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In Brief: Biden admin: Israel-Saudi normalisation is key security interest

Crown prince Mohamad bin Salman > US State Department, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons US national security advisor Jake Sullivan said last week that the Biden administration would consider diplomatic normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia as being in its national security interest, underlining American commitment to expanding the 2020 Abraham Accords. Sullivan’s comments went further in…

In Brief: Syria welcomed back into Arab fold following decade of isolation

Bashar al-Assad > Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad cemented his return to the Arab fold this week, as Saudi Arabia – a key ally of rebel groups in Syria’s civil war – said its diplomats would return to the country. The restoration of diplomatic ties on Tuesday, later confirmed by Damascus,…

Analysis: Palestinian Islamic Jihad attacks Israel, prompting counter-strikes

Iron Dome intercepts rockets from Gaza > IDF, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons The start of May has seen a significant escalation in tensions and violence in Israel and Gaza, following on from a spate of terror attacks and counter-terror operations in recent months. What happened More than 350 rockets have been fired at Israel from Gaza in recent…

In Brief: EU pledges not to fund Palestinian textbooks over incitement

Image: IMPACT - se The European Union will make sure it does not fund Palestinian Authority school textbooks that incite hatred against Israel and Jews, EU commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement Oliver Varhelyi said last week. “Israel does not oppose aid to the Palestinian Authority, but we will not allow a situation in which those funds indirectly…

In Brief: Iranian minister predicts “Zionist collapse” during Lebanese border visit

Protests in Lebanon > RomanDeckert, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Iran’s foreign minister toured Lebanon’s border with Israel on Friday as part of a visit to the Arab nation, including taking pictures looking into the Jewish state, of which his regime routinely calls for the destruction. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian visited with a number of Lebanese parliamentarians and…

In Brief: Rockets fired at Israel following death of terror affiliate

Iron Dome intercepts rockets from Gaza. Credit: IDF, CC BY-SA 3.0. 104 rockets were fired into Israel from Gaza yesterday following the death in custody of an affiliate of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, following an 86-day hunger strike. An IDF spokesman said the projectiles included rockets, mortars, and shoulder-launched missiles fired at Israeli aircraft over Gaza. The…

Analysis: IRGC tightens grip on Iran’s economy amid new UK assassination plots warning

IRGC Parade in Tehran > YPA, CC-BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Tehran’s much-feared ideological army – has effectively taken charge of the Iranian economy, secret documents published last weekend indicate. The revelations – published by the Sunday Times – come amid warnings about IRGC assassination plots in Britain and its efforts…

LFI parliamentarians push govt on peacebuilding and IRGC at FCDO Orals

At today's Foreign Office Questions session, LFI parliamentarians questioned the government on a number of issues relating to Israel and the Middle East. Shadow Tech Minister and LFI parliamentary supporter Alex Davies-Jones MP Shadow Tech Minister and LFI parliamentary supporter Alex Davies-Jones MP asked what work the Foreign Office was doing to encourage the use of innovative…

In Brief: Iran supplying Russia with ammunition for war in Ukraine

Vladimir Putin and Ayatollah Khamenei > Mehr News Agency, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Iran has reportedly shipped over 300,000 artillery shells and a million rounds of ammunition to Russia across the Caspian Sea in the past 6 months, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. Iran has mostly used cargo flights to ship weapons…

In Brief: More terror attacks as Israel marks Yom HaZikaron memorial day

MDA armoured ambulance > Tewfik, CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons This week has seen at least two attempted terror attacks against Israelis so far, as the Jewish state marked Yom HaZikaron, its memorial day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror, on Tuesday. On Monday afternoon, five people were wounded in a car-ramming terror attack near…