Author: Steven Sahiounie

President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a critical discussion on Thursday about the ongoing negotiations for a hostage release and ceasefire deal in Gaza, Axios reported. Biden has been advocating for a resolution he suggested to secure the release of Israeli captives held by the Palestinian Resistance. Despite the fact that Biden had claimed that his latest suggestion garnered Israeli approval and the disapproval of the Islamic Resistance Movement – Hamas, the actual statements and actions of both parties showed the opposite. The latest discussions between US and Israeli officials aimed to facilitate the completion of a deal, especially…

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares in Madrid on Thursday. The meeting, held on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the European Council on Foreign Relations, discussed Saudi-Spanish relations and ways to enhance them in various fields. The foreign ministers also discussed regional and international developments including the situation in the Gaza Strip and efforts made in this regard. Source: Arab News

The second round of the Iranian presidential elections commenced early Friday morning, featuring candidates Saeed Jalili from the conservative movement and Masoud Pezeshkian from the reformist movement. At the start of voting, Iranian Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei cast his ballot at a polling station in the capital, Tehran. Sayyed Khamenei emphasized the importance of the Iranian people exercising their “will and determination” to conclude the electoral process and elect a new president for the republic, adding that there is greater incentive than ever for people to participate in the elections. “I’ve heard that people’s enthusiasm and interest have increased more than before,”…

Chinese President Xi Jinping, during a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, expressed confidence that relations between Beijing and Minsk will develop rapidly. Xi and Lukashenko met on Thursday in Astana on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. “I am convinced that thanks to the joint efforts of both sides, relations between China and Belarus will continue to develop healthy and rapidly,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry quoted Xi as saying. The Chinese leader noted that Lukashenko visited China twice in 2023, and together, they developed a new plan to enhance the China-Belarus comprehensive strategic partnership. “Since the beginning…

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has urged European nations to impose sanctions on Israeli officials violating international human rights laws as he warned that Israel’s war on Gaza was affecting the entire Middle East, including southern Lebanon. “The situation in the Gaza Strip does not only affect the Palestinian issue but the entire region and contributes to further escalations, which is currently happening in southern Lebanon,” he said on Thursday. He was speaking at a panel discussion titled “Wars and shadow wars: What are Europe’s options in the Middle East?” at the European Council on Foreign Relations…

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Kremlin. Last time, the two politicians met in October, 2023, at the Belt and Road forum in China. For the next six months, Hungary will chair the European Council. On June 2, Orban visited Kiev as the leader of a European Council presiding nation, where he met with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. Orban offered Zelensky conditions for a ceasefire in Ukraine, but Zelensky rejected them, according to his office. The prime minister himself explained that he represented the European continent, and peace is in its…

The Hamas movement revealed that its political bureau head, Ismail Haniyeh, held several phonecalls with mediators in Egypt and Qatar over the past few hours, to discuss an agreement that would halt the Israeli aggression against Gaza. In a statement issued on Wednesday evening, Hamas affirmed that it was dealing positively with the ongoing deliberations, noting that Haniyeh also contacted officials in Turkey regarding the latest developments. The Mossad announced that mediators Qatar and Egypt have conveyed Hamas’ updated response to the proposed hostage and ceasefire deal to the Israeli negotiation team, Israeli journalist Barak Ravid reported Wednesday, adding that “Israel” was currently examining…

The European Union has imposed steep new tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China following an anti-subsidy probe

US sanctions policies will eventually result in the dollar losing its longstanding dominance in the global economy

Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, received on Wednesday a call from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Saudi Press Agency said. The pair discussed the latest developments in Gaza and Sudan. Separately, Prince Faisal congratulated Badr Abdel Aaty, Egypt’s newly appointed foreign minister, on assuming his new post. In a call, Prince Faisal expressed his keenness to work together to build on the deep-rooted bilateral relations between the two countries, and to continue cooperation and coordination in a way that serves the common interests of the two countries and peoples.  Source: Arab News