United News of Bangladesh

Donald Trump, widely recognized as one of the world’s most powerful and well-known figures, leads the United States—the largest economy and most formidable military force on the globe. Yet during his recent trip to the Middle East, the American president appeared somewhat envious of the luxury enjoyed by his Arab counterparts. He marveled at the Qatari palace’s marble, calling it “perfecto” and remarking that it was “very hard to buy.” He also praised the striking modern architecture in Saudi Arabia, describing the skyline as filled with “gleaming marvels.” In contrast, he expressed dissatisfaction with Air Force One, calling it “much smaller” and “much less impressive” than the planes used by Gulf leaders. During the flight, Trump noted that the Gulf nations all fly “brand-new Boeing 747s,” while he was traveling in a nearly 40-year-old version. His eagerness for a newer aircraft is so strong that he has reportedly considered accepting a 747 donated by Qatar—despite the potential issues. Such a move raises concerns about the plane’s security features, the high cost of retrofitting it for presidential use, and the possibility of violating the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits presidents from accepting gifts from foreign governments. Trump has not cited any urgent national security reason for bypassing the new Air Force One jets currently under development by Boeing. British banking analyst jailed in Saudi Arabia for 10 years over 'unknown tweet' It sounded like a case of keeping up with the Joneses, only in this case the Joneses are oil-rich leaders of Middle Eastern autocracies. For a former real estate developer with flamboyant tastes, Trump’s trip has been a tantalizing peek into the lives of his more opulent counterparts. “The job you’ve done is second to none,” Trump told Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, gazing up at his surroundings in the palace known as the Amiri Diwan. “You look at this, it’s so beautiful. As a construction person, I’m seeing perfect marble. This is what they call perfecto.”   There have been other lavish touches on the trip, which will wind up with a stop in the United Arab Emirates. Air Force One received fighter jet escorts, honor guards stood by with golden swords in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the presidential limousine was welcomed by riders on camelback in Doha, Qatar. “We appreciate those camels,” Trump told Al Thani. “I haven’t seen camels like that in a long time. That was some greeting.” He continued to praise Qatar at a state dinner, where he mused that there “wasn’t a tree out of place” in the landscaping. Trump was astounded by the accommodations in Lusail, a new city outside of Doha that was built from the ground up. “This is not your normal house. This is a palace,” he said after signing the guest book. Nothing was said about the migrant workers who raced to develop the country’s infrastructure for the World Cup tournament three years ago, or Qatar’s lack of political freedom, which makes possible such elaborate central planning. The Republican president’s admiration reflects an aesthetic and political vision at odds with American tradition. After declaring independence from the British monarchy, the Founding Fathers wanted to eschew anything that suggested royalty. Even as the United States emerged as the global superpower, the country and its leaders emphasized a facade of humility. But that’s never been Trump’s style. The billionaire’s New York City penthouse is embellished with gold and marble, and parts of his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida are modeled after France’s Palace of Versailles. After winning a second term last year, Trump is eager to bring the same approach to the presidency, and it’s likely that his visit to the Middle East will fuel his desire for renovations. The White House, despite its grandeur, can be quite cramped. Office space is limited, and state dinners are sometimes held in a fancy tent to accommodate enough guests.   Trump said he wants to build “a beautiful, beautiful ballroom like I have at Mar-a-Lago, as beautiful as can be.” He promised to foot the $100 million bill. “I think we’ve outgrown the tent stuff, right, don’t you think?” he said recently. Trump has also talked about paving over the lawn in the Rose Garden, turning it into a patio with “gorgeous stone” that would be easier for holding events. Some upgrades have already taken place, particularly in the Oval Office. There are gold accents to the fireplace, doorway arches, walls and other areas of the room. The walls have become increasingly packed with portraits of past presidents. A model of a new Air Force One — complete with a paint scheme that echoes his personal jet — sits on a table in the center of the room. One prized addition is a copy of the Declaration of Independence, which is concealed behind a curtain to protect it from sunlight. He sometimes dramatically unveils the document for guests. “You see the new and improved Oval Office as it becomes more and more beautiful,” the president told Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during a recent visit. He said it’s been renovated “with great love and 24-karat gold — that always helps too.”      

A British Bank of America analyst has been sentenced to a decade in a Saudi Arabian prison apparently over a since-deleted social media post, according to his lawyer. The family of Ahmed al-Doush, 41, believes the charges against him stemmed from a deleted 2018 tweet about Sudan that did not mention Saudi Arabia and his relationship with the son of a Saudi critic in exile, Amnesty International said in a statement Tuesday. The father-of-four was sentenced Monday after being accused of violating terrorism and anti-cyber crime laws. “The exact tweet is unknown,” Haydee Dijkstal, al-Doush’s international counsel, posted Tuesday on X. “His trial and detention involved fair trial and due process violations." The lawyer said the U.K. government "should stand firmly against a British national’s imprisonment for allegedly exercising his free speech rights.” The Saudi Arabian government did not respond to requests for comment. “We are supporting a British man who is detained in Saudi Arabia and are in contact with his family and local authorities,” a spokesperson for the Foreign Office in London said in a statement.  Bangladesh to benefit from new SAUDIA fleet expansion Al-Doush, a British national, was arrested in August 2024 at a Riyadh airport where he was waiting for a flight to Manchester, England, with his family following a holiday. His wife has since given birth to their fourth child. “I rarely speak to my husband, but in the few snatched conversations we have managed, it is clear that Ahmed is struggling,” al-Doush’s wife, Amaher Nour, said ahead of her husband’s sentencing, citing his thyroid problems and distress after nine months of detention. The developments came while U.S. President Donald Trump was in Saudi Arabia, where several dual nationals with Western ties and Saudis have been detained in recent years over social media posts that could be viewed as critical to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s de facto ruler. In 2021, a Saudi-American dual national was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison by Saudi Arabia on terrorism-related charges stemming from tweets. Saad Almadi, now 75, was jailed in connection with tweets he had posted over the past several years in the U.S. He was released in 2023 but has been banned from leaving the kingdom. On Wednesday, the kingdom’s foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud was asked during a press conference if Almadi's case had been discussed during Trump's trip.  UK High Court hears legal challenge over British government's role in arming Israel

The United Nations’ top humanitarian official blasted Israel on Tuesday for “deliberately and unashamedly” imposing inhumane conditions on Palestinians, including the risk of famine — one of the strongest condemnations by a high-ranking U.N. official during the war in Gaza. Tom Fletcher, head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, briefed the Security Council, describing this work as a “grim undertaking” since Israel began blocking all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza more than 10 weeks ago. He went as far as saying that the council must “act now” to “prevent genocide," a claim that Israel vehemently denied. “I ask you to reflect — for a moment — on what action we will tell future generations we each took to stop the 21st century atrocity to which we bear daily witness in Gaza,” said Fletcher, a longtime British diplomat who took up the U.N. post in November. “It is a question we will hear, sometimes incredulous, sometimes furious — but always there — for the rest of our lives.” In response to Fletcher’s remarks, the Israeli mission to the U.N. said that “Israel will not accept a humanitarian mechanism that props up the Hamas terror organization that butchered our people in their homes and communities.” Before the blockade, the U.N. and other international aid agencies handled moving aid into the enclave. The U.N. World Food Program’s director for Gaza, Antoine Renard, told The Associated Press that a quarter of Gaza’s population is at risk of famine. That's despite all the food needed to feed the territory's population sitting in warehouses in Israel, Egypt, and Jordan — and most of it is not even 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, he said. There is ‘no way’ Israel halts war in Gaza until Hamas defeated: Netanyahu Renard said WFP warehouses in Gaza are empty, and the agency has gone from providing meals for 1 million people at the end of April to producing only 250,000 meals daily. The meals they can serve are “meaningless, compared to people’s requirements,” he said. “Soon, we’re going to speak about the fact that people don’t even have access to a meal,” Renard warned. “Is that where we need to go to actually raise the alarm? It’s now that we need to act.” The warnings come after food security experts said Monday that Gaza will likely fall into famine if Israel doesn’t lift its blockade and stop its military campaign. Nearly half a million Palestinians are facing possible starvation, living in “catastrophic” levels of hunger, and 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to findings by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises. “Israel has been openly and brazenly blocking humanitarian aid for over two months now — this is engineered starvation,” Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, told the Security Council. “It is the most inhumane form of torture and killing.” Amid Israel's blockade, AP obtained a proposal from a newly created group backed by the U.S., the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, to implement a new aid distribution system based on plans similar to those designed by Israel. Israel has cited aid diversions by Hamas as reason for a new plan. The U.N. and aid groups have rejected Israel’s moves to control aid distribution. “It is a cynical sideshow. A deliberate distraction. A fig leaf for further violence and displacement,” Fletcher said about the proposal, adding that it would exclude the disabled, women, children and the elderly. Asked Tuesday when aid would get into Gaza, a spokesperson for the State Department repeated Israeli rhetoric that Hamas “bears responsibility” for the humanitarian conditions in Gaza. It's a claim that aid officials have continuously disputed. "I will reiterate that we are supportive of creative solutions to get aid in there but also in a way that the aid is not falling into the hands of Hamas, that it actually reaches the people that need it,” deputy spokesman Tommy Pigott told reporters. Renard said “criminal gangs,” not Hamas, had stripped WFP trucks of supplies between October and early January. He said some taking of food recently was not by gangs but people with nothing to eat. UN agencies warn Israel’s new Gaza aid plan could endanger lives Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in a surprise Oct. 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 52,800 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants or civilians. Israel says it has killed thousands of militants, without giving evidence. The Israeli military on Tuesday struck what it said was a Hamas “command and control center” located beneath a hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. “I can tell you from having visited what’s left of Gaza’s medical system, that death on this scale has a sound and a smell that does not leave you,” the U.N.'s Fletcher said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there is “no way” Israel will halt its war in Gaza, even if a deal is reached to release more hostages. His comments are likely to complicate talks on a new ceasefire that had seemed to gain momentum after Hamas released the last living American hostage on Monday in a gesture to US President Donald Trump, who is visiting the region but skipping Israel, reports AP. They pointed to a potentially widening rift between Netanyahu and Trump, who had expressed hope that Monday’s release of Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander would be a step toward ending the 19-month war. In comments released by his office Tuesday from a visit to wounded soldiers the previous day, Netanyahu said Israeli forces were just days away from a promised escalation of force and would enter Gaza “with great strength to complete the mission. ... It means destroying Hamas.” Any ceasefire deal reached would be temporary, the prime minister said. If Hamas were to say they would release more hostages, “we’ll take them, and then we’ll go in. But there will be no way we will stop the war,” Netanyahu said. “We can make a ceasefire for a certain period of time, but we’re going to the end.” UN chief urges nations to pay peacekeeping dues Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The dispute over whether to end the conflict has been the main obstacle in negotiations going back more than a year. Israel says 58 hostages remain in captivity, with as many as 23 of them said to be alive, although authorities have expressed concern about the condition of three of them. Many of the 250 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the October 7, 2023 attack that started the war were freed in ceasefire deals.

US President Donald Trump has arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking the beginning of his first significant overseas visit since starting his second term in office. Air Force One touched down at 2:49 am. ET (9:49 a.m. local time), where Trump received a ceremonial welcome at the Royal Terminal. A royal purple carpet was laid out for his arrival, and he was greeted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two leaders participated in a traditional coffee ceremony inside the terminal before the president departed for his hotel. The visit has been marked by high-level pageantry, with Riyadh’s streets lined with American and Saudi flags along the route from the airport. In a display of diplomatic flair, Saudi F-15 fighter jets escorted Air Force One as it approached the city — a detail highlighted by Trump’s deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino and reporters traveling with the delegation. Trump visiting Gulf Arab states while crises flare in Gaza and Iran Trump's schedule for Tuesday includes a formal welcoming ceremony with the crown prince, a meeting of U.S. and Saudi delegations, a business lunch with corporate leaders, bilateral discussions, and a signing ceremony at the Royal Court. He is also set to speak at a U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum, tour the historic Dir’iyah and At-Turaif UNESCO World Heritage sites, and conclude the day with a state dinner hosted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Source: With inputs from agency

The Gaza Strip will likely fall into famine if Israel doesn’t lift its blockade and stop its military campaign, food security experts said in a stark warning on Monday. Nearly half a million Palestinians are facing possible starvation, living in “catastrophic” levels of hunger, and 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to findings by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises. The group said “there is a high risk” of outright famine if circumstances don't change. Israel has banned all food, shelter, medicine and any other goods from entering the Palestinian territory for the past 10 weeks, even as it carries out waves of airstrikes and ground operations. Gaza’s population of around 2.3 million people relies almost entirely on outside aid to survive, because Israel’s 19-month-old military campaign has wiped away most capacity to produce food inside the territory. Israel's Foreign Ministry rejected the findings, saying the IPC's previous forecasts had proven unfounded and that the group undercounted the amount of aid that entered Gaza during a ceasefire earlier this year. Desperate scenes as food is running out Food supplies are emptying out dramatically. Communal kitchens handing out cooked meals are virtually the only remaining source of food for most people in Gaza now, but they too are rapidly shutting down for lack of stocks. Trump visiting Gulf Arab states while crises flare in Gaza and Iran Thousands of Palestinians crowd daily outside the public kitchens, pushing and jostling with their pots to receive lentils or pasta. “We end up waiting in line for four, five hours, in the sun. It is exhausting,” said Riham Sheikh el-Eid, waiting at a kitchen in the southern city of Khan Younis on Sunday. “At the end, we walk away with nothing. It is not enough for everybody.” The lack of a famine declaration doesn’t mean people aren’t already starving, and a declaration shouldn’t be a precondition for ending the suffering, said Chris Newton, an analyst for the International Crisis Group focusing on starvation as a weapon of war. “The Israeli government is starving Gaza as part of its attempt to destroy Hamas and transform the strip,” he said. Israel demands a new aid system The Israeli military says enough aid entered Gaza during a two-month ceasefire that Israel shattered in mid-March when it relaunched its military campaign. Israel says the blockade aims to pressure Hamas to release the hostages it still holds. It says it won’t let aid back in until a new system giving it control over distribution is in place, accusing Hamas of siphoning off supplies. The United States says it is working up a new mechanism that will start deliveries soon, but it has given no timeframe. The United Nations has so far refused to participate. It denies substantial diversion of aid is taking place and says the new system is unnecessary, will not meet the massive needs of Palestinians and will allow aid to be used as a weapon for political and military goals. Monday's report said that any slight gains made during the ceasefire have been reversed. Nearly the entire population of Gaza now faces high levels of hunger, it said, driven by conflict, the collapse of infrastructure, destruction of agriculture, and blockades of aid. Mahmoud Alsaqqa, food security and livelihoods coordinator for Oxfam, called on governments to press Israel to allow “unimpeded humanitarian access.” “Silence in the face of this man-made starvation is complicity,” he said. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after the group’s Oct. 7, 2023, surprise attack on Israel, in which militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostage, most of whom have been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel’s offensive has killed over 52,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, whose count does not distinguish between civilians or combatants. Three criteria for declaring famine The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, first set up in 2004 during the famine in Somalia, groups more than a dozen U.N. agencies, aid groups, governments and other bodies. It has only declared famine a few times — in Somalia in 2011, and South Sudan in 2017 and 2020, and last year in parts of Sudan’s western Darfur region. Tens of thousands are believed to have died in Somalia and South Sudan. It rates an area as in famine when at least two of three things occur: 20% of households have an extreme lack of food, or are essentially starving; at least 30% of children six months to five years suffer from acute malnutrition or wasting, meaning they’re too thin for their height; and at least two people or four children under five per every 10,000 are dying daily due to starvation or the interaction of malnutrition and disease. Trump envoy confirms that Hamas has agreed to release the last living US hostage in Gaza The assessment on Monday found that the first threshold was met in Gaza, saying 477,000 people — or 22% of the population — are classified as in “catastrophic” hunger, the highest level, for the period from May 11 to the end of September. It said more than 1 million people are at “emergency” levels of hunger, the second highest level, meaning they have “very high gaps" in food and high acute malnutrition. The other thresholds were not met. The data was gathered in April and up to May 6. Food security experts say it takes time for people to start dying from starvation. The report said if the blockade and military campaign continues, “the vast majority” in Gaza will not have access to food or water, civil unrest will worsen, health services will “fully collapse,” disease will spread, and levels of malnutrition and death will cross the thresholds into famine. It had also warned of “imminent” famine in northern Gaza in March 2024, but the following month, Israel allowed an influx of aid under U.S. pressure after an Israeli strike killed seven aid workers. Aid groups now say the situation is the most dire of the entire war. The U.N. humanitarian office, known as OCHA, said Friday that the number of children seeking treatment at clinics for malnutrition has doubled since February, even as supplies to treat them are quickly running out. Aid groups have shut down food distribution for lack of stocks. Many foods have disappeared from the markets and what’s left has spiraled in price and is unaffordable to most. Farmland is mostly destroyed or inaccessible. Water distribution is grinding to a halt, largely because of lack of fuel. Beth Bechdol, deputy director of the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization, said more than 75% of Gaza's farmland had been damaged or destroyed, and two-thirds of the wells used for irrigation were no longer operating. The destruction, she said, is “driving these large numbers of people closer towards the famine numbers that we think are possible.”

On Monday, Hamas released Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old Israeli-American soldier who had been held captive in Gaza for over 19 months. The release was described as a goodwill gesture toward the Trump administration and could potentially pave the way for renewed ceasefire talks with Israel. Alexander is the first hostage freed since Israel ended an eight-week truce with Hamas in March, triggering a wave of intense airstrikes on Gaza that have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians. He was first handed over to the Red Cross, then transferred to Israeli forces, and subsequently flown by helicopter to a hospital in Tel Aviv. Israeli officials later shared images and footage of Alexander, looking pale but smiling, as he reunited emotionally with his mother and other relatives. Israel has promised to intensify its offensive, including by seizing Gaza and displacing much of the territory’s population again. Days before the ceasefire ended, Israel blocked all imports from entering the Palestinian enclave, deepening a humanitarian crisis and sparking warnings about the risk of famine if the blockade isn’t lifted. Israel says the steps are meant to pressure Hamas to accept a ceasefire agreement on Israel’s terms. UK’s Starmer  announces stricter immigration plan; pledges sharp drop in migration numbers Wearing shirts emblazoned with his name, Alexander’s extended family gathered in Tel Aviv to watch the release. They chanted his name when the military said he was free, while in the city’s Hostage Square, hundreds of people broke out into cheers. Alexander’s grandmother, Varda Ben Baruch, beamed. She said her grandson looked mostly all right in the first photo of him after nearly 600 days in captivity.   “He seemed like a man. He has really matured,” she said. Reports that Alexander cracked a joke on the phone while speaking to his mother for the first time did not surprise her. “He’s got such a sense of humor,” she said. Alexander was 19 when he was taken from his military base in southern Israel during Hamas’ cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which set off the war in Gaza. In his hometown of Tenafly, New Jersey, hundreds of supporters packed the streets, holding signs with his image and listening to speakers blasting Israeli music. As they watched the news of his release on a large screen, the crowd hugged and waved Israeli flags. Since he was taken hostage, supporters there gathered every Friday to march for the hostages’ release. Israel says 58 hostages remain in captivity, with about 23 of them said to be alive. Many of the 250 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the 2023 attack were freed in ceasefire deals. Trump calls expected release ‘hopefully’ a step toward ending war Hamas announced its intention to release Alexander shortly before U.S. President Donald Trump was set to arrive Tuesday in the Middle East on the first official foreign trip of his second term. Trump on Sunday called the planned release “a step taken in good faith towards the United States and the efforts of the mediators — Qatar and Egypt — to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones.” “Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict. I look very much forward to that day of celebration!” Trump said on social media. Trump, who is traveling to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, is not scheduled to stop in Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Monday with the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, and discussed efforts to release the remaining hostages, his office said.   Netanyahu “directed that a negotiations team leave for Doha tomorrow,” the prime minister’s office said, adding that Netanyahu “made it clear that the negotiations would only take place under fire.” Netanyahu said Alexander’s release “was achieved thanks to our military pressure and the diplomatic pressure applied by President Trump. This is a winning combination.” The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents relatives of hostages, welcomed the news that an Israeli delegation was headed to the Qatari capital for talks. “Prime Minister Netanyahu, the ball is in your court,” the group said in a statement after Alexander was released. It urged the prime minister to announce that he was ready to negotiate a deal for the return of all remaining hostages and end the war. “Don’t miss this historic opportunity facing the State of Israel. Prove to the Israeli public and President Trump that you are willing to take a regional initiative that transcends narrow political considerations,” the group said.      

On his trip this week to the Middle East, U.S. President Donald Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, though his most pressing regional challenges concern two other countries: Israel and Iran. After ending a ceasefire two months ago, Israel is intensifying the war in the Gaza Strip, where a blockade on food, medicine and other supplies is worsening a humanitarian crisis. And Iran, an enemy of Israel and a rival of Saudi Arabia, stands on the cusp of being able to develop nuclear weapons. Yet Trump will focus his attention on three energy-rich nations home to existing or planned Trump-branded real estate projects — places where he aims to leverage American economic interests to do what he personally revels in: making business deals. “This is his happy place,” said Jon B. Alterman, a senior vice president at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. “His hosts will be generous and hospitable. They’ll be keen to make deals. They’ll flatter him and not criticize him. And they’ll treat his family members as past and future business partners.” But Trump won’t be able to avoid altogether diplomacy on Gaza or Iran: The Gulf countries hosting him are also interested in easing the regional tensions that emanate from these two places. “Trump can easily score a win by reassuring them of America’s strategic commitment to the region, demonstrating consistent messaging and generally rising above the fray,” analysts Elizabeth Dent and Simon Henderson of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy wrote Friday. Trump doesn't plan to visit Israel By not scheduling a trip to Israel during his first trip to the region during his second term as president, Trump is reinforcing a feeling in Israel that its interests may not be top of mind for him. That sense intensified last week, when Trump announced that the U.S. would halt its strikes on the Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group in Yemen that agreed to stop its attacks on American vessels in the Red Sea. Trump tours gulf states amid escalating Gaza and Iran tensions The Houthis' attacks on Israel did not appear to be covered by that deal, which came as a surprise to Israel, according to an Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive diplomatic issue. Days after the deal between the U.S. and the Houthis — and despite a two-day Israeli assault on Houthi targets — a missile from Yemen again set off air raid sirens in Israel. Then Israel's military warned Sunday that Houthi-controlled ports in Yemen could be targeted again. Trump's move to launch negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program also jarred Israel, which fears a deal that would not be strict enough to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon or rein in its support for regional militant groups. Israel had hoped that Trump might provide military assistance in any strike it carried out on the country's nuclear facilities — an action that is unrealistic so long as there are negotiations, or if they reach a deal. That has raised questions in Israel over Trump's reliability on other major issues, like a long-sought normalization deal with Saudi Arabia as part of any defense pact the administration may reach with the kingdom. Saudi Arabia has said it would only normalize ties with Israel in exchange for significant concessions for the Palestinians toward statehood, something the current Israeli government is unlikely to agree to. Israel has said it will hold off on expanding the war in Gaza until after Trump's visit, leaving the window open for a new ceasefire deal to materialize. And while Hamas and Trump announced that the last living American hostage in Gaza, Edan Alexander, will be freed as part of efforts to establish a ceasefire, it is not clear what involvement Israel had in that deal. Still, Trump has given Israel free rein in Gaza and, like Israel, blames Hamas for any civilian casualties. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee played down any significance to Trump's decision not to visit the country, saying in interviews with Israeli media that his visit to the region was focused on economic issues. No major breakthrough in Iran nuclear talks For Iran, much depends on the talks it is having with the U.S. over its rapidly advancing nuclear program. A reported two-month deadline to reach a deal likely has passed as U.S. officials signal America may push for Iran to give up enrichment entirely — something Tehran has insisted is a red line. Although four rounds of talks mediated by Oman have not led to a major breakthrough, they have gone into the so-called “expert level” — meaning specifics about any possible accord likely have been discussed. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled over the weekend to both Saudi Arabia and Qatar ahead of Trump’s trip. Iran likely is trying to pass messages to the U.S. while signaling its interest in continuing the talks. Iranian officials increasingly threaten to pursue a nuclear weapon, while Trump and Israel have both threatened to strike Iranian nuclear sites if a deal isn't reached. The Islamic Republic is running out of options. Its economy has cratered since Trump in 2018 unilaterally pulled America out of their initial nuclear deal with world powers. And Iran's self-described “Axis of Resistance” — a group of aligned nations and militant groups, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon — has been mauled since the Israel-Hamas war began. Iran also faces internal political pressure, including from women increasingly refusing to wear the state-mandated headscarf, or hijab. Trump defends potential gift of Qatari Jet as cost-saving move There is one thing that unites most Iranians, however — pride over the Persian Gulf. Trump’s consideration of having America uniformly call the body of water the “Arabian Gulf” instead drew fierce criticism from across the country. “This gulf has always been the Persian Gulf — and it will forever remain the Persian Gulf,” Tehran’s Friday prayer leader Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami said. Trump’s 2017 trip still haunts the Gulf After starting his trip in Saudi Arabia, Trump will then go to Qatar, which recently announced plans for a Trump-branded development there. This tight embrace of the president comes after his first trip to the Middle East — in 2017 — apparently sparked what became known as the Qatar crisis. That is when Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE boycotted Qatar over its support of Islamists in the region and its ties to Iran, with which it shares a massive offshore natural gas field. The dispute grew so serious that Kuwait’s ruling emir at the time, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, suggested on a visit to the White House there could have been “military action.” Trump initially criticized Qatar as having “historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level” at the start of the boycott. Less than a year later, he praised Qatar and rolled that back. The four nations ended their boycott just before Biden took office. Then on Sunday, President Donald Trump said he was ready to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from the ruling family of Qatar during his trip to the Middle East. U.S. officials say it could be converted into a potential presidential aircraft — which would amount to the president accepting an astonishingly valuable gift from a foreign government With crude oil prices trading just over $60 a barrel — lows not seen since 2021 — one major criticism Trump has for the Gulf states isn’t there. The question is how Trump will deal with the region’s multitude of crises and still-tender wounds. Trump administration fires top copyright official days after firing Librarian of Congress To avoid a repeat of the 2017 diplomatic crisis, Trump “should reemphasize efforts to unite the Gulf" said Dent and Henderson, of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — As President Donald Trump embarks on a tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates this week, the most pressing regional flashpoints he faces lie in Israel and Iran. Israel has ramped up its military campaign in Gaza following the collapse of a ceasefire two months ago, deepening a humanitarian crisis due to the continued blockade on food, medicine, and supplies. Meanwhile, Iran — Israel’s adversary and Saudi Arabia’s regional rival — edges closer to the ability to produce nuclear weapons. Trump, however, is expected to focus primarily on Gulf nations where Trump-branded properties either exist or are in development, signaling a focus on economic ties and real estate ventures. “This is his happy place,” said Jon B. Alterman, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “His hosts will be generous and hospitable. They’ll be keen to make deals. They’ll flatter him and not criticize him. And they’ll treat his family members as past and future business partners.” Still, Trump’s hosts are also deeply involved in the region’s political stability and will likely expect engagement on the crises in Gaza and Iran. “Trump can easily score a win by reassuring them of America’s strategic commitment to the region, demonstrating consistent messaging and generally rising above the fray,” wrote analysts Elizabeth Dent and Simon Henderson of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Israel Left Off the Itinerary Trump’s decision not to visit Israel during this regional trip — his first since beginning a second term — has heightened concerns in Israel that its priorities are being sidelined. This concern grew last week when Trump announced the U.S. would cease airstrikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who are supported by Iran. The group had agreed to stop attacking American vessels in the Red Sea — but the deal apparently didn’t cover their actions against Israel. An Israeli official, speaking anonymously due to diplomatic sensitivity, said the exclusion caught them off guard. Soon after, a Houthi missile launched from Yemen triggered sirens in Israel, and the Israeli military warned it might target Houthi ports again. Trump’s push to restart nuclear negotiations with Iran has also raised alarms in Israel, which is wary of any deal that might allow Tehran to retain nuclear capabilities or continue backing armed groups across the region. Israel, which has long eyed a potential strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, was hoping for Trump’s support — an unlikely prospect amid ongoing negotiations. This has led to questions about Trump’s dependability on broader issues, including a hoped-for normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Riyadh has insisted any such agreement must include meaningful concessions to Palestinians, a stance unlikely to be accepted by Israel’s current government. While Israel has paused plans to expand operations in Gaza until Trump’s visit concludes, the U.S. administration’s efforts to broker a new ceasefire appear to have waned. Trump has consistently backed Israel’s actions in Gaza, echoing its view that Hamas bears full responsibility for civilian casualties. Downplaying the omission of Israel from the president’s itinerary, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Israeli media the visit was focused on economic engagement. Meanwhile, Hamas announced Sunday that it intends to release Edan Alexander, the last American hostage known to be held in Gaza, as part of a broader effort to establish a ceasefire, reopen crossings, and restore aid delivery to the besieged territory. No Breakthrough Yet on Iran’s Nuclear Program The status of Iran’s nuclear program looms large. A notional two-month deadline for a breakthrough in talks has likely lapsed, with U.S. officials reportedly demanding Iran cease uranium enrichment — a condition Tehran considers unacceptable. Though four rounds of indirect negotiations via Oman have yet to yield concrete results, the talks have advanced to what diplomats call the “expert level,” indicating that detailed proposals are on the table. In the lead-up to Trump’s visit, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited both Saudi Arabia and Qatar — likely aiming to relay messages to Washington and show openness to continued negotiations. Iranian leaders have increasingly suggested they may pursue nuclear weapons, while both Trump and Israel have warned of military action if diplomacy fails. Iran’s options are narrowing. Its economy has been severely weakened, particularly since Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal. Its regional network of allies — including Hamas and Hezbollah — has also taken significant hits amid the war in Gaza. Domestically, Iran faces growing dissent, particularly among women rejecting mandatory hijab laws. Despite these challenges, one matter continues to unite the Iranian public: the naming of the Persian Gulf. Trump’s reported consideration of officially using the term “Arabian Gulf” was met with outrage. “This gulf has always been the Persian Gulf — and it will forever remain the Persian Gulf,” said Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, Tehran’s Friday prayer leader. Trump’s Return to the Gulf Brings Back 2017 Memories Trump will begin his trip in Saudi Arabia before heading to Qatar, which recently announced a new Trump-branded development. This warm welcome contrasts with the diplomatic upheaval that followed his 2017 visit. That trip preceded a major crisis in the Gulf, when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt cut ties with Qatar over its links to Iran and alleged support for Islamist groups. The dispute escalated to the point that Kuwait’s late Emir warned during a U.S. visit that military conflict had been narrowly averted. Initially, Trump backed the boycott, accusing Qatar of “funding terrorism at a very high level.” He later softened his stance and praised Qatar, and the rift was resolved just before President Biden took office. On Sunday, Trump confirmed that he is willing to accept a luxurious Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from Qatar’s ruling family. U.S. officials say the aircraft could potentially serve as a future presidential plane — a gesture raising eyebrows given the extraordinary value of the gift. With oil prices hovering near $60 per barrel — the lowest since 2021 — Trump no longer has grounds to criticize the Gulf states over energy. The bigger question is how he navigates the region’s deep-rooted challenges and lingering tensions. To prevent a repeat of the 2017 crisis, Dent and Henderson advised that Trump “should reemphasize efforts to unite the Gulf.”

Hamas announced on Sunday that it plans to release Edan Alexander, the last known American hostage in Gaza, as part of broader efforts to achieve a ceasefire, reopen border crossings into the Israeli-blockaded region, and restart humanitarian aid deliveries. According to two Hamas officials speaking to The Associated Press, the release is expected within the next 48 hours. Late Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, confirmed to the AP that Hamas had agreed to free Alexander as a goodwill gesture toward Trump. This would mark the first hostage release since Israel broke the previous ceasefire in March, and it comes just ahead of Trump’s upcoming trip to the Middle East. The move signals the U.S.'s intent to energize stalled ceasefire negotiations in the 19-month-long conflict, as pressure mounts from families of hostages and from over two million Gaza residents enduring the tightened Israeli blockade. Trump poised to accept luxury jet from Qatar’s Royal family, may be used as Air Force One “This was a step taken in good faith towards the United States and the efforts of the mediators — Qatar and Egypt — to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones,” Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday evening. “Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict. I look very much forward to that day of celebration!” Alexander is an Israeli-American soldier who grew up in New Jersey. He was abducted from his base during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that ignited the war in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the U.S. informed it of Hamas’ intent to release Alexander “without compensation or conditions” and that the step is expected to lead to negotiations on a truce. Netanyahu’s government was angered by U.S. direct talks with Hamas earlier this year — which led to a Hamas offer to release Alexander and the bodies of four other hostages if Israel recommitted to a stalled ceasefire deal. Days later, however, Israel resumed the war. Witkoff told the AP that Hamas’ goal in releasing Alexander was to restart talks on a ceasefire, the release of additional hostages and a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza before Israel carries out a threatened total takeover of the territory. Khalil al-Hayyah, a Hamas leader in Gaza, said the group has been in contact with the U.S. administration over the past few days. Al-Hayyah said in a statement Hamas is ready to “immediately start intensive negotiations” to reach a final deal for a long-term truce, which includes an end to the war, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners and hostages in Gaza and the handing over of power in Gaza to an independent body of technocrats. Indirect talks between Hamas and the U.S. began five days ago, an Egyptian official and a senior Hamas official told the AP, with both describing the release of Alexander as a gesture of goodwill. The senior Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said Alexander is expected to be released on Monday. Hamas was advised to “give a gift to President Trump and in return he will give back a better one,” the official said. Another Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations, said Alexander’s release is expected in the next 48 hours, adding that it requires Israel to pause fighting for a couple of hours. The Egyptian official involved in ceasefire negotiations, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss talks, said Hamas received assurances from the Trump administration through Egyptian and Qatari mediators that Alexander’s release “will put all files on the negotiating table” including an end to the war. Alexander’s parents did not immediately return requests for comment. Trump and Witkoff have frequently mentioned Alexander, now 21, by name in the past few months. Witkoff was traveling to the region on Monday ahead of Alexander’s expected release. “Every time they say Edan’s name, it’s like they didn’t forget. They didn’t forget he’s American, and they’re working on it,” Edan’s mother, Yael Alexander, told The Associated Press earlier this year. Hamas released a video of Alexander in November during the Thanksgiving weekend, his mother said. The video was difficult to watch as he cried and pleaded for help, but it was a relief to see the latest sign that he was alive, she said. Fifty-nine hostages are still in Gaza, around a third of them believed to be alive. Most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. The Hostages Families Forum, the grassroots forum representing most hostage families, said Alexander’s release “must mark the beginning of a comprehensive agreement” that will free everyone. Trump, whose administration has voiced full support for Israel’s actions, is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates this week in a regional tour. Israeli strikes overnight and into Sunday killed 15 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to local health officials.