Middle East
Sir Keir Starmer to meet Joe Biden, Olaf Scholz, and Emmanuel Macron in Germany
The leaders of the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, and France will talk about the situation in the Middle East and the conflict in Ukraine. Sir Keir Starmer will fly to Germany on Friday to meet with Joe Biden, Olaf Scholz, and Emmanuel Macron to discuss the Middle East crisis. The leaders of the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, and France will meet to discuss the increasing humanitarian crisis in northern Gaza, where the UN has warned that basic supplies for survival are running low, as well as the need for a hostage solution and de-escalation, Downing Street announced.
Russian views of Israel-Iran escalation: chaos desirable, war terrible
Anna Levina, a Russian researcher and photographer-documentarian based in Beirut, has been stockpiling supplies in anticipation of Israel's assault on Lebanon, and she has had non-perishables in her kitchen since last October when Hezbollah and Israel began firing missiles at each other. "The feeling is, of course, unpleasant, but I've been waiting for this moment for a year," Levina said of Israel's major escalation of missile strikes on numerous sections of Lebanon, including Beirut, during the past two weeks, which has killed over 2,000 people. On Tuesday, Israel also announced the start of ground operations in southern Lebanon, where its forces have since clashed with Hezbollah fighters.
US orders Middle East submarine, carrier strike group faster sailing
US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin has directed the deployment of a guided missile submarine to the Middle East and the acceleration of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group's arrival. The order was issued on Sunday evening during a phone chat between Austin and Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Galant, as tensions rose following the deaths of key Hamas and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. Austin reaffirmed the United States' commitment to take every feasible measure to defend Israel, as well as the upgrading of US military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in response to growing regional tensions, according to the Pentagon.
As Middle East simmers, European leaders urge moderation
France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have urged Iran and its allies to desist from planned strikes on Israel in response to the recent assassinations of prominent Hamas and Hezbollah members. On Monday, the leaders of the three European governments released a joint statement urging "de-escalation and regional stability" in the Middle East, as well as an immediate ceasefire. The death of two Iran-aligned leaders last month heightened global concern that the battle in Gaza will expand into an all-out regional warfare.
Middle East travel by Blinken to discuss Gaza post-war plan
The United States secretary of state has embarked on a mission in the Middle East to deliberate on a post-conflict strategy for the administration and protection of Gaza. What the United States refers to as "an architecture for lasting peace" will be the focus of Antony Blinken's discussions with Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia and Egypt (first).