Some Gulf states are talking to Iran about a new regional security plan

The Irish Times · Irlanda · Prensahace 1 día

As the drums of war get louder in Washington and Tel Aviv, the Saudis and their allies have been in Tehran. It could be a sign of things to come.

Themselves aloneWhen defence and security chiefs from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey visited Tehran on Monday, it was as partners in the Mecca Pact, a tripartite mutual defence agreement they signed in August. The host was Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei and the other participants were Pakistan’s military leader Asim Munir, Turkey’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin and Saudi defence minister Khalid bin Salman.

They discussed peace and security in the region, including the United States’ war on Iran, the Saudis’ conflict with the Houthis in Yemen and Israel’s war in Lebanon. The multilateral format offered the Saudis cover for asking the Iranians to intercede with the Houthis to stop attacking infrastructure in the kingdom, including Riyadh airport.

The visitors expressed support for…

Leer la noticia completa en The Irish Times →← Volver a noticias

PressDato enlaza al medio original. Los derechos del artículo pertenecen a su autor y al medio que lo publica.

Más de Internacional en Irlanda

Internacional

Pride in Spain’s rail network turns to soul-searching after another deadly collision

Spain’s high-speed rail network, the most extensive in Europe and the second largest in the world after China, has long ranked as a point of pride in the country. But Wednesday’s deadly crash near Los Yébenes, Toledo – the second major one in nine months – has recast the spotlight on questions about safety in the system. Officials said at least 68 people were killed on Wednesday morning after two trains collided, leading to the derailment of several carriages. The two trains were carrying 544 passengers at the time. One train, run by the state-owned Renfe company, ran into the rear of another owned by private company Iryo that had stopped, knocking two of its carriages off the track in a rural area between two villages. Spain’s transport minister, Oscar Puente, said the incident was caused by what he called an “inexplicable” order from a central command centre for Spain’s…

The Irish Times · Irlandahace 1 hora

Internacional

Why Israeli election deadlock raises prospect of yet another poll

What is the difference between the exit poll projections on Wednesday night and the actual results? Exit polls from Israel’s three main television stations predicted the opposition, anti-Netanyahu bloc would have a few seats more than the prime minister’s bloc, with the two Arab parties receiving the remaining seats. But with more than 85 per cent of the votes counted, Netanyahu’s bloc has 53 seats, compared to only 48 for the change bloc, with 19 seats for the two Arab parties. Likud is by far the largest party with a projected 26 seats, followed by Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar, with 21. (A pro-Netanyahu television station had exit polls that were much closer to the actual result, but this was dismissed by most pundits as a reflection of wishful thinking.)The surge in votes for the Arab parties made it much more difficult for either bloc to come close to the 61 seats…

The Irish Times · Irlandahace 2 horas

Internacional

Can Israel’s opposition parties oust Netanyahu?

As the day drew to a close in Israel on Tuesday, exit polls in the Knesset election suggested a lead for the bloc of parties opposing prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu. As the sun rose and official counts were declared a very different picture emerged showing a slender lead for Netanyahu’s bloc. On today’s Inside Politics podcast, host Hugh Linehan asks our contributor in Jerusalem, Mark Weiss, to explain where things stand as counting continues. That lead enjoyed by the prime minister “changes the entire political picture”, says Weiss. Polling going into the election predicted Netanyahu’s days were numbered, but the results so far leave both sides “much farther from the required majority” to form a government. A strong performance by parties representing Israel’s Arab citizens has further complicated the arithmetic. Their gains have come at the expense of smaller anti-Netanyahu parties, making it harder for some opposition groups to clear…

The Irish Times · Irlandahace 4 horas

Internacional

Israel’s election: when will we know the next prime minister?

Israelis headed to the polls on Tuesday in the highest turnout in more than a quarter-century for what many say was one of the most consequential elections in the country’s 78-year history. Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving leader, his party, Likud, and his far-right governing coalition were locked in a tight contest with opposition parties in the country’s first election since the Hamas-led assault on October 7th, 2023, that ignited Israel’s devastating war in the Gaza Strip. In Israel’s parliamentary democracy, every party creates a ranked list of its candidates, and voters choose a party or slate. The leader of the party or list with the most votes could become the country’s next prime minister — though it is not automatic — if that candidate can form a government, but the process is complicated and involves extensive negotiations. Here’s what to know. What happened on election day?…

The Irish Times · Irlandahace 8 horas