Iran FM Araghchi in Oman ahead of nuclear talks with US

Iran FM Araghchi in Oman ahead of nuclear talks with US
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will be leading a diplomatic and technical-expert delegation for indirect discussions with the US side. (Reuters)
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Updated 25 April 2025
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Iran FM Araghchi in Oman ahead of nuclear talks with US

Iran FM Araghchi in Oman ahead of nuclear talks with US
  • Abbas Araghchi will be leading a diplomatic and technical-expert delegation for indirect discussions with the US side
  • President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will represent the United States in the talks

MUSCAT: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi prepared for fresh nuclear talks with the United States in Oman on Friday after apparent progress in previous rounds.
Araghchi flew into Muscat ahead of Saturday’s meeting with US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, their third encounter in as many weeks.
Araghchi will lead Iran’s delegation of diplomats and technical experts in indirect discussions with the US side, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei posted on X.
Iran’s top diplomat was a negotiator of the landmark nuclear accord abandoned by Trump during his first term in 2018.
Araghchi refused to discuss the talks as he signed copies of an Arabic translation of his book, “The Power of Negotiation” at a book fair in Muscat on Friday.
The latest round will include expert-level talks on Iran’s nuclear program, with Michael Anton, who serves as the State Department’s head of policy planning, leading the technical discussions on the US side, the department said.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that deputy foreign ministers Kazem Gharibabadi and Majid Takht-Ravanchi will head the Iranian technical team.
Baqaei posted that Iran’s delegation is “resolved to secure our nation’s legitimate and lawful right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes while taking reasonable steps to demonstrate that our program is entirely peaceful.”
“Termination of unlawful and inhumane sanctions in an objective and speedy manner is a priority that we seek to achieve,” he added.
According to Baqaei, the dialogue will again be mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi — who appeared with Araghchi at the book signing — on Saturday morning.
The meeting follows two earlier rounds of Omani-mediated negotiations in Muscat and Rome starting on April 12.
Since his return to office in January, Trump has reimposed sweeping sanctions under his policy of “maximum pressure” against Tehran.
In March, he sent a letter to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling for talks but warning of possible military action if they failed to produce a deal.
Western countries including the United States have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons — an allegation Tehran has consistently denied, insisting that its program is for peaceful civilian purposes.
Baqaei earlier Friday said “progress in the negotiations requires the demonstration of goodwill, seriousness, and realism by the other side.”
Iran will treat Saturday’s talks seriously, Araghchi said in a recent interview, “and if the other party also enters seriously, there is potential for progress.”
In 2018, Trump withdrew the United States from the nuclear deal signed three years earlier between Tehran and major world powers. The agreement eased sanctions on Iran in return for curbs on its nuclear program.
After Trump’s pullout, Tehran complied with the agreement for a year before scaling back its compliance.
Iran currently enriches uranium up to 60 percent, far above the 3.67 percent limit in the 2015 deal but still below the 90 percent threshold required for weapons-grade material.
In an interview published by Time Magazine on Friday, Trump said the United States will “lead the pack” in attacking Iran if nuclear talks do not lead to a new deal.
But he expressed hope that an agreement could be reached and said he would be willing to meet Khamenei.


Turkiye FM meets Russia delegation in Istanbul

Turkiye FM meets Russia delegation in Istanbul
Updated 7 sec ago
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Turkiye FM meets Russia delegation in Istanbul

Turkiye FM meets Russia delegation in Istanbul

ISTANBUL: Turkiye’s foreign minister was on Thursday meeting with the Russian delegation that is in Istanbul for their first direct peace talks with Ukraine in three years, a ministry source said.
“The meeting between Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and the Russian side, headed by Vladimir Medinsky has started,” the source said of talks taking place at Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace.
The talks had been announced earlier in the evening by a foreign ministry spokesman.
Russia and Ukraine had been expected to meet on Thursday in Istanbul for their first direct peace talks in more than three years at the Dolmabahce Palace on the banks of the Bosphorus.
But as the day wore on without any concrete indications of timings, it remained unclear whether the delegations would meet later in the evening or leave it until Friday.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was in southern Turkish city of Antalya for a NATO summit Thursday, was due in Istanbul on Friday.
He told reporters he would meet Ukraine’s top diplomat, Andriy Sybiga there, while a lower-level US official would meet with the Russian delegation.
The minister was not thought to be part of the Ukrainian delegation to the talks.
Rubio also expressed hope that Turkiye would work to bring the two delegations together.
Earlier on Thursday, Fidan and Rubio held talks on the sidelines of the NATO meeting, with the pair agreeing that “efforts would continue to be made to ensure direct negotiations between the parties,” a source at the Turkish foreign ministry said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was in Ankara earlier on Thursday, has sent a pared-down team to the Istanbul talks after Russia showed up with a relatively low-level delegation.
The Ukrainian delegation is headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, while the Russian side is being led by Medinsky, a hawkish adviser to Russia’s Vladimir Putin who has questioned Ukraine’s right to exist and led failed talks in 2022 at the start of the war.


ICC says Libya recognizes authority of war crimes, repression probe

ICC says Libya recognizes authority of war crimes, repression probe
Updated 11 min 50 sec ago
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ICC says Libya recognizes authority of war crimes, repression probe

ICC says Libya recognizes authority of war crimes, repression probe

UNITED NATIONS: Libya has accepted the authority of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate alleged war crimes in the country despite not being party to the Rome Statute, the court’s founding treaty, ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan said Thursday.
“I strongly welcome the courage, the leadership and the decision by the Libyan authorities” to recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction over possible war crimes and repression committed since 2011 until the end of 2027, Khan added.


Hamas ‘willing to cooperate’ with Trump if US puts pressure on Israel to end war

Hamas ‘willing to cooperate’ with Trump if US puts pressure on Israel to end war
Updated 29 min 48 sec ago
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Hamas ‘willing to cooperate’ with Trump if US puts pressure on Israel to end war

Hamas ‘willing to cooperate’ with Trump if US puts pressure on Israel to end war
  • Senior Hamas figure Basem Naim says his group has told Washington directly it is willing to give up governance of Gaza
  • The organization released an American Israeli hostage this week during Trump’s visit to the region

LONDON: President Donald Trump can help bring peace to Gaza, a senior Hamas official said as he confirmed that the Palestinian group has told the US it is willing to hand over governance of the territory.

In an interview with Sky News on Thursday, Basem Naim said his organization has shared a ceasefire plan directly with officials in Washington and offered to hand over administration of Gaza “immediately if we reach an end of this war.”

The proposal called for “a prisoner exchange, total withdrawal of Israeli forces, allowing all the aid to get into Gaza, and rebuilding of the Gaza Strip without forceful immigration,” he added.

Naim said he believes Trump “has the capability and the will to reach this peaceful situation.”

He continued: “President Trump can do it if he exercises enough pressure on the Israelis to end this war immediately. We are ready to cooperate with him to achieve this goal of a more peaceful region.”

Hamas released American Israeli hostage Edan Alexander on Monday as Trump was beginning a tour of the Middle East, which included visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. The group said the same day that it was in direct negotiations with Washington.

“We urge the Trump administration to continue its efforts to end this brutal war waged by the war criminal (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu against children, women and defenseless civilians in the Gaza Strip,” the group said.

Alexander was serving as an Israeli soldier when he was captured during the Hamas-led October 2023 attacks, in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage.

Israeli authorities responded with a brutal military offensive that has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians and reduced Gaza to rubble. A blockade on humanitarian aid since early March has prompted warnings that the territory could soon be gripped by famine.

Naim’s comments suggest Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist group by the US, believes Trump can play a key role in helping to secure an end to Israel’s ongoing offensive, which claimed the lives of scores more people on Thursday.

He said Hamas has accepted an Egyptian peace proposal under which a politically independent body would be formed to run Gaza.

“Before that, as long as we are still occupied people, we have all the right to continue defending our people and resisting the occupation,” Naim said.

Earlier reports that the US and Hamas were engaged in direct talks reportedly angered Israeli authorities. And despite the comments from Hamas officials this week, US officials maintain that the group is still not doing enough to end the war.

“Hamas has not demonstrated they are serious about peace,” a White House National Security Council spokesperson told Sky News, adding that Trump has demanded that the group lays down its weapons.

“Hamas continues to wrongfully hold hostages, including American bodies, in the dungeons of Gaza who could easily be freed, and have shown no changes in behavior to indicate they will cease to attack civilians,” he added.

The ranks of Hamas has been heavily depleted during the war against Israel, with thousands of its members killed, including a number of senior leaders. However, it continues to maintain a strong presence in Gaza and remains key to any ceasefire agreement.

Israel has ramped up its military operations in recent weeks as it moves to gain control of large sections of Gaza and take over aid distribution throughout the territory.


Trump outlines potential fighter jet plans in Gulf tour

Trump outlines potential fighter jet plans in Gulf tour
Updated 15 May 2025
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Trump outlines potential fighter jet plans in Gulf tour

Trump outlines potential fighter jet plans in Gulf tour
  • President says US studying a twin-engined F-55 and upgraded ‘F-22 Super’

DOHA: The US is examining the development of a twin-engined warplane known as the F-55 and an upgrade to its Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor called the F-22 Super, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday.

Trump was speaking at a meeting of business leaders, including the heads of Boeing and GE Aerospace in Doha, a day after announcing a string of business deals, including an order from Qatar for 160 Boeing commercial jets.

Trump referred to the F-55 both as an upgrade to the Lockheed F-35 and a new development in comments that appeared to echo talk by the US arms giant of a “best value” alternative, after losing out to Boeing to replace the F-22 superfighter.

He also highlighted the role of the new air dominance platform called the F-47, recently awarded to Boeing, and said the US was simultaneously looking at upgrading the stealth fighter that it is designed to replace, the F-22.

“We’re going to do an F-55 and — I think, if we get the right price, we have to get the right price — that’ll be two engines and a super upgrade on the F-35, and then we’re going to do the F-22,” Trump said.

“I think the most beautiful fighter jet in the world is the F-22, but we’re going to do an F-22 Super, and it’ll be a very modern version of the F-22 fighter jet,” he said.

“We’re going to be going with it pretty quickly,” he added.

Trump last month awarded Boeing the contract for the F-47 — a replacement for the Lockheed F-22 stealth fighter featuring a crewed aircraft flanked by a cohort of drones and seen as America’s most advanced or sixth-generation fighter.

Lockheed Martin, which lost out to Boeing in that Next Generation Air Dominance, or NGAD, competition and was dropped from a separate contest for a new US Navy stealth jet, has said it is now looking at plans for a “fifth-generation-plus” fighter.

CEO James Taiclet told analysts last month that Lockheed was looking at ways of applying technology developed for its losing bid for the F-47 contract to the F-35, delivering 80 percent of the capability for half the cost.

“We’re basically going to take the chassis and turn it into a Ferrari,” he told analysts.

Lockheed did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Trump had revealed the name of this project.

Lockheed is separately in the midst of a delayed technology and software upgrade for the existing generation of F-35 strike fighter to boost cockpit displays and processing power.

Analysts said it was not immediately clear how Trump’s list of potential developments fitted into known programs and spending plans, or the timing of existing programs.

Agency Partners aerospace analyst Nick Cunningham said the F-55 may alternatively refer to the F/A-XX program, intended to replace the US Navy’s aging Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet fleet with the service’s sixth-generation stealth fighter.

The Navy and Congress are battling with the administration to keep the plans moving forward, Reuters reported on Wednesday.


Lineker says Israel at fault for origins of Gaza conflict, days before tweet furor

Lineker says Israel at fault for origins of Gaza conflict, days before tweet furor
Updated 15 May 2025
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Lineker says Israel at fault for origins of Gaza conflict, days before tweet furor

Lineker says Israel at fault for origins of Gaza conflict, days before tweet furor
  • Gary Lineker: ‘Palestinians are caged in this outdoor prison in Gaza, and now it’s an outdoor prison that they’re bombing’
  • Lineker: ‘People say it’s a complex issue, but I don’t think it is. It’s inevitable that the Israeli occupation was going to cause massive problems’

LONDON: English sports broadcaster Gary Lineker, at the center of a backlash over a social media post, said that Israel is to blame for the origins of the Gaza conflict, because it turned the territory into an “outdoor prison.”

Speaking on Friday in an interview at the Football Business Awards days before he was accused of antisemitism over a post on X, Lineker said that his issues are with the Israeli government rather than Jewish people.

The BBC’s outgoing “Match of the Day” presenter criticized the actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Gaza as “completely out of proportion” to the Oct. 7 attacks.

Lineker’s post days later featured a pro-Palestinian message containing a rat emoji.

He later deleted the post and apologized but it sparked a furor among Jewish groups and BBC staff members, who have called for him to be sacked.

Lineker, 64, is preparing to host the final episodes of “Match of the Day” before returning to front the BBC’s FA Cup and FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage.

“Obviously, Oct. 7 was awful, but it’s very important to know your history and to study the massacres that happened prior to this, many of them against the Palestinian people,” he told The Telegraph in the Friday interview.

“Yes, Israelis have a right to defend themselves. But it appears that Palestinians don’t — and that is where it’s wrong. Palestinians are caged in this outdoor prison in Gaza, and now it’s an outdoor prison that they’re bombing.”

Lineker also questioned whether Israel could still legitimately argue that it was acting in self-defense. “I understand that they needed to avenge, but I don’t think they’ve helped their own hostage situation at all,” he said.

“People say it’s a complex issue, but I don’t think it is. It’s inevitable that the Israeli occupation was going to cause massive problems, and I just feel for the Palestinians.”

He said that “most” Jews now recognized that Israel’s actions have become too extreme. “The real heroes are the Jews who have spoken out against it,” he added.

Lineker, who was paid £1.4 million ($1.8 million) by the BBC last year, said that he was unfazed by the prospect of his comments provoking a negative reaction.

“I don’t really care about the backlash. I care about doing the right thing, or what I think is the right thing,” he said. “Some people can disagree, that’s fine. But I have to look at myself in the mirror. I think if you’re silent on these issues, you’re almost complicit.”

However, a number of BBC staffers said that Lineker should not be allowed to share his views publicly given his high-profile role at the BBC. They warned that it risked damaging trust in the corporation.

“The vast majority of BBC staff keep their views to themselves precisely because they work for the BBC,” said one.

“Why one individual is beyond that I simply don’t understand. The bosses need to take control. The value of all our collective work is at stake.”

Director-General of the BBC Tim Davie said that “the BBC’s reputation is held by everyone and when someone makes a mistake, it costs us.

“We absolutely need people to be the exemplars of BBC values and follow our social media policies, simple as that.”