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First Post
a day ago
- Politics
- First Post
Indian delegation in Syria: First diplomatic visit since Al Sharaa toppled Assad regime
For the first time since opposition forces ousted the Assad dynasty in Syria, India has sent a delegation to hold talks with the country's new administration led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, a leader with a jihadist past who is supported by Turkey. read more Suresh Kumar, the Director of the West Asia and North Africa (WANA) Division at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), holds talks with Syrian foreign minister Asaad Hassan Al-Sheibani in Damascus, Syria, on Monday, July 28, 2025. (Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Syria) For the first time since the opposition forces ousted Syria's longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad last year, India has sent a delegation to hold talks with the country's new administration led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, a Turkey-supported Islamist leader who once headed a branch of Al-Qaeda. Last year, opposition forces led by Sharaa's Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) escalated their offensive in November. Within weeks, they reached the capital of Damascus, capturing it on December 8 and forcing Assad to flee. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While there was no word from India on the meeting in Damascus, Syria's foreign ministry confirmed the meeting between Suresh Kumar, the Director of the West Asia and North Africa (WANA) Division at the Ministry of External Affairs, and Syrian foreign minister Asaad Hassan Al-Sheibani. 'The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Mr Asaad Hassan Al-Sheibani, received in the capital Damascus an Indian delegation headed by Mr Suresh Kumar, Director of the West Asia and North Africa Department at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. The meeting addressed issues of common interest and ways to enhance relations between the two countries in a manner that serves the interests of both peoples,' said the Syrian foreign ministry in a statement on X. There have been concerns about the new administration in Syria, owing to the jihadist past of its leader and group —the HTS— that he runs. Moreover, Sharaa's principal supporter, Turkey, has pursued an overtly anti-India agenda lately, supporting Pakistan not just diplomatically but also militarily. 'A beginning had to be made' While there was no official word, a person familiar with the matter told Hindustan Times that India sent a delegation as 'a beginning had to be made' at some point about a bilateral relationship with the new Syrian administration. 'A beginning had to be made and India had to register its presence. You have to open the door at some point,' the person said on condition of anonymity. With Assad, India had a comfortable relationship and Assad sided with India even on the issue of Kashmir on international platforms. India also regularly sent humanitarian support to Syria. Notably, India never closed the embassy in Damascus even as a civil war raged in the country. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In the meeting with Kumar, Syrian foreign minister Sheibani 'dealt with issues of mutual concern and ways of enhancing relations between the two countries in the interests of both peoples', according to Syria's state-owned SANA news agency. Beside the foreign minister, Kumar also met Syrian health minister Musab Al-Ali and the two sides discussed ways of enhancing health cooperation, particularly in the pharmaceutical industries and medical training fields, as per the news agency. The two sides discussed mechanism for implementing a scholarship for Syrian students, in addition to allocating a specialised engineering cooperation programme for government employees, the agency reported. Al-Ali said that Syria aspired to establish a 'strong partnership with India in the pharmaceutical industries and health technologies, which would contribute to supporting the national health sector and providing medicines', the agency reported. On his part, Kumar said that India will continue to fund specialised training courses for Syrian personnel, coordinate the training of Syrian doctors in Indian centers, and enhance cooperation in the fields of nursing, pharmaceutical industries, and pharmaceutical exports, the agency reported. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
European-Iran nuclear talks kick off in Istanbul
Military personnel stand guard at a nuclear facility in the Zardanjan area of Isfahan, Iran, April 19, 2024, in this screengrab taken from video. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo ISTANBUL - Delegations have arrived at Iran's Istanbul consulate on Friday morning for face-to-face talks between Iran and the so-called E3 group of France, Britain and Germany, Reuters witness said. Senior diplomats from the E3 group are set to hold talks with Iran's negotiating team for the first time since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June, aiming to gauge Tehran's appetite for a compromise to avert sanctions. Ahead of the talks, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that Tehran's position remained "firm and steadfast." "Our uranium enrichment will continue; we will not give up this right of the Iranian people," Araqchi said in a video carried by state media, adding that Friday's talks are "a continuation of previous discussions, and the world must understand that our position is clear and unchanged." REUTERS
The Standard
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Standard
Iran to hold talks with Chinese, Russian partners at summit
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi speaks during a meeting with foreign ambassadors in Tehran, Iran, July 12, 2025. Hamid Forootan/Iranian Foreign Ministry/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/File photo
Straits Times
08-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
US, Israel diverge on how to pursue Iran endgame after strikes, diplomats say
FILE PHOTO: A view shows the aftermath of an Israeli strike on Evin Prison that took place on June 23 in Tehran, Iran, June 29, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo DUBAI - When they met on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu basked in the glow of their triumph over Iran. But the show of unity masked a divergence over their endgames in Iran, Gaza and the wider Middle East. Both leaders have touted the success of last month's strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, declaring they had set back a programme they say is aimed at acquiring a nuclear bomb. Yet, with intelligence assessments suggesting that Iran retains a hidden stockpile of enriched uranium and the technical capacity to rebuild, both Trump and Netanyahu know that their victory is more short-term than strategic, two diplomats say. Where they diverge is on how to further pressure Iran, the diplomats said. Trump says his priority is to lean on diplomacy, pursuing a limited objective of ensuring Iran never develops a nuclear weapon - a goal Tehran has always denied pursuing. In contrast, Netanyahu wants to use more force, a source familiar with the Israeli leader's thinking said, compelling Tehran -- to the point of government collapse if necessary -- into fundamental concessions on quitting a nuclear enrichment programme seen by Israel as an existential threat. The divide over Iran echoes the situation in the Gaza Strip. Trump, eager to cast himself as a global peacemaker, is pushing for a new ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Palestinian territory, but the contours of any post-war deal remain undefined and the endgame uncertain. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDP celebrations to be held at 5 heartland sites, including Bishan and Punggol, on Aug 10 Singapore Keep citizens at the centre of public service, Chan Chun Sing tells civil servants Singapore Man arrested for allegedly throwing bottle at SMRT bus, injuring passenger Asia As Trump plays tariffs hard ball, Asean has little choice but to play on Asia PM Anwar called out by his own lawmakers as Malaysia's judicial crisis heats up Singapore SIA flight from Brisbane to Singapore diverted to Perth due to technical issue Singapore New Draft Master Plan could reignite developers' interest to buy land Business Great Eastern could resume trading after delisting vote fails to pass; OCBC's exit offer lapses Netanyahu, while publicly endorsing ceasefire talks, says he is committed to the total dismantling of Hamas, a strategic ally of Iran. The Israeli prime minister wants the remaining Hamas leadership deported, possibly to Algeria -- a demand Hamas flatly rejects. The gap between a temporary pause and a lasting resolution remains wide, two Middle East officials say. On Iran, Netanyahu was displeased to see Washington revive nuclear talks with Tehran expected in Norway this week, the first diplomatic overture since the strikes, said the person familiar with his thinking. He opposes any move that could give the Iranian authorities an economic and political lifeline. THE LIBYA MODEL Netanyahu wants nothing less than the Libya model for Iran, the source said. That means Iran fully dismantling its nuclear and missile facilities under strict oversight, and renouncing uranium enrichment on its soil even for civilian needs. Israel is seeking not diplomacy but regime change, Western and regional officials have said. And Netanyahu knows he needs at least a green light from the White House -- if not direct backing -- to carry out further operations if Tehran refuses to relinquish its nuclear ambitions, they said. But Trump has different objectives, the diplomats said. After the June strikes, he sees an opportunity to press Iran to cut a deal and seize a grand diplomatic feat of restoring ties with Iran that has long eluded him, the diplomats said. On Monday, Trump said he would like to lift sanctions on Iran at some point. And in an eye-catching post on X suggesting Tehran sees economic ties as a potential element in any deal, President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei believed American investors can come to Iran with "no obstacles to their activities". Iranian rulers, however, face two unpalatable options: renewed strikes if they do not surrender their nuclear ambitions and humiliation at home if they do. That means they may try to make talks drag out, unwilling to fully quit their nuclear project and presenting a difficulty for a U.S. president impatient for a deal and its economic benefits for the U.S., Western and regional officials say. For Israel, the fallback option is clear, the person familiar with Netanyahu's thinking said: a policy of sustained containment through periodic strikes to prevent any nuclear resurgence. In the wake of its air war against Iran, Israel has reasserted itself as the region's unrivalled military power, more willing than ever to use force and more capable of doing so with precision and relative impunity. Washington, meanwhile, is hedging its bets. While Israeli and U.S. hawks still hope for regime change in Tehran, Trump appears unwilling to shoulder the huge military, political and economic costs that such a project would demand. Trump rapidly claimed victory after the U.S. attack. And while he has said he would consider bombing Iran again if it continued to enrich uranium to worrisome levels, he has portrayed the June 22 operation as a bold, surgical one-off. NO BOOTS ON THE GROUND His repeated declarations that Iran's program has been 'obliterated' are less triumph than warning: don't ask for more -- a signal that he's done enough and won't be drawn further in, says Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute think-tank in Washington. For all their rhetoric, Netanyahu and his hawkish allies offer no viable blueprint or roadmap for regime change, says Alan Eyre, a former U.S. diplomat and Farsi-speaking expert on Iran. Unlike Iraq, there are no boots on the ground and no credible opposition that could topple the ruling elite, guarded by the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The U.S. may support Israel's military actions, even supplying advanced weaponry, but it is betting mainly on economic pressure and diplomatic leverage to force Tehran's hand. The result is a fragile standoff, with no clear endgame, the diplomats said. Netanyahu sees a fleeting strategic opportunity, one that demands acceleration, not hesitation, the source close to him said. In his calculus, the time to strike harder is now, before Iran regains its footing, the source said. Iran's air defences are battered, its nuclear infrastructure weakened, its proxies decapitated and its deterrence shaken. But Tehran's window to regroup and rebuild will grow with time, says the person familiar with Netanyahu's thinking. So for Netanyahu, this is unfinished business -- strategic, existential, and far from over, the diplomats and the two Middle East officials said. REUTERS
GMA Network
07-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Iran president says Tehran open to speak with US, accuses Israel of assassination try
"How are we going to trust the United States again? How can we know for sure that in the middle of the talks the Israeli regime will not be given the permission again to attack us?" Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said. Iran's Presidential website/ WANA (West Asia News Agency)/ Handout via REUTERS/ File photo WASHINGTON — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he believes Iran can resolve its differences with the United States through dialogue, but trust would be an issue after US and Israeli attacks on his country, according to an interview released on Monday. "I am of the belief that we could very much easily resolve our differences and conflicts with the United States through dialogue and talks," Pezeshkian told conservative US podcaster Tucker Carlson in an interview conducted on Saturday. The Iranian leader urged US President Donald Trump not to be drawn into war with Iran by Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who is visiting Washington on Monday for talks at the White House. "The United States' president, Mr. Trump, he is capable enough to guide the region towards the peace and a brighter future and put Israel in its place. Or get into a pit, an endless pit, or a swamp," Pezeshkian said. "So it is up to the United States president to choose which path." He blamed Israel, Iran's arch-enemy, for the collapse of talks that were in place when Israel began its strikes on Iran on June 13, starting a 12-day air war with Israel in which top Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists were killed. "How are we going to trust the United States again?" Pezeshkian said. "How can we know for sure that in the middle of the talks the Israeli regime will not be given the permission again to attack us?" Pezeshkian also said that Israel tried to assassinate him. "They did try, yes," he said. "They acted accordingly, but they failed." Israel did not immediately respond to the allegation. A senior Israeli military official said last month that Israel killed more than 30 senior security officials and 11 senior nuclear scientists in its attack on to Iran's nuclear sites. Trump said he expected to discuss Iran and its nuclear ambitions with Netanyahu, praising the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as a tremendous success. On Friday, he told reporters that he believed Tehran's nuclear program had been set back permanently, although Iran could restart efforts elsewhere. Iran has always denied seeking a nuclear weapon. — Reuters
