DUBAI: The United States will respond with military force if its interests are attacked by Iran, the US Iran envoy said on Thursday as Arab leaders gathered in Saudi Arabia to discuss what they see as the threat from Tehran amid rising tensions.
But US Special Representative for Iran, Brian Hook, said US actions taken so far in the Gulf region, which include repositioning military assets, have had the “desired deterrent effect on the (Iranian) regime’s risk calculations.”
The US military has sent forces, including an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers, to the Middle East in a move that US officials said was made to counter “clear indications” of threats from Iran to American forces in the region.
Hook was speaking to reporters by phone ahead of emergency summits of Arab leaders in the Saudi city of Makkah due on Thursday to discuss drone strikes on oil installations in Saudi Arabia and attacks on four vessels, including two Saudi oil tankers, off the UAE coast earlier this month.
Hook said the US was waiting for results of the investigation into the tanker attacks off the UAE coast before discussing a proper response
Tehran has denied involvement in either attack.
The US is pursuing what it calls a “maximum pressure campaign” of sanctions against Iran to reduce its revenue streams from oil and other economic activities, in an attempt to curb what it sees as Tehran’s disruptive policies in the region.
Responding to a question about China and India importing Iranian oil and whether it was possible for them to keep importing small amounts, Hook said there would be no more exceptions granted to sanctions against Iran oil imports.
“There will be no more oil waivers granted,” he said, adding that any oil imported by any country beyond waiver limits that ran from November last year to May, would be subject to sanctions.
Trump also said that Iran’s economy is suffering from US sanctions and that the country is becoming a “weakened nation.”
As tensions between Washington and Tehran escalate, Trump claims Iran wants to make a deal.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says, however, that negotiating with the US would bring nothing but harm.
He said Wednesday that his country will not negotiate on issues related to its military capabilities. He insists that Iran isn’t looking to acquire nuclear weapons — not because of sanctions or the United States, but because they are forbidden under Islamic Sharia law.
At the White House on Thursday, Trump told reporters: “If they want to talk, I’m available.”
Meanwhile, White House National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Thursday that the threat from Iran is not over but quick action from the United States has helped deter it.
“I don’t think this threat is over, but I do think you can make at least a conditional claim that the quick response and the deployment and other steps that we took did serve as a deterrent,” Bolton told reporters during a visit to London.
Asked whether he was at odds with President Donald Trump, who said earlier this week that the US was not looking for regime change in Iran, he said: “The policy we’re pursuing is not a policy of regime change. That’s the fact and everybody should understand it that way.”
Bolton said there was some prospect that evidence Iran was behind attacks this month on oil tankers in the Gulf would be presented to the United Nations Security Council next week.
“I don’t think anybody who is familiar with the situation in the region, whether they have examined the evidence or not, has come to any conclusion other than that these attacks were carried out by Iran or their surrogates,” he said.
US will respond with military force if its interests are attacked by Iran: Brian Hook
US will respond with military force if its interests are attacked by Iran: Brian Hook
- Hook says US waiting for results of investigation into tanker attacks off UAE coast before discussing proper response
- The Iran envoy said the US repositioning of military assets has had desired deterrent effect on Iranian regime
Investigation debunks claims about coalition strikes in Yemen
- Coalition’s Joint Incidents Assessment Team held a meeting to address allegations regarding airstrikes in various regions of Yemen
RIYADH: An investigation found that a number of airstrikes carried out by The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen did not target civilian sites including a hospital and farm as claimed.
The coalition’s Joint Incidents Assessment Team held a meeting on Wednesday to address allegations regarding airstrikes in various regions of Yemen in recent years.
On Jan. 13, 2022, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that an airstrike partially damaged the emergency department and inpatient clinics of a hospital in the Al-Sawad area.
It was claimed that coalition forces targeted a military camp near the hospital.
The JIAT reviewed relevant documentation and found that a military camp, known as Al-Sawad camp, was located near the 48 Model Hospital, which is on the coalition forces’ no strike list.
On the day of the alleged strike, coalition forces conducted a targeted airstrike on military targets within the camp, based on intelligence regarding Houthi militia activities.
The bombs were guided and aimed to minimize civilian impact, hitting their intended targets accurately and remaining a safe distance from the hospital.
Therefore, the JIAT concluded that coalition forces did not target the hospital on Jan. 13, 2022.
On March 3, 2021, reports emerged alleging that coalition forces conducted an airstrike targeting a farm in the Al-Watadah area of the Khawlan Directorate in Sanaa Governorate.
The JIAT said it reviewed documents, including air tasking orders, daily mission schedules and satellite imagery.
The investigation revealed that no specific coordinates for the alleged farm were provided.
The JIAT found no record of airstrikes in Al-Watadah on the date in question, nor in the days surrounding it. Open-source searches yielded no corroborating information.
In conclusion, the JIAT determined that coalition forces did not target a farm in Al-Watadah on March 3, 2021, as alleged.
Other reports indicated that a missile fell near a house in Al-Malaheet village on Feb. 23, 2020. The JIAT investigated and found no evidence that coalition forces had conducted missile strikes in the area on that date.
On June 4, 2015, allegations surfaced regarding an airstrike on the governorate building in Zinjibar. The JIAT confirmed that no air missions were conducted in Abyan on that date.
Through these investigations, the JIAT aims to clarify allegations and uphold accountability and transparency.
What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Economics of Over-the-Counter Markets’
Authors: Julien Hugonnier, Benjamin Lester, And Pierre-Olivier Weill
Many of the largest financial markets in the world do not organize trade through an exchange but rather operate within a decentralized or over-the-counter structure.
Understanding how these markets work has become increasingly important in recent years, as illiquidity in certain OTC markets has appeared as the first signs of trouble—if not the cause itself—of the past two financial crises.
One dead, nine wounded in Russian strikes on Ukraine’s Kherson
- The attack damaged a sports facility, a supermarket, residential buildings and civilian vehicles, Prokudin added
- The strike on Kherson followed other deadly attacks in recent days
KYIV: Russian glide bombs and artillery struck a city in southern Ukraine on Wednesday, killing one person and wounding nine others as Moscow forces continued daily attacks across the country.
The city of Kherson was struck with glide bombs on Wednesday morning, and when rescue teams arrived at the scene, Russian forces launched an artillery barrage, said the region’s head, Oleksandr Prokudin. “This is a deliberate tactic by Russia to hinder the rescue of the injured and harm doctors, rescuers, and police,” he said.
The attack damaged a sports facility, a supermarket, residential buildings and civilian vehicles, Prokudin added.
The strike on Kherson followed other deadly attacks in recent days. On Palm Sunday, two Russian ballistic missile hit the northeastern city of Sumy near the Russian border, killing 35 people and injuring more than 100 others in the deadliest attack on Ukrainian civilians this year. The Russian military said that the strike targeted a gathering of senior military officers, but did not offer evidence.
In Sumy on Wednesday, mourners buried 11-year old Maksym Martynenko — one of two children killed in the attack — and his parents Nataliia and Mykola. Their three caskets were open for final farewells at a church in the city center before the bodies were taken to the family’s village for burial in the same plot.
“I can’t believe that one family, just like that, one day … just went away, just like that,” said Daria Doroshenko, Maksym’s school teacher.
Pastor Artem Tovmasian, a friend of the family, said at the service that their deaths were a tragedy that “should be condemned in a real way.” He said the international community’s reaction should not be just “words of condolence,” but action.
The attack on Sumy and other areas came even as Moscow and Kyiv both agreed last month to implement a 30-day halt on strikes on energy facilities. Both parties have differed on the start time for stopping strikes and alleged daily breaches by the other side.
The Russian military said it downed 26 Ukrainian drones over several Russian regions early Wednesday.
Asked Wednesday if Russia is going to stop abiding by the limited ceasefire after 30 days, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov demurred, saying the decision will be made later.
Moscow has effectively refused to accept a comprehensive ceasefire that President Donald Trump has sought and Ukraine has endorsed. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made it conditional on a halt in Ukraine’s mobilization efforts and Western arms supplies, the demands rejected by Ukraine. Kyiv believes Moscow’s forces are gearing up for a fresh offensive.
Russian forces hold the battlefield advantage in Ukraine, pressing attacks in several sectors of the 1,000-kilometer (over 600-mile) frontline, and Kyiv has warned Moscow is planning a new offensive to improve its negotiating position.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Paris on Thursday for “talks with European counterparts to advance President Trump’s goal to end the Russia-Ukraine war and stop the bloodshed.”
Rubio will also “discuss ways to advance shared interests in the region,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement.
Wikoff, who visited Russia on Friday for his third meeting with Putin that lasted nearly five hours, told Fox News earlier this week that the Russian leader wants a “permanent peace,” noting that a prospective peace deal would focus on Russian claims for five Ukrainian regions.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Witkoff’s comment, emphasizing that Ukraine will never recognize any temporarily occupied territories as Russian.
Commenting on ongoing negotiations with the US over a prospective agreement that would give the US access to Ukraine’s valuable mineral resources, Ukraine’s Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said the US and Ukrainian teams have achieved “significant progress.”
She said that both sides are working on a “memorandum of intent” that would reflect positive developments in the talks, adding that “we are preparing to complete the formalization of the agreement in the near future.”
The deal, which needs to be ratified by the Ukrainian parliament, “will provide opportunities for investment and development in Ukraine, and will also provide conditions for tangible economic growth for both Ukraine and the United States,” Svyrydenko said.
In Russia, the authorities on Wednesday arrested Alexei Smirnov, former governor of the Kursk region on the border with Ukraine, where Kyiv’s forces still hold onto a patch of land after a surprise incursion in August 2024.
Smirnov, who served as the Kursk governor in May-December 2024, his former deputy, three other officials and contractors in the region have been accused of fraud and embezzling the money allocated for building fortifications on the border with Ukraine.
If convicted, Smirnov is facing up to 10 years in prison.
Kyiv’s forces pushed into Kursk on Aug. 6, 2024, in a surprise attack, overwhelming lightly armed Russian border guards and a few infantry units. Russian forces have since driven Ukrainian troops out of Sudzha, the biggest town they have held since the incursion, and some of the other areas, but Kyiv’s forces still hold onto a patch of land there.
Anxiety clouds Easter for West Bank Christians
- ‘There is a constant fear, you go to bed with it, you wake up with it’
ZABABDEH: In the mainly Christian Palestinian town of Zababdeh, the runup to Easter has been overshadowed by nearby Israeli military operations, which have proliferated in the occupied West Bank alongside the Gaza war.
This year unusually Easter falls on the same weekend for all of the town’s main Christian communities — Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican — and residents have attempted to busy themselves with holiday traditions like making date cakes or getting ready for the scout parade.
But their minds have been elsewhere.
Dozens of families from nearby Jenin have found refuge in Zababdeh from the continual Israeli military operations that have devastated the city and its adjacent refugee camp this year.
“The other day, the (Israeli) army entered Jenin, people were panicking, families were running to pick up their children,” said Zababdeh resident Janet Ghanam.
“There is a constant fear, you go to bed with it, you wake up with it,” the 57-year-old Anglican added, before rushing off to one of the last Lenten prayers before Easter.
Ghanam said her son had told her he would not be able to visit her for Easter this year, for fear of being stuck at the Israeli military roadblocks that have mushroomed across the territory.
Zababdeh looks idyllic, nestled in the hills of the northern West Bank, but the roar of Israeli air force jets sometimes drowns out the sound of its church bells.
“It led to a lot of people to think: ‘Okay, am I going to stay in my home for the next five years?’” said Saleem Kasabreh, an Anglican deacon in the town.
“Would my home be taken away? Would they bomb my home?“
Kasabreh said this “existential threat” was compounded by constant “depression” at the news from Gaza, where the death toll from the Israel’s response to Hamas’s October 2023 attack now tops 51,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Zababdeh has been spared the devastation wreaked on Gaza, but the mayor’s office says nearly 450 townspeople lost their jobs in Israel when Palestinian work permits were rescinded after the Hamas attack.
“Israel had never completely closed us in the West Bank before this war,” said 73-year-old farmer Ibrahim Daoud. “Nobody knows what will happen.”
Many say they are stalked by the spectre of exile, with departures abroad fueling fears that Christians may disappear from the Holy Land.
“People can’t stay without work and life isn’t easy,” said 60-year-old math teacher Tareq Ibrahim.
Mayor Ghassan Daibes echoed his point.
“For a Christian community to survive, there must be stability, security and decent living conditions. It’s a reality, not a call for emigration,” he said.
“But I’m speaking from lived experience: Christians used to make up 30 percent of the population in Palestine; today, they are less than one percent.
“And this number keeps decreasing. In my own family, I have three brothers abroad — one in Germany, the other two in the United States.”
Catholic priest Elias Tabban adopted a more stoical attitude, insisting his congregation’s spirituality had never been so vibrant.
“Whenever the Church is in hard times... (that’s when) you see the faith is growing,” Tabban said.
Where We Are Going Today: ‘Watch How’ cafe in Riyadh
RIYADH: If you’re tired of overpriced cafes in Riyadh that look good but disappoint your taste buds, Watch How is a refreshing change.
This spot blends simplicity, quality and affordability — all wrapped in a calm, earthy atmosphere that feels like a slow morning in Europe.
We started with their classic croissant for SR12 ($3.20) which was flaky on the outside, soft and buttery inside, with that perfect golden crispness.
Their cinnamon social for SR16 ($4.27) was warm, slightly gooey, and topped with just the right amount of icing — not overly sweet, just balanced.
The baked potato and cheese had a comforting, homemade vibe with creamy filling and a golden crust.
The ribbon cheesecake stood out with its rich cream cheese, jam swirls, and light biscuit base. And the French toast — a soft brioche soaked in vanilla custard, caramelized on the edges, and finished with powdered sugar — was indulgent but not heavy.
Their drinks are just as well thought out. The SR12 latte was smooth and bold, with a silky finish, while the matcha, which goes for SR23 ($6.13), had that perfect earthiness, not bitter, and frothed to perfection.
Watch How, with its welcoming staff, is a space that invites you to stay, sip, and enjoy without rushing.
So what’s the downside? The parking situation. It’s a small, popular spot — which means parking is almost impossible to find during busy hours. Not ideal if you’re in a hurry, but definitely worth the effort if you plan ahead.
For more, check their Instagram @watchhow.sa.
