Latest news with #USNationalSecurityCouncil
Al Manar
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Manar
US' Ortagus to Leave Post, Zionist Media Says 'Not Good News for Israel'
Morgan Ortagus, the deputy to US envoy Steve Witkoff and the official overseeing the Trump administration's Lebanon portfolio, will reportedly leave her position soon, Israeli media reported on Sunday. Israeli Channel 14 reported the move, describing her departure as 'not good news for Israel,' citing her support for efforts in pushing for the so-called disarmament of Hezbollah. According to the Israeli channel, the changes form part of a wider shake-up initiated by President Donald Trump to reduce the US National Security Council's (NSC) influence and centralize foreign policy control. Israeli journalist Tamir Morag, Channel 14's diplomatic correspondent, elaborated on the significance of these changes in a statement on X. 'Morgan Ortagus, deputy to Steve Witkoff and the official in charge of the 'Lebanon file' in the administration, will soon be leaving her position,' he wrote. 'This is not good news for Israel – Ortagus was very pro-Israel and worked quite assertively to promote the disarmament of Hezbollah.' Meanwhile, investigative journalist Laura Loomer also reported that Ortagus will step down and that her replacement will be announced this week, citing White House sources. 'I'm told she will be cordially reassigned to another role in the Trump administration. She wanted to be the Special Envoy to Syria, but the position was instead given to Tom Barrack,' Loomer noted. Ortagus visited Lebanon twice earlier this year. She was known for her provocative remarks against Lebanon, including a statement thanking 'Israel' for what she described as the 'defeat of Hezbollah' during a trip to Lebanon, failing to mention the hundreds of Lebanese civilians martyred and hundreds of thousands displaced.
Business Recorder
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Iran to send Russia launchers for short-range missiles
WASHINGTON/LONDON: Iran is preparing to deliver in the near future launchers for short-range ballistic missiles that the US said Tehran sent to Russia last year for use against Ukraine, according to two Western security officials and a regional official. Iran denied it had such plans and dismissed the idea as 'utterly absurd'. The delivery of the Fath-360 launchers - if it occurs - would help support Russia's grinding assault on its neighbor and reaffirm the deepening security ties between Moscow and Tehran. With a 75-mile (120-km) range, the Fath-360 would give Moscow's forces a new weapon to fire at Ukrainian frontline troops, nearby military targets, and population centers close to the border with Russia, analysts said. The US last September said that Iran delivered the missiles to Russia on nine Russian-flagged ships - which it sanctioned - and three sources told Reuters at that time that the launchers were not included. The Western security officials and the regional official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the delivery of the Fath-360 launchers was imminent. They declined to provide further details of the pending transfer, including why they thought the launchers were not delivered with the missiles. Iran's permanent mission to the United States dismissed what it called 'baseless allegations' against Tehran. 'So long as conflict persists between the parties, Iran will abstain from rendering any form of military assistance to either side,' it said in an emailed statement. Russia's defense ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The US National Security Council referred inquiries to the State Department, which did not respond immediately. The CIA declined comment. Russia and Iran have previously denied that Tehran had shipped the missiles or any other arms to aid the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that Moscow launched in February 2022. US, Ukrainian and European officials say Iran has provided Russia thousands of drones and artillery shells. In an apparent reference to the Fath-360s, US Army General Christopher Cavoli, the commander of US Central Command, last month told US lawmakers that Iran had donated to Russia more than 400 short-range ballistic missiles. There have been no public reports of Iran transferring any other kinds of short-range ballistic missiles to Moscow or of Russian forces using the Fath-360. Russia's deployment of the missiles could complicate US President Donald Trump's efforts to arrange a ceasefire and peace talks between Ukraine and Russia and to strike a separate deal with Iran to curb its nuclear program. The regional official said that the indirect US-Iran nuclear talks mediated by Oman are among 'several reasons' for the delayed delivery of the launchers. The talks have encountered turbulence, although Iran on Friday said it agreed to hold a fourth round in Oman on Sunday. Jack Watling, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, said that Iranian officials would consider the issue of sending arms to Russia as separate from the nuclear talks. 'That the Iranians are negotiating on nuclear issues with the US will not be seen as connected to what they might do in collaboration with the Russians,' he said. Analysts said there could have been another complication: Iran had to modify European-made commercial trucks on which to mount the launchers for its own Fath-360 arsenal, and it may have had to do the same for Russia given its massive losses of vehicles in Ukraine. With the launchers, Russia will be able to increase pressure on Ukraine, said the experts. 'It would be much easier (for Russian forces) to launch a strike much faster ... against high-value targets,' said Fabian Hinz, a research fellow with the International Institute for Strategic Studies. 'They (Fath-360s) don't need a lot of launch preparations. Their flight time is incredibly short.' Deploying the Fath-360 could allow Russia to reserve its more advanced missiles, like the Iskander, for longer-range strikes at critical infrastructure, including the power grid, straining Ukraine's precious missile defenses, the analysts said. The Fath-360 'is designed to be handled and operated by people with relatively little training,' said Ralph Savelsberg, an associate professor at the Netherlands Defense Academy. 'Why would they (Russia) buy inferior Iranian missiles? The only reason I could think of is that they cannot produce a sufficient number of their own missiles,' he said. 'They're not super accurate and they don't carry a very large payload. But it just adds to Ukraine's headaches.'
Reuters
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Exclusive: Iran to send Russia launchers for short-range missiles, sources say
WASHINGTON/LONDON May 9 (Reuters) - Iran is preparing to deliver in the near future launchers for short-range ballistic missiles that the U.S. said Tehran sent to Russia last year for use against Ukraine, according to two Western security officials and a regional official. The delivery of the Fath-360 launchers - if it occurs - would help support Russia's grinding assault on its neighbor and reaffirm the deepening security ties between Moscow and Tehran. With a 75-mile (120-km) range, the Fath-360 would give Moscow's forces a new weapon to fire at Ukrainian frontline troops, nearby military targets, and population centers close to the border with Russia, analysts said. The U.S. last September said that Iran delivered the missiles to Russia on nine Russian-flagged ships - which it sanctioned - and three sources told Reuters at that time that the launchers were not included. The Western security officials and the regional official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the delivery of the Fath-360 launchers was imminent. They declined to provide further details of the pending transfer, including why they thought the launchers were not delivered with the missiles. Russia's defense ministry and Iran's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The U.S. National Security Council referred inquiries to the State Department, which did not respond immediately. The CIA declined comment. Russia and Iran have previously denied that Tehran had shipped the missiles or any other arms to aid the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that Moscow launched in February 2022. U.S., Ukrainian and European officials say Iran has provided Russia thousands of drones and artillery shells. In an apparent reference to the Fath-360s, U.S. Army General Christopher Cavoli, the commander of U.S. Central Command, last month told U.S. lawmakers that Iran had donated to Russia more than 400 short-range ballistic missiles. There have been no public reports of Iran transferring any other kinds of short-range ballistic missiles to Moscow or of Russian forces using the Fath-360. Russia's deployment of the missiles could complicate U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to arrange, opens new tab a ceasefire and peace talks between Ukraine and Russia and to strike a separate deal with Iran to curb its nuclear program. The regional official said that the indirect U.S.-Iran nuclear talks mediated by Oman are among "several reasons" for the delayed delivery of the launchers. The talks have encountered turbulence, although Iran on Friday said it agreed to hold a fourth round in Oman on Sunday. Jack Watling, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, said that Iranian officials would consider the issue of sending arms to Russia as separate from the nuclear talks. "That the Iranians are negotiating on nuclear issues with the U.S. will not be seen as connected to what they might do in collaboration with the Russians," he said. Analysts said there could have been another complication: Iran had to modify European-made commercial trucks on which to mount the launchers for its own Fath-360 arsenal, and it may have had to do the same for Russia given its massive losses of vehicles in Ukraine. With the launchers, Russia will be able to increase pressure on Ukraine, said the experts. "It would be much easier (for Russian forces) to launch a strike much faster ... against high-value targets," said Fabian Hinz, a research fellow with the International Institute for Strategic Studies. "They (Fath-360s) don't need a lot of launch preparations. Their flight time is incredibly short." Deploying the Fath-360 could allow Russia to reserve its more advanced missiles, like the Iskander, for longer-range strikes at critical infrastructure, including the power grid, straining Ukraine's precious missile defenses, the analysts said. The Fath-360 "is designed to be handled and operated by people with relatively little training," said Ralph Savelsberg, an associate professor at the Netherlands Defense Academy. "Why would they (Russia) buy inferior Iranian missiles? The only reason I could think of is that they cannot produce a sufficient number of their own missiles," he said. "They're not super accurate and they don't carry a very large payload. But it just adds to Ukraine's headaches."
The Star
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Under Trump, Saudi civil nuclear talks delinked from Israel recognition, sources say
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth waits for Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 24, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo RIYADH (Reuters): The United States is no longer demanding Saudi Arabia normalise ties with Israel as a condition for progress on civil nuclear cooperation talks, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters ahead of US President Donald Trump's visit next week. Dropping the demand that Saudi Arabia establish diplomatic relations with Israel would be a major concession by Washington. Under former President Joe Biden, nuclear talks were an element of a wider US-Saudi deal tied to normalisation and to Riyadh's goal of a defence treaty with Washington. The kingdom has repeatedly said it would not recognise Israel without a Palestinian state, frustrating Biden administration attempts to expand the Abraham Accords signed during Trump's first term. Under those accords the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco normalised relations with Israel. Progress towards Saudi recognition of Israel has been halted by fury in Arab countries over the war raging in Gaza. The nuclear talks had also stumbled over Washington's non-proliferation concerns. In a possible sign of a new approach, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that Saudi Arabia and the United States were on a "pathway" to a civil nuclear agreement when he visited the kingdom in April. "When we have something to announce, you will hear it from the President. Any reports on this are speculative,' US National Security Council spokesman James Hewitt told Reuters in response to a request for comment. Saudi Arabia's government media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Even without the normalisation requirement for civil nuclear talks to progress, and despite unpacking the issue from a wider defence treaty, a deal is not yet in close reach, one of the sources said. One sticking point is Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act that allows cooperation with other countries developing civil nuclear capabilities but specifies nonproliferation criteria including limiting uranium enrichment. Saudi Arabia's energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman has said that the kingdom would seek to enrich uranium and sell the product. One of the sources said the kingdom was still not willing to sign a so-called 123 agreement, which would prevent enrichment or reprocessing of plutonium made in reactors - two routes that have the potential to culminate in nuclear weapons. Secretary Wright previously told Reuters a 123 agreement would be a prerequisite to any deal. However, there are several ways to structure a deal to achieve both countries' objectives, Wright has said. One solution being discussed is a "black box" arrangement where only US personnel would have access to a uranium enrichment facility on Saudi soil, the same source said. Sell more oil Riyadh wants to build nuclear generation capacity as it seeks to diversify its economy away from oil. Nuclear power could also help free up more crude barrels for export. Arms control advocates have previously expressed concern about a Saudi nuclear programme because de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said the kingdom would seek to quickly develop nuclear weapons should its regional rival Iran do so. The United States and Iran are currently holding talks over Tehran's nuclear programme, which Washington and Western allies say is geared towards producing weapons. Iran insists it is purely for civil purposes. US Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday described the talks with Iran as "so far, so good" and said there was a deal to be made that would reintegrate Iran into the global economy while preventing it from getting a nuclear weapon. Saudi Arabia and the United States are set to discuss a number of blockbuster economic deals during Trump's visit next week, with the United States poised to offer Saudi Arabia an arms package worth well over US$100bil, sources have told Reuters. Trump has said Riyadh should "round up" a planned investment package in the United States to US$1 trillion from an initial US$600bil. The trip is Trump's second visit abroad, after a short trip to Rome for the pope's funeral, since he returned to office in January. In his first term a lavish trip to Saudi Arabia marked his first overseas stop. Trump fostered close ties with Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, during his first term. The country invested US$2bil in a firm formed by Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and former aide, after Trump left office, and there are plans to build two Trump towers in Jeddah and Riyadh.- Reuters
Egypt Independent
08-05-2025
- Business
- Egypt Independent
Syrian Interim President seeks Trump meeting, offers Marshall Plan vision
American media reported on Thursday that Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has requested a meeting with US President Donald Trump. The Wall Street Journal quoted Syrian officials as saying that the Syrian president is seeking to meet Trump to share his vision for reconstruction, similar to the Marshall Plan, named after former US Secretary of State George Marshall, through which he offered a program to rebuild Europe after World War II. According to the American newspaper's report, al-Sharaa's reconstruction vision prioritizes American and Western companies over Chinese companies, as the 'new Syria' seeks a strong strategic relationship with the US. The report indicated that the Syrian president conveyed a message to the White House requesting a meeting during Trump's visit to the Gulf states. The Wall Street Journal quoted the US National Security Council as saying, 'The behavior of the interim authority in Syria determines the future of our support and the possibility of easing sanctions.' According to the report, Washington presented al-Sharaa's government with a list of conditions that must be met before considering any sanctions relief. The report noted that the Syrian president has begun a quiet campaign to win US support for rebuilding his country by arresting foreign militants and communicating with Israel through intermediaries. It added that al-Sharaa also expressed his willingness to conclude deals allowing American oil and gas companies to conduct business in Syria.
