European countries criticize Iran 'threats' to IAEA head – DW – 06/30/2025
France, Germany and the UK threw their weight behind the UN agency as Iran said it cannot guarantee IAEA inspectors' safety. Meanwhile, Israel expressed openness to normalization with Syria, Lebanon. Follow DW for more.Israel signaled it was ready for more normalization deals with its Arab neighbors, amid a war in the devastated Gaza Strip, which has dragged on for over 20 months.
"Israel is interested in expanding the Abraham Accord circle of peace and normalization," Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said at a news conference, referring to US-sponsored agreements signed in 2020 by Israel with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.
"We have an interest in adding countries, Syria and Lebanon, our neighbors, to the circle of peace and normalization while safeguarding Israel's essential and security interests," he added.
In parallel to the war in Gaza, Israel had been engaged in fighting with the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah since October 2023. In October 2024, Israeli forces launched a ground invasion, with a ceasefire coming into effect the next month that was meant to guarantee both Israel and Hezbollah's exit from southern Lebanon.
Israel has also intensified strikes on Syrian locations since the ouster of dictator Bashar Assad in December 2024, with Israeli troops moving into a demilitarized zone inside Syria, including the Syrian side of the strategic Mount Hermon.
"In any peace agreement, the Golan will remain part of the State of Israel," Saar said, referring to the territory Israel seized from Syria in 1967 and later annexed in a move not recognized by the United Nations.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Paris, Berlin and London have condemned what they called "threats" against the head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog after Tehran turned down a request by the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit its bombed nuclear sites.
"France, Germany and the United Kingdom condemn threats against the director general of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, and reiterate our full support to the agency," Foreign Ministers Jean-Noel Barrot, Johann Wadephul and David Lammy said in a joint statement.
The trio called on Tehran to "refrain from any steps to cease cooperation with the IAEA," and "immediately resume full cooperation in line with its legally binding obligations."
The three countries comprise the E3 group, which coordinates on foreign and security matters, particularly Iran's nuclear program.
On Friday, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had criticized IAEA chief Rafael Grossi's insistence on visiting the nuclear sites bombed by Israel and the US during the recent war, saying such insistence was "meaningless and possibly even malign in intent."
Tehran reiterated its position on Monday but toned down its rejection, saying it could not guarantee the safety of the IAEA inspectors.
"How can they expect us to ensure the safety and security of the agency's inspectors when Iran's peaceful nuclear facilities were attacked a few days ago?" Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told a news conference.
Israel struck Iranian nuclear and military sites on June 13, prompting a response from Tehran which started a 12-day war where the US also struck three Iranian nuclear sites, before US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire.
One day before the Israeli strikes, the IAEA's board passed a resolution that accused Iran of ignoring its nuclear obligations. Tehran has argued that the resolution was an "excuse" for the war.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Thanks for tuning in to our Middle East blog!
Tensions remain high in the region after Tehran rejected a request by the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to visit the facilities bombed by Israel and the US during the war earlier this month.
European countries Britain, France and Germany lambasted Iran's "threats," while Tehran defended its position, saying it could not guarantee the safety of the watchdog's inspectors.
In Israel, officials condemned an attack reportedly by settlers in the occupied West Bank on Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers, while Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the country was "interested" in normalizing ties with its Arab neighbors Syria and Lebanon.
This blog will bring you the latest on the situation in the Middle East, including in Iran, Israel and Gaza.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
2 hours ago
- DW
Pakistan set to assume presidency of UN Security Council – DW – 07/01/2025
Pakistan will assume presidency of the Security Council for the month of July. New Delhi has a strategy in place to counter Islamabad's narrative, said Indian media. Pakistan is set to assume the presidency of the United Nations Security Councilfor a month on Tuesday. Pakistan began its two-year term as a non-permanent member of the 15-member body in January this year. This is its first presidency since 2013, and the eighth time the country has served on the Security Council. Although the rotating presidency is largely a symbolic role with no executive authority, it comes at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions. Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, emphasized Islamabad's commitment to peaceful conflict resolution. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "We will closely work with other Council members in a spirit of cooperation for collective and timely action… in line with the UN Charter and corresponding to the expectations of the international community," he said in comments to Pakistan's daily. He stressed that Pakistan's presidency came at a time of hightened geopolitical tensions. "Pakistan is going to assume the presidency of the United Nations Security Council at a time of global tumult marked by growing instability, escalating conflicts, complex geopolitical and geostrategic landscape, and serious threats to international peace and security," the ambassador said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Pakistan is expected to raise the issue of its recent conflict with India over the disputed territory of Kashmir after a deadly attack on tourists near the town of Pahalgam. Indian business daily reported that India was preparing a strategy to counter Islamabad's presidency. New Delhi's focus will be on its economic strength and dedication to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. India will also draw attention to cross-border terrorism. India's government has accused Pakistan of supporting militants behind the Pahalgam attack, a charge Islamabad denies. India also suspended its participation in a crucial water sharing treaty and downgraded its ties with Islamabad over the attack. Some 26 people, mostly Hindu men, were killed in the Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
DW
8 hours ago
- DW
Trump ends Syria sanctions, orders terror designation review – DW – 07/01/2025
President Donald Trump formally lifted US sanctions against Syria. Damascus said it expects the move will "lift the obstacle" to economic recovery. US President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order to dismantle the US sanctions program on Syria, ending the Middle Eastern country's isolation from the international financial system. The sanctions program, which has been in place since 2004, imposed far-reaching sanctions on Syria that affected most state institutions, including the central bank. "This is in an effort to promote and support the country's path to stability and peace," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, Leavitt added that the move will enable the US to maintain sanctions on Syria's former president, Bashar Assad, and his associates, as well as on human rights abusers, drug traffickers, individuals involved in chemical weapons activities, the Islamic State, ISIS affiliates, and Iranian proxies. Trump's order also instructs the US State Department to review the designation of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) as a foreign terrorist organization. The Syrian transitional government has largely emerged from this group. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also to review Syria's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, as well as that of Syrian transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa as a terrorist. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shibani said the US move marked a "major turning point," according to a post by the minister on social media platform X. "With the lifting of this major obstacle to economic recovery, the long-awaited doors are opening for reconstruction and development" as are the conditions "for the dignified return of displaced Syrians to their homeland," he wrote on X. Trump had already exempted Syria from most of the sanctions in May in response to appeals from Saudi Arabia and Turkey. In December, Assad was ousted in a swift offensive led by Islamist rebels under the command of al-Sharaa. Since then, Syria has taken steps to rebuild its international ties.
DW
9 hours ago
- DW
Turkey detains cartoonist over Muhammad caricature – DW – 06/30/2025
A cartoonist working for a satirical magazine drew outrage in Turkey for a cartoon depicting the Islamic prophet. The magazine said the cartoon did not aim to mock religious values. A cartoonist working for the satirical magazine was detained by police for questioning on Monday amid controversy over a cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad. In a statement, the chief public prosecutor's office said it "launched an investigation" into a cartoon published by the magazine on June 26 that "openly disparages religious values." "Arrest warrants have been issued for those involved," the prosecutor's office said. The arrest warrants also include editors-in-chief and managing editor. Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc earlier said cartoons depicting Muhammad were an affront to religious sensitivities and social harmony. Images of the cartoon in question posted on social media, appeared to show Prophet Muhammad and Prophet Moses shaking hands in mid-air while missiles fell onto a city. "No freedom grants the right to make the sacred values, of a belief a subject of humor in an ugly way," Justice Minister Tunc wrote. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed that the cartoonist had been taken into custody, and shared a video showing him being put into handcuffs in a stairwell. "The person named D.P. who made this vile drawing has been caught and taken into custody," he wrote, using the cartoonist's initials. "These shameless individuals will be held accountable before the law," he added. Although Turkey has a secular legal system, having abolished Islamic law in the 1920s, the law does allow for a prison sentence of up to one year for anyone "who openly insults the religious values of a section of the public." Turkish media reported several dozen protesters gathered outside of office in Istanbul after the image spread on social media. However, the magazine issued an apology on social media for any offense caused and said the cartoon had been misunderstood. The statement said the cartoonist had intended to highlight "the suffering of a Muslim man killed in Israeli attacks," rather than to insult Islam. "The name Muhammad is among the most widely used in the world by Muslims honoring the Prophet. The cartoon does not depict the Prophet and was not drawn to mock religious values," the magazine said, calling some interpretations "deliberately malicious."
