MUSCAT: The United States and Iran started discussing details of a potential nuclear deal in Oman Saturday as they held their third round of talks in as many weeks.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are again leading the talks, which this time include a technical-level meeting between experts from both sides.
The discussions are aimed at striking a new deal that would stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons — an objective Tehran denies pursuing — in return for relief from crippling sanctions.
US President Donald Trump pulled out of an earlier multilateral nuclear deal during his first term in office.
Saturday’s talks were taking place in a “serious atmosphere,” Tehran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said, according to the Tasnim news agency.
Iran’s defense and missile capabilities were not on the agenda, Baqaei said separately to state TV, while an Iranian negotiator told Tasnim that the talks were “uniquely about sanctions and nuclear questions.”
Michael Anton, the State Department’s head of policy planning, leads the US expert-level delegation, while deputy foreign ministers Kazem Gharibabadi and Majid Takht-Ravanchi will lead Tehran’s, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency.
The talks started at around 10am (0600 GMT) with the delegations in separate rooms and communicating via the hosts, Baqaei said in a statement.
Iran’s state news agency IRNA said the talks may extend beyond Saturday, “given that the negotiations have entered technical and expert-level discussions and the examination of details.”
Araghchi earlier expressed “cautious optimism,” saying this week: “If the sole demand by the US is for Iran to not possess nuclear weapons, this demand is achievable.”
But if Washington had “impractical or illogical demands, we will naturally encounter problems,” he added.
The talks coincided with a major blast from unknown causes at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee port that injured hundreds of people and killed at least four, according to state media.
Before the talks, Trump, in an interview published Friday by Time magazine, reiterated his threat of military action if a deal fell through.
But he added that he “would much prefer a deal than bombs being dropped.” The talks began in Muscat a fortnight a go and continued in Rome last Saturday.
They are the highest-level engagement between the long-time foes since 2018, when Trump withdrew from the landmark 2015 accord that gave Iran sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear program.
Since returning to office, Trump has reinstated his “maximum pressure” policy of sanctions against Tehran.
In March, he wrote to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proposing talks, but also warning of potential military action if diplomacy failed.
On Tuesday, Washington announced new sanctions targeting Iran’s oil network — a move Tehran described as “hostile” ahead of Saturday’s talks.
Western nations, including the United States, have long accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
Tehran has consistently denied the charge, maintaining that its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful purposes.
On Wednesday, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi called on Iran to explain tunnels built near its Natanz nuclear site, seen in satellite imagery released by the Institute for Science and International Security.
The Washington-based think tank also noted construction of a new security perimeter.
In an interview released Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated Washington’s firm stance against Iran’s uranium enrichment.
“If Iran wants a civil nuclear program, they can have one just like many other countries in the world have one: and that is they import enriched material,” he said on the Honestly podcast.
Iran currently enriches uranium up to 60 percent, far above the 3.67 percent limit imposed by the 2015 deal but still below the 90 percent threshold required for weapons-grade material.
Araghchi has previously called Iran’s right to enrich uranium “non-negotiable.”
Tehran recently sought to reopen dialogue with Britain, France and Germany — also signatories to the 2015 deal — holding several rounds of nuclear talks ahead of the US meetings.
Last week, Rubio urged the three European states 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 use the mechanism expires in October.
Iran has warned that it could withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if the snapback is triggered.
Iran, US hold new round of high-stakes nuclear talks
https://arab.news/7nx7t
Iran, US hold new round of high-stakes nuclear talks
- A third round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States “may be extended,” Iranian state media reported Saturday, as negotiators were meeting in Oman
Israeli military calls on civilians to flee three Yemeni ports
- Israel has staged several attacks on Yemen after missiles were fired. The Houthis say their attacks are to support Palestinians in Gaza
JERUSALEM: The Israeli military on Monday called on civilians to leave three Yemen ports as it prepares strikes against installations held by Houthi rebels who have fired missiles at Israel.
“Because of the use of maritime ports by the Houthi terrorist regime, we call on all people present” in the ports of Ras Issa, Hodeida and Salif “to evacuate them immediately for their own security,” Col. Avichay Adraee, an Israeli army spokesman, posted in Arabic on X and Telegram.
Israel has staged several attacks on Yemen after missiles were fired. The Houthis say their attacks are to support Palestinians in Gaza.
A convoy sets off for Gaza from North Africa to protest Israel’s blockade
- The Tunisian civil society groups behind the convoy said their aim is to demand “the immediate lifting of the unjust siege on the strip”
TUNIS, Tunisia: A convoy of buses and private cars departed for Gaza from Tunisia’s capital Monday as part of efforts to spotlight Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid to the territory, even as Israeli authorities stopped a high-profile flotilla from landing there.
The overland effort — organized independently but moved up to coincide with the flotilla — is made up of activists, lawyers and medical professionals from North Africa. It plans to traverse Tunisia, Libya and Egypt before reaching Rafah, the border crossing with Egypt that has remained largely closed since Israel’s military took control of the Gaza side in May 2024.
The Tunisian civil society groups behind the convoy said their aim is to demand “the immediate lifting of the unjust siege on the strip.” They asserted that Arab governments haven’t pushed enough to end the 20-month war between Israel and Hamas.
After a 2½-month blockade of Gaza aimed at pressuring Hamas, Israel started allowing in some basic aid last month. Experts, however, have warned of famine in the territory of over 2 million people unless the blockade is lifted and Israel ends its military offensive.
The convoy set off as the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an aid ship that set sail from Sicily earlier this month, was seized by Israeli forces in what activists said were international waters. Those aboard, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, were detained.
The overland convoy drew widespread attention in Tunisia and Algeria, where it began Sunday, with some people waving Palestinian flags and chanting in support of the people of Gaza.
“This convoy speaks directly to our people in Gaza and says, ‘You are not alone. We share your pain and suffering,’” Yahia Sarri, one of the convoy’s Algerian organizers, wrote on social media.
The North African activists do not expect their convoy to be allowed into Gaza. Regardless, it provides “a message of challenge and will,” said Saher Al-Masri, a Tunis-based Palestinian activist.
Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas from importing arms, while critics say it amounts to collective punishment of Gaza’s population.
The convoy plans to gather supporters in towns south of Tunis before crossing into Libya, where clashes between rival militias have turned deadlier in recent months. Organizers said they planned the land crossings with relevant authorities leading up to the convoy’s departure.
How the easing of sanctions is aiding Syria’s path back into the Arab fold
- Saudi-led diplomacy, US policy shifts, and Arab League reentry propel Syria’s comeback after years of isolation
- Experts stress stability in Syria is essential to curbing extremism, drug smuggling, and regional volatility
LONDON: Syria’s slow return to the Arab fold is set to pick up pace. After Arab states cautiously reengaged following Bashar Assad’s fall in December, plans by the US and EU to lift sanctions have turned hesitation into opportunity.
As these barriers begin to ease, old allies are moving to renew ties — not only reviving diplomatic channels but also launching a high-stakes race to shape Syria’s postwar recovery and revival.
Leading the charge is Saudi Arabia, which has positioned itself as the key broker of Syria’s regional reintegration. Riyadh has hosted members of Syria’s new leadership and convened high-level meetings to coordinate Arab and international support for reconstruction.
A turning point came on May 14, when Saudi Arabia hosted a landmark meeting between US President Donald Trump and Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa — the first such encounter between American and Syrian leaders in more than 25 years.
The meeting, facilitated by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, took place just one day after Trump’s surprise announcement that Washington would lift all sanctions on Syria.
“This shift in US policy came after President Trump and Secretary Marco Rubio became convinced that Syria could spiral back into chaos and civil war — something regional allies did not want — if economic conditions remained frozen and sanctions continued to block governance,” Sameer Sabounji, policy officer and director of legal affairs at the Syrian American Council, told Arab News.
That decision has triggered a wave of normalization efforts across the region. With Saudi Arabia taking the lead, Arab states are ramping up economic, diplomatic and security cooperation, signaling a new phase in efforts to stabilize and rebuild the war-torn country.
“Arab states are invested in Syria’s recovery,” said Sabounji. “Which is why I think they helped ‘warm’ the Trump administration to Al-Sharaa and gave the US the confidence to be bold in Syria.”
Signs of this momentum also emerged on May 20, when Jordan and Syria signed an agreement to form a Higher Coordination Council, highlighting deepening bilateral ties. Talks focused on expanding energy cooperation and linking electric grids to support Syria’s reconstruction and transition.
The effort is multilayered. In April, Saudi Arabia announced plans to pay off Syria’s $15 million World Bank debt — a move intended to unlock international reconstruction grants and further integrate Syria into the region’s economic framework.
According to Sabounji, regional powers have strong incentives to push for sanctions relief. “Arab countries and Turkiye stand to gain immensely from Syria’s reconstruction, but sanctions were deterring serious investment,” he said.
He added that stronger regional trade routes and cross-border pipeline projects — connecting Gulf Cooperation Council countries to Iraq, Turkiye, the Mediterranean and even Azerbaijan — could boost regional economies, promote self-sufficiency and incentivize greater cooperation from Israel.
Echoing that view, Ghassan Ibrahim, founder of the Global Arab Network, likened sanctions relief to “the fall of the Berlin Wall” for Syrians.
“These restrictions were the wall separating Syria from the rest of the world,” he told Arab News. “Now, Syrians feel more open and optimistic — there’s a growing sense that Syria is a land of opportunity.”
This optimism is not only economic but also geopolitical. Ibrahim Al-Assil, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, highlighted Syria’s pivotal geography in broader regional ambitions.
“It’s because of the location of Syria and the potential of Syria in the region, and in the regional aspiration of the Saudis and the economic prosperity that Syria could contribute to this — Syria is at a very sensitive spot on the map,” he told CNN last month.
“Stabilizing Syria could help stabilize the Middle East.”
Al-Assil argued that a revitalized Syrian economy would directly benefit neighboring countries like Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkiye by enabling refugee returns and unlocking cross-border development.
“Any improvement in the Syrian economy would be felt directly in Lebanon, would be felt directly in Jordan, and that would also open the doors for the Syrian refugees to go back to their countries, similar for Turkiye, also,” he said. “Syria connects Turkiye and Europe to Arabia, and the rest of the Middle East.”
Beyond economic considerations, security remains a critical concern. Syria’s location at the crossroads of Asia, Europe and Africa has long made it a key player in regional dynamics. But that same geography has also facilitated the spread of captagon, a powerful amphetamine that has flooded Gulf markets.
Syria’s southern border with Jordan — particularly the Nassib crossing — has become a key route for drug smuggling. Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia, consider the captagon trade a serious threat to social stability and security. Allegations that the Assad regime used the drug trade as leverage to regain regional acceptance have only added urgency to normalization efforts.
“The Assad regime flooded the region with drugs like captagon, sparking addiction crises in the region, and causing chaos and instability, driving displacement, which added strain to the region,” said Sabounji.
A more stable Syria would help curb drug smuggling and reduce the flow of illegal weapons. “It would also help curb or even prevent a resurgence of Daesh,” said Sabounji. “The interim Syrian government’s efforts to disrupt and apprehend smuggling networks also helps promote border security and reduces the illegal flow of weapons.”
Though territorially defeated in 2019, Daesh remains active in Syria, with about 2,500 fighters operating primarily in the east and northeast. Persistent instability and a diminished foreign military presence have allowed the organization to regroup, especially in areas near the Euphrates River and major cities like Damascus.
FAST FACTS
• Syria was suspended from the Arab League in 2011 over Assad’s violent crackdown on anti-government protests.
• It was readmitted in May 2023, signaling a regional push for normalization despite persistent challenges.
• The isolated Assad regime relied on support from Russia and Iran to defy sanctions throughout the civil war.
Addressing this threat requires coordinated counterterrorism and stronger governance — something regional actors now see as achievable through reintegration rather than isolation.
Sabounji also highlighted another strategic dimension: countering Iranian influence. “Re-welcoming Syria into the Arab fold would counterbalance Iran’s position and influence in the region,” he said.
Ibrahim of the Global Arab Network agreed, suggesting that many regional powers view sanctions relief as a way to shift Syria away from reliance on Iran and, to a lesser extent, Russia — toward more moderate Arab and global partnerships.
“One of the key impacts of lifting sanctions is improved security — both inside Syria and across the region,” he said. “It’s also likely to influence the government’s behavior, encouraging it to choose more constructive partners.
“When Syria was under heavy sanctions, it had limited options and would engage with anyone willing to offer support. But now, with sanctions being lifted quickly, the government is being pushed to align itself with more moderate actors.”
Iran’s regional role has long been a point of contention. Its support for proxy groups like Hezbollah and the Houthis, pursuit of nuclear capabilities, and efforts to undermine state institutions through militias have alarmed both Arab and Western policymakers.
“Arab countries welcome the chance to build a more stable and prosperous Syria,” said Sabounji. “They think Al-Sharaa can accomplish that. He needs help, though, and sanctions relief is a prerequisite.”
He added that regional actors are exhausted by conflict and are eager for a future focused on growth and stability. “This is a bold and refreshing Middle East foreign policy,” said Sabounji. “The Trump administration is signaling that regional problems need regional solutions.”
That shift reflects a departure from traditional US interventionism. “Instead of dictating policy, the US listened to what Arab countries and Turkiye were saying to it. They want to stabilize Syria and want the US to lift sanctions to enable them to do that.”
And then there is the possibility of doing business. “I’m sure President Trump also did not want US companies to be held back by sanctions and not be able to compete for lucrative deals in Syria’s reconstruction,” said Sabounji.
The new policy recalibrates US-Arab relations and sends a message. “Israel is no longer the only voice Washington listens to in the region,” he said.
“The administration is clearly pushing for harmony in the region, but it is also not waiting on Israel anymore. It has decided to strike ahead with improving or cultivating closer relations with each country, such as Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iran, even if dialogue or normalization with Israel stalls.”
Syria’s path back to the fold began with a long exile. In November 2011, the Arab League suspended Syria in response to the Assad regime’s violent crackdown on anti-government protests.
Still, Syria remained central to Arab diplomacy. Over time, countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia shifted their approach, seeking to curb Iranian and Turkish sway.
These evolving dynamics paved the way for Syria’s return to the Arab League in 2023, after 12 years of isolation, despite lingering concerns about the Assad regime’s conduct.
Following Assad’s ouster in December 2024, Saudi Arabia quickly emerged as the lead Arab player in Syria’s reentry. In January 2025, Riyadh hosted Syria’s new foreign minister, Asaad Al-Shaibani, marking the first high-level meeting since the leadership change.
That same month, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan visited Damascus, highlighting support for Syria’s recovery. Then, in February, Al-Sharaa made his first official foreign trip to the Kingdom, where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss deepening diplomatic and economic ties.
Other Gulf states have since followed suit, pledging support for Syria’s reconstruction. The international community is watching closely to see how the new government treats minorities and maintains stability.
After more than a decade of turmoil, Syria’s return to the Arab world may finally be within reach. But its success hinges on the careful balancing of regional interests, global engagement and a genuine commitment to rebuilding a fractured nation.
British parliamentarians demand sanctions on Israel in letter to PM
- Group of 96 expresses ‘grave concern over the relentless violence against Palestinians’
- They call for suspending UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement
LONDON: A group of 96 British parliamentarians have demanded sanctions on Israel in a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The letter calls for the imposition of targeted sanctions, a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements, and a suspension of the trade agreement between the two countries.
“We write to express our grave concern over the relentless violence against Palestinians throughout the Occupied Palestinian territory and urge the United Kingdom to respond to Israel’s widespread and systematic violations of international law,” it says.
Citing escalating Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, the letter warns that recent British decisions to sanction settler organizations linked to human rights abuses “fall short of what is needed.”
The UK also risks complicity in Israeli violations of international law due to “continued diplomatic and economic transactions, and ties with Israeli institutions and settler organizations,” it adds.
The signatories called on the government to “move beyond sanctioning individual settlers but sanction state officials, including ministers, and introduce sanctions in respect of the State of Israel.”
The UK must also implement a total ban on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the letter says, adding that such a move is mandatory based on decisions by the International Court of Justice and the UN, of which the UK is a member state, with both organizations clearly defining settlement-building in the occupied territories as illegal.
London should also suspend the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement, the signatories said, citing the deal’s highlighting of respect for human rights as an “essential element.”
Israel’s breaching of that term means the UK has the “legal right to suspend or terminate its provisions, in whole or in part,” the letter says.
The Council for Arab-British Understanding’s head of parliamentary affairs, Joseph Willits, said: “This letter shows that there is increasing parliamentary support for the UK to take tougher action against Israel.
“As Palestinians face violent erasure, including Israeli imposed genocide, starvation and ethnic cleansing, the UK government simply is not doing enough, and an increasing number of parliamentarians are also coming to this realization.
“What will it take for UK government action to match up with the horrifying situation and systemic violence on the ground, and to act on what parliamentarians, the British public, and most importantly, Palestinians have long been saying?”
Israeli left-wing leader calls for immediate end to Gaza war
- Netanyahu’s government does not represent vast majority of people, Yair Golan says
JERUSALEM: Israeli left-wing opposition leader Yair Golan called on Monday for an immediate end to the Gaza war and said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government no longer represented most Israelis.
“Today the government of Israel does not represent the vast majority of Israelis,” said Golan, chairman of the Democrats party and a former deputy army chief, days before a planned parliament vote which the opposition hopes would trigger a general election.
He told journalists in a briefing that after more than 20 months of fighting, Israel “should end the war as soon as possible.”
Golan’s party, a conglomeration of left-wing factions, has only four seats in Israel’s 120-member legislature, making it one of its smallest political groups.
But in a country where coalition building is essential to achieving a political majority, even relatively small parties can wield considerable power.
FASTFACT
Yair Golan’s party, a conglomeration of left-wing factions, has only four seats in Israel’s 120-member legislature, making it one of its smallest political groups.
Golan, a former deputy minister in a short-lived administration that replaced Netanyahu in 2021-2022, said that the current government — one of the most right-wing in Israel’s history — was a threat to democracy.
The opposition leader said he represents those “who want to save Israeli democracy ... from a corrupted future” and the “messianic-like and nationalistic and extremist vision of a very small faction in the Israeli society.”
“The vast majority wants to keep Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people and at the same time a free, egalitarian and democratic state,” Golan said.
He said that the vast majority of Israelis wanted to see an immediate end to the war in Gaza, the return of all hostages held by Palestinian militants in a single exchange deal, and the establishment of a national commission of inquiry into Hamas’s unprecedented 2023 attack, arguing that the Netanyahu government was opposed to these objectives.
“I believe that we can reach a hostage deal in a matter of days,” Golan said.
“I believe that by ending the war and freeing the hostages, we will be able to build an alternative to Hamas inside the Gaza Strip.”
Criticizing the government’s Gaza war policies, the former army general has recently drawn condemnation in Israel for saying that “a sane country ... does not kill babies for a hobby.”
Golan on Monday also said that most Israelis support legislation that would require ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, who are currently largely exempt from military service, to enlist.
The issue has sparked tension between Netanyahu and ultra-Orthodox parties in his government, with lawmakers threatening to topple the prime minister if no agreement is reached this week.
Some opposition parties are seeking to place a bill to dissolve parliament on Wednesday’s plenary agenda, hoping to capitalize on the ultra-Orthodox revolt.
“The vast majority wants new elections as soon as possible,” Golan said.
