June 30,2024: Iran has warned Israel against “full-scale military aggression” in Lebanon and said it would lead to an “obliterating war”, the Islamic republic’s United Nations mission said.
“All options, [including] the full involvement of all Resistance Fronts, are on the table,” the mission wrote in a post on X late on Friday, referring to Iran-aligned armed groups across the region.
It called Israel’s threats to attack Hezbollah in Lebanon “psychological warfare” and “propaganda”.
The border between the two countries has witnessed daily exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah since the current conflict in Gaza broke out on October 7. Fears of a full-blown war grew this month after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was preparing for “a very tense operation” on the border with Lebanon.
Israeli forces conducted a series of attacks on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, an Israeli army spokesperson said early on Saturday.
“In the past few hours, warplanes attacked several Hezbollah targets, including a military site for the organisation in the Zabqin area, two operational infrastructure sites in the Khiam area, and a Hezbollah building in the al-Adissa [Odaisseh] area,” according to the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said his country does not want to fight a war against Hezbollah, but that the army is ready for it.
New Delhi, Feb 12,2024: Eight former Indian Navy personnel working for a Qatari company have been released, and seven of them returned home on Sunday night.
The Ministry of External Affairs gave this information in a statement on Monday.
The Ministry of External Affairs said, “The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for Dahra Global Company detained in Qatar. Seven out of eight of them have returned to India. We commend the decision of the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and return home of these citizens.”
Speaking to the media after returning home, one of the personnel said that’ he was very happy with his release and that this difficult task would not have been possible without the personal intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.’
The Ministry of External Affairs has not yet said anything about the eighth Indian in Qatar.
DOHA/TEL AVIV, Feb 8,2024: Mediators from the U.S., Qatar and Egypt scrambled to forge a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in their four-month-old war in the Gaza Strip after America’s top diplomat on a Middle East mission said there was still hope for a deal.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he saw room for negotiation, and a Palestinian Hamas delegation led by senior official Khalil Al-Hayya was due to travel on Thursday to Cairo for ceasefire talks with Egypt and Qatar.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday rejected Hamas’ latest offer, calling it “delusional,” and Hamas urged Palestinian armed factions to go on fighting.
“There are clearly nonstarters in what (Hamas has) put forward,” Blinken said on Wednesday at a late-night press conference in a Tel Aviv hotel, without specifying what the nonstarters were.
“But we also see space in what came back to pursue negotiations, to see if we can get to an agreement. That’s what we intend to do.”
Before heading back to the U.S., Blinken was due to hold meetings in Israel on Thursday, including with family members of hostages still held in Gaza who have clamoured for Netanyahu to make winning their freedom his top priority.
Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, proposed a ceasefire of 4-1/2 months, during which all hostages held in Gaza would go free, Israel would withdraw its troops from Gaza and an agreement would be reached on an end to the war.
The Hamas offer was a response to a proposal drawn up by U.S. and Israeli spy chiefs and delivered to Hamas last week by Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
Israel would be willing to let Hamas military leader Yahya Sinwar go into exile in exchange for the release of all hostages and an end to the Hamas government in Gaza, a half-dozen Israeli officials and senior advisers have told NBC News.
In response to the Hamas plan, Netanyahu renewed a pledge to destroy the Islamist movement, saying there was no alternative for Israel but to bring about its collapse.
“Surrendering to the delusional demands of Hamas … will not only not bring the release of the hostages, it will invite another massacre. It will invite a grave disaster for the state of Israel that none of our citizens is willing to accept,” the Israeli leader told reporters on Wednesday.
“Continued military pressure is a necessary condition for the release of the hostages,” Netanyahu said.
Israel began its military offensive after Hamas militants from Gaza killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages in southern Israel on Oct. 7.
Gaza’s health ministry says at least 27,585 Palestinians have been confirmed killed, with thousands more feared buried under rubble in Israel’s offensive since then.
In the only truce to date, lasting a week at the end of November, 110 hostages were released and Israel freed 240 Palestinian prisoners.
Netanyahu, whose domestic popularity is at rock bottom, faces public pressure to continue working with international mediators toward an agreement in Gaza.
DUBAI, Feb 2 ,2023: Saudi Arabia would be willing to accept a political commitment from Israel to create a Palestinian state, rather than anything more binding, in a bid to get a defence pact with Washington approved before the U.S. presidential election, three sources said.
Months of U.S.-led diplomacy to get Saudi Arabia to normalise relations with Israel and recognise the country for the first time were shelved by Riyadh in October in the face of mounting Arab anger over the war in Gaza.
But Saudi Arabia is increasingly keen to shore up its security and ward off threats from rival Iran so the kingdom can forge ahead with its ambitious plan to transform its economy and attract huge foreign investment, two regional sources said.
To create some wiggle room in talks about recognising Israel and to get the U.S. pact back on track, Saudi officials have told their U.S. counterparts that Riyadh would not insist Israel take concrete steps to create a Palestinian state and would instead accept a political commitment to a two-state solution, two senior regional sources told Reuters.
Such a major regional deal, widely seen as a long-shot even before the Israel-Hamas war, would still face numerous political and diplomatic obstacles, not least the uncertainty over how the Gaza conflict will unfold.
A pact giving the world’s biggest oil exporter U.S. military protection in exchange for normalisation with Israel would reshape the Middle East by uniting two long-time foes and binding Riyadh to Washington at a time when China is making inroads in the region.
A normalisation deal would also bolster Israel’s defences against arch-rival Iran and give U.S. President Joe Biden a diplomatic victory to vaunt ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election.
The Saudi officials have privately urged Washington to press Israel to end the Gaza war and commit to a “political horizon” for a Palestinian state, saying Riyadh would then normalise relations and help fund Gaza’s reconstruction, one of the regional sources said.
“The message from the kingdom to America has been: ‘Stop the war first, allow humanitarian aid and commit to a just and lasting solution to give the Palestinians a state’,” said Abdelaziz al-Sagher, head of the Gulf Research Center think-tank in Jeddah, who is familiar with the ongoing discussions. “Without it, Saudi Arabia can’t do anything.”
The problem, though, is that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has spent much of his political career opposing Palestinian statehood, has rejected outright any U.S. and Arab aspirations for a Palestinian state once the Gaza war is over.
“Normalisation does require really – if not legally, at least politically – a commitment from the Israelis that they are open to a two-state solution,” said one of the senior regional sources familiar with Saudi thinking.
“If Israel stopped its military offensive on Gaza – or at least declared a ceasefire – it would make it easier for Saudi Arabia to go ahead with the deal,” the person said.
The Saudi government’s communication office did not respond to requests for comment.
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 19,2023: Saudi Arabia is still considering an invitation to become a member of the BRICS bloc of countries after being asked to join by the group last year, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Thursday.
The group in August invited Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Iran, Argentina, and Ethiopia to join starting Jan. 1, although Argentina signaled it would not take up the invitation in November.
The two sources said Jan. 1 was not a deadline for a decision, with one adding there were strong benefits to joining the bloc as members China and India are the kingdom’s biggest trading partners.
“Saudi Arabia is assessing the benefits and then will make a decision, there is a process happening,” one of the sources said.
The expansion of the group would add economic heft to the BRICS, whose current members are China, Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa. It could also amplify its declared ambition to become a champion of the Global South.
Faisal Alibrahim, Saudi Arabia’s economy minister, later confirmed the kingdom was still in a decision-making process on joining the bloc.
“The kingdom is a part of many multilateral platforms and multilateral institutions and whenever the kingdom is invited into one of them it goes through a process that is a multi-step process and at the end of it a decision is made,” he told Reuters in an interview.
“Right now we are in a similar process and I will comment at the end of it.”
Riyadh is weighing its options against a backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions between the U.S., China and Russia, and as the kingdom’s warming ties with Beijing have caused concern in Washington.
Despite its strong ties with the U.S., Saudi Arabia has increasingly pursued its own path out of concern that Washington is less committed to the Gulf’s security than in the past.
New Delhi, Jan 4,2024: The Indian government has 60 days to appeal in the highest court against the varying quantum of sentences awarded by the Qatar’s Court of Appeal which has commuted the death sentence handed down to the 8 Ex-Navy personnel in an alleged espionage case a week ago, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday.
The verdict of Qatar’s Court of Appeal came weeks after the family members of the Indians filed an appeal against the earlier order by another court.
The Navy veterans were on October 26 given death sentences by Qatar’s Court of First Instance in the case.
Addressing a weekly press conference, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “The legal team has the order of the court, and the government is in touch with the legal team and family members for further action.”
“The court order clarifies that the death penalty is overturned and there are varying quantums of sentences. We have 60 days to appeal in the highest court,” said Randhir Jaiswal.
The statement comes after the death sentence of eight former Indian Navy officials commuted by a court of appeal in Qatar on December 28.
The former Indian Navy officers were employees of Al Dahra Global Technologies. It is a private firm that provides training and other services to Qatar’s armed forces and security agencies.
New York [US], September 26,2023: Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry on Monday said that Colombo has not given permission to a Chinese vessel to dock adding that Indian security concerns are “important” for Sri Lanka.
Asked about reports regarding a Chinese research vessel named Shi Yan 6 scheduled to be docked in Sri Lanka in October and India’s concerns regarding it, he said that they have a standard operating procedure (SOP) and they have consulted many friends, including India.
“That’s a conversation going on for some period of time. India has expressed its concerns for a long period of time, but we have now come out with the SOP standard operating procedure. When we were making that, we consulted many of our friends, including India. So, as long as it complies with the SOP, we have no problem. But if it doesn’t comply with the SOP, we have a problem,” Ali Sabry told ANI.
He said that Sri Lanka has not given permission for the Chinese vessel Shi Yan 6 to dock during the month of October, adding that negotiations are going on.
“So, therefore, as far as I know, we have not given permission to come to Sri Lanka during the month of October. So, there are negotiations going on. But, Indian security concerns, which are legitimate, are very, very important for us. We have always told that because we want to keep our region as a zone of peace,” he added.
Earlier, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe also said that the SPO had been worked out for foreign vessels. The Chinese research vessel is expected in Sri Lanka in October to conduct research along with the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), Sri Lanka-based Daily Mirror reported.
Meanwhile, US Under Secretary Victoria Nuland during her meeting with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry raised concerns regarding the upcoming visit of Chinese research vessel Shi Yan 6, Daily Mirror reported.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Victoria Nuland stated, “The U.S. supports a strong and prosperous Sri Lanka. Our work together continues at #UNGA. I met with @MFA_SriLanka Minister Ali Sabry to discuss U.S. economic assistance, human rights, and our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Sabry told Nuland that Sri Lanka had worked out the Standard Operating Procedure (SPO) to be followed by foreign ships and aircraft in carrying out any activity in Sri Lankan territory, according to Daily Mirror report.
Reportedly, he told her that Sri Lanka had been even-handed in this approach for all nations and could not exclude China from the process. The two leaders held a meeting on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Last year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar while commenting on Chinese spy vessel Yuan Wang-5 which had docked in Sri Lanka, said that any developments that have a bearing on India’s security are “obviously of an interest to us”.
“What happens in our neighbourhood, any developments which have a bearing on our security obviously are of an interest to us,” Jaishankar said at a joint press conference after the 9th India-Thailand Joint Commission Meeting.
India had expressed its security concerns over the docking of the vessel at the Sri Lankan port as it was shown as a research vessel with the capability of mapping the ocean bed, which is critical to anti-submarine operations of the Chinese Navy. The Chinese research ship had docked at Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port.
New Delhi, July 20,2023: India has sent out invitations to all G20 members, invitee countries and international organizations and is looking forward to welcoming their participation for the G20 Summit scheduled in the national capital this September.
Responding to a question on whether Russia has confirmed participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the G20 Summit, External Affairs Ministry official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said he cannot issue a response on any particular leader.
Putin had skipped the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia in 2022 and sent his Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in his place.
Earlier today, the office of South African President, Cyril Ramaphose had announced that Putin will not attend the BRICS nations summit. This will be the first summit hosted in person since the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent global restrictions. The Summit will be attended by the leaders of Brazil, India, China and South Africa.
Putin will instead deliver his speech at the summit via video conference, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agency TASS. Peskov also confirmed that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will represent Russia at the summit in-person.
Lavrov had this March participated in the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting in Goa. India assumed the G20 Presidency on December 1.
The 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 9-10. The meeting will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies.
A G20 Leaders’ declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of the New Delhi Summit, stating Leaders’ commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings, according to the official G20 statement.
The Group of Twenty (G20) comprises 19 countries – Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States and the European Union. The invited countries are Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and UAE.
Kabul, May 27,2023: Afghan acting Prime Minister Mawlawi Abdul Kabir has stressed having positive relations based on mutual respect with the world community, media reports said.
“The Islamic Emirate wants positive relations and mutual respect with all nations in the region and around the world in light of Islamic Sharia,” Tolonews quoted the acting premier as saying.
Kabir, according to the leading private media outlet, made the remarks in a meeting of the establishment’s leaders and tribal elders held recently.
He also noted that “having good relations between Afghanistan and the world is essential,” and his government wants to have relations with all the nations of the world.
Kabir replaced Mullah Hasan Akhund on May 18.