Foreign fighters given senior posts in Syria

According to the Saudi Gazette, the new Syrian authorities are reported to have given some foreign Islamist fighters senior official posts in the country's armed forces. The army is being reorganized by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the militant group that is now effectively in charge of the country following the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.

There's been no confirmation by the new leadership of the move, but it seems likely to raise concern inside and outside Syria over the role such foreign militants may play in the country's future.

It comes amid reports that Syria's new de-facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has held separate meetings with representatives of the Kurds and Christians in the country – two communities that are most concerned about the potential agenda of the new authorities.

Several Syrian sources have deduced that out of almost 50 new military roles that have been announced, at least six have gone to foreigners.

Based on the names that have been published, they are said to include Chinese Uyghurs, a Jordanian and a Turkish national. All are said to have been given high-ranking positions as colonels or brigadier generals.

The role of foreign fighters in various armed groups during the civil war is one that stirs strong feelings in Syria.

Thousands of fighters from many different countries joined the uprising against Assad as it became an all-out armed conflict when mass protests were met with violence by the security forces.

Militants from abroad were seen as trying to impose their extremist ideology on Syria — something that Syrians from all communities are now saying they will not accept in the country's future after Assad.

Some formed their own groups and others provided the core of the Islamic State (IS) group, which took control of large regions in the east of Syria.

Opponents of HTS had long accused it of being largely made up of foreign militants — a charge Assad supporters used to try to delegitimize the group as it mounted its final, decisive offensive against the regime.

But in the years that he ran the rebel enclave in Idlib, Ahmed al-Sharaa – the leader of HTS and now Syria – had been getting rid of some of those foreign fighters in a bid to bolster his group's credentials as a nationalist rather than overtly jihadist force.

Since taking power al-Sharaa has repeatedly stressed the vision of a unified Syrian state, in which all communities must be respected and have a stake.

On Tuesday, a Syrian official said the first talks between members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and al-Sharaa since he became the most powerful man in Syria three weeks ago have now taken place and were positive.

The SDF is backed by the US and controls much of the north-east of Syria. But Turkey, which has backed al-Sharaa's group HTS, sees them as terrorists, which has raised fears of a looming confrontation.

Al-Sharaa has also met high-level members of the Christian clergy. He has stressed that he wants all communities to have a stake in Syria's future and is preparing a National Dialogue Conference to try to ensure that this process can begin.

For those who are concerned that his actions might not match his words, this apparent move to formalize the positions of some prominent foreign fighters may give them further pause for thought.

The appointments appear to have been made in order to reward those fighters – whether from Syria or elsewhere – who played a significant role in the final triumph over the regime.

For the same reason, some of the remaining foreign fighters – along with their families – now seem likely to be given Syrian citizenship.

The issue is just one of many that could complicate any successful transition to a new political and social framework in Syria.

The new authorities are putting a lot of weight on a National Dialogue Conference that is being prepared to bring together representatives from all sections of society – although no date has been set.

The hope is that the conference will set in motion the process to rebuild the institutions of the broken and divided country. 

Iran objects dam construction by Afghanistan

The spokesman of Iran’s water industry considered the unilateral exploitation of the Harirud River to be a violation of customary rights and said the effects of this unilateral action by the Afghan side will not only affect the supply of drinking water and health of several million people, but also lead to widespread damage to the downstream environment.

Issa Bozorgzadeh, said that the construction and impoundment of Pashdan dam in the Harirud border basin causes the reduction of the natural flow of the Harirud border river and the occurrence of social and environmental damages in the downstream areas, especially the problem of serious damage to the drinking water supply of the holy city of Mashhad.

Referring to the multi-dimensional economic, social and cultural ties of Mashhad and Herat, Bozorgzadeh said, “We believe that all the people who live in a watershed have the same destiny, and applying any strictness and pressure to a part of the people of the watershed will inevitably affect all the residents.”

The spokesman of the water industry further stated, “Iran has repeatedly expressed its official protest through diplomatic channels against the negative cross-border effects caused by the unilateral dam construction measures of the Afghan side in the Harirud basin and calls for joint cooperation to evaluate and reduce these effects and choose sustainable development instead of destructive development.”

He added, “We still believe that the one-sided and non-participatory exploitation of the water resources of the Harirud basin is not beneficial to any of the countries in the upstream and downstream.”

 

 

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini

Time magazine chose Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Revolution, as its Man of the Year for 1979. The magazine’s editors explained at the time that they sought to recognize the individual who "had done the most to change the news, for better or for worse."

Washington must bear in mind that Iran today, under the leadership of the Imam’s successor, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, is in a far more powerful position compared to the early years after the Revolution. Therefore, one can say, in Imam's words, "America can't do a damn thing" against Iran.

Without a doubt, the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979 was one of the most impactful events of the latter half of the 20th century. Both before and after the revolution’s victory in February of that year, the world's most prominent newspapers and magazines extensively covered the unfolding events, focusing particularly on its leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, more widely known as Imam Khomeini.

In late December 1979, Time magazine's correspondents in Iran, L. Bruce van Voorst and Roland Flamini, traveled to the holy city of Qom to interview the revolution's leader on December 29. This was just a day before the American weekly announced him as Man of the Year. The interview focused on topics such as the crimes of the Shah’s regime, the nature of the Islamic Revolution, international developments, the collapse of the bipolar world order, and the fate of the American detainees who had been held in Iran since the US Embassy takeover on November 04.

Time described Imam Khomeini as "an old man of 79" who lived in “his modest home in the holy city of Qom,” a leader who had shaken the world.

“One thing is certain: the world will not again look quite the way it did before February 01, 1979, the day on which Imam Khomeini flew back to a tumultuous welcome in Tehran after 15 years in exile,” the magazine wrote.

He was the second Iranian political figure to be named Man of the Year by Time, following democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, who was ousted in a US-led coup in 1953.

Imam Khomeini challenged the established world order and the two superpowers with his unwavering positions. Time’s editors likely portrayed a sullen-looking Imam Khomeini due to their disapproval of the American detainees being held in Tehran. The revolutionary leader had thrown his support behind the students who had stormed the US Embassy, which they dubbed the “Den of Espionage.”

In the interview, when asked about the American detainees’ release, Imam Khomeini replied, “We want to prove to the world that superpowers can be defeated by the power of faith. We will stand against America with all our might. We fear no power.”

“The revolution that he led to triumph threatens to upset the world balance of power more than any other political event," the Time article concluded.

"It wasn't just its Islamic aspect. Non-Muslim nations, too, were likely to be drawn to the spectacle of a rebellion aimed at expelling all foreign influence," the article stated.

The American magazine further cautioned about the Iranian leader's inspiring ideas, noting that their influence would spread from the Indian subcontinent to Turkey and southward through the Arabian Peninsula to the Horn of Africa. "Most significantly," it warned, "the revolution that transformed Iran into an Islamic republic, with the Quran as its supreme law, was undermining the stability of the Middle East. This region supplies more than half of the Western world's imported oil and sits at the strategic crossroads of superpower competition."

Time praised Imam Khomeini for leading the revolution that overthrew the Shah regime, explaining that "as America's surrogate policeman of the Persian Gulf, the US had given the Shah its full support. President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger allowed him to purchase all the modern weapons he desired.”

Time went on to acknowledge that "Even after the revolution had begun, US officials remained convinced that 'there is no alternative to the Shah.'"

Regarding Imam Khomeini’s undeniable influence within Iran, the weekly wrote, "When he called for strikes, his followers shut down banks, the postal service, factories, food stores, and most importantly, the oil wells, bringing the country close to paralysis."

The article also attributed the rise of the Islamic movement led by Imam Khomeini to Western colonialism.

"Muslims have bitter memories of over a century of Western colonialism, which kept most Islamic countries in subjugation until a generation ago. They tend to see US support for Israel as a continuation of this imperialist tradition."

Time further stated in the lengthy article that the late founder of the Islamic Revolution inspired Muslims in countries like Libya, India, and Bangladesh to stage anti-American demonstrations.

The piece continued, noting that Muslims in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, burned the US embassy and killed two US servicemen.

 "In Saudi Arabia, possessor of the world's largest oil reserves, the vulnerability of the royal family became starkly apparent when a group of 200 to 300 well-armed raiders seized the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, the holiest of all Islamic shrines, which is under the protection of King Khalid.”

Time described the Iranian revolution as the first major international “crisis” that was not an East-West conflict.

The American magazine further cautioned against the appeal of Imam Khomeini’s Islamic Revolution to non-Muslim nations in the East. It argued that the Iranian Revolution called into question the viability of modernization and industrialization theories promoted by the West to avert anti-American uprisings. The Iranians, the article suggested, demonstrated that culture was a significant factor. It urged action to "keep future Third World revolutions from taking an anti-American turn."

“The Iranian revolution has also had a dramatic impact on Western economies. 1979 was the year the world economy moved from an era of recurrent oil surpluses into an age of chronic shortages,” Time’s article also stated. “If there had been no revolution in Iran… 1979 would have been a normal year.”

The article also urged for addressing the Palestine issue, stating, "The extent to which the Palestinian problem has inflamed passions, even among Arabs who consider themselves pro-US, is not at all understood by Americans."

Courtesy: Tehran Times

Jimmy Carter a hawk or a dove

As Americans mourn the death of former president Jimmy Carter, the disastrous impacts of his legacy, particularly in the Middle East are thrust into the limelight. Carter died at the age of 100 on Sunday, forty-four years after he left the White House. His tenure as the 39th US president began with his inauguration on January 20, 1977, and ended on January 20, 1981.

Undoubtedly, the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza and its brutal crimes in the West Bank, Lebanon and beyond are rooted in the policies pursued by Carter. Carter played a key role in aiding and abetting the Israeli apartheid regime by brokering a seemingly peace deal between Egypt and Israel in 1978. 

Then Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and then Egyptian president Anwar Sadat signed Camp David Accords on September 17, 1978, that led in the following year to a peace treaty between the two sides.  The agreements became known as the Camp David Accords because the negotiations took place at the US presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland. 

The agreements were the first normalization deal between Israel and an Arab country. More than four decades on, it is crystal clear that the deals were a stab in the back of Palestinians and their cause. 

The Carter administration had painted a scenario to motivate Arab states to reduce their support for Palestine amid the Israeli occupation. He also wanted Arab leaders to consider their own interests separate from those of the Palestinians. So far, an overwhelming majority of the Arab public has not recognized Israel and remained opposed to normalizing ties with the regime.

Nonetheless, Carter’s political ploy led to the Abraham Accords. Despite rising sentiment against Israel’s atrocities against Palestinians, Donald Trump oversaw the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020, which normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain as well as Morocco. Sudan joined the US-brokered deal a year later. 

The normalization deals not only failed to improve the situation of Palestinians, but also strengthened Israel's resolve to intensify its apartheid practices. With no doubts, Israel’s recent brutal war on Lebanon and the war of genocide in Gaza are the results of US-brokered normalization deals that began in the Carter era.  

Proponents of Carter, who earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, characterize him as a champion of peace and democracy. However, the negative consequences of his policies on the Palestinian and Lebanese populations suggest that he may be more accurately remembered as a hawkish president rather than a dovish one. An examination of his statements regarding Iran further clarifies the debate over whether he should be classified as a hawk or a dove.

Carter served one term as president and lost his reelection bid to Ronald Reagan. His successes eclipsed at the polls by a stagnant economy and the 1979 US embassy takeover in Tehran.

In November 1979, a group of university students took over the US embassy in the Iranian capital. They believed Washington had turned its embassy into a center of espionage against the newly established Islamic Republic. Consequently, dozens of American diplomats were taken captive for 444 days.

Carter made futile attempts to secure the release of the Americans. 

On April 25, 1980, the US revealed it had attempted a military operation known as Operation Eagle Claw to rescue the release of the captives. But the operation failed and eight US servicemen were killed and several others were injured.

Carter explicitly demonstrated his enmity toward Iran in an interview 10 years ago.   

“I could have been re-elected if I had taken military action against Iran. It would have shown that I was strong and resolute and manly. ... I could have wiped Iran off the map with the weapons that we had,” he said in a 2014 interview with CNBC.

In the interview, Carter acknowledged his aspiration to entirely obliterate Iran, yet he had found himself unable to achieve this dream either through military or political means.

Courtesy: Tehran Times

 

Syrian FM to first visit Saudi Arabia

According to Saudi Gazette, Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani, the foreign minister of Syria’s new administration, emphasized his country’s aspiration to build strategic relations with Saudi Arabia across various sectors.

In a post on the social platform X on Monday, Al-Shaibani announced that he had received an official invitation from Saudi Foreign Minister to visit the Kingdom.

“I am honored to represent my country on my first official visit to Saudi Arabia,” Al-Shaibani wrote.

Ahmed Al-Sharaa, head of Syria’s military operations administration, previously highlighted Saudi Arabia’s significant role in Syria’s future. Al-Sharaa described recent Saudi statements regarding Syria as "very positive."

He also noted the Kingdom’s substantial investment opportunities in Syria, adding, “I am proud of everything Saudi Arabia has done for Syria, and it has a major role in the country’s future.”

A high-ranking Saudi delegation, led by a Royal Court advisor, recently visited Syria and met with Al-Sharaa at the Presidential Palace.

Saudi Arabia has expressed its satisfaction with the positive developments in Syria, reiterating its commitment to the safety and stability of the Syrian people.

The Kingdom also emphasized the importance of preserving Syria’s institutions and resources while safeguarding the unity of its people.

Syria: First Female Central Bank Governor

New Syrian ruling regime has appointed Maysaa Sabrine, a former deputy governor of the Syrian central bank, as the institution’s first female governor in its more than 70-year history. Sabrine replaces Mohammed Issam Hazime, who was appointed by ousted President Bashar al-Assad in 2021.

Her appointment signals a shift in the country’s financial leadership following the dramatic political changes in Syria. A senior Syrian official confirmed Sabrine’s appointment, though she has not yet commented publicly on her new role.

This appointment comes at a critical time for Syria as the nation works to stabilize its economy and recover from years of conflict and economic challenges.

Sabrine’s extensive experience in the central bank is expected to bring continuity and expertise as Syria’s financial system faces reforms under the new administration.

 

 

Iranian exports to Afghanistan

Iran exported non-oil commodities valued at US$1.6 billion to Afghanistan during the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year (March-November), the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) announced. Foroud Asgari said that Afghanistan was Iran’s fifth top export destination in the mentioned eight-month period.

Iran shares land or water borders with 15 countries namely UAE, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Saudi Arabia.

In a meeting with an Iranian trade delegation in Kabul in mid-August, Afghanistan's interim Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund said that his country is eager to attract Iranian investors in order to develop Afghan mining industry, generate solar electricity and expand railway connectivity.   

The Iranian delegation also proposed to launch a joint special industrial zone with Afghanistan.

Noting that Afghanistan has turned into a good place for making investment, Mullah said that the relevant ministries and organizations there, will cooperate and work closely with the investors. 

The Iranian delegation, made up of economic and trade players, also held a separate meeting with Afghanistan’s acting minister of commerce Haji Nooruddin Azizi. They called for the formation of a joint economic-mining zone between the two neighboring countries.

In early August, Iran's commercial attaché in Afghanistan said that in order to improve Iran’s presence in Afghanistan's markets, the trade between the two countries should move towards newer models of cooperation.

“Afghanistan meets more than 80 percent of its market needs through imports, and imports from Iran constitute 25 percent of this amount,” Hossein Roustaei said in a meeting on opportunities and challenges of the Afghan market, held by Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA).

Referring to Afghanistan's import priorities, including food, agriculture, fuel, basic goods such as flour, oil, eggs, day-old chickens, medicine, medical equipment, and construction equipment, he said, “Iran exported more than 724 million dollars of goods to Afghanistan in the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year which posted increased by 28 percent as compared to the same period last year.”

“The establishment of national security and the central government in Afghanistan over the past two years have improved the conditions of trade with this country,” he added.

Afghanistan has prioritized the exploitation of the country’s mines. Therefore, Iran's traditional economic relation with Afghanistan should enter into newer models of cooperation, he stressed.

According to Roustaei, investment and operation of mines, technical and engineering services, mechanization of agriculture and smart agriculture, construction of transportation infrastructure, and renewable energies are among the new fields that should be considered for cooperation between the two countries.

Increasing non-oil exports to the neighboring countries is one of the major plans the Iranian government has been pursuing in recent years.

HTS seeking close ties with Israel

Syria’s new rulers are seeking cordial relations with Israel despite domestic anger over the regime’s occupation of more lands of the Arab country. 

“We have no fear toward Israel, and our problem is not with Israel. There exists a people who want coexistence. They want peace. They don’t want disputes,” the governor of Damascus said Thursday. 

Maher Marwan made the comments in an interview with the US public broadcaster NPR, apparently on behalf of Syrian de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known by his nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani.

Marwan added, “And we don’t want to meddle in anything that will threaten Israel’s security or any other country’s security. We want peace, and we cannot be an opponent to Israel or an opponent to anyone.”

This is how he tried to justify Israeli strikes on Syria after the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group and its allies toppled the government of President Bashar Assad on December 08, 2024. 

Marwan said Israel’s initial trepidation after the fall of Assad was “natural.”

“Israel may have felt fear. So it advanced a little, bombed a little, etc,” he noted. 

The Israeli army has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Syria destroying much of the country’s military capabilities since HTS removed Assad from power. The regime claims it wants to prevent military equipment from falling into hostile hands.

Israel also sent its ground forces into a UN-patrolled buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights and beyond after Assad’s fall. 

Israel has extended its occupation to further regions of the Syrian territory, encompassing various towns, villages, and the strategically significant Mount Hermon. 

Israel claims the occupation of additional parts of the Syrian territory is aimed at ensuring the security of the regime’s borders.  

Israel’s land incursion into Syria violates the 1974 agreement between the two sides. The United Nations and a number of countries have demanded Israel withdraw from the region. 

Syrians have also condemned Israel’s presence on the country’s territory.                                           

On Wednesday, residents of a village in the southwestern province of Quneitra protested against Israel’s military presence there. 

Israeli forces opened fire on the demonstrators in the village of Susa, injuring several of them. 

Earlier this month, Israeli forces also attacked protesters who had gathered in the village of Maariyah on the western edge of Syria’s southern Daraa province to demand an end to the regime’s military presence in the area. They shot and wounded a protester. 

 

PSX benchmark index up 1.68%WoW

Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) experienced volatility throughout the week ended on December 27, 2024 due to portfolio adjustments and realignments at year-end. However, the bullish momentum prevailed, KSE-100 index posted a weekly gain of 1,838 points to close at 111,351 points, reflecting an increase of 1.68%WoW.

Major contributing sectors to this rally were commercial banks, followed by Oil & Gas Marketing Companies and INV.Banks/ INV.Cos/ Securities.Cos. T-Bill yields in the recent auction remained largely flat.

On the macroeconomic front, current account reported a surplus of US$729 million, taking 5MFY25 balance to a surplus of US$944 million.

Foreign exchange reserves held by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) decreased by US$228 million WoW, ending the week at US$11.9 billion as of December 20, 2024.

Average daily trading volume declined by 31.0%WoW to 796 million shares, from 1.2 billion shares traded a week ago.

PKR remained stable against the greenback, closing the week at PKR278.47/US$.

Other major news flow during the week included: 1) Exports to EU surge by 14%YoY in 5MFY25 to US$4.8 billion, 2) Senate panel endorses legislation that would lead to the closure of all bank accounts of non-filers having bank balances of over PKR one million, 3) FBR announces crackdown against tax evaders, 4) GoP eyes 13.5% tax-to-GDP ratio in three years and 5) PIA to acquire 8 planes next year.

Jute, Leasing Companies, Property, Oil & Gas Marketing Companies and Glass & Cermaics were amongst the top performers, while Exchange Traded Fund, Textile Spinning, Vanaspati & Allied Industries, Transport and Woollen were amongst the worst performers.

Major net selling was recorded by Other Organizations with a net sell of US$9.3 million. Individuals absorbed most of the selling with a net buy of US$15.0 million.

Top performing scrips of the week were: PGLC, TRG, DAWH, JVDC, and FCEPL, while laggards included: PKGP, CHCC, ATRL, BNWM, and SCBPL.

Pakistan Stock Exchange is expected to remain on its upward trajectory in CY25, despite strong performance over the last two years, given the decline in interest rates to single digits.

Pakistan’s leading brokerage house, AKD Securities anticipates the KSE-100 Index would post a robust return of 55.5% in CY25, primarily driven by the strong profitability of fertilizer companies, higher sustainable ROEs of banks and improving cash flows of E&Ps and OMCs, amid falling fixed income yields.

Currently, the KSE-100 is trading at a P/E ratio of 6.0x, which remains below its 10- year historical average despite delivering a cumulative return of 130% over the past two years.

Saudi Arabia extends US$500 million for Yemen

Saudi Arabia has announced a US$500 million economic aid package to support Yemen, aimed at stabilizing the Yemeni economy, strengthening the Central Bank of Yemen, and fostering development and growth for the Yemeni people, reports Saudi Gazette.

A testament to Saudi Arabia’s long-term vision for fostering sustainable development and stability in Yemen

This initiative highlights Saudi Arabia’s commitment to addressing Yemen’s economic challenges and improving the quality of life for its citizens.

The package includes a US$300 million deposit to the Central Bank of Yemen, designed to enhance financial and monetary stability, and an additional US$200 million to address the country’s US$1.2 billion budget deficit.

The funds will be allocated through the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) and will prioritize food security, salary support, operational expenses, and implementing economic reforms to build a stronger financial foundation for Yemen.

Saudi Arabia's efforts aim to stabilize the Yemeni economy and bolster public financial management, while fostering governance and transparency in government institutions.

The aid package is expected to empower Yemen’s private sector to drive sustainable economic growth, create job opportunities, and steer the national economy toward a more sustainable trajectory.

Previous Saudi assistance has yielded significant improvements in Yemen’s economic landscape. Deposits in the Central Bank of Yemen have bolstered foreign reserves, stabilized the local currency, and lowered exchange rate volatility.

This stability has reduced the prices of essential goods, including wheat, rice, milk, cooking oil, and sugar, while easing the costs of fuel and diesel. These measures have not only addressed immediate economic concerns but have also enhanced Yemen's food security and overall quality of life.

Saudi aid has also contributed to key sectors such as healthcare, by covering medication for chronic illnesses and cancer treatments, and education, among others.

Support for electricity generation has been another vital component, with Saudi Arabia supplying oil derivatives to 80 power plants across Yemen.

These initiatives have improved essential services and revitalized Yemen’s critical infrastructure.

Additionally, the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen has implemented 263 development projects and initiatives across Yemen, focusing on sectors including education, health, water, energy, transportation, agriculture, fisheries, and government capacity building.

 

Yemen fires supersonic missile at Tel Aviv

According to media reports, Yemen’s Ansarallah on Friday attacked the airport in Israel’s commercial hub of Tel Aviv, after Israeli air strikes hit Sanaa’s international airport and other targets in Yemen.

The Israeli strikes on Thursday landed as the head of the UN’s World Health Organization said he and his team were preparing to fly out from Yemen’s capital.

Hours later on Friday, the Ansarallah said they fired a missile at Ben Gurion airport and launched drones at Tel Aviv as well as a ship in the Arabian Sea.

No other details were immediately available.

Yemen’s civil aviation authority said the airport planned to reopen on Friday after the strikes that it said occurred while the UN aircraft “was getting ready for its scheduled flight.”

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether they knew at the time that WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was there.

Israel’s attack came a day after the Ansarallah rebels claimed the firing of a missile and two drones at Israel.

Ansarullah leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi has termed Yemen’s launch of hypersonic missiles at Israeli targets “a very important achievement”, saying they have surprised the enemies.

“Yemen's supersonic missile operation, which penetrated the enemy's systems, is a great and very important achievement, and the enemy and the Americans are aware of it,” Houthi said in a televised speech on Thursday evening.

The firing of hypersonic missiles, he said, has caused immense disappointment among the political and security apparatus of Israel and the United States.

Finland seizes ship carrying oil for Russia

Finland on Thursday seized a ship carrying oil for Russia in relation to the recent cutting of an undersea cable connecting electricity to Estonia as concern mounts over ships disrupting power and gas lines in European waters.

Finland’s national law enforcement body, the Police of Finland, said in a statement it had seized a Cook Islands-registered ship called the Eagle S.

The ship is suspected in the rupturing of the Estlink 2 power transmission cable connecting electricity between Estonia and Finland, but police said at this time the investigation is looking at the incident as “aggravated criminal mischief.”

The power cable was disconnected on Wednesday, according to Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, who said at the time that authorities were “on standby over Christmas and are investigating the matter.”

European officials said the ship is suspected of carrying Russian oil, part of a vast shadow fleet Moscow is using to circumvent Western sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine.

The European Commission said the disruption “is the latest in a series of suspected attacks on critical infrastructure.”

“We strongly condemn any deliberate destruction of Europe’s critical infrastructure,” officials said in a statement.

“The suspected vessel is part of Russia’s shadow fleet, which threatens security and the environment, while funding Russia’s war budget. We will propose further measures, including sanctions, to target this fleet.”

The European Commission said it would move to strengthen undersea cable protection through increasing related detection methods, information sharing and repair work.

Finnish leaders have also expressed concern about Russia’s alleged connection to the cutting of the cable.

“It is necessary to be able to prevent the risks posed by ships belonging to the Russian shadow fleet,” wrote Finnish President Alexander Stubb on the social platform X.

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal urged the European Union and the Western security alliance NATO to increase cooperation on efforts to protect undersea cables.

The incident follows a concerning trend in the West of undersea cable disruptions in Europe.

A Chinese ship called the Yi Peng 3 is suspected of rupturing undersea cables last month linking Sweden and Lithuania and another connecting Germany and Finland.

The Chinese ship recently left European waters despite ongoing investigations into the matter, as officials have accused the vessel of dragging an anchor to cut the line, although they are still investigating whether it was on accident or on purpose.

A Hong Kong-registered ship was also responsible for cutting a critical gas pipeline between Estonia and Finland last year.

 

 

 

Norway Main Beneficiary of Ukraine War

When Russian President Vladimir Putin gave the order to invade Ukraine in February 2022, he surely did not expect that one of Russia’s neighbors would be the main beneficiary of his war. Yet as Russian hydrocarbon exports to Europe cratered in the wake of the invasion, Norway emerged as the continent’s largest supplier.

Owing to the steep increase in gas and oil prices that followed the outbreak of the war, Norway ultimately enjoyed a massive financial windfall. In 2022 and 2023, it reaped nearly US$111 billion in additional revenue from gas exports, according to recent estimates from the finance ministry.

A question arises, why Norway was allocated a little more than US$3.1 billion for support to Ukraine in its 2025 budget?

Combined with what it contributed in 2024, Norway’s support for Ukraine amounts to less than 5 percent of its two-year war windfall. For comparison, Germany, Europe’s largest single contributor, provided US$16.3 billion in military, financial, and humanitarian support for Ukraine from January 2022 until the end of October 2024, and the United States has contributed US$92 billion. But while Norway’s two-year windfall is larger than the US and German contributions combined, Norway’s support for Ukraine as a share of GDP, at 0.7 percent, ranks only ninth in Europe, far behind Denmark (2 percent) and Estonia (2.2 percent).

Not only does Norway have the capacity to be making far more of a difference to the outcome of the war and the subsequent civilian reconstruction; it has an obvious moral obligation to do so. Given that its excess revenues are a direct consequence of Russia’s war, surely a greater share of them should go to those fighting and dying on the front lines to keep their country free.

Instead, Norway’s government has effectively decided to be a war profiteer, clinging greedily to its lucky gains. To their credit, opposition parties have proposed higher levels of support for Ukraine, ultimately pushing up the sum that the government initially proposed. No party, however, has come anywhere close to suggesting a transfer of the total war windfall to Ukraine.

The Norwegian government’s position is puzzling, given that Norway shares a border with Russia and has long relied on its allies’ support for its defense. Its own national security would be jeopardized if Russia wins the war or is militarily emboldened by a peace agreement skewed in its favor.

Moreover, it is not as though Norway would be immiserated by transferring its war windfall to Ukraine. This windfall represents about 6 percent of its sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, with assets valued at US$1.7 trillion—or US$308,000 for every Norwegian.

True, Norway channels all government revenue from oil and gas production to its sovereign wealth fund, and no more than 3 percent of the value of the fund can be drawn down and transferred to the government budget each year. This rule helps limit the effects on inflation and the exchange rate, and ensures that the fund exists in perpetuity.

But as a macroeconomic and national savings instrument, the drawdown rule was not designed with wartime demands in mind. It therefore should not be seen as an obstacle for a larger transfer to Ukraine. Since such a transfer would not enter the Norwegian economy, it would have no domestic inflationary or other macroeconomic implications. (With the 2025 budget largely set, it would need to be an extrabudgetary measure justified by the wartime circumstances.)

This is not the first time that Norway’s hoarding of its war windfall has been an issue. But it is the first time that we have been given an official estimate of the windfall’s value.

The finance ministry has assigned a number to natural-gas export revenues in excess of what they would have been had gas prices remained around their five-year pre-invasion average. Although such counterfactuals will always be subject to uncertainty and debate, the official estimate is the closest we will get to a value for Norway’s war windfall.

In fact, the actual number is probably much higher, as the estimate does not include excess revenues resulting from higher oil prices following the invasion.

With Europeans wringing their hands about the implications of Donald Trump’s return to power, Norway’s government and parliament should transfer the windfall to Ukraine in the form of military and financial support. Norway has a powerful national-security interest in doing the right thing.

 

Trump can’t take Panama Canal on his own

Teddy Roosevelt once declared the Panama Canal “one of the feats to which the people of this republic will look back with the highest pride.” More than a century later, Donald Trump is threatening to take back the waterway for the same republic.

The president-elect is decrying increased fees Panama has imposed to use the waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He says if things don’t change after he takes office next month, “We will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America, in full, quickly and without question.”

Trump has long threatened allies with punitive action in hopes of winning concessions. But experts in both countries are clear, unless he goes to war with Panama, Trump can’t reassert control over a canal the US agreed to cede in the 1970s.

What is the canal?

It is a man-made waterway that uses a series of locks and reservoirs over 51 miles (82 kilometers) to cut through the middle of Panama and connect the Atlantic and Pacific. It spares ships having to go an additional roughly 7,000 miles (more than 11,000 kilometers) to sail around Cape Horn at South America’s southern tip.

The US International Trade Administration says the canal saves American business interests “considerable time and fuel costs” and enables faster delivery of goods, which is “particularly significant for time sensitive cargoes, perishable goods, and industries with just-in-time supply chains.”

Who built it?

An effort to establish a canal through Panama led by Ferdinand de Lesseps, who built Egypt’s Suez Canal, began in 1880 but progressed little over nine years before going bankrupt.

Malaria, yellow fever and other tropical diseases devastated a workforce already struggling with especially dangerous terrain and harsh working conditions in the jungle, eventually costing more than 20,000 lives, by some estimates.

Panama was then a province of Colombia, which refused to ratify a subsequent 1901 treaty licensing US interests to build the canal. Roosevelt responded by dispatching US warships to Panama’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The US also prewrote a constitution that would be ready after Panamanian independence, giving American forces “the right to intervene in any part of Panama, to re-establish public peace and constitutional order.”

In part because Colombian troops were unable to traverse harsh jungles, Panama declared an effectively bloodless independence within hours in November 1903. It soon signed a treaty allowing a US-led team to begin construction.

Some 5,600 workers died later during the US-led construction project, according to one study.

Why doesn’t the US control the canal anymore?

The waterway opened in 1914, but almost immediately some Panamanians began questioning the validity of US control, leading to what became known in the country as the “generational struggle” to take it over.

The US abrogated its right to intervene in Panama in the 1930s. By the 1970s, with its administrative costs sharply increasing, Washington spent years negotiating with Panama to cede control of the waterway.

The Carter administration worked with the government of Omar Torrijos. The two sides eventually decided that their best chance for ratification was to submit two treaties to the US Senate, the “Permanent Neutrality Treaty” and the “Panama Canal Treaty.”

The first, which continues in perpetuity, gives the US the right to act to ensure the canal remains open and secure. The second stated that the US would turn over the canal to Panama on December 31, 1999, and was terminated then.

Both were signed in 1977 and ratified the following year. The agreements held even after 1989, when President George H.W. Bush invaded Panama to remove Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega.

In the late 1970s, as the handover treaties were being discussed and ratified, polls found that about half of Americans opposed the decision to cede canal control to Panama. However, by the time ownership actually changed in 1999, public opinion had shifted, with about half of Americans in favor.

What’s happened since then?

Administration of the canal has been more efficient under Panama than during the US era, with traffic increasing 17% between fiscal years 1999 and 2004. Panama’s voters approved a 2006 referendum authorizing a major expansion of the canal to accommodate larger modern cargo ships. The expansion took until 2016 and cost more than US$5.2 billion.

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said in a video Sunday, “Every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to.” He added that, while his country’s people are divided on some key issues, when it comes to our canal, and our sovereignty, we will all unite under our Panamanian flag.

Shipping prices have increased because of droughts last year affecting the canal locks, forcing Panama to drastically cut shipping traffic through the canal and raise rates to use it. Though the rains have mostly returned, Panama says future fee increases might be necessary as it undertakes improvements to accommodate modern shipping needs.

Mulino said fees to use the canal are “not set on a whim.”

Jorge Luis Quijano, who served as the waterway’s administrator from 2014 to 2019, said all canal users are subject to the same fees, though they vary by ship size and other factors.

“I can accept that the canal’s customers may complain about any price increase,” Quijano said. “But that does not give them reason to consider taking it back.”

Why has Trump raised this?

The president-elect says the US is getting “ripped off” and “I’m not going to stand for it.”

“It was given to Panama and to the people of Panama, but it has provisions — you’ve got to treat us fairly. And they haven’t treated us fairly,” Trump said of the 1977 treaty that he said “foolishly” gave the canal away.

The neutrality treaty does give the US the right to act if the canal’s operation is threatened due to military conflict — but not to reassert control.

“There’s no clause of any kind in the neutrality agreement that allows for the taking back of the canal,” Quijano said. “Legally, there’s no way, under normal circumstances, to recover territory that was used previously.”

Trump, meanwhile, hasn’t said how he might make good on his threat.

“There’s very little wiggle room, absent a second US invasion of Panama, to retake control of the Panama Canal in practical terms,” said Benjamin Gedan, director of the Latin America Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington.

Gedan said Trump’s stance is especially baffling given that Mulino is a pro-business conservative who has “made lots of other overtures to show that he would prefer a special relationship with the United States.” He also noted that Panama in recent years has moved closer to China, meaning the US has strategic reasons to keep its relationship with the Central American nation friendly.

Panama is also a US partner on stopping illegal immigration from South America — perhaps Trump’s biggest policy priority.

“If you’re going to pick a fight with Panama on an issue,” Gedan said, “you could not find a worse one than the canal.”

Courtesy: Associated Press

United States and Britain proxies of Israel

For months we have been saying that United States has become an Israeli proxy. Topping of Assad’s regime in Syria was not possible without the connivance of the world’s largest war monger. It is also on record that the US and British forces have been waging regular strikes on Yemen in response to Yemeni attacks on Israeli, US and British ships transiting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Reportedly, the US carried out fresh attacks in the Yemeni capital just hours after an Ansarullah hypersonic missile landed in Tel Aviv. Reports indicate an explosion in Sanaa, accompanied by intensive warplane activity in the skies.

The US attacks came hours after Yemen struck Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial hub, with a supersonic missile that left 16 people wounded. It was the second attack by Yemen in a matter of few days.

A statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed the targets hit by American forces included a missile storage site and a “command-and-control facility.” CENTCOM also claimed to have intercepted several Yemeni drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea. 

The Sanaa government has accused the United States of two hostile airstrikes, which targeted the Attan district in an “act of aggression” against civilians. 

Yemeni forces have also conducted attacks deep inside Israel, targeting the port city of Eilat and Tel Aviv in support of Gaza. 

Israeli media was quick to highlight that the occupying regime played no role in the latest US aggression on Yemen. 

Experts point out this may have been an indirect message to Yemen in the hope of avoiding another hypersonic missile being launched from the Arab state in the direction of Tel Aviv. 

Some Israeli analysts have concluded that airstrikes on Yemen will not deter the Sanaa government from its ongoing military support front for Gaza. 

Israeli authorities have confirmed on more than one occasion that the Israeli military is unable to intercept Yemeni hypersonic missiles that have prompted many residents to evacuate their homes in the early hours.

According to the Walla Hebrew site, “Israeli officials must quickly disclose the reasons behind the repeated failures to intercept Yemeni missiles to the Israeli public.”

Following the latest attacks on Yemen, the Sanaa government’s Foreign Minister, Jamal Ahmed Ali Amer, stated, “Any country that supports the Israeli entity in its aggression against Yemen will become complicit and bear the consequences of its decision.”

The Sanaa Minister of Information, Hashim Sharaf al-Din, also said, “It is clear that the Americans have not learned from their mistakes and will continue to reap humiliation at the hands of us Yemenis.”

On February 25, the US and Britain launched six airstrikes on the Attan district. On March 22, the two countries also launched four airstrikes on the same area.

The new aggression on the capital aims to pressure Yemeni forces to cease their operations against Israeli targets. 

The Yemeni Armed Forces confirmed on Sunday that their operations will not stop until the aggression on Gaza ends and the siege is lifted.

CENTCOM confirmed that two navy pilots
were forced to eject “over the Red Sea early on December 22 after their plane was downed in what appears to be a friendly fire incident.” 

Yemeni officials have indicated there may be more to the story than what the Americans are saying in public, without directly claiming responsibility for shooting down the fighter jet. 

A member of Yemen's Supreme Political Council, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, stated that the US Central Command will not disclose the truth about the downing of the American warplane.

He added, “What the United States is doing may be a tactic to prevent further collapse in the morale of its soldiers.”

At the same time, he affirmed that the terrorist actions against Yemen will not stop support operations for Gaza.

 

Iran faces dire energy crisis

According to a Saturday New York Times (NYT) report, Iran is facing a dire energy crisis, forcing schools, colleges, governmental offices, and shopping malls to operate at a reduced capacity. 

The report cited multiple reasons for the situation, including the sanctions imposed on Iran and an Israeli strike on the Islamic Republic.

According to the NYT, citing an official from the country's Petroleum Ministry and Hamid Hosseini, a member of the Chamber of Commerce’s energy committee, a covert Israeli attack last February, which struck two gas pipes belonging to the Islamic Republic, forced the country to use its emergency gas reserves.

Now, Iran reportedly faces a deficit of some 350 million cubic meters a day, with demands surging with the onset of winter.   

“We are facing very dire imbalances in gas, electricity, energy, water, money, and environment,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised speech earlier in December, according to the NYT.

Hosseini told the NYT that the country was attempting to “contain the damage because this is like a ‘powder keg’ that can explode and create unrest across the country.”  

Chief of the Islamic Republic's Coordination Council of Industries Mehdi Bostanchi labeled the situation "catastrophic," according to the NYT. 

According to him, the recent week's deficit could cut production in the country by 30% to 50%, costing it billions of dollars. 

“Naturally, the damages from the widespread and abrupt power outage that has lasted all week will be extremely serious for industries,” Bostanchi reportedly noted.

 

Pakistan Naval Ships Visit Bandar Abbas

The Pakistan Navy's Peace and Friendship Squadron docked at Iran's Imam Khomeini Naval Base in Bandar Abbas on Saturday, marking a significant step in enhancing educational and military cooperation between the two neighboring countries.

The fleet, comprising three warships—PNS Azmat, PNS Rasadgar, and PNS Dasht—is on a mission to strengthen the ties between Pakistan and Iran. This marks the sixth visit to the port since 2016, the most recent being in January, 2024.

The arrival of the Pakistani flotilla was celebrated with an official ceremony, attended by commanders from the Imam Khomeini Naval Region, the Pakistani political consul, and the naval attaché in Iran. 

Commodore Omid Moghadam, commander of the Surface Flotilla of the Imam Khomeini Naval Region, expressed his satisfaction with the presence of the Pakistani naval ships in Bandar Abbas. 

"These friendly interactions between the naval forces of allied nations are customary and vital for bolstering our maritime cooperation," he stated. 

Captain Omid Maghami, commander of the Surface Navy Brigade of the First Naval Area, echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing that the presence of the Pakistani warships is a testament to the deepening ties between the naval forces of the two countries. 

"Such friendly exchanges between navies enhance educational and military cooperation, as well as the exchange of maritime experiences," he noted. 

During their four-day stay in Bandar Abbas, the Pakistani naval group will have a busy agenda, including meetings with the commander of the Imam Khomeini Naval Region, paying respects at the martyrs' cemetery, and visiting cultural and social sites in the city. 

The itinerary also features friendly sports competitions between the Iranian and Pakistani naval teams, meetings with political leaders of Hormozgan province, a friendship dinner on board both Iranian and Pakistani warships, and joint military exercises in the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. 

The recent docking of the Pakistan Navy's Peace and Friendship Fleet in Bandar Abbas underscores the commitment of both Iran and Pakistan to fostering stronger military and security ties. 

This visit builds on past agreements, such as those signed during the late President Ebrahim Raisi's 2023 visit to Pakistan, aimed at enhancing security cooperation and paving the way for future collaborations in maritime security and regional stability.

 

Yemeni missile lands in Tel Aviv

According to Reuters, the Israeli military admitted it failed to intercept a missile from Yemen early on Saturday that fell in the Tel Aviv-Jaffa area, and the ambulance service said 14 people received mild injuries.

A spokesperson for Houthis said they had hit a "military target" in the Jaffa area with a ballistic missile.

Paramedics were treating 14 people with minor shrapnel injuries and some were taken to hospital, the ambulance service said in a statement.

The Israeli police reported receiving reports of a fallen missile in a town in the Tel Aviv area.

Houthis have repeatedly fired drones and missiles towards Israel in what they describe as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

On Thursday, Israel launched strikes against ports and energy infrastructure in Houthi-held parts of Yemen and threatened more attacks against the Yemeni group.

 

Taming the Shrewd called Trump

It is as clear as day that the US president has incalculable powers. Despite being an elected president, he is a complete autocrat. He can take many decisions at his own without the approval of the Senate and can veto any decision of the Senate. This right is available to the president under the US Constitution.

In his first term, Donald Trump not only unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear agreement reached with Iran by the remaining superpowers, but also imposed more sanctions at his own. After Iran's protests and the superpowers' surrender, Joe Biden has also been imposing new sanctions on Iran.

After being re-elected as president in the recent elections, he has begun to hint at rare royal decrees to be issued after he takes oath on January 20, 2025.

The first decree is that the BRICS countries will not create their own currency and if they dare to make such a mistake, they will be subject to additional tariffs and will not be able to export their products to the United States.

Israel has broken the backs of Hamas, Hezbollah and Syria at the behest of the US, and today there are heavy attacks on Yemen. There is a growing fear that Iran will be the next target.

At the same time, Trump has announced to impose new tariffs on Mexican and Canadian products exported to the US.

The limit is that Trump has also announced new tariffs on his allies to undermine the European Union.

I have no qualms in saying that the continued silence of Russia and China and the criminal indifference of the oil-producing Arab countries have given the US the courage to do all this.

Remember, those countries that are silent spectators of the destruction of other countries today will have no one to shed tears over their destruction tomorrow.

Iran's economic relations with its neighbors

In recent years, the economic relationships between Iran and its neighboring countries have grown in both complexity and significance. This economic integration is crucial for the development of Iran’s non-oil sector and its broader economic strategy, especially considering the geopolitical challenges that the country faces.

In this article, an effort has been made to explore the current state and future prospects of Iran’s trade with its neighbors, examine key sectors, trade volumes, and strategic partnerships.

As of late 2024, Iran’s non-oil trade with its neighbors has seen a notable increase. Non-oil trade volumes reached US$55.3 billion in the first 11 months of the year, with exports constituting 67 million tons of goods valued at US$25.8 billion and imports amounting to 21.4 million tons valued at US$29.4 billion.

This represents a significant increase in trade flows, driven by an increase in exports of petrochemical products, minerals, and agricultural goods.

Iran’s primary trading partners in the region include Iraq, the UAE, Turkey, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The UAE and Iraq are Iran’s two largest trade partners, especially in terms of exports.

For example, in the first seven months of 2024, Iran’s trade with Iraq was valued at US$7.6 billion, making it one of the most crucial destinations for Iranian goods. The major exports to Iraq include petrochemicals, cement, and agricultural products, while imports primarily consist of machinery and food items.

Turkey has also maintained its position as a key trading partner, with trade between the two countries amounting to US$9.9 billion in the same period. Iranian exports to Turkey largely consist of natural gas and petroleum products, while imports from Turkey are diverse, including electrical machinery and textiles.

Iran’s geopolitical location, bordered by 15 countries, gives it a strategic advantage in the trade of goods and services. This advantageous position allows Iran to serve as a key transit hub for goods moving between Central Asia, the Caucasus, and West Asia.

In particular, the development of international transport corridors, such as the North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which links Iran with Russia, India, and Central Asia, is expected to enhance Iran’s role in regional trade.

Furthermore, the expansion of special economic zones, such as the Lamerd Free Trade Zone, has created new opportunities for businesses to engage in regional trade. This diversification of trade routes and infrastructure investment is expected to foster deeper economic ties with countries in the Persian Gulf and beyond.

Despite challenges, such as global sanctions and regional instability, Iran’s government has focused on expanding its non-oil exports, particularly to its neighbors. This strategy is part of a broader effort to reduce Iran’s dependency on oil revenues and diversify its economy.

The Iranian government’s push for stronger trade relations with Central Asia, Russia, and even countries like Oman and Turkmenistan, is driven by the need for economic diversification and the potential to access new markets. Iran’s trade with Russia, for example, has grown steadily, with recent figures showing a trade volume of US$1.5 billion in 2024.

The economic outlook for Iran’s trade with neighboring countries is promising. The country’s strategic location, combined with increased infrastructure investment and a strong focus on non-oil exports, positions Iran as a key player in the regional economy.

However, the ongoing challenges of sanctions and geopolitical tensions remain factors to consider as Iran continues to navigate its path toward economic diversification.

If these trade relationships continue to strengthen, Iran could significantly enhance its role as a regional economic hub, ensuring long-term stability and growth for its economy.

 

Trump wants EU to buy more US oil and gas or face tariffs

According to Reuters, US President-elect Donald Trump said on Friday that the European Union (EU) may face tariffs if the bloc does not cut its growing deficit with the United States by making large oil and gas trades with the world's largest economy.

The EU is already buying the lion's share of US oil and gas exports, according to US government data, and no additional volumes are currently available unless the United States increases output or volumes are re-routed frm Asia - another big consumer of US energy.

"I told the European Union that they must make up their tremendous deficit with the United States by the large scale purchase of our oil and gas," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

"Otherwise, it is tariffs all the way!!!," he added.

The European Commission said it was ready to discuss with the president-elect how to strengthen an already strong relationship, including in the energy sector.

"The EU is committed to phasing out energy imports from Russia and diversifying our sources of supply," a spokesperson said.

The United States already supplied 47% of the European Union's LNG imports and 17% of its oil imports in the first quarter of 2024, according to data from EU statistics office Eurostat.

Trump has vowed to impose tariffs on most if not all imports, and said Europe would pay a heavy price for having run a large trade surplus with the US for decades.

Trump has repeatedly highlighted the US trade deficit for goods, but not trade as a whole.

The US had a goods trade deficit with the EU of 155.8 billion euros (US$161.9 billion) last year. However, in services it had a surplus of 104 billion euros, Eurostat data shows.

Trump, who takes office on January 20, 2025 has already pledged hefty tariffs on three of the United States' largest trading partners - Canada, Mexico and China.

Most European oil refiners and gas firms are private and the governments have no say on where the purchases are coming from unless authorities impose sanctions or tariffs. The owners usually buy their resources based on price and efficiencies.

The EU has steeply increased purchases of US oil and gas following the block's decision to impose sanctions and cut reliance on Russian energy after Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022.

The United States has grown to become the largest oil producer in recent years with output of over 20 million barrels per day of oil liquids or a fifth of global demand.

US crude exports to Europe stand at over two million bpd representing over a half of US total exports with the rest going to Asia. The Netherlands, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, and Sweden are the biggest importers, according to the US government data.

The United States is also the world's biggest gas producer and consumer with output of over 103 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd).

The US government projects that US exports of liquefied gas (LNG) will average 12 bcfd in 2024. In 2023, Europe accounted for 66% of US LNG exports, with the Britain, France, Spain and Germany being the main destinations.

EU exports are dominated by Germany with key goods being cars, machinery and chemicals.

 

Netanyahu eyes Iran, his arch foe

According to Reuters, 2025 will be a year of reckoning for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He is set to cement his strategic goals: tightening his military control over Gaza, thwarting Iran's nuclear ambitions and capitalizing on the dismantling of Tehran's allies - Palestinian Hamas, Lebanon's Hezbollah and the removal of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

Assad's collapse, the elimination of the top leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah and the destruction of their military structure mark a succession of monumental wins for Netanyahu.

Without Syria, the alliances Tehran has nurtured for decades have unraveled. As Iran's influence weakens, Israel is emerging as the dominant power in the region.

Netanyahu is poised to zero in on Iran's nuclear ambitions and missile program, applying an unyielding focus to dismantling and neutralizing these strategic threats to Israel.

Iran, Middle East observers say, faces a stark choice: Either continue its nuclear enrichment program or scale back its atomic activities and agree to negotiations.

"Iran is very vulnerable to an Israeli attack, particularly against its nuclear program," said Joost R. Hiltermann, Middle East and North Africa Program Director of the International Crisis Group. "I wouldn't be surprised if Israel did it, but that doesn't get rid of Iran."

"If they (Iranians) do not back down, Trump and Netanyahu might strike, as nothing now prevents them," said Palestinian analyst Ghassan al-Khatib, referring to President-elect Donald Trump. Khatib argued that the Iranian leadership, having demonstrated pragmatism in the past, may be willing to compromise to avert a military confrontation.

Trump, who withdrew from a 2015 agreement between Iran and six world powers aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear goals, is likely to step up sanctions on Iran's oil industry, despite calls to return to negotiations from critics who see diplomacy as a more effective long-term policy.

Amid the turmoil of Iran and Gaza, Netanyahu's long-running corruption trial, which resumed in December, will also play a defining role in shaping his legacy. For the first time since the outbreak of the Gaza war in 2023, Netanyahu took the stand in proceedings that have bitterly divided Israelis.

With 2024 coming to an end, the Israeli prime minister will likely agree to sign a ceasefire accord with Hamas to halt the 14-month-old Gaza war and free Israeli hostages held in the enclave, according to sources close to the negotiations.

But Gaza would stay under Israeli military control in the absence of a post-war US plan for Israel to cede power to the Palestinian Authority (PA), which Netanyahu rejects. Arab states have shown little inclination to press Israel to compromise or push the decaying PA to overhaul its leadership to take over.

"Israel will remain in Gaza militarily in the foreseeable future because any withdrawal carries the risk of Hamas reorganizing. Israel believes that the only way to maintain the military gains is to stay in Gaza," Khatib told Reuters.

For Netanyahu, such a result would mark a strategic victory, consolidating a status quo that aligns with his vision: Preventing Palestinian statehood while ensuring Israel's long-term control over Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem -- territories internationally recognised as integral to a future Palestinian state.

The Gaza war erupted when Hamas militants stormed into Israel on October 07, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel responded with an air and land offensive that has killed 45,000 people, health authorities there say, displaced 1.2 million and left much of the enclave in ruins.

While the ceasefire pact would bring an immediate end to the Gaza hostilities, it would not address the deeper, decades-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Arab and Western officials say.

On the ground, prospects for a Palestinian state, an option repeatedly ruled out by Netanyahu's government, have become increasingly unattainable, with Israeli settler leaders optimistic that Trump will align closely with their views.

A surge in settler violence and the increasing confidence of the settler movement - highway billboards in some West Bank areas bear the message in Arabic "No Future in Palestine" - reflect a growing squeeze on Palestinians.

Even if the Trump administration were to push for an end to the conflict, "any resolution would be on Israel’s terms," said Hiltermann of the Crisis Group.

"It's over when it comes to a Palestinian state, but the Palestinians are still there," he said.

In Trump's previous term, Netanyahu secured several diplomatic wins, including the “Deal of the Century,” a US-backed peace plan which Trump floated in 2020 to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The plan, if implemented, marks a dramatic shift in US policy and international agreements by overtly aligning with Israel and deviating sharply from a long-standing land for peace framework that has historically guided negotiations.

It would allow Israel to annex vast stretches of land in the occupied West Bank, including Israeli settlements and the Jordan Valley. It would also recognize Jerusalem as the "undivided capital of Israel" - effectively denying Palestinian claims to East Jerusalem as their capital, a central aspiration in their statehood goals and in accordance with UN resolutions.

SYRIA AT CRITICAL CROSSROADS

Across the border from Israel, Syria stands at a critical juncture following the overthrow of Assad by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel forces, led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani.

Golani now faces the monumental task of consolidating control over a fractured Syria, where the military and police force have collapsed. HTS has to rebuild from scratch, securing borders and maintaining internal stability against threats from jihadists, remnants of the Assad regime, and other adversaries.

The greatest fear among Syrians and observers alike is whether HTS, once linked to al-Qaeda but now presenting itself as a Syrian nationalist force to gain legitimacy, reverts to a rigid Islamist ideology.

The group’s ability or failure to navigate this balance will shape the future of Syria, home to diverse communities of Sunnis, Shi'ites, Alawites, Kurds, Druze and Christians.

"If they succeed in that (Syrian nationalism) there's hope for Syria, but if they revert to their comfort zone of quite strongly ideologically-tainted Islamism, then it's going to be divisive in Syria," said Hiltermann.

"You could have chaos and a weak Syria for a long time, just like we saw in Libya and Iraq."