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Gaza
(19 April 2025) Israel’s continuous blockade of Gaza has been disastrous for all areas of life in the Strip. (Video/) /Source: The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) - Headquarters New York, U.S. Geneva, Switzerland/
by Whittall - an official with UN OCHA - from Rafah, in southern Gaza.
Iran
(Sunday), April 20 2025 On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio urged European countries to decide whether to trigger the snapback mechanism under the 2015 agreement, which would automatically reinstate UN sanctions on Iran over its non-compliance. The option to trigger the mechanism expires in October. Iran currently enriches uranium up to 60 percent, far above the 3.67 percent limit in the deal but still below the 90 percent threshold required for weapons-grade material. On Friday U.S. ally Israel affirmed its commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, saying it had a clear course of action to do so - a stance Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated yesterday. ’I will not give up on this, I will not let go of it, and I will not retreat from it - not even by a millimetre,’ he said. Iran’s FM Araghchi said yesterday the U.S. side had not raised any issues unrelated to the nuclear topic so far. The United States and Iran made progress in a second round of high-stakes talks on Tehran's nuclear programme yesterday and agreed to meet again next week, both sides said. The Oman-mediated talks in Rome lasted about four hours. After yesterday's talks, Oman's foreign ministry said Araghchi and U.S. Middle East envoy Witkoff had agreed to keep negotiating. The talks, it said, "aim to seal a fair, enduring and binding deal which will ensure Iran (is) completely free of nuclear weapons and sanctions, and maintaining its ability to develop peaceful nuclear energy". Oman said the third round would be (on April 26) in Muscat, returning to the site of the first talks a week ago. (Source: Huriyet Daily News - Turkey)
4/19/2025 President Trump is calling for Iran to “go fast” to secure a new nuclear accord. U.S. Special Envoy Witkoff has said the Trump administration’s red line is to prevent Iran from being able to produce a nuclear weapon. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Grossi said this week the Iranians 'aren’t far away' from being able to do it. Grossi called on Iran to step up cooperation to show its nuclear program is peaceful. There are critical gaps in the world’s understanding of Iran’s nuclear inventory. Tehran in recent years has restricted United Nations atomic agency oversight of its nuclear activities - a key requirement under the 2015 accord, and stifled an agency probe into undeclared nuclear material found in the country. At various points, it has removed cameras intended to monitor key parts of its nuclear infrastructure and effectively banned inspectors from those sites. Iran has stopped the agency from inspecting nonnuclear sites since 2021, curtailing the IAEA’s insight into Iran’s ability to build a bomb. The IAEA has since September 2023 said that it no longer has fully updated information about a range of Iran’s nuclear work and can’t confirm Tehran’s claim that its program is purely for peaceful purposes. U.S. intelligence officials said last month they don’t believe Iran has made a decision to build a nuclear weapon but U.S. officials think it would only take a few months for Tehran to build one. U.S. and Iranian officials convened in Rome for a second round of discussions today, after meeting in Muscat last weekend. This weekend’s talks are expected to include discussion on a timeline for negotiations and potentially a general framework for a new deal, U.S. and Iranian officials have indicated. “Trump’s given a two-month deadline to get a deal done,” said Albright, a former weapons inspector who heads the Institute for Science and International Security think tank. “Iran needs to start cooperating more fully with the IAEA in order to develop confidence that any deal is water-tight.” The U.S. and European powers have repeatedly called on Iran to step up its cooperation with the agency in recent years. They have censured Iran for not doing so at the IAEA three times since November 2022. The critical gap in IAEA knowledge of Iran’s nuclear program is Iran’s inventory of centrifuges, machines that spin uranium into higher levels of enrichment. In 2021, three years after the Trump administration quit the nuclear deal, Iran stopped handing over to the agency footage and measurements from the cameras installed at the facilities. Later that year, following an attack on its Karaj centrifuge site, which Tehran blamed on Israel, Iran went several months without cameras monitoring its centrifuge production. Iran removed cameras monitoring its centrifuge sites again in June 2022. It only started to replace some a year later. The IAEA still has frequent access to Iran’s two enrichment sites and is confident Iran hasn’t diverted fissile material from them. However, the agency said in February that it has 'lost continuity of knowledge' of Iran’s production and inventory of centrifuges and their key parts: rotors and bellows. Would it retain a critical component of its ability to produce weapons-grade enriched uranium? The agency can carry out a range of inspections which could take as much as six months, and it is unlikely to get a complete picture. Trump has warned he would hit Iran militarily if it refuses a deal. On Thursday he denied he had waved off an Israeli attack to strike Iran’s nuclear plants but said he is “not in a rush to do it.” Iran must settle another issue before a deal can be implemented: resolving ’an IAEA probe into undeclared nuclear material’ found in Iran, likely originated in past nuclear weapons work Iran did in the 1990s and 2000s. Tehran has repeatedly denied it has ever conducted such work. ’Without detailing why it has the material and where it is now’, Iran may not be able to close down the probe. (Source: MSN / The Wall Street Journal = U. S.)
(Thursday), April 17, 2025 The United Nations nuclear watchdog chief Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). warned yesterday that Iran was not far from possessing a nuclear bomb, shortly before he arrived in Tehran for talks. “It’s like a puzzle. They have the pieces, and one day they could eventually put them together,” Grossi told yesterday. He arrived yesterday in Tehran and met Foreign Minister. Araghch and Eslami, who heads Iran’s nuclear energy agency. Grossi’s visit comes ahead of a second round of talks between Iran and the United States on Saturday. Earlier, Araghchi said Iran’s enrichment of uranium under its nuclear programme was non-negotiable after US Middle East envoy Witkoff called for it to end. “We are ready to build confidence in response to possible concerns, but the issue of enrichment is non-negotiable.' His remarks came after Witkoff said on Tuesday that Iran must stop and eliminate enriching uranium as part of any nuclear deal. The day before, Witkoff had urged only that Iran return to the 3.67% enrichment ceiling set by its 2015 accord with major powers. In its latest report, the IAEA said Iran had an estimated 274.8 kilos of uranium enriched to up to 60%. That level still falls short of the 90% threshold required for a nuclear warhead. Ahead of Saturday’s new round of talks, Araghchi condemned what he called the Trump administration’s contradictory and conflicting positions. He said he hoped to start negotiations on the framework of a possible agreement, but that this required constructive positions from the United States. Yesterday, Iranian state media said Saturday’s talks would be held in Rome with Omani mediation, as an Italian spokesman also confirmed the location. However, US and Iranian officials have not officially confirmed the venue. (Source: Gulf Times - Qatar)
Apr 12, 2025 “The current focus of the talks will be de-escalating regional tensions, prisoner exchanges and limited agreements to ease sanctions (against Iran) in exchange for controlling Iran’s nuclear programme,” an Omani source told. Iran and the US held talks in Oman today and agreed to reconvene next week, the Iranian side said. “After the end of more than 2½ hours of indirect talks, the heads of the Iranian and American delegations spoke for a few minutes in the presence of the Omani foreign minister as they left the talks, it said. Failure would aggravate fears of a wider conflagration across a region that exports much of the world’s oil. Iran has ruled out negotiating its defence capabilities such as its missile programme. (Source: The Straits Times - Singapore )
Apr 12, 2025 The Iranian negotiating team consists of the top Iranian diplomat, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ravanchi, and Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Gharibabadi. Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Baghaei, is also accompanying the negotiating delegation. The Iranian delegation arrived in Muscat, the capital of Oman, today morning. In 2018 and during his first term in office, US President Trump withdrew the United States from a previous agreement on Iran’s nuclear program – formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – and launched a maximum pressure campaign against the country. Trump restored that policy after returning to the White House for a second term in January, but he has since signaled a willingness to make a new deal to replace the JCPOA. Iran has ruled out direct negotiations with the US under pressure and threats but says indirect talks remain an option. (Source: MEHR News - Iran)
2025-04-12 Iranian officials said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has given Foreign Minister Araghchi full authority to lead the negotiations, while US Middle East envoy Witkoff is set to lead the American side. National Security Council senior official Trager and nuclear experts from the US State Department will also participate in the discussions. Witkoff has conveyed that the US seeks a diplomatic resolution while ensuring Iran cannot obtain nuclear weapons. He told that Washington’s red line remains to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb and that dismantling Tehran’s nuclear program is a key demand. Tehran insists its nuclear activities are solely for peaceful purposes, but Western nations argue that its uranium enrichment has exceeded civilian needs - enrichment levels have reached 60%, approaching weapons-grade material. Israel, a close US ally, continues to view Iran’s nuclear ambitions as an existential threat and has warned it would act militarily if diplomacy fails. Iran enters the talks under pressure, with its regional influence diminished in recent months. It’s military capabilities and its warnings to US bases in the region could strengthen its negotiating position. (Source: Shafaq News - Iraq)
April 12, 2025 US special envoy Witkoff is set for talks today with an Iranian delegation in Oman. Iranian state media said Iran would be represented by Foreign Minister Araqchi, with Omani Foreign Minister Busaidi as intermediary. Ahead of talks today between US and Iranian delegations. Trump in February restored his 'maximum pressure' campaign on Iran, which includes efforts to drive its oil exports down to zero, in order to stop Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He said earlier this week that if the talks are unsuccessful, 'Iran is going to be in great danger.' Yesterday, White House press secretary Leavitt said Trump's "ultimate objective is to ensure that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon" and that Trump believes in diplomacy, but that 'all options are on the table' if diplomatic efforts fail. „You can agree to President Trump's demand, or there will be all hell to pay, and that's how the president feels’, Leavitt said. (Source: AsiaOne - Singapore / Reuters - United Kingdom)
Syria
April 17, 2025 Operation Assad. As his enemies closed in on Damascus, Assad used a private jet to spirit away cash, valuables and confidential documents mapping the corporate web behind his wealth. Ibrahim, who ran the economic and financial office of the presidency arranged the leasing of the plane to transport Assad's treasured assets, relatives, aides and presidential palace personnel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) aboard four flights. The Embraer Legacy 600 jet made the four back-to-back trips to Syria in the 48 hours before the regime's fall. The plane, which has the tail number C5-SKY, is registered in Gambia. The fourth flight departed on Dec 8 from the Russian-operated Hmeimim military air base, near Latakia, on Syria's Mediterranean coast. Assad fled to Russia on the same day from the same base. The jet carried unmarked black bags of cash holding at least US$500,000 as well as documents, laptops and hard drives with key intelligence about "The Group", the codename Assad and Ibrahim's associates used for the intricate network of entities spanning telecoms, banking, real estate, energy and other activities. Assad’s whereabouts was kept secret from even close family members in the last frantic days of his regime. On Dec 6, as rebels led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham marched towards the capital, the 13-seater Embraer jet approached Damascus International Airport. More than a dozen staff in the camouflage uniforms of Syria's Air Force Intelligence, mobilised to guard the Hall of Ceremonies, the airport's VIP section, and its access route. A handful of civilian cars with tinted windows approached the area. The cars belonged to the elite Republican Guard, tasked to protect Assad and the Presidential Palace. The guard answered only to its commander, Assad's cousin General Makhlouf, or Assad himself. The head of airport security, Brigadier-General Ali, told airport staff that Air Force Intelligence personnel would handle the aircraft. "You have not seen this plane." Ali, a senior Air Force Intelligence officer, took orders directly from the Presidential Palace. The C5-SKY plane flew each time to Abu Dhabi's Al Bateen Executive Airport, used by dignitaries and known for its strict privacy, Flightradar24 data show. At first, the jet left Dubai on Dec 6 and landed in Damascus around noon. It then flew to Al Bateen airport and was back in Damascus just after 10pm. Each time it landed, cars rushed towards the plane, staying for a short time. Ali told Air Force Intelligence staff that Presidential Palace personnel and relatives of Assad - including teenagers - were due to board the first two flights that left Damascus on Dec 6, which also carried cash. The second flight from Damascus also transported paintings and some small sculptures. On Dec 7, the jet was back in Damascus around 4pm and left for Al Bateen for a third time over an hour later, this time loaded with bags of cash as well as hard drives and electronic devices containing information about Assad's corporate network. The stored information included financial records, minutes of meetings, ownership of companies, real estate and partnerships, as well as details of cash transfers and offshore companies and accounts. This time, vehicles belonging to the UAE embassy in Damascus approached the VIP airport area before the jet took off. Early on Dec 8, rebel fighters reached Damascus, prompting Assad to flee for his coastal stronghold of Latakia, in coordination with Russian forces. Damascus airport stopped operating. Shortly after midnight that day, the C5-SKY jet left Al Bateen one last time. After passing over the city of Homs, north of Damascus, at around 3am local time, the plane dropped off flight tracking coverage for about six hours before reappearing over Homs, headed back to Abu Dhabi, data from Flightradar24 show. During that window, it landed at the Hmeimim base in the Latakia province. A satellite image taken at 9.11am by Planet Labs captured the plane on the runway at Hmeimim. The jet was the only private plane flying in and out of Syria between Dec 6 and Dec 8, flight tracking data show. Aboard the flight from Hmeimim was Khalil, a close associate of Ibrahim active inside Assad's network. Khalil is under Western sanctions for supporting the former regime by operating and controlling several businesses in Syria. He had reached the Russian base in an Emirati embassy armoured car and was carrying $500,000 in cash. Khalil had withdrawn the money two days earlier from an account with the Syria International Islamic Bank (SIIB). The account belongs to Damascus-based Al-Burj Investments. The company is 50 per cent owned by Ibrahim. The Embraer jet was operating under a 'dry lease', in which the owner provides the aircraft, but no crew, pilot, maintenance, ground operations or insurance. Ibrahim reached Abu Dhabi on Dec 11. Ibrahim leased the jet from Lebanese businessman Wehbe. In the WhatsApp conversation the jet was described by one of Ibrahim's associates as the Lebanese plane. (Source: AsiaOne – Singapore / Reuters - United Kingdom)
Turkey
April 15, 2025 Turkey’s interior minister Yerlikaya announced today a massive operation into organized crime in five countries that led to over 200 arrests, primarily in Turkey. “This morning, a total of 234 high-level members of an organized crime group were detained, nine of whom were abroad and 225 were at home,” he told. Simultaneous raids were carried out in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Turkey. Officials shared documents and intelligence with a number of countries, including France and Britain. Some 21.2 tons of drugs were confiscated, the minister said. Turkish authorities targeted four international organized crime groups as part of the operation. “These criminal organizations were seeking to ship cocaine to our country and Europe by sea and land from South American countries and heroin from Iran and Afghanistan, skunk cannabis through the Balkans and ecstasy through Europe,” Yerlikaya said. (Source: Turkish Minute - Turkey / Agence France-Presse)
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