Qatari emir criticizes ‘international failure’ of Palestine in UNGA address

Qatari emir criticizes ‘international failure’ of Palestine in UNGA address
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Amir of Qatar, speaks during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the United Nations headquarters on September 24, 2024 in New York City. (AFP)
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Updated 24 September 2024
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Qatari emir criticizes ‘international failure’ of Palestine in UNGA address

Qatari emir criticizes ‘international failure’ of Palestine in UNGA address
  • Sheikh Tamim: ‘There are those in Israel who entertain wishful thinking to eliminate the Palestinian people’
  • ‘Israel is currently waging a war on Lebanon, and no one knows to what extent this war could escalate’

NEW YORK CITY: Qatar’s emir criticized the international community on Tuesday for failing Palestine and for being content with “illusions of making peace” in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“Every year I stand on this podium and I begin by talking about the Palestinian cause, the absence of justice, the perils of believing that it can be neglected, and the illusions of making peace without a just solution to the Palestinian cause,” Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad said during his address at the UN General Assembly in New York.
“There are those who are tempted by the possibility of marginalizing this issue to get rid of its burden, but the Palestinian cause is resistant to marginalization because it’s an issue of indigenous people on their own land, a people who are subjected to a settler-colonial occupation.
“It seems there are those in Israel who entertain wishful thinking to eliminate the Palestinian people.
“The ongoing Israeli aggression for nearly a year is nothing but a result of the absence of a sincere political will, a deliberate international failure to resolve the Palestinian issue with a just solution, and insistence of the occupying Israeli parties to impose a fait accompli on the Palestinians and the world.”
Sheikh Tamim’s address focused on the war in Gaza, the escalation of violence in the West Bank, and increasing tensions between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Qatar will “spare no effort” to bring about a peaceful resolution to the unrest, but “we won’t achieve this goal except with a serious partner who is aware of the importance of renouncing this war and ending the occupation and all forms of aggression so we can reach together the desired peace in the Middle East,” he said.
“Israel is currently waging a war on Lebanon, and no one knows to what extent this war could escalate. This is what we’ve repeatedly warned against.”
Sheikh Tamim highlighted Qatar’s role in mediating and working toward resolutions to conflicts in the Middle East and beyond, saying Doha is actively seeking peace in Yemen, Syria, Sudan and Ukraine.
He pointed out Qatari-led efforts to reunite Ukrainian children with their families, and successfully securing last year’s US-Venezuela prisoner swap.
“We affirm the state of Qatar will spare no effort in working with its international partners and the UN to firmly consolidate the pillars of peace, security, sustainable development, human rights and the rule of law — at all levels — and to address global challenges to achieve a better future for all,” he said.


IAEA chief sees willingness from Iran to re-engage on nuclear file

IAEA chief sees willingness from Iran to re-engage on nuclear file
Updated 59 min 12 sec ago
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IAEA chief sees willingness from Iran to re-engage on nuclear file

IAEA chief sees willingness from Iran to re-engage on nuclear file
  • IAEA board resolutions ordering Iran to cooperate urgently with the investigation into the uranium traces

UNITED NATIONS: UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Tuesday he had sensed a greater willingness by Iranian officials to engage with the agency in a more meaningful way after talks in New York, and that he hoped to travel to Tehran in October.
Several long-standing issues have dogged relations between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency, including Tehran’s barring of uranium-enrichment experts on the inspection team and its failure for years to explain uranium traces found at undeclared sites.
Grossi held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, one of the key architects to the 2015 accord that limited Iran’s ability to enrich uranium in return for a lifting of Western sanctions, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. “What I see is an expressed willingness to re-engage with us in a more meaningful fashion,” Grossi told Reuters in an interview.
With nuclear diplomacy largely stalled between the Iranian presidential election and the US one on Nov. 5, Iranian and European officials have met in New York to test their mutual willingness to reduce tensions amid Tehran’s disputed nuclear program, its role in Ukraine and mounting regional tensions.
Grossi said he wanted to make real progress in restoring proper technical discussions with Iran quickly and was aiming to travel to Tehran in October to meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
“Of course now we have to give content and substance to this because we are not starting from zero. We have had relatively protracted process without replies to some of the questions we have,” he said.
“We also need to calibrate together with them how we go through this period where they are waiting to see what is going to happen with their other partners, starting with the United States.”
IAEA board resolutions ordering Iran to cooperate urgently with the investigation into the uranium traces and calling on it to reverse its barring of inspectors have brought little change, and quarterly IAEA reports seen by Reuters on Aug. 29 showed no progress.
Development of Iran’s nuclear program has also advanced. By the end of the quarter, the latest IAEA reports showed Iran had completed installation of eight new cascades at Fordow but still not brought them online.
At its larger underground site at Natanz, which is enriching to up to 5 percent purity, it had brought 15 new cascades of other advanced models online.
“Iran has kept a regular pace without accelerating too much, but it continues,” Grossi said, adding that the Fordow cascades remained offline.
Iran has stepped up nuclear work since 2019, after then-US President Donald Trump abandoned an agreement reached under his predecessor Barack Obama.
When asked about the prospects of a revival of nuclear talks, Grossi said the preparatory work needed to start now, notably for the IAEA to get the necessary clarity on Iran’s activities since it reduced cooperation with the agency.
“I think we need to, or the ambition should be to get results in a different way, because the old way is simply not going to be possible anymore,” he said, adding that he foresaw a more active role for the agency.


Iran tells politicians in Iraq to halt their infighting

Iran tells politicians in Iraq to halt their infighting
Updated 25 September 2024
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Iran tells politicians in Iraq to halt their infighting

Iran tells politicians in Iraq to halt their infighting
  • Quds Force chief Esmail Qaani told Iraqi political leaders that stability in Iraq was vital amid an escalation in regional violence

RIYADH: The commander of Iran’s overseas Quds Force has been dispatched to Baghdad to order Iran-backed factions to stop undermining Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani.
Sudani is facing allegations that his office spied on top Iraqi officials and rival politicians. The judiciary has opened an investigation into the claims, led by Faiq Zaidan, head of the Supreme Judicial Council, which could determine whether Sudani continues in his job.
Quds Force chief Esmail Qaani told Iraqi political leaders that stability in Iraq was vital amid an escalation in regional violence, and they should ease criticism of the prime minister.
Analysts say the move reflects concerns in Tehran about instability on its doorstep in Iraq, where Iran has long exerted influence through armed groups and political parties.
“At a crucial moment for Iran when it’s trying to respond to Israeli aggression, the Iraqi groups are infighting in a way that’s destabilizing. The last thing Iran wants now is a political mess in Iraq,” said Renad Mansour of the Chatham House think tank in London.


Iran’s Pezeshkian says Tehran ready to work with world powers to resolve nuclear standoff

Iran’s Pezeshkian says Tehran ready to work with world powers to resolve nuclear standoff
Updated 25 September 2024
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Iran’s Pezeshkian says Tehran ready to work with world powers to resolve nuclear standoff

Iran’s Pezeshkian says Tehran ready to work with world powers to resolve nuclear standoff
  • Iran has brokered ongoing secret talks between Russia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels to transfer anti-ship missiles to that militant group, three Western and regional sources said, a development that highlights Tehran’s deepening ties to Moscow

UNITED NATIONS: Iran is ready to end its nuclear standoff with the West, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, while calling for an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine through dialogue.
Iran’s clerical establishment hopes to see an easing of US sanctions that have crippled the country’s economy.
Then-President Donald Trump abandoned Tehran’s 2015 nuclear pact with six world powers in 2018 and reimposed tough sanctions on Iran. Efforts to revive the pact have failed.
Tehran’s relations with the West have worsened since the Iranian-backed Hamas militant group attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7 and as Tehran has increased its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Pezeshkian, a relatively moderate politician who took office in August promising a pragmatic foreign policy, criticized Iran’s arch-foe Israel for what he called “its genocide in Gaza.”
“It is imperative that the international community should immediately ... secure a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and bring an end to the desperate barbarism of Israel in Lebanon, before it engulfs the region and the world,” he said.
An Israeli airstrike on Beirut killed a senior commander of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon on Tuesday as cross-border rocket attacks by both sides increased fears of a full-fledged war.
“We seek peace for all and have no intention of conflict with any country ... Iran opposes war and emphasizes the need for an immediate cessation of military conflict in Ukraine,” Pezeshkian said.
Russia has cultivated closer ties with Iran since the start of its war with Ukraine and has said it is preparing to sign a wide-ranging cooperation agreement with the Islamic state.
Iran has brokered ongoing secret talks between Russia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels to transfer anti-ship missiles to that militant group, three Western and regional sources said, a development that highlights Tehran’s deepening ties to Moscow.

 


Amid Israel-Hezbollah strikes, Lebanon says only US can stop fighting

Amid Israel-Hezbollah strikes, Lebanon says only US can stop fighting
Updated 25 September 2024
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Amid Israel-Hezbollah strikes, Lebanon says only US can stop fighting

Amid Israel-Hezbollah strikes, Lebanon says only US can stop fighting
  • "The United States is the only country that can really make a difference in the Middle East and with regard to Lebanon”

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM: An Israeli airstrike on Beirut killed a senior Hezbollah commander on Tuesday as cross-border rocket attacks by both sides increased fears of a full-fledged war in the Middle East and Lebanon said only Washington could help end the fighting.
Hezbollah early on Wednesday confirmed senior commander Ibrahim Qubaisi was killed by Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday on the Lebanese capital as Israel announced earlier. Israel said Qubaisi headed the group’s missile and rocket force.
Israel’s offensive since Monday morning has killed 569 people, including 50 children, and wounded 1,835 in Lebanon, Health Minister Firass Abiad told Al Jazeera Mubasher TV.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Israel kills Hezbollah commander in Beirut

• Lebanese health ministry says two-day death toll is 569

• UN Security Council to meet Wednesday

• Fears of a wider conflict are growing

The new offensive against Hezbollah has stoked fears that nearly a year of conflict between Israel and the militant Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza is escalating and could destabilize the Middle East. Britain urged its nationals to leave Lebanon and said it was moving 700 troops to Cyprus to help its citizens evacuate.
The UN Security Council said it would meet on Wednesday to discuss the conflict.
“Lebanon is at the brink. The people of Lebanon – the people of Israel – and the people of the world — cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said.
At the UN, which is holding its General Assembly this week, US President Joe Biden made a plea for calm. “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest. Even if a situation has escalated, a diplomatic solution is still possible,” he said.
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib criticized Biden’s address as “not strong, not promising” and said the US was the only country “that can really make a difference in the Middle East and with regard to Lebanon.” Washington is Israel’s longtime ally and biggest arms supplier.
The United States “is the key ... to our salvation,” he told an event in New York City hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
In Beirut, thousands of displaced people who fled from southern Lebanon were sheltering in schools and other buildings.
At the Technical Institute of Bir Hassan, volunteers brought water bottles, medicine and other supplies for the new arrivals.
In one classroom, 11-month-old Matila slept on a mattress while children elsewhere stood on chairs to pass time by scribbling on a whiteboard. Rima Ali Chahine, 50, said the shelter provided diapers, pastries and milk for the children.
“It’s a lot of pressure for grownups and children. They’re exhausted and stressed. They could not sleep,” she said. “The kids — they are living through terrible conditions.”
Early on Wednesday, an Israeli strike hit the seaside town of Jiyyeh, 75 km (46 miles) north of the border with Israel, two security sources said.
HEZBOLLAH WEAKENED, SAYS ISRAEL
Half a million people are estimated to have been displaced in Lebanon, said Bou Habib. He said Lebanon’s prime minister hoped to meet with US officials over the next two days.
The US and fellow mediators Qatar and Egypt have so far been unsuccessful in their efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in the nearly year-old war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, a Hezbollah ally.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, whose country and Israel are arch-enemies, told the UN General Assembly the international community must “secure a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and bring an end to the desperate barbarism of Israel in Lebanon, before it engulfs the region and the world.”
Israel’s military said its airforce conducted “extensive strikes” on Tuesday on Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon, including weapons storage facilities and dozens of launchers that were aimed at Israeli territory.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the attacks had weakened Hezbollah and would continue. Hezbollah “has suffered a sequence of blows to its command and control, its fighters, and the means to fight. These are all severe blows,” he told Israeli troops.
He accused the UN of shirking its responsibility to prevent Hezbollah’s attacks into Israel.
Hezbollah said it launched rockets at the Dado military base in northern Israel and attacked the Atlit naval base south of Haifa with drones, among other targets.
Suspected Israeli missiles were also launched at the Syrian port city of Tartous and were intercepted by Syrian air defenses, Syrian army sources said. The Israeli military declined to comment on the report.
Since the Gaza war started in October, Israel has intensified a years-long air campaign targeting Iran-aligned armed groups and their weapons transfers in Syria.
Funerals were held on Tuesday for people killed in Lebanon by Israel’s bombardment. In the coastal city of Saksakiyeh, Mohammed Helal was defiant as he mourned his daughter Jouri.
“We are not afraid. Even if they kill, dissect and destroy us,” he said.

 

 

 


US Navy replenishment ship operating in Mideast was damaged in an incident, officials say

US Navy replenishment ship operating in Mideast was damaged in an incident, officials say
Updated 24 September 2024
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US Navy replenishment ship operating in Mideast was damaged in an incident, officials say

US Navy replenishment ship operating in Mideast was damaged in an incident, officials say
  • Rumors about the Big Horn’s condition began circulating early Tuesday after images posted to a website tracking shipping called gCaptain showed flooding purportedly on board the Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: A US Navy replenishment ship operating in the Middle East sustained damage in an incident which is under investigation, officials said Tuesday.
The damage to the USNS Big Horn comes after the oiler has supplied the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and remains in the region amid heightened tensions over the Israel-Hamas war and Israel’s ongoing strikes targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon.
A US Navy official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss matters yet to be made public, said the damage happened in the Mideast, but declined to elaborate on its location. A photo released by the US military dated Sept. 5 showed sailors aboard the Lincoln receiving supplies from the Big Horn, while another on Sept. 11 showed the Big Horn alongside the Lincoln. The Lincoln is patrolling the Arabian Sea.
The official said the Big Horn’s crew was safe and there was no sign of an oil leak from the vessel.
Another US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity for the same reason, said the vessel was being supported by private tugboats and an assessment was still ongoing for the vessel.
Rumors about the Big Horn’s condition began circulating early Tuesday after images posted to a website tracking shipping called gCaptain showed flooding purportedly on board the Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler. The website described the Big Horn as having “ran aground ... and partially flooded off the coast of Oman.”
Though the Lincoln is powered by a nuclear reactor, its strike group has vessels powered by fossil fuel that need to be resupplied at sea. The aircraft aboard the Lincoln also need jet fuel. The Big Horn and other ships like it also provide other supplies.
Oilers like the Big Horn typically have around 80 civilians and five military personnel on board.
It remains unclear if there are any other replenishment ships like it immediately available in the Mideast. An AP survey of publicly released military images of similar replenishment ships run by the US Navy’s Military Sealift Command showed none in the Mideast in recent months. The command declined to comment.