
Iran says ‘no specific date' for US nuclear talks
'For now, no specific date, time or location has been determined regarding this matter,' said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei of plans for a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff.
Iran had been negotiating with the United States before Israel began strikes on its nuclear facilities last month, which Washington later joined.
Araghchi and Witkoff met five times, starting in April, without concluding a deal, before Israel launched surprise strikes on June 13, starting a 12-day war.
'We have been serious in diplomacy and the negotiation process, we entered with good faith, but as everyone witnessed, before the sixth round the Zionist regime, in coordination with the United States, committed military aggression against Iran,' said Baqaei.
The United States launched its own set of strikes against Iran's nuclear program on June 22, hitting the uranium enrichment facility at Fordo, in Qom province south of Tehran, as well as nuclear sites in Isfahan and Natanz.
The extent of the damage from the strikes remains unknown.
With its own strikes, numbering in the hundreds, Israel killed nuclear scientists and top-ranking military officers as well as hitting military, nuclear and other sites.
Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel, while it attacked a US base in Qatar in retaliation for Washington's strikes.
Israel and Western nations accuse Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran has consistently denied.
While it is the only non-nuclear power to enrich uranium to 60-percent purity, close to the level needed for a warhead, the UN's atomic energy watchdog has said it had no indication that Iran was working to weaponize its stockpiles.
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Arab News
32 minutes ago
- Arab News
Can BRICS become a rival to the West?
The 17th annual BRICS Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro last week, ended with something of a global shoulder shrug. Last year's summit in Russia was interpreted by many as a sign that Moscow had found ways of overcoming the diplomatic isolation that accompanied the Ukraine war. The year before, in South Africa, the summit saw the group invite new members, raising hopes a new 'BRICS+' could challenge the West's global dominance. In contrast, although its members adopted a long list of joint positions in Brazil, the summit appeared lackluster compared to what had gone before. The leaders of four members — Russia, China, Egypt and Iran — opted not to attend, while, despite declarations of unity, clear divisions were visible. For all the hopes that an expanded BRICS could be a voice for the Global South and a rival to the West, has the bubble already burst? When BRICS voted to expand two years ago, its members declared they sought 'greater representation of emerging markets and developing countries' in international institutions. At the same time, China and Russia, which had been the most enthusiastic about expanding membership, stated they hoped to challenge US and Western hegemony, seeing the expanded BRICS as a Global South rival to the G7. There followed a flurry of optimism. The UAE, Egypt, Iran and Ethiopia became members in 2024, though Argentina declined the invitation and Saudi Arabia, despite attending subsequent summits, has not formally joined. Indonesia then became the bloc's 10th formal member in early 2025. Last year in Kazan, members even discussed launching a new joint currency to challenge the global primacy of the dollar and, unofficially, weaken the effect of US dollar-based sanctions on members like Russia and Iran. But a year on, the collective mood is less upbeat. The absence of four of the 10 leaders was a blow to the summit's prestige. Vladimir Putin's absence was due to a fear of arrest on an International Criminal Court warrant and he spoke by video link, but Xi Jinping's absence was his first since becoming Chinese premier. Though officially this was due to 'scheduling conflict,' some observers suggested Xi's enthusiasm for BRICS has somewhat waned. Related to this might be the bloc's reaction to Donald Trump. Russia and China were among the most supportive of a new BRICS currency to challenge the dollar in Kazan. But on the eve of the Rio de Janeiro summit, Trump declared on social media that any country aligning itself with the 'anti-American' policies of BRICS would face an additional 10 percent US tariff — a not very subtle threat about the possible new currency. This likely contributed to reluctance among other BRICS members, especially India, which fears Chinese dominance of the new currency, to advance the proposal. No major headway was made on the issue and the final joint statement even contained references to the global importance of the dollar — perhaps an effort by some to appease Trump. With 10 members, there are far more actors at play, making it harder for any consensus to be reached. Christopher Phillips But Trump and the new currency were not the only points of disagreement among the members in Brazil. One of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's big hopes for the summit was agreeing proposals to reform international institutions to make them more representative. But two new members, Egypt and Ethiopia, blocked a proposal for South Africa to gain a permanent place on the UN Security Council (along with India and Brazil), arguing it undermined the African Union's policy of proposing two permanent seats for African states, elected by the continent's governments. Another division concerned Iran. While Iran received support from fellow members following the recent attacks by Israel and the US, neither were explicitly condemned. Tensions continued when the final summit declaration called for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, but Tehran voiced its opposition, arguing instead for a one-state 'South African' resolution. Chatham House's Natalie Sabanadze suggested that the rifts in Rio de Janeiro exposed 'that not all members are interested in taking sides in a global power confrontation or turning BRICS into a tool to help reshape the global order.' China and Russia, especially, seem to have a different vision for what they want the group to be. One of the problems is the recent expansion. In a smaller grouping of just five, China and Russia were better able to direct the agenda. With 10 members, plus attendant partners, there are far more actors at play, making it harder for any consensus to be reached, let alone one that satisfies Moscow and Beijing's anti-Western preferences. While some new members, like Iran, have a history of hostility to the West, others like the UAE and Egypt, remain close partners despite increasingly pursuing their own middle path in international affairs. Moreover, the expansion has exacerbated existing fault lines. China and India, for example, though cooperative in BRICS, have long been strategic rivals and New Delhi fears Beijing using the grouping to amplify its power. India is now able to use the new members to build support against China's dominance. Another issue is climate change, with Brazil especially keen to push a united position, but it is restrained by the presence of large fossil fuel providers and carbon dioxide emitters within the expanded group. These are not easy obstacles to overcome, so it is perhaps unsurprising that, just a few years into its expansion, BRICS does not yet look like the 'Global South G7' rivaling the West some hoped it would become. That does not make the task impossible but merely highlights the scale of the challenge. As G7 leaders will attest, getting any consensus at these summits is often a challenge, even for relatively minor policies. Perhaps then, the limited progress of BRICS+ thus far is as should be expected. While Brazil, China, Russia and the other members have lofty ambitions for the group, they may not, at heart, be the same, which will make further advances and closer alignment in the future a challenge. • Christopher Phillips is professor of international relations at Queen Mary University of London and author of 'Battleground: Ten Conflicts that Explain the New Middle East.' X: @cjophillips


Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Saudi Arabia satisfied with Syrian measures to achieve stability after clashes
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia expressed its satisfaction with measures taken by the Syrian government to achieve security and stability, maintain civil peace, and achieve sovereignty over all Syrian territory on Tuesday. The Kingdom also condemned continued Israeli attacks on Syrian territory, interference in its internal affairs, and the destabilization of its security and stability, in flagrant violation of international law and the Syria-Israel Disengagement Agreement signed in 1974. The condemnation comes after Israel launched strikes on Tuesday against Syrian government forces in the Druze-majority region of Sweida, saying it was acting to protect the religious minority. Damascus had deployed troops to Sweida after clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes killed more than 100 people. Israel announced its strikes shortly after Syria's defense minister declared a ceasefire in Sweida city, with government forces having entered the city in the morning. The Kingdom renewed its call on the international community to stand by Syria, support it during this stage, and confront ongoing Israeli attacks and violations against Syria, Saudi Press Agency reported.


Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Pakistan to register tour operators to streamline pilgrimages to Iran, Iraq
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government is introducing a new, centralized system for organizing pilgrimages to holy sites in Iran and Iraq that would require interested parties to register as tour operators, the Pakistani religious affairs minister announced on Tuesday, a day after a trination meeting in Tehran between interior ministers from the three countries. Islamabad had requested for the tri-nation conference to discuss issues relating to thousands of Pakistani Shiite Muslims, who travel annually to holy sites in Iran, Iraq and Syria. Pakistan previously had no formal structure for people to travel to Iran and Iraq for religious purposes. Although a system was approved in 2021 to organize these pilgrimages, but little progress was made on its implementation. Pakistan's Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf clarified that managing the affairs of Shiite zaireen (pilgrims), like Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, falls under the purview of his ministry. 'The existing, outdated system will soon be phased out and companies interested in organizing pilgrimages [to Iran, Iraq and Syria] must register with the ministry immediately,' he was quoted as saying by the religious affairs ministry. The announcement follows a statement from Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, following the tri-nation meeting in Tehran, saying that Pakistani Shiite pilgrims would not be able to individually travel for religious pilgrimages from Jan. 1 next year. Some Pakistanis traveling individually to these countries were found to be overstaying their visas or working in the host countries, according to the interior minister. Religious Affairs Minister Yousaf noted that around 40,000 Pakistani pilgrims had remained in Iraq, Syria and Iran in recent years and authorities in the three countries had raised their concerns with Pakistan, underlining the need for a formal and accountable structure. 'If the government had a proper record, we would know where each pilgrim went,' he said, adding that Naqvi and Religious Affairs Secretary Dr. Syed Ata-ur-Rehman are currently in Iran to integrate the pilgrimage process into a modern, computerized tracking system. Last month, Pakistan evacuated over 260 nationals from Iraq and another 450 Pakistanis who had been stranded in Iran during the Tehran-Israeli conflict, according to the country's foreign ministry. There was no confirmation of the number of evacuees who had traveled legally and those who had been staying in the two countries illegally. Yousaf said Pakistan's federal cabinet has approved a new framework for Zaireen Group Organizers (ZGOs), and accordingly, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has issued a public notice for interested parties to register as ZGOs. Of the 1,400 applicants, 585 companies cleared the security vetting process and have been instructed to complete their online registration through the religious affairs ministry's website and submit required documents by July 31, according to the minister. Companies wishing to work as ZGOs can apply for registration till Aug. 10. 'Just as Hajj pilgrims travel through licensed Hajj tour operators, Zaireen will also travel only through registered ZGOs,' Yousaf said, adding that ZGOs will also be required to provide travel cost packages for pilgrims like Hajj tour organizers.