Iran’s President Raisi and FM Amir-Abdollahian join a long list of world leaders who have perished in air disasters

Special Iran’s President Raisi and FM Amir-Abdollahian join a long list of world leaders who have perished in air disasters
Ebrahim Raisi, right, and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian died in a helicopter crash in northern Iran. (AFP)
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Updated 21 May 2024
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Iran’s President Raisi and FM Amir-Abdollahian join a long list of world leaders who have perished in air disasters

Iran’s President Raisi and FM Amir-Abdollahian join a long list of world leaders who have perished in air disasters
  • The duo perished on Sunday when the helicopter carrying them crashed in a mountainous region of northern Iran
  • At least two dozen top officials and serving heads of state have died in plane and helicopter crashes over the past century

LONDON: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was confirmed dead on Monday after search-and-rescue teams found his crashed helicopter in a mountainous region of northern Iran, close to the border with Azerbaijan.

Killed alongside Raisi were Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and seven others, including the crew, bodyguards and political and religious officials.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has assigned Vice President Mohammad Mokhber to assume interim duties ahead of elections within 50 days. Ali Bagheri, the country’s one-time top nuclear negotiator, was appointed as acting foreign minister.

Iranian authorities first raised the alarm on Sunday afternoon when they lost contact with Raisi’s helicopter as it flew through a fog-shrouded mountain area of the Jolfa region of East Azerbaijan province.




Iranian authorities first raised the alarm on Sunday afternoon when they lost contact with Raisi’s helicopter. (AP/Moj News Agency)

Raisi had earlier met Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev on their common border to inaugurate a dam project.

On the return trip, only two of the three helicopters in his convoy landed in the city of Tabriz, setting off a massive search-and-rescue effort, with several foreign governments soon offering help.

As the sun rose on Monday, rescue crews said they had located the destroyed Bell 212 helicopter — a civilian version of the ubiquitous Vietnam War-era UH-1N “Twin Huey” — with no survivors among the nine people on board.

State television channel IRIB reported that the helicopter had “hit a mountain and disintegrated” on impact.

Analysts have highlighted concerns about the safety of Iran’s civilian and military aircraft, many of which are in a poor state of repair after decades of US sanctions deprived the nation of new models and spare parts.

Iran has kept its civil and military aviation fleets flying during its isolation since the 1979 revolution through a combination of smuggled parts and reverse-engineering, according to Western analysts.

“Spare parts would have definitely been an issue for the Iranians,” Cedric Leighton, a retired US Air Force colonel, told CNN.




State television channel IRIB reported that the helicopter had “hit a mountain and disintegrated” on impact. (Reuters/West Asia News Agency)

“In this particular case, I think this confluence of spare parts, because of the sanctions, plus the weather, which was very bad over the last few days in this particular part of northwestern Iran.

“All of that, I think contributed to a series of incidents and a series of decisions that the pilot and possibly even the president himself made when it came to flying this aircraft … And unfortunately for them, the result is this crash.”

Sunday’s incident is only the latest in a long history of air disasters that have claimed the lives of world leaders since the dawn of aviation.

One of the first instances of a serving leader or head of state to die in an air accident was Arvid Lindman, the prime minister of Sweden, whose Douglas DC-2 crashed into houses in Croydon, south London, while attempting to take off in thick fog on Dec. 9, 1936.

As the age of aviation took off during the interwar period, more and more leaders began taking to the skies for diplomatic visits and to touch base with the more distant corners of their dominions.

On Sept. 7, 1940, Paraguayan President Jose Felix Estigarribia died in a plane crash just a year after taking office, followed in 1943 by Poland’s prime minister in exile, Wladyslaw Sikorski, who died on July 4, 1943, when his B24C Liberator crashed into the Mediterranean shortly after taking off from Gibraltar.

While aviation technology and safety rapidly advanced after the Second World War as more and more countries began establishing their own air forces and civilian commercial fleets, technical faults, bad weather, and foul play continued to claim lives.




The top officials were found dead at the site of a helicopter crash on Monday after an hourslong search through a foggy, mountainous region. (AP/Moj News Agency)

On March 17, 1957, Ramon Magsaysay, the president of the Philippines, was killed when his plane crashed into Mount Manunggal in Cebu. A year later, on June 16, Brazil’s interim president, Nereu Ramos, died in a Cruzeiro airline crash near Curitiba Afonso Pena International Airport.

Africa has also seen its share of air disasters. On March 29, 1959, Barthelemy Boganda, president of the Central African Republic, died when his Atlas flying boxcar exploded in midair over Bangui.

Then, in 1961, Swedish economist and diplomat Dag Hammarskjold, who served as the second secretary-general of the UN, died when his Douglas DC-6B crashed into a jungle in Zambia on Sept. 18.

With the 1960s came the widespread adoption of helicopter flight in conflict zones, search-and-rescue operations, and increasingly as an efficient way for politicians, diplomats and business leaders to get around and land in areas without an airstrip.




Sunday’s incident is only the latest in a long history of air disasters that have claimed the lives of world leaders since the dawn of aviation. (AFP)

Like fixed-wing aircraft, however, helicopters are not immune to bad weather conditions, obstacles, human error, sabotage or terrorism.

One of the first world leaders to die in a helicopter crash was Abdul Salam Arif, the president of Iraq, who reportedly died when his aircraft was caught in a thunderstorm on April 13, 1966.

Similar incidents followed with the April 27, 1969, death of Bolivian President Rene Barrientos in a helicopter crash in Arque, and Joel Rakotomalala, the prime minister of Madagascar, in a crash on July 30, 1976.

Bad weather contributed to the death of Yugoslav premier Dzemal Bijedic on Jan. 18, 1977, when his Gates Learjet crashed into a mountain during a snowstorm.

Climatic conditions were also blamed when Ecuadorian President Jaime Roldos Aguilera’s Beech Super King Air 200 FAE-723 crashed on May 24, 1981, and when Mozambican President Samora Machel’s Tupolev-134A crashed while trying to land in a storm at Maputo on Oct. 19, 1986.




Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. (AFP)

As the skies became busier, the potential for accidents grew. On July 18, 1967, Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco, the first president of the Brazilian military dictatorship after the 1964 coup, died in a midair collision of Piper PA-23 aircraft near Fortaleza.

On May 27, 1979, Ahmed Ould Bouceif, the prime minister of Mauritania, died in a plane crash off the coast of Dakar, Senegal, and Francisco Sa Carneiro, who served as Portugal’s prime minister for only 11 months, died on Dec. 4, 1980.

Not all crashes can be blamed on the weather or pilot error, however. In several cases, aircraft have been deliberately targeted as a means of killing their high-profile passengers.

Panamanian leader Gen. Omar Torrijos died on July 31, 1981, when his Panamanian Air Force plane crashed under suspicious circumstances.

On June 1, 1987, Lebanese statesman Rashid Karami, who served as prime minister eight times, was killed when a bomb detonated aboard his helicopter shortly after takeoff from Beirut.

In one particularly devastating incident, Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana and Burundian President Cyprien Ntaryamira were both killed on April 6, 1994, when their Dassault Falcon 50 9XR-NN was shot down while approaching Rwanda’s Kigali airport.




Iranians will observe five days of mourning for victims of the helicopter crash. (Reuters/West Asia News Agency)

There have been several investigations into the air crash that killed Pakistan’s Gen. Zia Ul-Haq on Aug. 17, 1988, but no satisfactory cause was found, leading to a flurry of assassination theories.

The Pakistani Air Force Lockheed C-130B crashed shortly after takeoff from Bahawalpur. According to investigators, the plane plunged from the sky and struck the ground with such force that it was blown to pieces and wreckage scattered over a wide area.

Despite vast improvements in aviation safety, disasters have continued to strike well into the new millennium.

On Feb. 26, 2004, Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski died when his Beechcraft Super King Air 200 Z3-BAB crashed while trying to land in poor weather at Mostar.




A man lights a candle to offer condolences outside the Iranian embassy, in Baghdad. (Reuters)

John Garang, leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army and briefly first vice president of Sudan, died when his helicopter crashed into a mountain range in the country’s south after getting caught in poor weather on July 30, 2005.

Muhammadu Maccido, the sultan of Sokoto in Nigeria, was killed alongside his son when his ADC Airlines Flight 53 crashed on Oct. 29, 2006, and Polish President Lech Kaczynski died on April 10, 2010, when his Tupolev-154 crashed in foggy weather when approaching Smolensk airport in western Russia.

In the latest incident prior to Raisi’s death, the deceased was actually at the controls when the aircraft got into difficulty. Chile’s former president, Sebastian Pinera, was killed on Feb. 6 this year when the Robinson R44 helicopter he was piloting crashed nose-first into Lake Ranco.




An Iranian woman holds a poster of President Ebrahim Raisi during a mourning ceremony in Tehran, Iran. (AP)

While this list of fatalities might give world leaders pause for thought as they step aboard their presidential jets on their next diplomatic outing, it is well worth remembering that modern air travel is statistically many times safer than traveling by road.

That said, an experienced pilot, an aircraft in good condition, a clear weather forecast, and a flight plan shrouded in secrecy would no doubt improve their odds of making a safe arrival.

 


Syria’s neighboring foreign ministers call for lifting sanctions, reconciliation

Syria’s neighboring foreign ministers call for lifting sanctions, reconciliation
Updated 6 sec ago
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Syria’s neighboring foreign ministers call for lifting sanctions, reconciliation

Syria’s neighboring foreign ministers call for lifting sanctions, reconciliation
AMMAN: Syria’s top diplomat and his counterparts from neighboring countries Sunday called for the lifting of Western-led sanctions on Syria and post-war reconciliation.
The foreign ministers of Turkiye, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon made their remarks alongside Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani following a meeting in the Jordanian capital Amman.
It comes following days of clashes between Syrian security forces and insurgents of the minority Alawite community loyal to the deposed Bashar Assad government in Syria’s coastal province. Some rights groups say the fighting has killed hundreds. The Associated Press could not independently verify those numbers.
The United States and Europe have been hesitant to lift sanctions on Syria before there is a clear political transition that is democratic and inclusive of Syria’s minorities and civil society. At the same time, the country desperately needs money to rebuild after years of war and pull millions out of poverty. The United Nations estimates that some 90 percent of Syria’s population lives in poverty.
“We are protecting all components of the Syrian people, and we do not discriminate between them. We will not allow the repetition of the tragedies of the Syrian people,” said Al-Shibani.
Syria’s new authorities under interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa have struggled to convince the United States and Europe to lift sanctions to start rebuilding the country after 13 years of war and reconcile with the Kurds in the northeast and Druze in the south to exert state authority across the country.
Syria’s neighbors fear that the country’s pulverized economy and internal tensions could impact their own stability.
“Stability in Syria requires dialogue with the country’s various components,” said Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein at a joint news conference.
The foreign ministers were critical of what they said was foreign intervention in the region after Israeli troops conducted military operations in southern Syria and seized a UN buffer zone that divides Syria from the Golan Heights, which Israel seized and annexed in 1967. On Sunday, the Israeli commanding officers visited and assessed the buffer zone.
Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan welcomed the “historic” meeting and called for cooperation to decrease tension in Syria, and said he alongside others will work against sleeper cells belonging to the extremist Daesh group and affiliates of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party in Syria and Iraq.
“This is a regional problem. Regardless of our ideals we should all combat IS as well as the PKK, they are both terrorist entities,” he added.
Iraq’s foreign minister warned that Daesh sleeper cells are growing in numbers.
“We need to take the initiative first in exchanging views and information about (the Daesh group’s) latest operations and especially their expansion not only on the Syrian borders with Iraq and Jordan but also their expansion in the Syrian land,” said Hussein.

Israel says it is cutting off its electricity supply to Gaza

Palestinian children wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, during Ramadan, in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza Strip.
Palestinian children wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, during Ramadan, in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza Strip.
Updated 09 March 2025
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Israel says it is cutting off its electricity supply to Gaza

Palestinian children wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, during Ramadan, in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza Strip.
  • Sunday’s announcement comes a week after Israel cut off all supplies of goods to the territory to over 2 million people
  • Gaza has been largely devastated by the war, and generators and solar panels are used for some of the power supply

JERUSALEM: Israel says it is cutting off its electricity supply to Gaza. The full effects of that are not immediately clear, but the territory’s desalination plants receive power for producing drinking water.
Sunday’s announcement comes a week after Israel cut off all supplies of goods to the territory to over 2 million people. It has sought to press Hamas to accept an extension of the first phase of their ceasefire. That phase ended last weekend.
Hamas has pressed to start negotiations on the ceasefire’s more difficult second phase instead.
Gaza has been largely devastated by the war, and generators and solar panels are used for some of the power supply.


US envoy says Gaza hostage deal possible ‘within weeks’

US Envoy for Hostages Adam Boehler speaks during a US hostage and wrongful detainee flag raising ceremony at State Department.
US Envoy for Hostages Adam Boehler speaks during a US hostage and wrongful detainee flag raising ceremony at State Department.
Updated 09 March 2025
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US envoy says Gaza hostage deal possible ‘within weeks’

US Envoy for Hostages Adam Boehler speaks during a US hostage and wrongful detainee flag raising ceremony at State Department.
  • “I think something could come together within weeks... I think there is a deal where they can get all of the prisoners out, not just the Americans,” Boehler said

WASHINGTON: The US hostage envoy who held unprecedented direct talks with Hamas said Sunday he was confident a deal could be reached “within weeks” to free all civilians still held by the Palestinian militants.
Speaking to CNN, Adam Boehler — a Jewish American — acknowledged it had been “odd” sitting face-to-face with leaders of a group that the United States has listed as a “terrorist” organization since 1997. The talks took place in recent weeks.
Boehler said he understood Israel’s “consternation” that the US had held talks at all with the group, but said he had been seeking to jump-start the “fragile” negotiations.
“In the end, I think it was a very helpful meeting,” he said, adding: “I think something could come together within weeks... I think there is a deal where they can get all of the prisoners out, not just the Americans.”
Boehler suggested there was a chance of further talks with the militants, telling CNN: “You never know. You know sometimes you’re in the area and you drop by.”
Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, taking 251 hostages — including a number of Americans. An estimated 58 hostages remain in Gaza.
Israel invaded Gaza in response, waging a relentless war for more than 15 months and displacing much of the population.
The first phase of a truce revolving around the release of some hostages ended earlier this month, and both sides are disputing when to move into the second phase, which aims at a more permanent peace.
Last week, US President Donald Trump threatened further destruction of Gaza if all remaining hostages were not released, issuing what he called a “last warning” to Hamas leaders.
“I understand the consternation and the concern” on Israel’s part at the talks, Boehler said, adding: “We’re the United States. We’re not an agent of Israel.”
He described his feelings on sitting across from the militants.
“I think when you walk and you sit in front of somebody, and you know what they’ve done, it’s hard not to think of it,” he said.
He said it was important to identify with their humanity, but admitted, “It definitely feels a little odd knowing what they really are.”
Hamas’s attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, most of them civilians, according to official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 48,458 people in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The UN considers these figures reliable.


Frankly Speaking: Assessing the Arab League plan for Gaza

Frankly Speaking: Assessing the Arab League plan for Gaza
Updated 09 March 2025
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Frankly Speaking: Assessing the Arab League plan for Gaza

Frankly Speaking: Assessing the Arab League plan for Gaza
  • Saudi columnist Abdulrahman Al-Rashed says Arab League proposal may not be perfect, but presenting alternative to US and Israeli plans keeps negotiations moving
  • Believes President Trump should be given space to solve the Middle East crisis, but insists only the Palestinian Authority has legitimacy to govern Gaza

RIYADH: Although the Arab League’s plan for Gaza, announced at the Cairo summit on March 4, has faced outright rejection by the US and Israel, it still plays a crucial role in keeping negotiations alive, according to renowned Saudi columnist and political analyst Abdulrahman Al-Rashed.

Appearing on the Arab News current affairs program “Frankly Speaking,” Al-Rashed provided a candid assessment of the Arab League’s plan for postwar Gaza, how it stacks up against rival proposals, and the evolving political landscape in Lebanon, Syria, and Saudi Arabia.

The Arab League’s extraordinary summit took place last week in response to US President Donald Trump’s controversial suggestion that the US could take over Gaza, displace its Palestinian population to Egypt and Jordan, and redevelop the land as a leisure resort.

By contrast, the Arab League plan, which has won the backing of European leaders, calls for Gaza to be governed temporarily by a committee of independent experts and for international peacekeepers to be deployed to the territory.

The committee would be responsible for overseeing humanitarian aid and temporarily managing Gaza’s affairs under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority. The territory would be rebuilt at a cost of $53 billion without the need to displace the population.

“I think this leaves us with three plans now,” Al-Rashed told “Frankly Speaking” host Katie Jensen.

Abdulrahman Al-Rashed provided a candid assessment of the Arab League’s plan for postwar Gaza, how it stacks up against rival proposals, and the changing political landscape in Lebanon and Syria. (AN photos)

“One is the Arab League plan, which says people stay in Gaza and reconstruction should be done in five years. And the Israeli plan, which is basically occupation and probably continuation of military activities.

“And, of course, we have the Trump plan, which is ‘the riviera,’ two million people should leave, and reconstruction of the whole area to make it livable. I don’t know whether the two million will come back or not. But the three plans are now on the table.

“I am not really sure if the Cairo summit has succeeded in convincing the White House, but at least we have a plan. This is the point here — to negotiate.”

Despite concerns that the Israeli and Trump-backed proposals could amount to ethnic cleansing, Al-Rashed argued that the Cairo plan is essential in providing a framework for continued diplomatic engagement.

“This is really just a way to negotiate, to keep the momentum, so it’s not just Trump saying, ‘let’s have the two million people out’ and we have chaos in Egypt, Jordan, and the Middle East,” he said.

Al-Rashed admitted he was slightly cynical about the plan when he recently tweeted that Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit should present the proposals to Trump himself at the White House — even if it meant risking a public spat similar to that which erupted between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.

“Mr. Aboul Gheit, in my opinion, should take the plan and take it directly to the Americans and talk to the Americans,” Al-Rashed said.

“We will have two possibilities. One, either they will negotiate and probably will reach an agreement, or probably Trump will do exactly what he did with Zelensky and say no, he will not accept it, he will push the Arab League to change the plan and come up with something more practical. So this is what I meant, actually.”

One of the primary objections to the Arab League’s plan stems from the role Hamas might play in Gaza’s future governance, particularly as Israel, the US, and many Western countries consider it a terrorist group, not least for its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.

Asked if he believes that Hamas’s endorsement of the Cairo plan makes it harder to sell, Al-Rashed said the group has already shown willingness to step aside.

“Actually, Hamas made a statement almost close enough to say they accept the plan and they almost said that they are willing to accept whatever all Palestinian parties will agree to run Gaza, to manage Gaza,” he said. “So, I believe Hamas is getting closer to saying yes.”

However, he noted that while Hamas might agree to relinquish political control, the group has yet to commit to full disarmament.

Abdulrahman Al-Rashed provided a candid assessment of the Arab League’s plan for postwar Gaza, how it stacks up against rival proposals, and the changing political landscape in Lebanon and Syria. (AN photos)

Recent reports that the Trump administration has been in direct talks with Hamas came as a surprise to many observers. The US has issued an ultimatum, demanding the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a lasting ceasefire.

While Al-Rashed sees this as a positive development, he criticized Hamas, which has been reticent about such a deal, for appearing to prioritize its public image over the well-being of Gaza’s population.

“I think we are right now on the edge of the second phase of the war,” he said. “So we will see, probably, more Israeli tanks roll into Gaza. And probably the warning might work like magic — probably Hamas will release most of the hostages or the remaining hostages in the coming weeks.”

He added: “I think the issue right now for Hamas is some sort of face-saving plan, something that will make Hamas look victorious, but they will not be in Gaza. I’m not really sure how it’s going to happen, but this is what is missing right now. It’s the Hamas image rather than, really, the lives of the two million Gazans or the remaining hostages.”

One positive, however, is that Egypt and Qatar have influence over Hamas, which could ease the process. “We have a window, a real window of solution this time, much more than before, after the conference,” Al-Rashed said.

“And I think the Egyptians and the Qataris have the leverage now. They can really pressure Hamas. And Hamas, if they accept the idea, will release all the rest of the hostages, they will have a safe passage from Gaza and they will live somewhere else, maybe Algeria or somewhere else. And the Palestinians, mainly the PA, rules Gaza.

“If this scenario happens — and I bet my money on it more likely — yes, we will have an end to hostility. I think Israelis will have some sort of supervision of Gaza. We will have the Palestinians finally at peace and we will have a new chapter start in the Middle East.”

However, Al-Rashed also criticized Israel’s refusal to consider a role for the Palestinian Authority or even the UN Relief and Works Agency in the governance of postwar Gaza.

“Right now, nothing will work unless we have a practical solution,” he said. “Trying to push two million people out is not a practical solution. It’s not going to happen. If it happens, it’s just, everybody will lose, including the Israelis.”

Al-Rashed insisted that the Palestinian Authority remains the most legitimate governing body for Gaza, despite its unpopularity in the West Bank.

“I think in terms of legitimacy, it is not Hamas, it is the PA,” he said. “The PA, the Palestinian Authority, is the one who has the legitimacy and is being recognized by everybody, including Western countries.”

Although events are hard to predict, Al-Rashed said he supports the view of Arab News columnist Hassan Yassin, who suggested in a recent op-ed that Trump’s unconventional style could help pave the way for a lasting peace in the region.

“I think we need to give President Trump the space and the chance because, look, Trump is not (Joe) Biden, and I think Trump is unique among all American presidents,” he said.

“He does definitely move mountains. And I think there is a great chance for the Middle East ... not only to sort out Gaza, but we can go beyond that to the two-state solution.”

He added: “Trump can convince anyone, to be honest, his own way; he has his own style. I’m sure (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu will not dare to treat Trump as he did Biden or (Barack) Obama before.

“Trump can make history and he can win the Nobel Prize. Definitely.”

Al-Rashed dismissed any notion that Egypt and Jordan might fight Israel over the displacement of Palestinians after Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s foreign minister, said such a move would amount to an act of war.

“I don’t think Jordan nor Egypt will go that far. I think these were the two best countries and governments in the region who know how to handle the crisis,” Al-Rashed said.

“They are concerned about the issue of Gaza. It’s just things going really too far in terms of devastation. We have more than 50,000 people killed there. We have Israeli hostages remaining there as well. So we are stuck.

“The issue here is how to get the Israeli hostages out, how to get Hamas out of Gaza, how to have peace in Gaza, and finally how to activate the peace plan. I don’t think what we heard about Egyptian and Jordanian readiness; I don’t take that seriously, honestly.”

Turning to Lebanon, Al-Rashed expressed optimism about the country’s future following the election of former army chief Joseph Aoun as president and former International Court of Justice judge Nawaf Salam as prime minister in January.

Having been trapped in the vortex of a major financial crisis since 2019 and more than two years without a formally recognized government, the country is now on track to make a recovery, not least from the recent conflict on its territory between Israel and Hezbollah.

Al-Rashed said President Aoun’s recent visit to Riyadh was indicative of the reset underway in relations between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, but warned that Hezbollah — although significantly weakened by the conflict — remains a potentially destabilizing force.

“To a certain degree, the worst is behind us, but we still have problems,” Al-Rashed said. “Even with kitchen knives, Hezbollah could be a problem.”

He added: “Hezbollah, of course, are really facing a lot of problems right now. They have thousands of people who are running out of cash. They have houses destroyed. They have to be rebuilt. They have no routes to Iran anymore. They are disconnected from Iran.”

Discussing the downfall of the Bashar Assad regime in December and the rise of Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s transitional government in Syria, Al-Rashed said it was a significant shift for the region.

“I cannot really speak on behalf of Riyadh, but from my understanding, everyone — almost everyone — is extremely happy about the departure of the Assad regime,” he said. “It has been there for half a century. It was a contributor to chaos.”

Clashes between government security forces and suspected pro-Assad factions in the Alawite community escalated last week. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has come out in full support of Al-Sharaa.

“Everyone extended their support to President Al-Sharaa, including Saudis,” Al-Rashed said. “He visited Riyadh. He made his first visit. And Saudis, they made sure to welcome him. So no excuse whatsoever that the new regime should be welcomed; of course, it is welcomed as long as it behaves like a normal one in the region.

“Saudi can contribute a lot to the development of Syria, but we need first, of course, to see the sanctions lifted. And this has to do with Washington more than with Riyadh. But yes, this is what we see right now — history in the making, definitely.”

He also warned against Israeli involvement with the Druze community in Syria, suggesting that moves toward creating a breakaway region led by the ethno-religious minority could create further instability.

“Israelis, whatever the objective is, they’re trying, of course, to create a buffer zone by encouraging bordering areas like the Druze area to be protected by them.”

Turning to Saudi Arabia, Al-Rashed reflected on the sweeping reforms implemented under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 agenda, which have positioned the Kingdom as a leading force for change in the region.

“We are seeing Saudi Arabia not only being developed and Saudi Arabia being moderate also in terms of Islam, but we are seeing a leadership that is trying to spread the word in the region and all over the Islamic world,” he said.

“Saudis will change the Islamic world, not just Saudi Arabia, as is already happening right now.”

Referring to the crown prince’s leadership, Al-Rashed said: “People, individuals make big changes in history. You have the leaders who make a big difference for their own countries. And I think the crown prince has shown his ideas and of course resilience from the beginning.”

Elaborating on the point, he said: “If you have listened to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the past 10 years, when he speaks to local or regional media, he talks about the economy, he talks about the welfare of the people, he talks about the future. These are three subjects which make a big difference.

“Unfortunately, politicians in the region spend 90 percent of their conversation about politics. And I think this is why Saudis have something called 2030, a vision for the future. And that is what everybody’s busy with.”


Qatar demands IAEA oversight of Israel’s nuclear facilities

Qatar demands IAEA oversight of Israel’s nuclear facilities
Updated 09 March 2025
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Qatar demands IAEA oversight of Israel’s nuclear facilities

Qatar demands IAEA oversight of Israel’s nuclear facilities

DUBAI: Qatar on Saturday called for international efforts to bring all Israel’s nuclear facilities under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The foreign ministry of Qatar, in a statement, called on Israel “to subject all its nuclear facilities to IAEA safeguards” and for Israel to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. 

The statement followed a meeting of IAEA governors in Vienna attended by Jassim Yacoub Al-Hammadi, Qatar’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations in Vienna. The meeting addressed “the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel’s nuclear capabilities.”

Al-Hammadi noted during the meeting that “some of these resolutions explicitly urged Israel to join the NPT as a non-nuclear state.”

He also pointed out that “all Middle Eastern countries, except Israel, are parties to the NPT and have effective safeguard agreements with the agency.”

He further noted that Israel continues its aggressive policies, such as calls for a forced displacement of the Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, and its intensifying military operations in the West Bank, as well as the “obstruction of humanitarian aid to Gaza and continued restrictions on UNRWA’s operations.”

Qatar is a mediator for Gaza ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas.