Author: Steven Sahiounie

The State of Palestine submitted today its arguments to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber I regarding the situation in Palestinian territories. The submission concerns a request by the ICC Prosecutor’s Office for arrest warrants against Israel’s Prime Minister and Defense Minister. These warrants are sought due to the fact that the Israeli authorities have committed serious international crimes, threatening global peace and security. In its presentation, the State of Palestine emphasized that any attempts to politicize the court or undermine its legal jurisdiction would deny justice to the Palestinian people. The State of Palestine argued that the crimes…

According to Iran Press on Tuesday, as quoted by the Tass news agency, the Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Sergei Shoigu, announced in a television interview with the “Russia 24” channel that cooperation between Tehran and Moscow is expanding at a high speed in all fields. Shoigu added, “In the meeting we had with Masoud Pezeshkian, the newly elected president of Iran, and the Iranian Secretary of the National Security Council, we discussed and exchanged opinions on a wide range of issues, including the situation in Syria and Lebanon.” He also pointed to the tragic incident of the assassination…

Kamala Harris, who is the Democratic contender for US president, chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her candidate for vice president, CNN reported, citing sources. Harris is expected to announce her decision soon. She has not yet called Walz to inform him of her choice, CNN said. Aides to former US President Donald Trump, who is the Republican candidate for presidency, are closely watching the situation at Harris’ campaign office, according to the report. US news media reported that in addition to Walz, the list of Harris’ potential running mates also included Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Illinois governors Josh Shapiro, Andy Beshear and…

Hamas named its Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar as chief of the group following Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination in Tehran on July 31, the group said on Tuesday.Sinwar, 61, has not been seen since October 7.After the attacks, Israel’s military declared Sinwar a “dead man walking.”In January, the European Union added Sinwar to its “terrorist” sanctions blacklist over the October 7 attacks. Source: Arab News

There will be no peace in the Mideast until a Palestinian state is founded, warned the Turkish foreign minister. “Palestinians are being prevented from truly having a state … (But) until a Palestinian state is established, no one in that region will have peace,” Fidan said in a new magazine interview out this week. Saying the “tragedy” in Gaza didn’t just start last Oct. 7, when Israel launched a months-long offensive on the Gaza Strip, Fidan told Bosnian and Herzegovina magazine Stav that that date is rather “a manifestation of a problem has been ignored.” Saying the problem is the…

Jordan’s King Abdullah II today discussed with Egypt President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and western officials the efforts to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East, according to the Royal Hashemite Court (RHC). RHC said in a press statement that Abdullah II discussed such efforts in separate phone calls with Egypt’s Al Sisi, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In the phone call, Abdullah II and Al Sisi stressed the importance of “exerting the utmost efforts to de-escalate regional tensions and maintain comprehensive calm.” They “reiterated the importance of reaching an…

The Palestinian Cabinet discussed during its weekly meeting today the ongoing efforts to stop the war waged against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip for the past 305 consecutive days. The Cabinet also discussed the occupation’s systematic targeting of the West Bank; most recently against the city of Jenin and its camp, the village of Kafr Qud and the town of Aqaba in Tubas, which left several people killed and injured and caused the destruction of infrastructure and citizens’ properties. The Cabinet also called on international institutions to shoulder their responsibilities in light of warnings of the dire health…

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ayman Safadi, held phone talks on Tuesday with his Egyptian counterpart, Dr. Badr Abdel Aati, on regional conditions and the dangerous escalation in the region. During the call held within the context of the ongoing bilateral coordination and consultation process, the two ministers said stopping the Israeli aggression on Gaza is the first step to de-escalate and protect the region from the consequences of sliding into a regional war. The two ministers also held Israel fully responsible for the dangerous escalation in the region, calling on the international community to…

In a speech commemorating the 79th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima at the hands of the United States, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida chose not to mention Washington during his speech. The ceremony, held at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on Tuesday, highlighted the devastating impact of the bombing but refrained from attributing responsibility directly. On August 6, 1945, an American B-29 warplane dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, resulting in the deaths of up to 126,000 people, predominantly civilians. A second bomb was detonated over Nagasaki on August 9, killing up to 80,000 people. These attacks led to Japan’s…

In recent efforts to address regional tensions, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held a telephone call with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Monday. The discussion centered on the latest developments in Gaza, joint mediation efforts for a ceasefire, and coordination to manage regional escalation. This call follows a series of similar discussions by Abdelatty, including talks with officials from Iran and Lebanon. Abdelatty also spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging the United States to pressure Israel to halt its aggressive policies. Egypt, along with the US and Qatar, has been facilitating indirect negotiations between Israel…