United News of Bangladesh

Iraq’s political landscape remains in flux more than a month after the November parliamentary elections, with parties maneuvering to form alliances that will shape the next government. No bloc won a decisive majority, setting the stage for prolonged negotiations. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s party secured the largest number of seats, but his path to a second term is uncertain. Observers say the Iran-backed Coordination Framework — the largest Shiite parliamentary coalition — is unlikely to support al-Sudani, whom they now see as a political rival. Historically, only Nouri al-Maliki has served a second term as prime minister, highlighting the coalition’s caution against consolidating too much power in one leader. Shiite alliances won 187 seats, Sunni groups 77, Kurdish parties 56, and minorities nine. Al-Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Coalition won 46 seats, forcing him to seek coalition support. Earlier this month, his government withdrew a terror designation on Iran-aligned groups, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis, reflecting the influence of armed factions within the Coordination Framework. The absence of Muqtada Sadr’s Sadrist movement, which boycotted the election, created a vacuum exploited by parties with armed wings. More than 100 parliamentary seats are now held by parties affiliated with militias, the largest such presence since 2003. Sunni forces are reorganizing under the National Political Council, while Kurdish parties negotiate over the presidency, which by convention goes to a Kurd, with the Shiite prime minister and Sunni parliamentary speaker completing the leadership trio. The incoming government faces daunting challenges, including a national debt exceeding $69 billion, heavy reliance on oil revenues, entrenched corruption, and the future of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). These militias, formed to fight ISIS, remain largely autonomous despite formal integration under the military in 2016. After attacks on U.S. bases in retaliation for the 2023 Gaza war, Washington has warned against appointing leaders with militia ties or granting them control of security ministries. Iraqi analysts say Iran-backed armed groups, including U.S.-designated terrorist organization Kataib Hezbollah, are unlikely to relinquish weapons, insisting that foreign forces leave before any disarmament discussions. As Iraq’s political factions negotiate, the next government must balance internal power struggles, armed groups’ influence, and pressures from Washington and Tehran — all while managing a fragile economy and fragile stability across the country.

Israel’s Cabinet has approved the construction of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, far-right Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich announced Sunday. The plan includes two settlements previously evacuated under the 2005 disengagement plan and brings the total number of new settlements over the past two years to 69, Smotrich wrote on X. According to the anti-settlement group Peace Now, the approval will raise the total number of West Bank settlements by nearly 50% under the current government, from 141 in 2022 to 210. The decision also retroactively legalizes certain outposts and neighborhoods on lands where Palestinians were previously evacuated. Settlements are widely considered illegal under international law. The announcement comes as the U.S. urges Israel and Hamas to advance a new phase of the Gaza ceasefire, effective Oct. 10, which envisions a potential pathway to a Palestinian state — a goal critics say the settlements undermine. Israel seized the West Bank, east Jerusalem, and Gaza in the 1967 war. Currently, more than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements, with over 200,000 in contested east Jerusalem. The government, dominated by far-right officials including Smotrich and Cabinet Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees the police, has prioritized settlement expansion. Settlement growth has coincided with a surge in attacks against Palestinians. During October’s olive harvest, settlers carried out an average of eight attacks daily, the highest since 2006, according to the U.N. humanitarian office. By Nov. 24, at least 136 additional attacks were recorded, including arson, mosque desecration, ransacking of industrial facilities, and crop destruction. Israeli authorities have largely limited their response to occasional condemnations.

Iran executed a man on Saturday who was convicted of spying for Israeli intelligence and military, state media reported. The executed individual, identified as 27-year-old Aghil Keshavarz, was accused of closely cooperating with Mossad and photographing Iranian military and security sites. He was arrested in May while taking pictures of a military headquarters in Urmia, about 600 kilometers northwest of Tehran. Authorities said he carried out more than 200 similar missions across Iran, including in the capital. Keshavarz was sentenced to death by a court ruling upheld by the Supreme Court. Reports indicate he had studied architecture. Since June, Iran has executed at least 11 people for espionage following a 12-day conflict with Israel that left nearly 1,100 dead in Iran and 28 in Israel. Trials of suspected spies in Iran are often conducted behind closed doors, with limited access to evidence for the accused.  

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday that he has approved a $35 billion natural gas export agreement with Egypt, marking the largest gas deal in Israel’s history. The 15-year deal could also help ease tensions between the two nations following the two-year war in the Gaza Strip. U.S. energy giant Chevron, a major stakeholder in Israel’s offshore gas fields in the Mediterranean, will deliver the gas. Approximately half of the revenue is expected to flow to Israel’s state treasury. In a recorded statement, Netanyahu said the deal “greatly strengthens Israel’s position as a regional energy power, and it contributes to stability in our region.” Egypt, which borders both Israel and Gaza and has played a key mediating role with Hamas ahead of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in October, has not immediately confirmed the announcement. The agreement had faced earlier delays from Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen, who initially criticized its terms as unfavorable to Israel. Cohen joined Netanyahu at Wednesday’s announcement, expressing support for the finalized deal. Israel began exporting natural gas nearly a decade ago, initially to Jordan and later to Egypt, following the discovery of substantial offshore reserves in the early 2000s. Separately, Israel’s defense ministry announced that German lawmakers approved an expansion of the Arrow 3 missile defense system deal, increasing its value from $3.5 billion to $6.5 billion — the largest Israeli defense export in history. Germany aims to bolster its air defenses against potential threats from Russia. Source: AP 

Israel’s military said on Wednesday that its troops fired a mortar shell into a Palestinian residential area in the Gaza Strip, wounding at least 10 people, in the latest incident to strain the fragile ceasefire with Hamas. According to the Israeli army, the mortar was fired during an operation near the so-called “Yellow Line,” a demarcation drawn under the ceasefire agreement that separates Israeli-held areas of Gaza from the rest of the territory. The military said the shell deviated from its intended target, which was not specified, and added that an investigation into the incident was underway. Fadel Naeem, director of Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, said the hospital received at least 10 wounded people following the strike. This was not the first incident since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10 in which Israeli fire has caused Palestinian casualties outside the Yellow Line. Palestinian health officials say more than 370 people have been killed by Israeli fire since the truce began. Israel maintains that its forces have responded to violations by Hamas and claims that most of those killed were militants. However, an Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity under military rules, acknowledged that the army is aware of several incidents in which civilians were killed, including young children and a family traveling in a van. Palestinians say civilian deaths have occurred partly because the Yellow Line is not clearly marked in many areas. While Israeli troops have been placing yellow blocks to delineate the line, residents say the markers are still missing in several locations. Meanwhile, the Israel-Hamas ceasefire is facing difficulties as both sides accuse each other of repeated violations. The first phase of the truce involved the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. The next phase is expected to include the deployment of an international stabilization force, the establishment of a technocratic governing body for Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and further Israeli troop withdrawals. Israel has said it will not move to the second phase until the remains of hostage Ran Gvili, still believed to be in Gaza, are returned. Hamas, on the other hand, is urging increased international pressure on Israel to open key border crossings, halt deadly strikes and allow more humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

Lebanon’s judicial authorities on Tuesday ordered the release of former economy minister Amin Salam on $100,000 bail after he spent months in detention over alleged financial crimes, officials said. Salam, who was arrested in June, will be barred from travelling for six months while investigations continue. Judicial officials said he will face trial at the Beirut Criminal Court once the case file is completed. Four judicial officials, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said Salam has paid the bail and is expected to be released within hours. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency also reported the decision to release Salam and the bail amount, without providing further details. Salam has been charged with forgery, embezzlement and misuse of public funds. At the time of his detention, local media reported that the case involved allegations of extorting private insurance companies and using money from a committee overseeing those firms for personal expenses. Salam has denied all allegations. He served as economy minister for more than three years after being appointed in 2021, a period marked by a sharp economic collapse in Lebanon, widespread power outages, fuel shortages and soaring food prices. Lebanon has been attempting to reform its crisis-hit economy, which has long been plagued by profiteering and financial mismanagement.  

Israeli military operations inside southern Syria have intensified tensions and raised concerns about a prolonged Israeli presence as forces expand control within and around a buffer zone near the Golan Heights. Last month, Israeli troops carried out a raid in the village of Beit Jin in southwestern Syria, during which 13 residents were killed, according to local accounts. Israel said the operation targeted members of a militant group planning attacks into Israel and that its forces came under fire, wounding six soldiers, before responding with ground fire and air support. Syrian authorities described the incident as a massacre, while residents rejected Israeli claims that militants were operating in the village. The raid was one of several recent Israeli actions in Syria that have increased local opposition and reduced prospects for improved relations between the two countries, despite pressure from the United States to ease tensions. Prospects for limited Israeli-Syrian engagement had emerged late last year after Sunni Islamist-led rebels removed former Syrian President Bashar Assad, a close ally of Iran. Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, has said he does not seek conflict with Israel. Israel, however, has expressed distrust of al-Sharaa due to his past militant affiliations. Israeli forces subsequently moved into the United Nations monitored buffer zone in southern Syria adjacent to the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed, a step not widely recognised internationally. Israeli troops have established checkpoints, military positions and landing sites, including on Mt Hermon, and have increased patrols and drone surveillance across nearby Syrian areas. Israel has said its presence is temporary and aimed at preventing attacks by militant groups and remnants of pro-Assad forces. It has not provided a timeline for withdrawal, and talks on a bilateral security arrangement have not produced results. Developments in neighboring Lebanon and Gaza have also influenced perceptions in Syria. Israel continues to hold positions in southern Lebanon following a ceasefire with Hezbollah, while maintaining airstrikes and surveillance operations. In Gaza, Israeli plans include buffer zones even after a future withdrawal from parts of the territory. At a regional meeting in Doha earlier this month, al-Sharaa accused Israel of using perceived threats to justify military actions, saying withdrawal to positions held before Assad’s removal was necessary for security on both sides. The interim Syrian government faces multiple internal challenges, including unresolved arrangements with Kurdish-led authorities in the northeast and instability in the southern province of Sweida, where sectarian clashes earlier this year resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths. Israel has portrayed itself as a protector of Syria’s Druze minority and has also sought contacts with Kurdish groups. Analysts say Israel’s approach risks undermining international efforts to support a unified Syrian state. Michael Young of the Carnegie Middle East Center said the strategy contradicts the positions of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and the United States, which favor a stable and consolidated Syrian government. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel seeks a demilitarized zone extending from Damascus to the UN buffer zone, including Mt Hermon. While he said agreements with Syria remain possible, he stressed Israel would adhere to its security principles. Israel’s actions have drawn rare public criticism from US President Donald Trump, who has supported al-Sharaa’s efforts to consolidate control. Trump said it was important that Israel maintain dialogue with Syria and avoid steps that could disrupt the country’s recovery. Netanyahu is expected to discuss Syria during a planned visit to Washington later this month. Analysts say Israel is unlikely to withdraw soon, while Syria’s interim government has limited leverage against Israel’s military strength.

Iran on Saturday introduced a new, higher pricing tier for its heavily subsidized petrol, marking the first such increase since a 2019 hike triggered nationwide protests and a deadly security crackdown. Petrol has long been considered a social entitlement in Iran, but the government is under growing pressure from a weakening rial, high inflation and international sanctions linked to its nuclear program. Despite these strains, officials appear cautious, seeking to avoid public anger after months of economic hardship and a recent brief war with Israel. Under the revised system, motorists will continue to receive 60 liters per month at the lowest subsidized rate of 15,000 rials per liter, with the next 100 liters priced at 30,000 rials. Fuel purchased beyond that quota will now cost 50,000 rials per liter. Even at the new rate, Iranian gasoline remains among the cheapest globally. At gas stations in Tehran, there were no immediate signs of unrest, though some police presence was visible. Many drivers expressed frustration but resignation, saying the government made decisions without public consent. Iran’s vast fuel subsidies place a heavy burden on state finances. The International Energy Agency previously ranked Iran as the world’s second-largest energy subsidizer, estimating oil subsidies at $52 billion in 2022 alone. Economists argue repeated price hikes have failed to resolve budget deficits and instead fueled inflation, currently hovering around 40%. The move revives memories of 2019, when abrupt fuel price increases sparked protests in more than 100 cities. Amnesty International says at least 321 people were killed in the subsequent crackdown. Officials describe the new tier as a step toward curbing excessive fuel consumption and have signaled that prices may be reviewed every three months, raising concerns that further increases could follow.

A UAE-backed separatist group has taken control of key oil-rich provinces in southern Yemen, threatening to reignite the country’s long-stalled civil war and destabilize the wider Gulf region. The Southern Transitional Council (STC) seized most of Hadramout and Mahra provinces this month, including major oil facilities. The STC, established in 2017 to restore an independent South Yemen, enjoys strong support across the southern half of the country and backing from the UAE. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured the capital, Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognized government into exile. Saudi Arabia and the UAE later joined the conflict to support the government. The latest clashes pit the STC against Yemeni government forces and their tribal allies, even as both sides are part of the anti-Houthi coalition. The STC’s recent advances, including control of the PetroMasila oil facility and a border crossing with Oman, give it significant leverage in any future negotiations over southern Yemen’s autonomy. Saudi Arabia has sought to calm tensions, sending a delegation to Hadramout and emphasizing that it rejects attempts to create a “fait accompli.” Analysts say the UAE appears to have expanded its influence, while the STC’s actions undermine the fragile political balance among anti-Houthi partners. The escalation comes amid a fragile truce with the Houthis, which had reduced violence since 2022. Observers warn that the takeover could destabilize Yemen further, heighten regional rivalries, and threaten critical trade routes along the Gulf.  

Hamas on Tuesday warned it will not advance to the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement until Israel faces greater pressure to reopen a key border crossing, halt deadly strikes, and allow more aid into the territory. Husam Badran, a member of Hamas’ political wing, called for “full implementation of all first-phase terms” before moving forward, including ending ongoing demolitions of Palestinian homes in areas still under Israeli control. Since the ceasefire began on October 10, Israeli military operations in Gaza have killed at least 376 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israel has defended its actions as responses to attacks or incursions near its controlled areas, though civilians, including women and children, have also been killed. Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan enters tougher phase with major risks ahead Hamas, with limited leverage, faces pressure from regional powers like Qatar and Turkey to maintain the fragile truce. Israel announced plans to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza via the Jordan-Israel border, while international discussions continue over governance arrangements in the next ceasefire phase. The Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel killed around 1,200 people and left 251 hostages, most of whom have since been returned. Source: AP