Israeli and US interests in protest at the Gaza conflict. With Israel's decapitation campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria and the war in Gaza against Hamas, the Islamic Republic's influence in the region has weakened significantly. Its nuclear program is now one of its final points of leverage. In December, United Nations nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told Reuters that Iran is 'dramatically' accelerating its enrichment of uranium to up to 60 percent purity, closer to the roughly 90 percent level that is weapons grade. In January, Grossi again warned that Iran is 'pressing the gas pedal' on its uranium enrichment. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. The Zelensky lesson Experts point to a deep-seated mistrust in Washington's reliability as a key factor behind Iran's hesitation to engage with Trump on a new deal. A controversial exchange between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Oval Office last month only reinforced that idea for the Islamic Republic. During that exchange, Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated the Ukrainian president in front of international media. 'Zelensky was asked to say 'thank you,' admit that Ukraine has 'no cards,' and 'respect' the Americans after he asked for security guarantees,' the Tehran Times wrote, citing Pezeshkian's reasons for refusing to talk to Trump. 'You should be ashamed of yourself after what you did to Zelensky recently,' Iranian media cited Pezeshkian as saying. From Tehran's perspective, if Washington can turn its back on an ally, there's little reason to believe it would keep its commitment to an adversary. As Trump's letter made its way to Iran, Khamenei reiterated his refusal to engage with Washington, reminding the world that this is the same American president who, in 2018, unilaterally withdrew from the landmark nuclear deal brokered with world powers just three years earlier. US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meet in the Oval Office at the White House on February known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, the agreement was intended to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of Western sanctions, thereby preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. In a post on X this month, Khamenei said Trump was trying to 'deceive public opinion' by saying Washington is ready to negotiate. 'How could we hold negotiations with (the) US when we know they don't fulfill their commitments?' Khamenei said, adding that 'if the goal of entering negotiations is for the sanctions to be removed, negotiating with this US administration won't result in the sanctions being removed.' Further complicating the potential for new talks between Tehran and Washington are Iran's domestic politics, with anti-US hardliners and pro-talks reformists jostling for power. 'Conservatives see an opportunity at this moment to attack the Pezeshkian administration, to assert themselves domestically but also perhaps in the nuclear dimension,' Vakil told CNN. Experts said that it is in the interest of both the US and Iran to strike a deal while they still can. 'Iran's maximum point of leverage is right now, where there is interest in negotiating and Iran can obtain concessions and sanctions relief during this period,' Vakil said. 'The moment Iran weaponizes (its nuclear program), Iran loses that leverage.'
