As Joe Biden visits the Middle East, a new US intelligence report has warned that Iran’s military may be planning to assassinate senior Trump administration officials – including the former president himself – in revenge for the US killing of Qassem Soleimani in 2020. Mr Biden, meanwhile, is in Israel for talks at the start of his first trip to the Middle East. Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed Biden at Ben Gurion International Airport on his “peace trip” to the region. Biden met with Holocaust survivors at the Yad Vashem museum and was seen wiping away tears after an official ceremony. In an interview on Israeli television, the president said the US would use force as a “last resort” to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Mr Biden will later travel to Saudi Arabia with the aim of “reorienting — but not rupturing” US relations with Riyadh and taking a tougher stance against the kingdom, also hoping to build on the Abraham Accords between Israel and of the Gulf States. The Axios report shows that progress has already been made.
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Biden to encourage peace and regional security
President Joe Biden on his trip to Saudi Arabia will encourage peace and push for a more integrated Middle East. “We will cover a range of bilateral and regional issues, really covering many months of diplomacy and positioning the United States and our partners for the future in a way that advances our interests and theirs,” a senior Biden administration official told Reuters. The Saudi envoy said US-Saudi efforts to ensure peace and security should focus on strengthening cooperation and “strengthening a rules-based system” to counter the “vision of chaos promoted by Iran.” . A worker clears the road as part of preparations for the visit of US President Joe Biden, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 14, 2022 (Reuters) The Gulf states share Israel’s concerns about Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and Tehran’s proxies in the region where Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran have competed for influence. During his visit to Israel on the first leg of the Middle East trip, Mr Biden and Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed a joint pledge to deny Iran nuclear weapons, which Tehran denies it seeks. Namita SinghJuly 15, 2022 07:06 1657864800
Rematch with Trump? Biden “would not be disappointed”
US President Joe Biden has expressed confidence in a possible rematch with Donald Trump in 2024 and said he would not be “disappointed” if it happened. “I’m not predicting, but I wouldn’t be disappointed,” Biden said in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 television on Wednesday. When pressed further on what he meant, the president said: “The one thing I know about politics — and American politics in particular — is that there’s no way to predict what’s going to happen.
Biden “wouldn’t be disappointed” to rematch Trump in 2024
His comments come after he misinterpreted a poll showing Democrats don’t want him to run again Oliver O’Connell15 July 2022 07:00 1657862453
Biden heads to Saudi Arabia amid tension over oil, Khashoggi killing
President Joe Biden will discuss cooperation on energy supplies, human rights and security in Saudi Arabia today on a trip aimed at restoring the US relationship with the country he once vowed to make a “pariah” on the world stage. Mr. Biden will meet with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, along with other government officials, a senior Biden administration official told reporters. The visit is also being closely watched as US intelligence agencies had concluded that the crown prince directly approved the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. But he had denied any role in the incident. In this file photo taken on Oct. 10, 2018, a protester dressed as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with blood on his hands demonstrates outside the Saudi embassy in Washington, demanding justice for missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi (AFP via Getty Images) White House advisers declined to comment on whether Biden would shake hands with the prince. “The president will meet about a dozen leaders and greet them as he usually does,” the administration official said. Namita SinghJuly 15, 2022 06:20 1657860347
Saudi Arabia will open its airspace to all airlines, including Israel
Saudi Arabia has announced it will open its airspace to all carriers, paving the way for more overflights to and from Israel, a decision welcomed by US President Joe Biden, who is due to visit the kingdom on Friday. Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said the country’s airspace is now open to all carriers that meet its overflight requirements, in line with international conventions that say there should be no discrimination between civil aircraft. The decision will “complement efforts aimed at consolidating the kingdom’s position as a global hub connecting three continents and enhancing international air connectivity,” it added. A man stands under American and Saudi flags ahead of a visit by US President Joe Biden, in a square in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, July 14, 2022 (AP) Biden welcomed the decision, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said. This decision paves the way for a more integrated, stable, and secure Middle East region, which is vital to the security and well-being of the United States and the American people, as well as the security and well-being of Israel. Jake Sullivan Namita SinghJuly 15, 2022 05:45 1657859400
Biden: Force ‘last resort’ to prevent Iran nukes
The United States would use force to prevent Iran from acquiring or developing nuclear weapons if all other options fail, President Joe Biden said. Biden said the US would use its military to prevent Iran’s nuclear program from being able to build a functioning nuclear weapon during an interview with Israel’s Channel 12. After his interviewer made earlier comments in which Biden had said he would do anything to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power, he asked if that meant he would use force against Iran.
Biden says US will use force as ‘last resort’ to prevent Iran nukes
“The only thing worse than Iran that exists now is a nuclear-armed Iran” Oliver O’Connell15 July 2022 05:30 1657858368
Biden will offer $316 million in financial aid to the Palestinians
When President Joe Biden heads to the occupied West Bank on Friday for talks with Palestinian leaders, he won’t have much to offer beyond US money aimed at finding calm. He is expected to announce $316 million in financial aid – about a third of which will require congressional approval – and a commitment from Israel to modernize Palestinian wireless access. Mr. Biden acknowledged this week that while he supports a two-state solution, it won’t happen “in the short term.” The US also appears to have conceded defeat in its more moderate push to reopen a Jerusalem consulate that served the Palestinians, which was closed after President Donald Trump recognized the disputed city as Israel’s capital. Palestinian police on patrol where US President Joe Biden’s motorcade is expected to pass through in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, July 14, 2022 (EPA) A Palestinian protester holds a placard reading ‘Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Palestine’ during a rally to protest US President Joe Biden’s visit to Gaza City on July 14, 2022 (AFP via Getty Images) But while Mr. Biden will reiterate his support for an independent Palestinian state, there is no clear path to one. The last round of serious peace talks broke down more than a decade ago, leaving millions of Palestinians living under Israeli military rule. Palestinian leaders also fear being further undermined by the Abraham Accords, a diplomatic vehicle for Arab nations to normalize relations with Israel despite the continued occupation. Mr Biden, who is heading next door to Saudi Arabia to attend a summit of Arab leaders, hopes to expand that process, which began under Trump. Namita SinghJuly 15, 2022 05:12 1657854055
Biden in Saudi Arabia: “humiliating collapse” or opportunity to vindicate US diplomacy?
The White House says Biden’s visit with Saudi leaders is intended to “reorient” America’s relationship with Riyadh. But as Andrew Feinberg reports, foreign policy experts are split on whether the president should go at all.
What’s really behind Biden’s controversial trip to Saudi Arabia?
The White House says Biden’s visit with Saudi leaders is intended to “reorient” America’s relationship with Riyadh. But as Andrew Feinberg reports, foreign policy experts are split on whether the president should go at all Oliver O’Connell15 July 2022 04:00 1657850455
Why is Joe Biden going to Saudi Arabia?
There will be plenty of topics on the agenda when Joe Biden touches down Friday in Jeddah, the old port city on the Red Sea coast. Mr Biden will arrive in Saudi Arabia on Friday, his first visit to an Arab country since taking office, as part of his participation at the invitation of King Salman at a Gulf Cooperation Council summit: a policy, economic and military alliance that includes Bahrain. Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates along with Saudi Arabia, which is hosting the summit. He will also participate in a bilateral meeting with Saudi Arabia’s own leaders, including King Salman and his controversial successor, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Why is Joe Biden going to Saudi Arabia?
The President has a multi-issue agenda to discuss with Saudi leaders Oliver O’Connell15 July 2022 03:00 1657846855
Understanding Joe Biden’s Evolving Views on Saudi Arabia
Joe Biden will descend on Saudi Arabia on Friday in a move that will bring…
