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☆ Saudi Arabia's oil giant boss speaks up for China, saying its massive production of solar panels and EVs helps affordability
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser praised China for making solar panels and electric vehicles affordable. Saudi Arabia is fostering closer ties with China and wooing Chinese investments and business partnerships. Unlike the West, Saudi Arabia is cozying up to China. "There are lots of opportunities for China to invest in Saudi Arabia," Alibrahim told the media outlet. In March last year, China brokered a détente between Saudi Arabia and Iran, prompting concerns over waning US influence in the Middle East.

Persons: Amin Nasser, Nasser, China's overcapacity, Janet Yellen, Olaf Scholz, China Nasser's, Faisal Alibrahim, Alibrahim, Jon Alterman Organizations: Saudi, Service, Saudi Aramco, World Energy, Financial Times, West, Nikkei, Aramco, Center for Strategic, International Studies, China Economic, Security Locations: China, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Aramco, Saudi, Rotterdam, East Asia, Beijing, Saudi Arabian, Iran, United States

☆ U.S. officials expect Israel's response to Iran to be limited, according to NBC
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailU.S. officials expect Israel's response to Iran to be limited, according to NBCJon Alterman, Center for Strategic and International Studies director of Middle East program, joins 'Closing Bell Overtime' to talk what to expect from the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran and a recent report that Israel's promised response might be limited.

Persons: NBC Jon Alterman, Israel's Organizations: NBC, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Middle Locations: Iran, Israel

The US has in recent months carried out several strikes targeting Iranian proxies’ weapons depots in Iraq and Syria. To date, none of those strikes have deterred the militants, whose 165 attacks have injured over 120 US service members across the region since October. ‘We don’t seek a war with Iran’Still, striking Iran is one of the least likely options at this point, officials said. We’re not looking for a wider conflict in the Middle East,” John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council, told CNN on Monday. Tehran has watched as anti-US and anti-Israel protests swept across the Middle East after the Israel-Hamas war started.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Mark Hertling, “, Antony Blinken, Blinken, ”, Harakat, “ We’re, We’re, ” John Kirby, they’ve, ” Sabrina Singh, Jon Alterman, ” Alterman Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, National Security Council, Middle East, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Iran’s, American, Lebanon, Yemen, Tehran, United States, “, Israel, Russia, China

☆ US and Iraqi governments expected to start talks on future of US military presence in the country
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The US and Iraq are expected to soon begin talks on the future of the US military presence in the country, according to sources familiar with the matter, amid public calls from the Iraqi government for the US to withdraw its troops. US military officials and diplomats will be involved in the discussions, officials said. The talks about the future of the US’ military presence have now taken on a greater urgency amid the wider regional instability, and amid growing public calls by the Iraqi government for the US to withdraw its troops from the country. Part of the discussions will focus on whether and when it will be feasible to end the US military presence in Iraq. “The Biden administration is not considering a withdrawal of forces from Syria,” a senior US official told CNN.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, ” Austin, ”, They’re, Mohammed Shia, Sudani, ” “, “, ” Jonathan Lord, Jon Alterman, it’s, Alterman, Elena Romanowski, Biden, CNN’s Haley Britzky Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, ISIS, Defense, ”, ISIS Coalition, Higher, Commission, Center for New American Security, Iraqi Security Forces, Middle, Center for Strategic, International Studies, “ Locations: Iraq, Iraqi, Iran, Syria, ”, Iranian, Baghdad, Israel

☆ Israel may try to drive Hamas out of its tunnels in Gaza by pumping them full of seawater: WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Israel has a plan to flood Hamas tunnels in Gaza using seawater pumps, per The Wall Street Journal. Israel's military said the tunnel system is used to transport Hamas weapons and militants. Hamas' tunnel system, known as the "metro," is believed to extend some 300 miles. AdvertisementWim Zwijnenburg, who works for PAX, a Netherlands-based peace organization, told the Journal that flooding the tunnels could exacerbate that pollution. He added that hazardous substances stored by Hamas in the tunnels could also seep into the ground.

Persons: —, Israel, Jon Alterman, Wim Zwijnenburg Organizations: Street, Service, Israel, Hamas, Wall Street, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Reuters, PAX, Business Locations: Israel, Gaza, Hamas, Netherlands

☆ Mideast in Focus as US, China Meet to Pave Way for Biden-Xi Summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

But whether Beijing will use it remains to be seen and experts say China may instead watch from the sidelines for a while longer. Blinken, during a whirlwind Middle East trip last week, spoke by phone to Wang and asked him to use Beijing's clout to ensure the conflict does not widen. On Wednesday, Xi said whether Washington and Beijing could establish the "right" way of getting along and managing their differences would be crucial to the world. U.S. and Chinese officials held a virtual meeting on Monday on macroeconomic developments, talks the U.S. called "productive and substantive" and China called "in-depth, frank and constructive." U.S. officials said Taiwan and the South and East China Seas, where they accused Beijing of "destabilizing and dangerous actions" against rival territorial claimants, would also be on the agenda.

Persons: Humeyra Pamuk, David Brunnstrom, Laurie Chen WASHINGTON, Wang Yi, Joe Biden, Xi, Biden, Antony Blinken, Wang, Jon Alterman, WANG, BIDEN Shi Yinhong, Shi, Israel, Zhang Jun, Wang's, Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Xi's, Yun Sun, Washington, Laurie Chen, Trevor Hunnicutt, Josie Kao Organizations: State Department, . Security, Washington's Center, Strategic, International Studies, Renmin University of China, Reuters, White, PATH, BIDEN, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, China, Washington's, APEC, East China Seas, China's Global Times Locations: BEIJING, Washington, China, Beijing, Iran, Israel, Taiwan, South, U.S, Gaza, Asia, San Francisco, Bali, China . U.S, East

Persons: Wang Yi, Joe Biden, Xi, Biden, Antony Blinken, Wang, Jon Alterman, WANG, BIDEN Shi Yinhong, Shi, Israel, Zhang Jun, Wang's, Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Xi's, Yun Sun, Washington, Humeyra Pamuk, David Brunnstrom, Laurie Chen, Trevor Hunnicutt, Josie Kao Organizations: State Department, . Security, Washington's Center, Strategic, International Studies, Renmin University of China, Reuters, White, PATH, BIDEN, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, China, Washington's, APEC, East China Seas, China's Global Times, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, BEIJING, Washington, China, Beijing, Iran, Israel, Taiwan, South, U.S, Gaza, Asia, San Francisco, Bali, China . U.S, East

☆ Iran's Quandary: How to Stay Out of Israel's War on Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +9 min

Iran, a longtime backer of Gaza's rulers Hamas, finds itself in a quandary as it tries to manage the spiralling crisis, according to nine Iranian officials with direct knowledge of the thinking within the clerical establishment. "We are in contact with our friends Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah," Vahid Jalalzadeh, the head of parliament's National Security Committee said on Wednesday, according to Iranian state media. Iran's foreign ministry didn't respond to a request for comment about the country's response to the unfolding crisis, while Israeli military authorities declined to comment. Khamenei, the supreme leader, has denied Iran was involved in the attack, though he praised the damage inflicted on Israel. "Iran's nuanced position emphasizes the delicate balance it must maintain between regional interests and internal stability," said the former senior Iranian official.

Persons: Parisa Hafezi, Jonathan Saul, Arshad Mohammed DUBAI, wouldn't, Avi Melamed, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Israel, Israel didn't, Khamenei, Joe Biden, Biden, John Kirby, Washington, Jon Alterman, Jerusalem, Arshad Mohammed, Laila Bassam, Samia Nakhoul, Michael Georgy, Pravin Char Organizations: Reuters, Islamic, parliament's National Security, Israel, Wednesday, Hezbollah, U.S, Germany's Ramstein Air Base, House, State Department, CSIS, Swiss, Iran, Iranian Locations: Iran, Israel, Gaza, Tehran, U.S, Lebanon, Yemen, United States, Islamic Republic, Iranian, Lebanese, Syria, Iraq, Washington, America, GAZA, LEBANON, China, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Beirut, Paritosh, New York

[1/4] A formation of Israeli tanks is positioned near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel October 21, 2023. Iran, a longtime backer of Gaza's rulers Hamas, finds itself in a quandary as it tries to manage the spiralling crisis, according to nine Iranian officials with direct knowledge of the thinking within the clerical establishment. "We are in contact with our friends Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah," Vahid Jalalzadeh, the head of parliament's National Security Committee said on Wednesday, according to Iranian state media. Iran's foreign ministry didn't respond to a request for comment about the country's response to the unfolding crisis, while Israeli military authorities declined to comment. "Iran's nuanced position emphasizes the delicate balance it must maintain between regional interests and internal stability," said the former senior Iranian official.

Persons: Violeta Santos Moura, wouldn't, Avi Melamed, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Israel, Israel didn't, Khamenei, Joe Biden, Biden, John Kirby, Washington, Jon Alterman, Parisa Hafezi, Jonathan Saul, Jerusalem, Arshad Mohammed, Laila Bassam, Samia Nakhoul, Michael Georgy, Pravin Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Islamic, parliament's National Security, Israel, Wednesday, Hezbollah, U.S, Germany's Ramstein Air Base, House, State Department, CSIS, Swiss, Iran, Iranian, Thomson Locations: Israel's, Gaza, Israel, Rights DUBAI, Iran, Tehran, U.S, Lebanon, Yemen, United States, Islamic Republic, Iranian, Lebanese, Syria, Iraq, Washington, America, GAZA, LEBANON, China, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Beirut, Paritosh, New York

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, October 18, 2023. "If the United States can effectively rally the world, it’s bad for them. SUPPORT FOR PALESTINEWhile the strategies of Russia and China in the Middle East are not fully aligned they have much in common. Russia said on Thursday it was coordinating Middle East policy with China. The United States has been trying, with limited success, to persuade the global south to rally behind Ukraine.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Sergei Guneev, Israel, Wang Yi, Putin, Xi, Jon Alterman, Bashar al, Assad, Jean, Loup Samaan, Carice Witte, Alterman, Ma Xiaolin, Ma, James Pomfret, Guy Faulconbridge, Don Durfee, Robert Birsel Organizations: Forum, Sputnik, Rights, Initiative, Palestinian, Middle, Center for Strategic, International Studies, PALESTINE, Middle East Institute of, National University of Singapore, United, Ukraine, Israel, Zhejiang International Studies University, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, WASHINGTON, Gaza, Russia, Moscow, United States, Israel, States, East, Africa, Latin America, Asia, Palestine, Washington, U.S, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Tel Aviv, Hong Kong

Biden's travels will be rife with security concerns, and visits by other U.S. officials have been disrupted by rocket launches into Israel. ... And if we don’t, who does?”In Israel, Biden was expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials before heading to Jordan. However, Abbas has withdrawn his planned participation because of the destruction at the hospital in Gaza. Abbas has been Palestinian president for nearly 20 years. Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed at least 2,700 people and wounded more than 9,700, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Mahmoud Abbas, Abbas, Biden, Jordan, Ukraine —, Joe Biden, ”, Jon Alterman, There's, ” Alterman, Biden's, Antony Blinken, “, Benjamin Netanyahu, King Abdullah II, Abdel Fattah el, it's, Netanyahu, Abdullah II, — Biden, Richard Hecht, haven’t, Josh Boak, Josef Federman, Matthew Lee Organizations: WASHINGTON, Hamas, Ministry, Palestinian, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Senate Foreign Relations, Hezbollah, Associated Press, Israel, Republicans, CBS, International Monetary Fund, Gaza Health Ministry, United Nations Locations: Israel, East, Gaza, Palestinian, Ukraine, United States, Iran, Southern Lebanon, “, The U.S, Tel Aviv, —, U.S, United States of America, Jordan, The Israel, Jordanian, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Washington, Jerusalem, Amman

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON/TEL AVIV, Oct 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's White House is wrestling with thorny security and political challenges as officials consider a potential trip to Israel that may hold longer-term diplomatic advantages for Biden. A visit would, however, grant Biden fresh leverage to influence events on the ground and bolster his image at home. Highlighting the unique security risks facing a Biden trip, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Israel for meetings, was forced to take shelter in a bunker for five minutes with Netanyahu when sirens went off in Tel Aviv during their meeting. Forty-one percent of respondents said they agreed with a statement that "the U.S. should support Israel" in its conflict with Hamas, while just 2% said the U.S. should support the Palestinians. Biden has visited Israel 10 times, first as a senator in 1973, before the Yom Kippur War involving Israel, Egypt and Syria.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Kevin Lamarque, Joe Biden's, Biden, Adrienne Watson, Netanyahu, Kirsten Fontenrose, Antony Blinken, Olaf Scholz, Jon Alterman, Alterman, Mahmoud Abbas, Alon Pinkas, Ehud Barak, Richard Nixon, Trevor Hunnicutt, Jarrett Renshaw, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Holland, Matt Spetalnick, Heather Timmons, Howard Goller, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Israeli, General Assembly, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Biden, Israel, National Security, U.S, Atlantic Council, Presidential, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Service, Republicans, Reuters, Democratic, Gaza, Palestinian, West Bank, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, TEL AVIV, Israel, Washington's, East, Iran, Hezbollah, Syria, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Lebanon, GAZA, Colorado, Egypt, Washington

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON/TEL AVIV, Oct 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's White House is wrestling with a host of thorny security and political challenges as officials plot a potential trip to Israel that may hold longer-term diplomatic advantages for Biden. The White House declined to comment on any planning for the trip. Biden's trip could be interpreted as support for Netanyahu's political and military choices, but it could also give Biden fresh leverage to influence events on the ground. "It's very, very sensitive and the White House is working through very sensitive areas," Pinkas said. Biden has visited Israel 10 times, first as a senator in 1973, before the Yom Kippur War involving Israel, Egypt and Syria.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Kevin Lamarque, Joe Biden's, Biden, Adrienne Watson, Netanyahu, Richard Nixon, Olaf Scholz, Jon Alterman, Alterman, Mahmoud Abbas, Alon Pinkas, Ehud Barak, Pinkas, Trevor Hunnicutt, Jarrett Renshaw, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Holland, Matt Spetalnick, Heather Timmons, Howard Goller Organizations: Israeli, General Assembly, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Biden, Israel, National Security, Ben, Presidential, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Democratic, Gaza, Palestinian, West Bank, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, TEL AVIV, Israel, Washington's, East, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ben Gurion, Lebanon, Ukraine, Egypt, Syria, Washington

The surprise Hamas attack has dealt a blow to U.S. efforts to broker a landmark normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia and complicated Washington's approach toward Iran, Hamas' longtime benefactor. “Quite simply, all efforts at normalization are on hold for the foreseeable future,” said Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, contradicting the official U.S. government line. Khaled Elgindy, a former Palestinian negotiations adviser, accused the Biden administration of leading an Israeli-Saudi normalization process that mostly bypassed the Palestinians and their hopes of ending Israeli occupation. “That sort of neglect is part of why we're seeing what we're seeing,” said Elgindy, now at the Middle East Institute. The immediate challenge is preventing the war from spiraling into a broader conflict, administration officials say, especially preventing the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah from opening a second front on Israel's northern border.

Persons: Joe Biden, Elizabeth Frantz, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Israel, ”, Jon Alterman, John Kirby, “, ” Jonathan Panikoff, government’s, Khaled Elgindy, Elgindy, Panikoff, –, Netanyahu, Jake Sullivan, Biden’s, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Matt Spetalnick, Humeyra Pamuk, Simon Lewis, David Brunnstrom, Steve Holland, Alexander Cornwell, Parisa, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Heather Timmons, Howard Goller Organizations: Hamas, White, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Center for Strategic, International, White House National Security Council, Middle East Institute, Saudi, The Atlantic, Hezbollah, West Bank, Reuters, Atlantic Council, Thomson Locations: Israel, Washington , U.S, Saudi, Gaza, Ukraine, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Hamas, Tehran, Israeli, Riyadh, Washington, Lebanese, IRAN, Dubai

☆ CSIS' Jon Alterman discusses deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSaudi-Iranian deal: Saudis demonstrating they're 'in control of their own destiny,' think tank saysJon Alterman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies says for Saudi Arabia, not "hiding behind the United States … is part of a broader recalibration."

White House spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday that while Washington was not directly involved, Saudi Arabia kept U.S. officials informed of the talks with Iran. NUCLEAR TALKSThe agreement comes as Iran accelerates its nuclear program after two years of failed U.S. attempts to revive a 2015 deal that aimed to stop Tehran producing a nuclear bomb. "Saudi Arabia is deeply concerned about Iran's nuclear program," he said. "If this new opening between Iran and Saudi Arabia is going to be meaningful and impactful, it will have to address the concerns about Iran's nuclear program - otherwise the opening is just optics." Friday's agreement also offers hope for more durable peace in Yemen, where a conflict sparked in 2014 has widely been seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

☆ Here's why Israel, one of the toughest militaries, isn't arming Ukraine despite a global push to do so. It's got another fight in focus.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Israel, a major US partner, has not provided direct military aid to Ukraine. Russia allows Israel to conduct operations targeting Iran-linked forces in Syria, something it doesn't want to jeopardize. Israel, as of February 2022, was the largest cumulative recipient of US foreign assistance — most of which comes in the form of military support. But the country has stopped short of providing direct lethal military aid to Ukraine, despite pleas from leadership in Kyiv. Even as Moscow allows Israel to clamp down on Iranian influence in Syria, Russia and Iran have increased their military ties and support throughout the Ukraine war.

☆ How Saudi Arabia's crown prince snubbed Biden repeatedly to forge ties with authoritarian China and Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In 2022, Saudi Arabia sought closer ties with Russia and China. Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attend the G20 Leaders' Summit in Buenos Aires, on November 30, 2018. Analysts say that US criticism of Saudi Arabia's human-rights record and its suppression of domestic dissent infuriate Riyadh. Crown Prince Mohammed has more affinity with the ideology of fellow strongmen Xi or Putin than with the US, said Alterman. "Saudi Arabia, China, and Russia all believe in the model of 'authoritarian stability'.

☆ Saudi Arabia Hosts China's Xi Jinping in Apparent Snub to White House
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Saudi Arabia is hosting China's President Xi Jinping at a lavish summit this week. This comes in the wake of a series of diplomatic spats between Saudi Arabia and the US. On Sunday, Saudi Arabia announced that it would be keeping the production cuts in place, but the country has also made diplomatic moves seemingly designed to placate the US. Saudi Arabia is China's main oil supplier, and this is an issue likely to feature prominently at the summit. Though Crown Prince Mohammed is seeking to steer a foreign policy less dependent on Washington, DC, it's unlikely either nation will want to significantly loosen ties any time soon, analysts say.

☆ Analysis: Saudi prince seeks Mideast leadership, independence with Xi's visit
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The Saudi government did not respond to requests for comment on Xi's visit and its agenda. It is China's top oil supplier, although fellow OPEC+ producer Russia has increased its Chinese market share with lower-priced fuel. The Chinese delegation is expected to sign dozens of agreements with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states covering energy, security and investments, diplomats have told Reuters. U.S. officials have declined to comment when asked about Saudi-China bilateral relations ahead of Xi's visit. "The relationships with China pale versus those with the United States in terms of both complexity and intimacy," he said.

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