Middle East Experience

Officials from Iran, China, Russia, France, Germany and UK will meet virtually on Friday to discuss a possible return of the US to the 2015 nuclear deal, the European Union said in a statement on Thursday."Participants will discuss the prospect of a possible return of the United States to the JCPOA and how to ensure the full and effective implementation of the agreement by all sides," the statement said.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The US welcomed the announcement and said it was ready to take "mutual steps" to return to the deal."We obviously welcome this as a positive step," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters."We are ready to pursue a return to compliance with our JCPOA commitments consistent with Iran also doing the same... We've been looking at options for doing so [a series of initial mutual steps], including with indirect conversations through our European partners," Price added.Washington and Tehran have been locked in an impasse over reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.Since taking office in January, President Joe Biden has taken steps, perceived as extending an olive branch to Iran, to revive talks over the nuclear deal which has unraveled since his predecessor Donald Trump pulled the US out of the agreement in 2018.Biden reversed Trump’s determination that all UN sanctions against Iran had been restored and the State Department eased stringent restrictions on the domestic travel of Iranian diplomats in New York.Yet, Tehran adamantly demanded that all Trump-era sanctions on Iran be lifted before taking any real action to return to the deal. The regime repeatedly made threats of upping their nuclear activities, effectively “turning up the heat” on Biden, trying to get as many concessions from Washington as possible before taking any real action.Read more:Iran’s top diplomat says will soon present ‘concrete plan of action’ on nuclear dealUS disappointed by Iran's latest move on nuclear deal, remains ready to re-engage: WHBiden’s envoy says US not rushing to nuclear deal before Iran elections
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Iran, world powers to hold nuclear talks on April 2 to discuss US return to deal

A senior State Department official Thursday played down suggestions that the US was considering withdrawing and leaving the Middle East region, noting that troops and machinery were redeployed “all the time.”The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that President Joe Biden had ordered the Pentagon to begin studying the removal of US forces and equipment from the Gulf region.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.But US officials were quoted as saying that Washington was looking at ways to boost Saudi Arabia’s defense capabilities as the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen continue their cross-border attacks using bomb-laden drones and ballistic missiles.“The bottom line is that the Houthis need to know that we are standing with the Saudis, and we will continue to support their right to self-defense,” one US official told WSJ.Read more: Lenderking back in US after ‘productive meetings’ on Yemen: State DepartmentAsked about the US withdrawing from the Gulf, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Joey Hood said the Defense Department had made no final decisions.“I mean troops, machinery, and equipment redeploy all the time,” Hood told Al Arabiya during an interview from the State Department on Thursday.“And I don’t think any final decisions have been made by the Department of Defense, by the way, on any of this, so I wouldn’t make any predictions on any of them,” he added.Asked how the US would reassure its partners and allies in the Gulf that it was committed to these ties, Hood said Washington’s alliances “are there to stay. They’re not going away. Our commitment to the safety, security and stability of our partners throughout the Middle East is not changing, and it never will,” he said.Nevertheless, Hood admitted that the defense capabilities of its partners in the region were increasing. With that improvement, the US would no longer need to station certain machinery and weapons in the area.“As our partners become more and more capable and able to take on more tasks by themselves, well, it doesn’t make as much sense for us to have people and expensive capabilities there. So that’s actually a mark of success in many ways,” Hood said.The US official also reiterated that the countries in the region knew their partner of choice remained in the US.“And we will continue to work hard every day to make sure that we warrant that trust,” he said.As for Iran, Hood said the US stance was that which Biden announced. If Iran returns to full compliance with the JCPOA, an acronym for the nuclear deal, then the US would lift “certain” sanctions under that agreement.But Hood was quick to note that not all sanctions would be lifted.“Some of our sanctions are related to human rights abuses and coming back into a nuclear deal doesn’t mean that the [Iranian] government has stopped shooting its people in the streets for expressing their views peacefully,” he said.Hood added: “As long as they’re doing that, we’re going to have sanctions on them for sure.”Touching on the recent agreement between Iran and China, Hood said the US welcomed “healthy and normal” ties between countries, including with China.“But that means it has to be on a level playing field according to internationally based rules so that investors know what they’re getting into,” adding that deals shouldn’t be based on corruption or other unpredictable factors.The US official seemed unconcerned with Tehran and Beijing's recent deal because of past agreements China, Russia, and similar authoritarian countries struck with other governments.“If you go back through your archives, I think you can find a number of examples of the Chinese government or the Russian government, or others, signing all sorts of deals and [MOUs] that never come to fruition,” he said.Therefore, Hood said, the US would reserve judgment on the Iran-China deal until it materializes.The US hopes it can work with China to pressure Iran on its nuclear program.“There’s no reason why we can’t [work together] again because we know that the Chinese government doesn’t want to see nuclear weapons certainly proliferating in the region. And so, I think they share an interest with us in making sure that the Iranian program is entirely peaceful and is verified by the [International Atomic Energy Agency],” he said.Read more: US welcomes Saudi Arabia’s ceasefire initiative for Yemen: State Department
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: US commitment to safety of Middle East partners will 'never' change: Official

Egypt is expecting more than $1 billion in compensation after a cargo ship blocked the Suez Canal for nearly a week, according to the top canal official. He also warned the ship and its cargo will not be allowed leave Egypt if the issue of damages goes to court.Lt. Gen. Ossama Rabei, head of the canal authority, said in a phone interview with a pro-government TV talk show on Wednesday that the amount takes into account the salvage operation, costs of stalled traffic, and lost transit fees for the week that the Ever Given had blocked the Suez Canal.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“It’s the country’s right,” Rabei said, without specifying who would be responsible for paying the compensation. He added that in the past, canal authorities and the ship's owners have had a good relationship.The massive cargo ship is currently in one of the canal's holding lakes, where authorities and the ship's managers say an investigation is ongoing.On Thursday, the ship's technical managers, Bernard Schulte Shipmanagement, said in an email to The Associated Press that the ship's crew was cooperating with authorities in their investigation into what led to the vessel running aground. They said that Suez Canal Authority investigators have been given access to the Voyage Data Recorder, also known as a vessel's black box.Rabie also said that if an investigation went smoothly and the compensation amount was agreed on, then the ship could travel on without problems.However, if the issue of compensation involved litigation, then the Ever Given and its some $3.5 billion worth of cargo would not be allowed to leave Egypt, he told the show’s host.Litigation could be complex, since the vessel is owned by a Japanese firm, operated by a Taiwanese shipper, and flagged in Panama.On Monday, a flotilla of tugboats helped by the tides, wrenched the Ever Given's bulbous bow from the canal’s sandy bank, where it had been firmly lodged. The tugs then guided the Ever Given through the water after days of unsuccessful attempts to dislodge the colossus that had captivated the world, drawing scrutiny and social media ridicule.The Ever Given had crashed into a bank of a single-lane stretch of the canal about 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) north of the southern entrance, near the city of Suez. That forced some ships to take the long, alternate route around the Cape of Good Hope at Africa’s southern tip — a 5,000-kilometer (3,100-mile) detour that costs ships hundreds of thousands of dollars in fuel and other costs. Others waited in place for the blockage to be over.The unprecedented shutdown, which raised fears of extended delays, goods shortages and rising costs for consumers, added to strain on the shipping industry, already under pressure from the coronavirus pandemic.Read more:Suez Canal must upgrade infrastructure quickly to avoid future disruption: SourcesOver 400 ships waiting to pass through Suez Canal after Ever Given freed: Egypt mediaSuez Canal ship probe underway a day after being freed from six-day strandingBacklogs from Suez container ship stranding could take months to clear: Maersk
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Egypt expects billion in damages over stuck ship in Suez Canal

The Palestinian Central Elections Commission has announced 36 new lists have been submitted — what happens now?
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: 36 electoral lists will compete in upcoming Palestinian vote

The Turkish government has advised Brotherhood aligned stations against insulting Egyptian officials.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Is Turkey going to crack down Muslim Brotherhood aligned TV in gesture to Egypt?

Likud’s enthusiasm over the speech of Arab legislator Mansour Abbas might be opportunist and not candid, but it is changing Israeli politics and society irreversibly.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Netanyahu’s fans hail historic speech by Israeli Arab legislator

Just hours ahead of the deadline to register electoral lists for the Palestinian legislative elections set for May 22, Hamas presented a list of 132 candidates representing the Gaza Strip, West Bank and Jerusalem.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Drawing on past lessons, Hamas submits inclusive electoral list

Russia and Iran have called for the need to find alternative maritime shipping routes after a giant vessel was stuck in Egypt’s Suez Canal, blocking maritime traffic for days before it was freed.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Russia, Iran propose alternative maritime routes amid Suez Canal blockage

Saudi Arabia recorded 728 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health announced on Friday, marking the Kingdom's highest daily toll in seven months.Of the new cases, 338 were detected in the city of Riyadh, 114 in the Eastern Region while 108 were detected in Mecca.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.Despite a spike in new cases, the daily death toll remains relatively low with seven coronvirus-related deaths confirmed over the past 24 hours, taking the total to 6,684.Meanwhile, the total number of recoveries reached 378,873 as of April 2. The Kingdom has reported a total of 391,325 infections since the virus was first detected in the Gulf country.Saudi Arabia had seen daily infections fall to below 100 in January from a peak of more than 4,000 in June.Authorities last week expanded COVID-19 vaccinations to all citizens and residents aged 16 and above. Starting mid-May, unvaccinated workers at food outlets, public transport, gyms, and salons would be required to take a PCR test every week.Saudi Arabia in January postponed the end of a ban on travel for its citizens and full reopening of entry points to May 17. In February, it suspended entry for non-citizens from 20 states except for diplomats and medical practitioners.With ReutersRead more:Australia’s Queensland state starts Easter weekend with no new COVID-19 casesUAE reports 2,180 new COVID-19 cases, three deaths in 24 hoursBritain adds four more countries to COVID-19 travel ‘red list’
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia records 728 new COVID-19 cases, highest daily toll in seven months

Smotrich rules out a coalition with Ra'am that his party's MK-elect says would "castrate the Israeli ethos."
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Netanyahu, Bennett discuss building coalition together