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US military strikes southern Iran targeting missile sites and mining boats as Trump sets new conditions on peace negotiations, urging Qatar and Saudi Arabia to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel.

Middle East roundup: US hits Iran with new strikes, despite ceasefire

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations condemned Israel&rsquo;s plans involving the deportation of Palestinians, recalling that Israel had previously used the name Somaliland as a destination for deportations, particularly from the Gaza Strip.&nbsp;In a post on X on Saturday, the Mission stated that the State of Palestine &ldquo;affirms its total rejection of Israeli plans for the forced deportation of our people, or under any other pretexts, and considers it a red line, while warning against anyone&#39;s alignment with these rejected propositions.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 1044px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2004710774569082898&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=5157be1bb5ef009d41645d0ce50a08cf30f5b118&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Earlier, posts on X from the official handle of the Prime Minister of Israel on Friday announced the &ldquo;official recognition of the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state.&rdquo;&nbsp; The post said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa&rsquo;ar, and the President of Somaliland signed a &ldquo;joint and mutual declaration.&rdquo; The Israeli posts added that the declaration was &ldquo;in the spirit of the Abraham Accords, signed at the initiative of President Trump,&rdquo; and noted that Prime Minister Netanyahu &ldquo;congratulated the President of Somaliland, Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdallah, and praised his leadership and commitment to promoting stability and peace.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2004550707530076582&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=5157be1bb5ef009d41645d0ce50a08cf30f5b118&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>

The Palestinian UN Mission condemns Israel’s previous and planned deportations of Palestinians to Somaliland, calling them a red line; Israel has officially recognized Somaliland as an independent state, citing the Abraham Accords and praising its leadership.

Palestine condemns Israel’s deportation plans, rejects Somaliland recognition

TEL AVIV: US President Donald Trump has said that several Middle Eastern nations were interested in joining the Abraham Accords &ldquo;Those who have joined the accords so far have done unbelievably well, &quot; Trump said in a speech to the Israeli Knesset on Monday.&nbsp;&nbsp; He praised the Abraham Accords as exceeding expectations, with continued interest from additional countries, though he did not name them, only hinting that &ldquo;many of these countries will be in Egypt&rdquo;. He also criticized former US presidents Obama and Biden for inaction while praising his own administration&rsquo;s successes in strengthening ties between Israel and Arab nations. He spoke of transforming the land into a thriving region and declared the potential era of peace for the Middle East. Trump calls for Iran denuclearization He warned that Iran was two months away from acquiring nuclear weapons, justifying the June 2025 strikes on Iranian nuclear sites by US B-2 Spirit stealth bombers. Trump said he was aiming for a peace deal with Iran. &ldquo;They got it from one side, from the other, and you know it would be great if we could make a peace deal with them,&rdquo; he told Israel&rsquo;s parliament. &ldquo;Would you be happy with that? Wouldn&#39;t it be nice, I think. Because I think they want to&rdquo;, he said. Trump added that any agreement depends on Iran&rsquo;s willingness. &ldquo;We&#39;re ready when you are,&rdquo; he said. He defended his decision to end the Iran nuclear deal, calling it a move he was &ldquo;very proud&rdquo; of. &ldquo;Yet even to Iran, whose regime has inflicted so much death on the Middle East, the hand of friendship and cooperation is open,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They want to make a deal, and we&#39;re going to see if we can do something.&rdquo; He stated that neither the United States nor Israel bore hostility toward the Iranian people, saying, &ldquo;We merely want to live in peace.&rdquo; Trump also criticized former presidents Obama and Biden for their Middle East policies, claiming they did not support Israel as strongly. He said Obama &ldquo;chose Iran over lots of good countries, especially Israel,&rdquo; and called the Iran nuclear deal &ldquo;a disaster,&rdquo; despite Netanyahu&rsquo;s efforts to prevent it. Disarming regional threats Trump announced that the &ldquo;dagger of Hezbollah&rdquo; has been shattered and pledged his administration&rsquo;s support for Lebanon&rsquo;s president in disarming Hezbollah. He called the recent ceasefire &quot;the most challenging breakthrough in the world,&quot; highlighting scenes of people dancing in the streets to celebrate peace. He described the current moment as historic, marking the end of a long, difficult road spanning centuries, with regional support for the plan, Hezbollah demilitarized, and Hamas disarmed. Vision for a &ldquo;peaceful&rdquo; Middle East Trump said Israel, with US help, has achieved all military objectives, and it is now time for peace and prosperity in the Middle East. He praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (&ldquo;Bibi&rdquo;) as &ldquo;a nice man&rdquo; and urged Middle Eastern leaders to fully embrace the peace plan. He said that antisemitism and support for terrorism that endured for decades have come to an end. Call for Palestinian reform Trump urged Palestinians to expel &ldquo;wicked forces&rdquo; and focus on rebuilding after tremendous death and pain. He outlined plans for the stability and economic development of Gaza, mentioning the formation of the &ldquo;Board of Peace&rdquo; to oversee reconstruction. Wealthy ME nations reportedly commit to Gaza rebuilding He thanked wealthy Arab and Muslim countries committing significant funds to Gaza&rsquo;s rebuilding and noted upcoming meetings in Egypt with these countries. However, he was careful not to name them. &ldquo;I wanna thank Arab and Muslim countries for their support, they are wealthy countries, we will put up tremendous amount of money, we will build Gaza. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t wanna say who they are but what they are doing is, they wanna see the good, the good for Israel. [And] the kind money they have, for these countries its relatively little compared to their worth&rdquo;. Promoting partnership Trump said regional countries should be partners, not enemies, and stand together against &ldquo;forces of chaos&rdquo;. Trump called for building a future focusing on innovation, medicine, and AI instead of weapons. Praise for Israel&rsquo;s strength and heritage Trump expressed strong support for Israel, calling it a strong nation that will endure forever. &ldquo;The state of Israel is strong, it will live forever&rdquo;. He stated that the US has always supported Israel since its inception due to &ldquo;sharing similar values&rdquo; with the US. He hailed &ldquo;Israel&rsquo;s military&rdquo; and &ldquo;innovative economy&rdquo;, calling Jerusalem the &ldquo;ancient capital&rdquo; of the occupying regime. He also talked about the region&#39;s significance for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He described the coexistence of people of all faiths in the sacred land as a &ldquo;modern miracle&rdquo;. Trump urges pardon for Netanyahu The US President told the Israeli parliament that Netanyahu, facing trial in three corruption cases, should be &lsquo;pardoned.&rsquo; He dismissed allegations of accepting luxury gifts worth over $260,000 as trivial, calling Netanyahu one of Israel&rsquo;s greatest wartime leaders. Addressing Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Trump suggested granting Netanyahu a pardon, adding he personally supports the prime minister. Legacy of &lsquo;peace&rsquo;, &lsquo;hope&rsquo;, and &lsquo;prosperity&rsquo; Trump promised to build a legacy across the region&mdash;from the Middle East, to India, Pakistan, Turkey, and Azerbaijan&mdash;of hope and prosperity. He called the Middle East the geographic center of the world and expressed his vision for Israel, the US, and Middle Eastern nations to become stronger and more prosperous together. Russian peace deal Trump was positive about securing a peace deal involving Russia and Ukraine following his success with securing a Gaza ceasefire. He expressed confidence that it will be achieved soon. &ldquo;We will get it done&rdquo;, he stated. The speech was delivered amid the backdrop of a recent Gaza ceasefire, the return of hostages, and ongoing peace negotiations. The conservative president&rsquo;s remarks were met with applause in the Knesset. <img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/bcab3a6a-96d8-4d47-9c18-5ff701ff8488-AP25286460826624 (1).jpg" alt="Jared Kushner, acknowledges applause at the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem, Monday, October 13, 2025. (AP)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Jared Kushner acknowledges applause at the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem, Monday, October 13, 2025. (AP)</figcaption> With input from the AFP.

President Donald Trump addresses the Knesset, Israel's parliament, Monday, October 13, 2025, in Jerusalem. (AP)

Asia

Trump announced Middle East peace progress, urged Iran denuclearization, praised Abraham Accords, supported Israel, called for Palestinian reform, and advocated Netanyahu’s pardon.​

Trump says more Middle Eastern nations may join Abraham Accords

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran called for increased cooperation among Arab and Muslim states following Israel&rsquo;s recent airstrike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar. Pakistan proposed the formation of a joint task force, while Iran called for the establishment of &ldquo;joint operations rooms&rdquo; to counter escalating Israeli aggression. Their proposals come ahead of an emergency Arab-Islamic summit scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m. in Doha (8 p.m. PKT). Nearly 60 Arab and Islamic countries will convene to condemn the Israeli aggression and show solidarity with Qatar. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1967287260388471097&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=3bf6bc7387a33991ee425fbbd28c925568bbe357&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 624px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1967287260388471097"></iframe></div></div> Israeli strikes on DohaThe summit was convened in response to Israel&rsquo;s airstrikes on September 9, which targeted Hamas leaders attending ceasefire talks in Doha. The attack resulted in the deaths of five Hamas members, including the son of a senior leader, as well as a Qatari security officer. Several civilians were also injured. The attack was widely condemned across the Muslim world as a violation of Qatar&rsquo;s sovereignty and an infringement of international law. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Thani strongly denounced the strike as an act of &ldquo;state terrorism.&rdquo; He accused Israel of seeking to uproot Palestinians from their own homeland. He called on the international community to end double standards and hold the Israeli regime accountable for what he described as genocidal wars. Pakistan proposes a joint task forcePakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar condemned the Israeli airstrike as illegal and in violation of the United Nations Charter and international laws. He proposed the establishment of a joint Arab-Islamic task force charged with monitoring Israeli intentions and coordinating both deterrent and offensive actions. Dar described the attack on Qatar, a sovereign state engaged in ceasefire negotiations, as an assault on diplomacy itself. He called for an immediate ceasefire, a prisoner exchange, and the establishment of a two-state solution. The Pakistani deputy PM demanded that Israel be held accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Pakistan, alongside Algeria and Somalia, also raised the issue with the U.N. Security Council and Human Rights Council, advocating for practical measures including the deployment of an international peacekeeping force in Gaza. Iran calls for &#39;joint operations rooms&#39;The Secretary of Iran&rsquo;s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, sharply criticized Muslim states over perceived inaction regarding the Gaza conflict. In a statement shared via social media platform X (formerly Twitter), he called for, &ldquo;at the very least, establishing a &lsquo;joint operations room&rsquo; against the madness of this entity,&rdquo; referring to Israel. Larijani warned that conferences filled only with rhetoric but lacking tangible outcomes invite further Israeli aggression. He urged Muslim states to unite in practical, coordinated resistance, asserting that such a move could destabilize the Israeli regime and compel change. Summit draft resolutionA draft resolution from the summit described the Israeli strike as a destabilizing escalation. It accused Israel of carrying out genocidal acts, ethnic cleansing, and colonial expansion that threaten peace prospects and normalization agreements in the region, such as the Abraham Accords, signed five years ago to normalize relations between Israel and several Gulf states. Convening of the Preparatory Ministerial Meeting for the Joint Arab-Islamic Emergency Summit in Doha to Discuss the Israeli Attack on the State of Qatar, image courtesy: <a data-fr-linked="true" href="//OIC.com" style="font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">OIC.com</a> Despite strong condemnation from the Arab-Islamic world, Israel maintained a defiant stance. On the day Arab ministers convened in Doha, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jerusalem.&nbsp; Rubio&rsquo;s visit aimed to &lsquo;clarify&rsquo; Israel&rsquo;s strategy regarding Gaza, the ongoing hostage situation, and humanitarian plans amid lingering tensions caused by the unauthorized airstrike in Qatar. Ongoing attacks in Gaza and the West BankMeanwhile, Gaza continues to endure heavy bombardment. Recent Israeli airstrikes have destroyed multiple high-rise buildings, forcing evacuations of civilians with often little notice. Palestinian health officials report that over 64,000 Palestinians have died since the conflict escalated, including over 18,000 children. Several international media outlets have also reported an uptick in attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The United Arab Emirates, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020, warned against annexation plans in the West Bank. It described such moves as a &ldquo;red line&rdquo; threatening hopes for peace. While the Arab-Islamic summit is expected to adopt a joint resolution condemning Israel&rsquo;s strike, it currently does not include sanctions or punitive measure.

Arab-Islamic Summit: Pakistan calls for joint task force, Iran urges ‘operations rooms’ against Israel, image courtesy: OIC

Articles tagged with "Abraham Accords"

Middle East roundup: US hits Iran with new strikes, despite ceasefire

Palestine condemns Israel’s deportation plans, rejects Somaliland recognition

Trump says more Middle Eastern nations may join Abraham Accords

Arab-Islamic Summit: Iran, Pakistan propose concrete measures against Israel