As Iran attacks its Arab neighbours across the Gulf, Asher Fredman, Executive Director of the Misgav Institute, joins Israel in Ten to ask whether it is time for regional powers to pick a side. We look at the muted response from Turkey and Pakistan to Iran’s attacks and what that says about the newly formed Mecca Accords — compared with the Abraham Accords, where Israel has demonstrated its willingness to help defend its partners. Fredman argues that the Abraham Accords are not only an alliance, but also a powerful deterrent.
Iran has launched missiles and drones at Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE and Iraqi Kurdistan, as its confrontation with the United States escalates. Israel is warning Tehran against widening the conflict, with Defense Minister Israel Katz saying any Iranian attack on Israel would trigger strikes on the regime’s critical infrastructure, including its energy sector.
The US military says 40 oil tankers carrying around 18 million barrels of oil crossed the Strait of Hormuz after switching off their tracking systems. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has extended the deployment of US ships, aircraft and air-defense units in the Middle East into next year, suggesting Washington is preparing for a prolonged confrontation with Iran.
The US-Saudi nuclear agreement has been sent to Congress amid concerns over proliferation. According to the Wall Street Journal, the deal could eventually allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium domestically to around 20 percent — and does not make normalization with Israel a condition.
France and Spain are pushing for tougher EU measures against Israeli settlements, including a ban on settlement goods, while Britain is considering similar measures. Meanwhile, the UN’s World Food Programme says funding shortages will force it to halve the number of Palestinians receiving food assistance in the West Bank this month.
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