WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden said Wednesday he will not support an Israeli strike on sites related to Tehran’s nuclear program in response to Iran’s missile attack on Israel.
“The answer is no,” Biden told reporters when asked if he would support such retaliation after Iran fired about 180 missiles at Israel on Tuesday.
Biden’s comments came after he and fellow Group of Seven leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom spoke by telephone about coordinating new sanctions against Iran.
The US and allies are scrambling to keep the Mideast conflict — sparked by Iran-backed Hamas militants’ in Gaza’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel— from spreading further. They are urging Israel to show restraint as it weighs retaliation against Iran for Tuesday’s attack.
Israel is now carrying out what it has described as limited ground operations across its northern border with Lebanon to dig out Hezbollah, another Iran-backed group, after carrying out a series of massive air strikes that killed the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and decimated its leadership.
Last month, thousands of explosives hidden in pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah detonated, killing dozens of people and maiming thousands, including many civilians. Israel is widely believed to be behind the attack
Biden stated his opposition to Israel hitting Iranian nuclear facilities as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu weighed a range of options in how to respond to Tuesday’s attack. It was the second such attack by Iran on Israel in less than six months.
Israel’s choices range from a largely symbolic strike— similar to how Israel responded after Iran launched a barrage of missiles and attack drones in April— to hitting oil facilities and other infrastructure.
Targeting Iran’s controversial nuclear program is seen as perhaps the most provocative action that Israel could take. It’s one that the Democratic president believes could further enflame a Mideast conflict that he already worries could develop into a broader regional conflict.
The White House said in a statement that G7 leaders “unequivocally condemned Iran’s attack against Israel” and that Biden reaffirmed America’s “full solidarity and support to Israel and its people.”
Biden added that he supports Israel’s right to defend itself and “there are things that have to be done” in response to the Iranian barrage. He said he expected sanctions from the G7 nations to be announced soon.
“We will be discussing with the Israelis what they are going to do,” Biden told reporters before heading to the Carolinas to see the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. “All seven of us agree that they have a right to respond.”
The office of Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said in a statement that the leaders expressed “strong concern for the escalation of these last hours” and emphasized that “a conflict on a regional scale is in no one’s interest.” Italy holds the rotating presidency of the G7 group of industrialized democracies.
Biden said that he planned to speak with Netanyahu “relatively soon.”
Biden’s administration has signaled that it is urging Israel to display restraint in how it responds to Iran’s missile attack, which Biden said was “ineffective and defeated.”
The US military helped Israel defend against the attack that Iran carried out in retaliation for the killing of Tehran-backed leaders of Lebanese Hezbollah.
Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said there “must be a return message” to Iran. He said the US and Israel officials continue to discuss their response.
“At the same time, I think we recognize as important as the response of some kind should be, there is a recognition that the region is really balancing on a knife’s edge,” Campbell said at forum hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington think tank.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on Wednesday with his counterparts Britain, France, Germany, and Italy to discuss the situation in the Middle East.
Biden won’t support a strike on Iran nuclear sites as Israel weighs response to Iran missile attack
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Biden won’t support a strike on Iran nuclear sites as Israel weighs response to Iran missile attack
- “The answer is no,” Biden told reporters when asked if he would support such retaliation
- US and allies are urging Israel to show restraint as it weighs retaliation against Iran airstrikes
UK ends sanctions on Syria defense, interior ministries
- Sanctions against various media groups and intelligence agencies were also lifted
- New Syrian government is aiming to persuade Western capitals that sanctions should be lifted
“The following entries have been removed from the Consolidated List and are no longer subject to an asset freeze – Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defense,” the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation said in a notice.
Sanctions against various media groups and intelligence agencies were also lifted, although Syria’s new rulers dissolved the Assad-era spy bodies in January.
Those targeted by the sanctions were “involved in repressing the civilian population in Syria” or had been “involved in supporting or benefitting from the Syrian regime,” said the notice.
The new Syrian government is aiming to persuade Western capitals that the militant origins of the rebels who toppled Assad in December, after 14 years in charge, are confined to the past, and that crippling international sanctions should be lifted.
Amnesty denounces Algeria over ‘alarming’ crackdown
- Amnesty said the 23 were detained “solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights”
- Amnesty singled out accelerated judicial procedures, which it said did not give several detainees time for adequate defense
TUNIS: Amnesty International on Thursday denounced what it called a “crackdown on peaceful dissent” in Algeria in response to an online protest campaign.
“Algerian authorities have intensified their relentless clampdown on peaceful dissent through arbitrary arrests and unjust prosecutions leading to lengthy prison sentences,” the rights group said in a statement.
It said the authorities have arrested and sentenced at least 23 activists and journalists over their purported support for an online protest movement dubbed Manich Radi (which loosely translates as “I do not agree“).
The campaign, Amnesty said, was launched in December 2024 “to denounce restrictions on human rights and difficult socioeconomic conditions in the country.”
Amnesty said the 23 were detained “solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights.”
Its regional director for the Middle East and North Africa Heba Morayef said: “The trajectory of suffocating online activism pursued by the Algerian authorities is alarming and must be reversed.
“Nothing can justify detaining and jailing people solely for having expressed dissatisfaction about political and socioeconomic conditions,” she added.
The crackdown coincided with the lead-up to the sixth anniversary in February of the pro-democracy Hirak movement.
Amnesty singled out accelerated judicial procedures, which it said did not give several detainees time for adequate defense.
Among several cases, it cited the March sentencing of activists Soheib Debbaghi and Mahdi Bazizi to 18-month jail terms for their ties to the “Manich Radi” movement.
Debbaghi was convicted of “publishing content harmful to national interest,” Amnesty said.
It urged the authorities in Algeria to “end their crackdown on peaceful dissent and stop punishing the legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of expression.”
Yemen’s leadership pushes for unity as political leaders meet to shape post-war transition
- The PLC is working to restore state authority in areas under government control while countering the influence of the Houthis
- The president called for a renewed sense of unity among Yemen’s political forces, urging them to set aside divisions
DUBAI: Yemen’s internationally recognized leadership convened key political figures in Riyadh on Wednesday to rally support for a unified national strategy to shape the country’s postwar transition and rebuild state institutions after nearly a decade of conflict.
Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, President Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, met with leaders of the National Bloc of Political Parties — a coalition of major political groups — to discuss how best to coordinate efforts during the transitional period. The meeting was part of consultations with political forces throughout Yemen to prepare for what officials describe as a pivotal phase in the country’s recovery.
The PLC, formed in 2022 to unify anti-Houthi factions and guide the country toward peace, is working to restore state authority in areas under government control while countering the influence of the Houthis, who continue to dominate much of northern Yemen.
During the meeting, the president called for a renewed sense of unity among Yemen’s political forces, urging them to set aside divisions and work together to restore stability, deliver basic services and lay the foundation for long-term governance.
“This is a moment for collective leadership and national alignment,” he said, stressing the importance of shared responsibility in rebuilding the state.
The national bloc reaffirmed its commitment to the PLC’s vision, presenting a political roadmap focused on national cohesion, economic recovery and effective governance in liberated areas. The group also underlined the importance of alleviating humanitarian suffering and accelerating institutional reforms.
Istanbul residents spend the night outdoors after a strong earthquake and aftershocks
- The magnitude 6.2 quake tremor that struck Wednesday deeply impacted the city of 16 million residents
- There were no reports of serious damage but the temblor prompted widespread panic and scores of injuries
ISTANBUL: Many Istanbul residents spent the night outdoors, too fearful to return to their homes, following a strong earthquake and over 180 aftershocks.
The magnitude 6.2 quake tremor that struck Wednesday deeply impacted the city of 16 million residents, leaving many inhabitants shaken and wary of a possible more destructive tremor. There were no reports of serious damage but the temblor, the strongest felt in Istanbul in recent years, prompted widespread panic and scores of injuries.
The earthquake had a shallow depth of 10 kilometers, according to the United States Geological Survey, with its epicenter about 40 kilometers southwest of Istanbul, in the Sea of Marmara. It was felt in several neighboring provinces.
At least 236 people were treated for injuries they suffered while trying to jump from buildings or for panic attacks. Most of the injuries were in Istanbul, where residents remain on edge because the city is considered at high risk for a major quake.
In fear of a stronger earthquake that could demolish homes, residents sought refuge by sleeping in their cars or setting up tents in parks and other open spaces. Many lit campfires to keep warm after the temperature dipped.
Turkiye is crossed by two major fault lines, and earthquakes are frequent.
For many, the memory of a devastating earthquake that struck 11 southern and southeastern provinces two years ago, remains vivid.
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake on February 6, 2023, claimed more than 53,000 lives and destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings. Another 6,000 people were killed in the northern parts of neighboring Syria.
The Turkish disaster and emergency management agency, AFAD, said Wednesday’s earthquake was followed by 184 aftershocks – seven of them of a magnitude 4 or stronger.
Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum stated that authorities had received 378 reports of structural damage in various buildings. At least 12 buildings had been evacuated as a precautionary measure, he said.
Only one building – a derelict, long-abandoned structure in the city’s historic Fatih district – collapsed.
Germany’s GFZ seismological research institute said the earthquake was the strongest in the area in over 25 years and extended the fault zone toward Istanbul.
The institute said the development presented two possibilities: either the region could experience a temporary decrease in seismic activity, or the stress caused by the earthquake could lead to a more destructive tremor.
“The area beneath the Sea of Marmara south of Istanbul is the only area of the entire plate boundary that hasn’t generated a strong earthquake in over 250 years and is therefore overdue for an earthquake with a magnitude of up to 7.4,” the seismology center said.
Jordanian military foils attempt to smuggle drugs using a drone
- The drone was intercepted and brought down, and the seized narcotics were handed over to the authorities for further investigation
DUBAI: The Jordan Armed Forces on Wednesday evening announced that it had foiled an attempt on the southern border to smuggle narcotics into the country using a drone.
A military source from the General Command told Petra news agency that Border Guard Forces in the southern military zone, in coordination with military security agencies and the anti-narcotics department, detected and tracked a drone attempting to cross into Jordanian territory.
The drone was intercepted and brought down, and the seized narcotics were handed over to the authorities for further investigation.
The source reaffirmed the Jordan Armed Forces’ commitment to using all its capabilities to prevent any form of infiltration or smuggling, emphasizing the military’s ongoing efforts to protect Jordan’s security and stability.
