Latest news with #DeEscalation
CNA
17-07-2025
- Politics
- CNA
US says it did not support Israel's Syria strikes as Sharaa vows to protect Druze
WASHINGTON: The United States did not support recent Israeli strikes on Syria, the State Department said on Thursday (July 17), as Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa accused Israel of trying to fracture the country and pledged to protect its Druze minority. "Regarding Israel's intervention and activity, the United States did not support recent Israeli strikes," US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters during a briefing. "We are engaging diplomatically with Israel and Syria at the highest levels, both to address the present crisis and reach a lasting agreement between the two sovereign states," she said. Bruce said the US condemns violence in Syria and is engaging all parties toward de-escalation. She declined to say whether Washington supports Israel's right to launch such operations. "What we're dealing with now is this particular episode. I think we've been very clear about our displeasure, certainly the President has, and we've worked very quickly to have it stopped," Bruce said. WHITE HOUSE SEES DE-ESCALATION White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Syria appeared to be drawing back troops. "Syria agreed to draw back their troops that were in the area where that clash was ongoing and we continue to be very actively monitoring the situation," she said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration had engaged all parties and steps had been agreed to end a "troubling and horrifying situation". SYRIA BLAMES ISRAEL, VOWS TO DEFEND DRUZE Speaking on Thursday, Sharaa said Israel had "consistently targeted our stability and created discord among us since the fall of the former regime". He said protecting Druze citizens was a national priority and that violations against them would be punished. "We will not allow any external party to exploit our communities. We will protect our Druze brothers with everything we have," he said. Sharaa also credited US, Arab and Turkish mediation for averting a wider disaster, but warned against future Israeli interference. "Israel, using the Druze as an excuse, has expanded its banditry to Syria," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a statement. He accused Israel of sabotaging a ceasefire reached with Turkish involvement. JOINT STATEMENT FROM ARAB STATES Twelve Arab countries including Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt issued a joint statement supporting Syria's sovereignty and rejecting foreign interference. They also welcomed the ceasefire agreement in Sweida and called for its implementation to protect national unity. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had set a policy demanding demilitarisation of a swathe of southern Syria from the Golan Heights to Druze Mountain. "Syria had sent its army south of Damascus into an area that was supposed to remain demilitarised and it began massacring Druze. This was something we could not accept," he said. The Israeli strikes hit part of Syria's defence ministry and areas near the presidential palace. The military also struck Sweida again on Thursday, according to Syrian state media. FIELD EXECUTIONS, DEADLY CLASHES Ryan Marouf of Suwayda24 reported finding 60 bodies in Sweida, including a family of 12. The Syrian Network for Human Rights said at least 254 people had died in four days of fighting. That figure includes field executions, casualties from Israeli strikes, and deaths from clashes between Druze fighters, government troops and Bedouin tribes. A Bedouin commander said a new offensive was underway to rescue detained colleagues. He added that the ceasefire only applied to government forces. Druze leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajari urged followers not to attack peaceful Bedouin tribes.
The National
30-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
Qatar tells of huge cost of Iranian missile attack
Iran's attack on Al Udeid airbase in Qatar last week was 'not harmless' but Doha opted for de-escalation in its wake, Qatar 's Foreign Ministry spokesman said, in one of the most detailed accounts yet of the strikes and the ceasefire deal that followed. Iran launched missiles at the base, which houses US troops alongside Qatari and British air forces, in response to America's strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran less than 48 hours beforehand. These prompted closure of Qatari, Kuwaiti and Bahraini airspace, and the activation of Doha's air defence systems. 'We're talking about the huge cost on the military side and a huge cost on the economic side, because our airspace was closed for more than six hours, our national airline had to divert,' Dr Majed Al Ansari told a panel hosted by the Rome-based Institute of International Affairs. This was, "of course, alongside the reputational damage when it comes to safety and security", he added. "This was not a harmless attack on Qatar. But again, we chose peace, because this is what we've all learnt and this is what we will do in the future.' Qatar deployed three Patriot air defence batteries in two locations and more than 200 missiles to down all but one of 20 missiles fired on the night of Monday, June 23, said Mr Al Ansari, who is also adviser to Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The missiles were launched in two barrages of seven and 13 missiles by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The first salvo was downed at sea, while one missile from the second group landed at Al Udeid, Mr Al Ansari added. No injuries were reported, a Qatari military official said previously. Mr Al Ansari refuted the idea that the attack was co-ordinated with the Iranians, although he said the first warning that missiles were on the way came on the morning of June 23, hours before the first one was launched around 7.30pm. 'It was an attack that we tried to make sure did not happen, that we have always been afraid of as a scenario and have always strategised against,' he said. Qatar's leaders 'did not know for sure it was happening', until it was launched and Mr Al Ansari was sitting alongside Mr Al Thani and Qatari Minister of State Dr Mohammed Al Khulaifi, who has led some of Doha's interactions with Iran. The officials then received word that US President Donald Trump wanted to engage Qatar to broker a ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel, and put an end to nearly two weeks of conflict that left hundreds dead and destroyed infrastructure in both countries. We do believe that the ceasefire will hold, as long as the momentum that was created by the ceasefire would lead to other positive points Dr Majed Al Ansari, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman The truce deal had to account for 'technical information' such as finding parameters and language on which both parties would agree, Mr Al Ansari said. But equally as crucial was dealing with 'the optics around the ceasefire', he added. 'I cannot stress enough how important the national pride element was on both sides of the discussion when it came to a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, how the political narrative needed to be controlled between both sides to make sure that there was no political posturing that would lead to the collapse of a ceasefire," he said. "Doing both together, through our discussions with both sides, liaising with the Americans, is what brought us to the ceasefire.' Qatar was keen on de-escalation because even before the attack on Al Udeid, the Iran-Israel war had come perilously close to tis borders. On June 14, Israel hit the South Pars offshore gasfield, which connects to Qatar's giant North gasfield in the Arabian Gulf, sending off alarm bells in Doha. Peace through diplomacy Iranian officials have been at pains to explain that attacking Al Udeid was a retaliation against US strikes on its nuclear sites, and there was no intention of provoking Qatar. Tehran has been attempting to improve its relations with neighbouring countries in recent years. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian 'expressed his regret' to Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim in a phone call the day after the attack, according to a statement from the emir's office. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said at the that Iran 'remains fully committed to its good-neighbourliness policy with respect to the State of Qatar". The 'violation' was 'completely inconsistent with the principle of good neighbourliness". the emir's statement read. The truce will hold as long as the renewed peace paves the way for diplomatic interaction over Iran's nuclear programme, Mr Al Ansari said. 'We do believe that the ceasefire will hold, as long as the momentum that was created by the ceasefire will lead to other positive points,' he said. 'We have seen the positive statements of the US regarding talks with Iran. We've seen some positive statements coming in from Iran talks with the US, kick-starting that process immediately, and making sure that we have talks on the wider issues is the only safeguard against another escalation taking place.' US President Donald Trump last week claimed negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear programme would resume 'next week'. Iranian officials have denied that talks have been scheduled and want guarantees that future discussions will not be interrupted by military operations. They are believed to be seeking some concessions in terms of sanctions relief or other incentives as a sign, Iranian sources previously told The National, of Washington's sincerity in negotiations. That could prove difficult for the Trump administration. The EU and Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries, including Qatar, can work together to ensure peace continues through diplomacy, Mr Al Ansari said. He highlighted Oman and Italy, which hosted five rounds of nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington before the Israeli attacks prompted a cancellation of a sixth. 'It showed very clearly that between Europe as a whole, the GCC as a whole, we can do a lot together,' he said. Regional peace can come only with a solution for the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Mr Al Ansari added. Conflicts across the region are not only destabilising countries including Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen – they are causing a 'a wave of radicalisation and negative sentiment towards the West that we should not take lightly", he said. This is not a by-product but a 'major result' of the escalation that lasted for nearly two years. 'It will lead to problems for all of us, collectively in the region, unless we are able to deal with it.'
Washington Post
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Cambodia accuses Thailand of escalating tensions with new land crossing restrictions
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Cambodia's government on Tuesday accused Thailand of escalating border tensions by imposing new restrictions that have blocked almost all land crossings, especially for tourists heading into Cambodia. Relations between the neighbors have deteriorated following an armed confrontation on May 28 in which one Cambodian soldier was killed in a relatively small, contested territory along their border. While the two sides have agreed to de-escalate their dispute, they have continued to implement or threaten measures that have kept tensions high.
Daily Mail
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Penny Wong's tough message to Iran as it launches strikes on US bases
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has spoken out following Iran 's strikes on US bases in Qatar. 'Australia condemns Iran's strikes on US bases in Qatar and Iraq,' she said. 'We do not want to see further escalation. A full-scale war in the Middle East would be devastating for the people of the region and the world. 'Australia continues to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.' Closure to airspace around transit hubs in the Middle East could impact flights globally, she warned. 'Australians travelling should seek updates from their airlines and follow @Smartraveller.'
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Starmer and Trump call for Iran to return to negotiating table after US strikes
Sir Keir Starmer has warned there is a risk of the Middle East crisis spiralling beyond the region after Donald Trump ordered an attack on Iran's nuclear programme. The Prime Minister spoke to the US President on Sunday night after an air raid by B-2 stealth bombers and a salvo of submarine-launched missiles hit Iran's nuclear facilities. Downing Street said the leaders agreed Tehran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and called for Iran to return to negotiations. 'The leaders discussed the situation in the Middle East and reiterated the grave risk posed by Iran's nuclear programme to international security,' Downing Street said. 'They discussed the actions taken by the United States last night to reduce the threat and agreed that Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. 'They discussed the need for Iran to return to the negotiating table as soon as possible and to make progress on a lasting settlement. 'They agreed to stay in close contact in the coming days.' Earlier, Sir Keir – whose previous calls for restraint appear to have been ignored by the American leader – said there was a 'risk of escalation', adding: 'That's a risk to the region. It's a risk beyond the region, and that's why all our focus has been on de-escalating, getting people back around to negotiate what is a very real threat in relation to the nuclear programme.'
