https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 09:33:31 +0000 en-GB Middle East Monitor 30 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com 32 32 116394717 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-iranian-foreign-minister-meets-with-japanese-premier-kishida-in-tokyo/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 18:09:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658358 Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian met with Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo on Monday and discussed bilateral cooperation as well as the Iran nuclear deal, reports Anadolu Agency. Amirabdollahian arrived in the Japanese capital on Sunday evening and is also scheduled to meet with senior government officials to discuss bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues. "As a supporter of the Iran nuclear deal, Japan is seriously concerned about the expansion of Iran's nuclear-related activities and requested full and unconditional cooperation in the joint statement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," Kishida said in a statement released by the Japanese Foreign Ministry. He also urged Iran to respond in a "constructive" way. Earlier, the Iranian […]]]> 658358 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-us-ukraine-discuss-security-arrangements-saudi-arabia-peace-talks/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 17:28:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658347 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, over the phone, discussing recently held peace talks in Saudi Arabia, and "long-term security arrangements", reports Anadolu Agency. "The two discussed developments in Ukraine's counteroffensive efforts, recent conversations about a just and durable peace in Ukraine held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and long-term security arrangements between the two countries," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. "The Secretary reiterated the United States' staunch and ongoing support of Ukraine's defense against Russia's aggression and reaffirmed continued support of a strong Ukrainian military and accountable defense institutions," Miller added. Talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah on the Ukraine conflict concluded Sunday with the participants […]]]> 658347 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-pakistan-abandons-gas-pipeline-project-with-iran-due-to-us-sanctions-threat/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 15:06:57 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658340 Pakistan has cancelled the building of its major gas pipeline with Iran due to the threat of economic sanctions imposed by the United States. The decision seemingly concludes around a decade of expectations for the project. According to Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, the country's Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Musadik Malik, said in written testimony to the National Assembly that, "Pakistan has issued a Force Majeure and Excusing Event notice to Iran under the Gas Sales and Purchase Agreement (GSPA), which resultantly suspends Pakistan's obligations under the GSPA." He confirmed that the pipeline – which aimed to supply 750 million cubic feet of gas per day to Pakistan from its western neighbour – "is stalled due to international sanctions on […]]]> 658340 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-israel-to-incorporate-palestinian-americans-in-gaza-into-the-us-visa-waiver-pilot/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 15:00:55 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658338 Israel has followed the US' demand to allow American citizens residing in Gaza to travel via Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport, as part of the continuous negotiations between Israel and the United States regarding Israel's inclusion in the visa waiver programme (VWP). According to Gil Bringer, Israel's VWP project manager, there are approximately 100 to 130 Palestinian Americans residing in Gaza. As part of the pilot programme, those who meet Israel's security criteria will be eligible to enter the country on "B2" tourist visas and depart from the main Ben Gurion Airport, reported Reuters. Israel will also grant Palestinian-Americans living in Gaza tourist visas allowing them to stay in Israel for three months. READ: Palestinian teen, 17, dies after being shot by […]]]> 658338 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-israel-can-no-longer-rely-on-an-acquiescent-international-community/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 15:00:09 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658321 The Zionist state of Israel has been receiving preferable treatment and support from an acquiescent international community, mainly countries in the West which dominate international bodies and other countries around the world, even before it was created in occupied Palestine in 1948. Despite never declaring where its borders lie (so that it can continue to expand on stolen Palestinian land) and not even fulfilling a major condition of its membership the UN — allowing the Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland — it is recognised as a full member of the international organisation. Most of its citizens are so uncertain about its viability that they maintain dual citizenship. Meanwhile, most countries of the world do not recognise the State […]]]> 658321 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-uk-government-divided-over-labelling-irans-revolutionary-guards-terrorist-group/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 14:09:53 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658326 The UK government is divided over designating Iran's Revolutionary Guards as terrorists, the Financial Times has reported. Disagreement between Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on labelling Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist group is said to be causing tension within the government. Braverman is increasingly alarmed by alleged plans of Iranian agents to target British citizens. However, Cleverly and officials at the Foreign Office are hesitant to classify the Revolutionary Guards as terrorists, fearing that such a move could be counterproductive. READ: UK security minister labels Iran-funded mosque a 'vile threat' to the country Labelling the armed force of another nation as terrorists is quite unusual for the UK, officials in the Foreign Office have argued. There are […]]]> 658326 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-quran-burnings-proof-of-broader-bias-against-migrants-in-europe-ex-un-rapporteur/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:22:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658295 A recent wave of Quran burnings in Sweden and Denmark is "an assertion of a broader anti-immigrant, anti-non-European right-wing bias that has grown to be quite politically strong," a former UN special rapporteur has said. "There's no legitimate purpose by allowing groups to burn the holy scriptures of another religious faith," Richard Falk, a professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University, said. "It seems to me to serve … no possible constructive purpose. And I think there is a strong case for [such acts to be] prohibited." In recent months, far-right groups have desecrated and burnt several copies of the Quran in Denmark and neighbouring Sweden, drawing fierce condemnation from Muslims around the world and calls for measures to stop […]]]> 658295 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-us-slams-murder-of-palestinian-by-israel-settlers-as-terrorism/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 10:10:00 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658284 Washington has condemned as "terrorism" the killing of a Palestinian by suspected Jewish settlers, in language that appears to reflect US frustration with surging violence in the occupied West Bank under Israel's hard-right government, Reuters reported. Israeli police detained two settlers following Friday's attack near the village of Burqa. According to Palestinians, they were part of a group that threw rocks, torched cars and, when confronted by villagers, shot a 19-year-old dead and wounded several others. Initial findings by Israel's military described the incident as a confrontation that escalated, with casualties on both sides. A defence lawyer said the settlers – one of whom was absent from a court hearing due to a head injury – acted in self-defence. In their arraignment, a transcript […]]]> 658284 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-khamenei-accuses-us-of-encouraging-smugglers-in-gulf-region/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 10:01:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658282 Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused the US of encouraging smuggling by sea in the Gulf region, in the latest sign of rising tensions between Tehran and Washington. "Today, the Americans are targeting oil tankers while helping the maritime smuggling networks in our region," said Khamenei on state television yesterday, Bloomberg News has reported. "This is a major violation on their part." Media reports said on 3 August that the US might seek to station military personnel on board civilian vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to counter "Iranian aggression". The state-run Nour News agency in Iran responded by saying that the US "cannot use maritime protection as an excuse to expand its military […]]]> 658282 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-venezuela-mural-expresses-solidarity-with-palestine/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 09:32:02 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658278 Artists have been working diligently for the past few weeks to create a mural that covers a whole building in 23 de Enero neighbourhood in Caracas, Venezuela. The artists were brought together by local artist Julvio Millar to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people and put the spotlight on Palestine's ongoing struggle to resist Israeli colonialism. The mural includes a map of Palestine, a key of return, the Palestinian flag, as well as a picture of a Palestinian fighter wearing the traditional keffiyeh and making the V for Victory sign. The giant artwork is part of a larger project undertaken by Plataforma de solidaridad con Palestina group that is currently working on several initiatives and activities in Venezuela to […]]]> 658278 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-brazilians-remember-beirut-port-tragedy-at-copacabana-beach/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 15:13:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658185 READ: Lebanon marchers mourn port blast victims three years on, angry at stalled probe]]> 658185 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-iraq-seeks-interpol-alerts-for-former-officials-over-2-5bln-graft/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 14:46:18 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658183 Iraq plans to ask Interpol to issue international alerts seeking the arrest of former senior officials including an ex-finance minister and an ex-intelligence chief over the alleged theft of more than $2.5 billion from the country's Tax Commission, Reuters reports. The scandal centres on suspected illegitimate cash withdrawals from the Commission between 2021 and 2022 totalling around $2.5 billion, according to Iraqi officials – a staggering amount even in a country that regularly ranks among the world's most corrupt. Iraq's top anti-corruption official, Integrity Commission chief Judge Haider Hanoun, announced the move to seek so-called Interpol Red Notices on Sunday. Hanoun said the judiciary would also ask for notices to be issued for the private secretary and a political adviser […]]]> 658183 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-iranian-sri-lankan-foreign-ministers-dissuss-relations-regional-international-issues-in-tehran/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 14:17:36 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658181 Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Sri Lankan counterpart, Ali Sabry, discussed relations and regional and international issues Saturday in Tehran, according to a statement, Anadolu reports. Amirabdollahian said Iran is prepared to increase collaboration with Sri Lanka across various domains, encompassing the establishment of the Iran-Sri Lanka joint economic commission and the joint consular and tourism committee, according to his Foreign Ministry. "Amirabdollahian further enumerated the possibilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the field of new technologies and the capabilities of Iranian knowledge-based companies, saying Iran is ready to export technical and engineering services, technologies and medical equipment," it said. READ: Wildfire sets off landmines around Tehran's Evin Prison, Iran judiciary says He noted implementation of previously […]]]> 658181 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-turkish-coast-guard-saves-130-migrants-pushed-back-by-greece/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 10:47:43 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658160 A total of 130 irregular migrants pushed back into Turkish territorial waters by Greek forces were rescued on Saturday by the Turkish Coast Guard off the coasts of western Izmir province's Menderes, Karaburun, Foca and Cesme districts, Anadolu reports. Meanwhile, 265 irregular migrants and a migrant smuggler were caught off the coasts of Karaburun and Dikili. Irregular migrants were handed to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management after procedures. READ: Tunisia rescues 15,000 migrants in first half of 2023 And 170 irregular migrants in rubber boats were caught by the Coast Guard off the coast of western Canakkale province's Ayvacik district. Coast Guard Northern Aegean Group Command teams detected four rubber boats with irregular migrants off the coast of Ayvacik. During […]]]> 658160 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-turkish-fm-us-secretary-of-state-discuss-black-sea-grain-deal-nato-enlargement/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 10:30:51 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658152 Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke over the phone on Saturday and discussed the revival of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the security of the Black Sea and NATO enlargement, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that the two also discussed developments in the South Caucasus and the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia during the phone call held at Blinken's request. READ: UK takes lead in Turkiye earthquake aid, donating over £150 million]]> 658152 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-helping-palestinians-in-need-is-not-terrorism-they-are-the-victims-of-israeli-terrorism/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 09:37:14 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658149 I know none of the details of the arrest of Palestinian Amin Abu Rashid and his daughter Israa in Holland recently. I do know, however, that the track record of European governments in levelling allegations of "funding terrorism" against Palestinian-European organisations over the past twenty years or so has been abysmal. In almost every case, when taken to court the authorities have lost the legal argument. Will this happen again with Abu Rashid and Israa? Time will tell, but what is interesting is that it introduces to the world another no doubt well-funded "Israeli activist group", Ad Kan. It is well known, of course, that all allegations of "terrorism" and "funding Hamas" arise from "intelligence" shared by Israel and its […]]]> 658149 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-us-senators-call-for-withholding-of-military-aid-to-egypt-over-human-rights-record/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 07:54:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658140 A group of senators in the United States have urged the government to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Egypt, citing the country's increasingly poor human rights record. In a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week, 11 senators – including ten high-profile Democratic senators such as Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown, Tim Kaine, and the independent Bernie Sanders – highlighted the Egyptian government's failure to improve its human rights violations as a cause to withhold up to $320 million of the overall $1.3 billion allocated for military aid to the country if it continues to not address the issue. The senators cited a provision in the 2022 fiscal year State Department funding bill […]]]> 658140 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230805-pakistans-ex-premier-khan-arrested-after-sentenced-to-jail-in-corruption-case/ Sat, 05 Aug 2023 13:10:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658094 Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday was arrested from his residence in Lahore after he was handed a jail term in a corruption case, said a senior leader of his party, Anadolu reports. Farrukh Habib, former state minister for information, said on X, formerly Twitter, that the Punjab police arrested Khan, the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf (PTI), and will shift him later to Islamabad. According to Khan's focal person on legal affairs, Naeem Haider, the ex-premier was sentenced to three years in prison, along with a fine of one lakh rupees ($360) in the Toshakhana case. "The court has given direction to Inspector General Islamabad to execute the decision as soon as possible," Haider said in […]]]> 658094 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230805-tunisia-rescues-15000-migrants-in-first-half-of-2023/ Sat, 05 Aug 2023 10:51:03 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658086 Tunisian Security Services have rescued 15,327 illegal migrants during the first half of 2023, Tunisian Interior Minister Kamal Feki announced on Friday. According to Feki, 95 per cent of the migrants hold African or sub-Saharan identities. He noted that the security services are carrying out a direct humanitarian follow-up in coordination with the relevant international organisations. In order to address the crisis, the security forces have been closely collaborating with pertinent international organisations, providing a humanitarian response and conducting fieldwork. The Tunisian minister considers what was reported by some international organisations untrue, especially a recent statement by the United Nations (UN) deputy spokesperson about the alleged treatment of African refugees and migrants on the Tunisian borders. "We are deeply concerned about […]]]> 658086 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-gaza-palestinian-americans-urge-washington-to-include-them-in-israel-visa-deal/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 14:54:13 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658030 US passport holders with Palestinian papers and families in Gaza are urging Washington to ensure they are treated equally under a reciprocal deal with Israel intended to ensure visa-free travel for American and Israeli citizens, Reuters reports. Israel, facing a 30 September deadline to qualify its citizens for visa-free admission to the United States, said it has loosened access through its main airport and at the Occupied West Bank's boundary for Palestinian-Americans, allowing more than 2,000 people to cross into or through Israel. US State Department officials have said the Visa Waiver Program must apply to all American citizens, including those in Gaza, but a number of Palestinian-Americans with Gaza identity papers have said they have been prevented from entering Israel. "As a Palestinian with a Gaza ID, […]]]> 658030 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-kremlin-disbelieves-us-promise-to-safeguard-its-food-exports-if-it-returns-to-grain-deal-ria/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 14:19:16 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658028 Russia does not believe a US promise that Washington will help ensure Moscow can freely export food if it returns to the Black Sea grain deal, state news agency, RIA, quoted the Kremlin as saying on Friday, Reuters reports. US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, told reporters on Thursday: "In the event of return to the agreement, of course, we'll continue to do whatever is necessary to make sure that everyone can export their food and food products freely and safely to include Russia." Russia, last month, quit the agreement that had allowed Ukraine to ship food from its Black Sea ports, complaining about obstacles to its own exports of food and fertiliser. READ: US to keep Russia food exports […]]]> 658028 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-israel-no-longer-serves-us-interest-says-ex-senior-white-house-official/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 13:26:56 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658019 American support for Israel no longer serves strategic US interests, says Steven Simon, Washington's former National Security Council senior director for the Middle East and North Africa. Simon, who directly managed the Israel-Palestine file, served under the administration of former US President Barack Obama. He urged the US to reconsider its relation in a new book titled 'Grand Delusion: The Rise and Fall of American Ambition in the Middle East'. Simon advocates for a fundamental revaluation of the US-Israel relationship, while arguing that American support for Israel no longer serves the strategic interests of the US. According to details of the book reviewed by Haaretz, Simon likens the current situation to "empty-nest syndrome," suggesting that the US finds it difficult to […]]]> 658019 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-saudi-to-extend-oil-output-cuts-for-another-month/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 11:17:15 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657992 Saudi Arabia will extend a voluntary oil output cut of one million barrels per day for another month to include September, it said yesterday, adding it could be extended beyond that or deepened, Reuters reported. The kingdom's production for September will be around nine million barrels per day (bpd), the state news agency SPA cited an official source at the energy ministry as saying. "This additional voluntary cut comes to reinforce the precautionary efforts made by OPEC+ countries with the aim of supporting the stability and balance of oil markets," the source said. The cut may be "extended, or extended and deepened", he added, flagging the possibility of further market tightening. The decision came on the eve of a panel meeting from OPEC+, which […]]]> 657992 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-us-to-keep-russia-food-exports-flowing-if-grain-deal-revived-blinken-says/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 19:48:26 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657959 The United States would continue to do "whatever is necessary" to ensure Russia can freely export food if there was a revival of a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukrainian grain, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said on Thursday, Reuters reports. Russia, last month, quit the July 2022 deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkiye aimed at easing a global food crisis after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, five months earlier. Ukraine and Russia are both leading grain exporters. "In the event of return to the agreement, of course, we'll continue to do whatever is necessary to make sure that everyone can export their food and food products freely and safely, to include Russia," Blinken told reporters at the United Nations. "We want to see […]]]> 657959 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-disappointed-with-us-palestine-turning-to-china-foreign-minister/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 17:49:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657944 As the Biden administration has been a disappointment for them, Palestine is "increasingly turning to China", said the Palestinian Foreign Minister on Thursday, Anadolu Agency reports. "Three years have passed since President [Joe] Biden's promises, but we have seen nothing other than financial support to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and hospitals in East Jerusalem," Riyad Al-Maliki told reporters at Foreign Ministry headquarters in the Occupied West Bank. China seeks to boost its presence in the Middle East Maliki expressed his country's frustration with the US position on Israel's violations, including its recent attacks in the northern West Bank city of Jenin. The Biden administration has been a disappointment, he said. READ: Israel far-right minister […]]]> 657944 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-turkiye-criticises-reports-disney-will-scrap-ataturk-series/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 17:39:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657938 Turkiye's governing party has criticised a reported decision by Walt Disney Co's Disney+ not to broadcast a documentary series about modern Turkiye's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, on its streaming service, Turkish local media reports. According to the report, Ebubekir Sahin, Chairman of Turkiye's television watchdog, RTUK, announced the probe on Tuesday night in a statement, describing Ataturk as "our most important social value". The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) called on Disney+ in June to cancel the show, saying that it "glorifies a Turkish dictator and genocide killer". Last month, Disney+ Turkiye announced the Ataturk series would be on air "very soon". Omer Celik, spokesman for Turkiye's governing Justice and Development Party, or AKP, called it a "shame" that Disney+ had […]]]> 657938 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-palestinians-hope-saudis-will-hear-concerns-on-israel-deal-minister-says/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 14:34:27 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657893 The Palestinian Authority is hoping to engage with Saudi Arabia to discuss their concerns over a potential agreement normalising relations with Israel, Palestinian Foreign Minister, Riyad Al-Maliki, said on Thursday, Reuters reports. US President Joe Biden said, last week, a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Israel "may be under way" following months of efforts by US officials to broker an agreement between the two long-standing adversaries. Officials from all three countries have said any agreement would be some way off, with complex issues remaining to be resolved, including the tense situation in the Occupied West Bank and a potential development of civilian nuclear power by Saudi Arabia. But the speculation has caused concern among Palestinians that any agreement would further weaken support for […]]]> 657893 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-beirut-port-blast-three-years-on-victims-still-await-accountability/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 14:07:25 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657885 Lebanon, on Friday, marks the third anniversary of the Beirut port explosion which killed at least 220 people, wounded thousands and damaged swathes of the city. Despite the devastation, an investigation has brought no senior official to account. Here is a summary of what happened and how the investigation has been stymied: The explosion  The blast is thought to have been set off by a fire at a warehouse just after 6 p.m. (1600 GMT) on 4 August, 2020, detonating hundreds of tonnes of ammonium nitrate. Originally bound for Mozambique aboard a Russian-leased ship, the chemicals had been at the port since 2013, when they were unloaded during an unscheduled stop. No one claimed the shipment, tangled in a legal […]]]> 657885 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-rights-groups-urge-independent-impartial-probe-into-greek-migrant-shipwreck/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 12:51:58 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657872 Human rights groups, on Thursday, underlined the need for an "independent and impartial investigation" into a migrant shipwreck off the coast of Greece in June that left more than 80 irregular migrants dead and hundreds of others missing, Anadolu Agency reports. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, in a joint statement, expressed concern over conflicting accounts from the Greek coastguard and survivors and underscored "the urgent need for an effective, independent and impartial investigation." On 14 June, a 30-meter-long fishing boat, "Adriana", capsized and sank about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from Greece's southern coastal town of Pylos, with the majority of people on board from Pakistan, Syria and Libya. There were 104 survivors, with 82 bodies recovered out of 400-700 […]]]> 657872 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-somalia-suspends-chairwoman-of-national-athletics-federation/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 12:49:06 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657870 The Somali Olympic Committee announced, Wednesday, that it has suspended the Chairwoman of the Somali Athletics Federation for selecting an "unskilled" female athlete to represent the country at the FISU World University Games in China, Anadolu Agency reports. A statement issued by the Ministry of Youth and Sports said Sports Minister, Mohamed Barre Mohamud, had directed the Olympic committee to take the action against Khadija Aden Dahir. The Somali Athletics Federation said Dahir has been temporarily suspended and was accused of "national defamation". "It is clear to the Ministry that Nasra (Abukar Ali) is not an athlete, and that Mrs. Khadija committed an act of abuse of power and defamation of the nation," the Sports Ministry said. Mohamud apologised to […]]]> 657870 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-moroccan-sentenced-to-five-5-after-facebook-posts-criticising-normalised-ties-with-israel/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 12:08:01 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657863 A Moroccan court has sentenced a blogger to five years in prison over posts on Facebook criticising the normalisation of relations with Israel that were deemed "offensive" to the monarchy, according to his lawyer. Lawyer Hassan Al-Sunni told AFP that his client, Saeed Boukayoud, 48, "was sentenced to five years in prison on Monday for Facebook posts denouncing normalisation with Israel in a way that could be interpreted as criticism of the King." The facts of the case go back to December 2020, when Boukayoud, who resides in Qatar, published posts rejecting the agreement, which at that time required Morocco to resume its relations with the occupation state of Israel in return for the US recognising its sovereignty over the Western Sahara, according […]]]> 657863 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-iran-executes-11-from-baluch-within-48-hours-on-drug-charges/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 11:55:32 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657854 Iranian authorities executed 11 people from the Baluch minority on drug charges within 48 hours, according to a non-governmental organisation, raising concerns that this group has been disproportionately targeted in a wave of executions. The Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) said nine Iranian Baluchis and two Baluch citizens of neighbouring Afghanistan were executed between Sunday and Tuesday morning. The organisation added that it documented a total of 61 executions across Iran in July, at a time when Tehran is intensifying the issuance of this punishment, with 423 executions carried out this year. Activists accuse Iran of using the death penalty as a tool to spread fear among the population, in the wake of a protest movement that erupted last September […]]]> 657854 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-brazil-president-supports-accession-of-saudi-arabia-uae-to-brics/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 11:41:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657845 Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has expressed his support for more countries joining the BRICS group. Lula said in the capital, Brasilia, yesterday that he supports countries such as Argentina, Saudi Arabia and the UAE joining the group. BRICS, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is due to hold a summit in Johannesburg from 22-24 August. He also described the seven leading industrialised countries as a "club" that should not exist, considering that its form in terms of geopolitical affairs is outdated. The UK, US, France, Italy, Japan, Canada and Germany make up the group of Western industrialised countries, known as the G7. Some 22 countries have "formally" asked to join the BRICS group, while […]]]> 657845 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-pakistan-intelligence-using-israel-spyware-report-says/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 11:25:28 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657839 Pakistan intelligence and police agencies are using Israeli spyware, Haaretz has reported."Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency and various police units in the country have been using products produced by the Israeli cybertechnology firm Cellebrite since at least 2012," the Israeli paper revealed today. This is in spite of the country having no diplomatic ties with Israel and stressing its boycott of the occupation state. As a result, the paper reported, the purchase of the software was made through Singapore. Cellebrite software allows law enforcement agencies to engage in digital forensic work by hacking into password-protected cellphones and copying all the information stored on them. The news has, once again, raised the question of whether spyware should be sold to oppressive regimes […]]]> 657839 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-why-are-israel-and-saudi-arabia-heading-for-normalisation-and-what-might-stop-it/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 10:16:23 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657769 Despite US efforts to get Saudi Arabia and Israel to normalise their relations, the process keeps faltering. Israeli officials speak of a long and important list of demands made by the Kingdom to the Americans. Although a normalisation agreement with Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Muslim world will give greater legitimacy to relations with Israel, such an agreement requires the apartheid state to do certain things, according to Israeli political and diplomatic officials. US President Joe Biden's administration has the ambitious goal to broker such normalisation before the next presidential election campaign. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to have set the same goal. He has a clear interest in strengthening relations with Saudi Arabia as it is […]]]> 657769 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-iran-kicks-off-drill-on-disputed-islands-as-us-military-presence-in-region-grows/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 17:11:59 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657540 Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard launched a surprise military drill Wednesday on disputed islands in the Persian Gulf as the US military increased its presence in the region, AP reports. According to the report, the elite force ran the drills mainly off the coast of Abu Musa which, along with Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb, are islands in the Gulf that Iran controls but have recently been increasingly the subject of political tensions. Iran did not provide a reason for launching the drill, though such snap exercises have happened in the past, the report said. "We always try for security and tranquility; it is our way," the Guard's chief, General Hossein Salami, said in a televised address during the drill. "Our nation […]]]> 657540 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-geopolitical-realities-in-the-middle-east-and-the-political-mandate-of-the-iaea/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 15:45:44 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657382 Geopolitical events in the Middle East, as well as the recent visit of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, to Iran for nuclear programme talks, contribute to how quickly the world is changing. With rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia brokered by China, undermining US influence, new geopolitical realities are being created in the region. Having received funding from the UN, the IAEA has decided to take on a political mandate. Although Iran has never been charged with breaking the law, there is a widespread assumption in the West that this may be the case. Uncertainties result from this deficit of trust. During discussions between 2002 and 2018, Iran committed to stick to several […]]]> 657382 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-more-than-2000-palestinian-americans-admitted-in-israel-visa-trial-so-far/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 15:10:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657523 More than 2,000 Palestinian-Americans have travelled into or through Israel since it eased conditions for them at border crossings as part of a bid to achieve a visa waiver deal with the United States, an Israeli official said on Wednesday, Reuters reports. Ahead of a 30 September deadline to qualify its citizens for visa-free admission to the United States, Israel has reciprocally loosened access through its main airport and at the Occupied West Bank's boundary for Palestinian-Americans. The US embassy has declined comment on the trial period, which comes amid unusually intense strains between US and Israeli leadership over wider Palestinian policies and contested judicial changes in Israel. An Israeli official said that, in the first week of the six-week pilot, 1,100 Palestinian-Americans had […]]]> 657523 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-somalia-outraged-at-sending-of-untrained-woman-athlete-to-major-sporting-event-in-china/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 13:46:03 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657389 Somali netizens in the country and abroad have criticised national sports authorities for nepotism and corruption in the selection process for sending woman athlete, Nasra Abukar Ali, to the ongoing 31st Summer World University Games in Chengdu, China, where she finished last in the 100-meter race, Anadolu Agency reports. Though no new records were set in the sports event, a video of a 20-year-old Somali sportswoman finishing the 100-meter race in 21 seconds went viral on social media, with netizens dubbing her the "worst athlete" in the game. Some Somalis took to social media to criticise the Ministry of Youth and Sports for sending an "untrained" athlete to a high-profile event. READ: Putin says Russia will provide free grain to […]]]> 657389 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-us-concerned-about-escalating-israeli-settler-violence-against-palestinians/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 09:10:41 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657202 The United States is deeply concerned about escalating Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, a US official said on Tuesday. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israel and Palestinian Affairs Andrew Miller told Al Horra TV that Israeli officials "should necessarily take urgent measures to contain the escalation in the Palestinian territories." This came during Miller's visit to the Ramallah governorate town of Turmus Ayya where he met local Palestinian residents, including some who are US citizens, to discuss settler violence. He reaffirmed the firm commitment of the US to promoting equal measures of freedom, justice, dignity and prosperity for Palestinians and Israelis alike. READ: Israel uses weapons to force Palestinians out to allow settlers to […]]]> 657202 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-sudan-meeting-in-cairo-to-discuss-end-to-fighting/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 07:37:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657166 Sudanese political forces met in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss the formation of a "civilian front" to stop the fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces. Representatives of the Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change, which is the former ruling coalition, met the Arab League's Assistant Secretary, Hossam Zaki, at the League's headquarters in Cairo. They also held a separate meeting in Cairo with the US ambassador to Sudan, John Godfrey. The Sudanese group said afterwards that its delegation met Zaki in the context of mobilising and coordinating international and regional efforts to end the war in Sudan. The group added that the meeting covered developments in Sudan and the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe. The meeting […]]]> 657166 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-china-using-families-as-hostages-to-quash-uyghur-dissent-abroad/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 19:10:39 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657155 China is pressuring Uyghurs living abroad to spy on human rights campaigners by threatening families back home, the BBC reports. According to the report, China is pressuring Uyghurs living abroad to spy on human rights campaigners, researchers told the BBC. The Uyghurs, an ethnic Muslim minority group, have been subjected to widespread persecution in their home region of Xinjiang, China. To escape this oppression, many Uyghurs have sought refuge in various countries around the world. Dr. David Tobin at the University of Sheffield said that all Uyghurs living outside China are victims of transnational repression. "Research suggests this particular kind – controlling access to family members in the home country through video calls, in exchange for compliance overseas – is […]]]> 657155 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-us-proposal-to-rescue-israel-is-as-offensive-as-it-is-ridiculous/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 17:18:18 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657098 "Why is the US paying for Israel's peace?" is a reasonable question to ask in light of recent rumours in Washington over the latest proposal to rescue the occupation state from the brink of disaster. The sentiment was widely shared in response to a recent article by Thomas Friedman in which the New York Times columnist revealed details of a possible deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel and the price American would have to pay to make such a deal possible. Americans are rightly asking "Why does the US even care if Saudi Arabia has peace with Israel and why would WE have to purchase that peace at the price of tying ourselves to Saudia Arabia if it were attacked […]]]> 657098 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-almost-400-pakistan-migrants-detained-by-traffickers-freed-from-warehouses-in-east-libya/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 16:20:39 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657130 Security forces in eastern Libya have freed almost 400 Pakistani migrants who were detained in smugglers' warehouses, as human traffickers continue to run their operations in and from the country, with some reporting to brutal tactics of outright kidnap. According to the migrant rights group, Al-Abreen, at least 385 Pakistani nationals were released early yesterday from warehouses used by smugglers in the Al-Khuwair area, which is located about 5 miles south of the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk. One of the rights group's activists, Esreiwa Salah, told the Associated Press news agency that the Pakistani migrants had arrived in Libya with the intention of traveling to Europe, but were then detained by the traffickers who demanded ransoms to secure their […]]]> 657130 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-us-quietly-inspects-israel-crossings-for-its-palestine-dual-nationals/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 16:06:07 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657124 US observers are in Israel this week to discreetly assess conditions at its border crossings for Palestinian-Americans as part of an emerging Israeli-US visa waiver deal, four officials said, Reuters reports. The officials, who declined to be identified by name or nationality, said the delegation visited Israel's immigration office on Sunday, Ben Gurion Airport on Monday and would, on Tuesday, tour checkpoints on the Occupied West Bank's boundaries. In return for visa-free access for Israelis, Washington has demanded that Israel provide reciprocal unfettered passage for Americans, regardless of their background. That would overhaul travel rules for tens of thousands of Palestinian-Americans who live in the West Bank, as well as, potentially, those from the United States, some of whom complain about harassment or travel bans […]]]> 657124 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-indonesia-buys-drones-worth-300m-from-turkiye-aerospace/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 14:39:01 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657116 Indonesia has bought 12 new drones from Turkish Aerospace worth $300 million, its Defence Ministry said on Tuesday, the latest in a series of purchases aimed at modernising the country's ageing military equipment, Reuters reports. The deal comes after Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, in July warned his cabinet to maintain a "healthy" budget as he highlighted outsized spending by the country's security agencies, including the Defence Ministry. In January, Defence Minister, Prabowo Subianto, sealed an $800-million deal to buy 12 Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets, which drew criticism as they were considered too old. Indonesia, in February, also bought 42 Rafale fighter jets for $8.1 billion, which will be disbursed in phases over several years. At 134.3 trillion rupiah ($8.89 billion), the Defence […]]]> 657116 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-kremlin-seeks-more-info-about-talks-in-saudi-ukraine-says-moscow-unwelcome/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 14:29:09 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657113 The Kremlin said, on Monday, it needed to learn more about the purpose of talks planned in Saudi Arabia about the war in Ukraine, but Ukraine made it plain Russia was not welcome at the meeting, Reuters reports. The meeting was first reported last Saturday in the Wall Street Journal, which said Saudi Arabia would invite Western states, Ukraine and major developing countries to talks, focusing on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's peace plan. The paper said Kyiv and Western countries hoped that the talks could lead to international backing for peace terms favouring Ukraine. Asked about the WSJ report, Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said: "Of course, Russia will follow this meeting. We need to understand what goals are set and what will […]]]> 657113 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-afghanistan-activists-sound-alarm-over-surge-in-suicide-among-women/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 10:35:09 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656955 A teenage girl ended her life last week by hanging herself at her home in Afghanistan's rugged central province of Bamyan, Anadolu has reported. Her family refrained from disclosing any details about her death, but a neighbour told local media that she was particularly distressed about not being able to go to school, a result of the Taliban administration's ban on education for women and girls. A day later, in another part of Afghanistan, a 23-year-old woman shot herself. According to local media reports, she took the step as an escape from an abusive household to which she was confined. Social media accounts of Afghan news outlets are teeming with such reports of women committing suicide. Activists say that there […]]]> 656955 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-netanyahu-slams-biden-over-criticism-of-judicial-overhaul/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 08:37:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656926 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has slammed the Biden administration in Washington over its criticism of his judicial overhaul, stressing that he will not bow to outside pressure. Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Netanyahu rebuked the US president and others, saying that other countries should not interfere in Israel's domestic affairs. He pointed out that he has served as a prime minister for 16 years, but he has "never commented on the internal debates of other democracies." He added: "Everybody has an opinion on Israel; they don't have an opinion on the riots in France or the protests there, or the debates that happen in other countries. [The US] is experiencing a major debate between the Supreme Court and […]]]> 656926 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-christina-aguilera-urged-to-cancel-concert-in-israel/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 08:19:09 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656921 Fans around the world are urging 32-year-old American pop superstar Christina Aguilera to cancel her upcoming performance in Israel due to the Israeli government's escalation in its forced displacements of Palestinian communities. "Shalom Israel, I'm so excited to finally make my way to Tel Aviv, this'll be my first performance in Israel," said Aguilera in a video message shared yesterday by the show's promoter, Live Nation Israel. "See you at Live Park on August 10 for an unforgettable night." In response, Aguilera's fans took to Twitter/X to express their disappointment at the singer's scheduled event in Rishon LeZion, highlighting the racist Israeli policies enforced on Palestinians including the destruction of their homes, land grabs and being denied their rights to […]]]> 656921