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Riyadh Hosts Meeting of Global Coalition against ISIS

The number of members of the international coalition against ISIS has reached 85 countries and international organizations. (SPA)
The number of members of the international coalition against ISIS has reached 85 countries and international organizations. (SPA)
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Riyadh Hosts Meeting of Global Coalition against ISIS

The number of members of the international coalition against ISIS has reached 85 countries and international organizations. (SPA)
The number of members of the international coalition against ISIS has reached 85 countries and international organizations. (SPA)

Riyadh is hosting on Thursday the ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition against ISIS, in the presence of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his US counterpart, Antony Blinken, with the participation of 85 countries and partner organizations.

Blinken arrived in Riyadh from Jeddah, where he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two sides discussed economic and security cooperation, as well as issues of common interest.

Saudi Arabia is one of the most important founding members of the Global Coalition. It ranks second in terms of the number of Coalition airstrikes. The Royal Saudi Air Force carried out a total of 341 missions to support Coalition strikes in Syria.

In August 2018, Saudi Arabia announced a contribution of $100 million to the Global Coalition against ISIS, in support of projects in areas liberated from the terrorist organization in northeastern Syria.

In December 2022, during a meeting of the political directors of the Global Coalition against ISIS, which was held in The Hague, the Kingdom announced that it would host the next ministerial meeting for 2023, to emphasize “its active role as a strategic partner” in the coalition.

The League of Arab States will participate in the meeting through a delegation headed by the Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Arab Affairs and National Security of the Arab League, Ambassador Khalil Ibrahim Al-Thawadi.

Al-Thawadi underlined the importance of the gathering to consult and exchange visions on ways to confront the serious challenges posed by the terrorist organization.

The first defeats of ISIS, which had declared its control in 2014 over large areas in Syria and Iraq, were achieved in Iraq in 2017, then in Syria in 2019. However, the international coalition said in May 2022 that the organization continues to represent a threat, confirming the continuation of the war against it in the two countries.

Members of ISIS cells continue to launch attacks against the security forces from their hideouts in Syria and Iraq though on a limited scale. The organization also claims attacks in other countries and poses a constant threat.

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Gulf

Saudi FM, Iranian Counterpart Discuss Regional Developments

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah
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Saudi FM, Iranian Counterpart Discuss Regional Developments

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Wednesday.

During the call, they discussed the latest regional developments and the efforts to maintain the region's security and stability, SPA said.

Gulf

US-Gulf Draft UN Resolution to Hold Iran Accountable over Hormuz Closure

A UN Security Council session held on March 12 (Reuters)
A UN Security Council session held on March 12 (Reuters)
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US-Gulf Draft UN Resolution to Hold Iran Accountable over Hormuz Closure

A UN Security Council session held on March 12 (Reuters)
A UN Security Council session held on March 12 (Reuters)

The United States and Bahrain have begun drafting a UN Security Council resolution aimed at holding Iran accountable for closing the Strait of Hormuz and advancing international efforts to reopen it to commercial shipping.

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, speaking during a phone press conference on Monday, said the draft states that the Security Council strongly condemns repeated attacks and threats by Iran against commercial vessels, as well as actions aimed at obstructing lawful transit through the Strait of Hormuz. These include the laying of naval mines and the imposition of illegal fees on ships.

The proposal determines that such actions constitute a threat to international peace and security, opening the possibility of placing the resolution under Chapter VII of the UN Charter and, consequently, the potential adoption of enforcement measures at a later stage.

It affirms the right of all ships and aircraft to transit the Strait of Hormuz without unlawful interference, in accordance with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

It further calls on Iran to immediately cease all attacks or threats directed against commercial shipping, as well as any attempts to obstruct or impede freedom of navigation.

A key provision stipulates that Iran must disclose the number of mines it has laid and their precise locations in and around the Strait of Hormuz, and work toward their removal. The draft also calls on Tehran to refrain from interfering in international demining efforts.

Humanitarian corridor

Another clause asks Iran to cooperate with the United Nations in establishing a humanitarian corridor in the Strait of Hormuz, aimed at facilitating the flow of essential goods, including food and fertilizers, which the text says have been disrupted by recent developments in the region.

It also includes a prohibition on any UN member state assisting Iran in closing the strait or restricting transit through it. At the same time, it affirms the right of states to defend their vessels against attacks, in accordance with international law.

This is the latest diplomatic effort by Washington and Manama after China and Russia vetoed a similar resolution hours before a temporary ceasefire was announced in early April.

Waltz said negotiations on the draft would take place this week, adding that it remains unclear whether the resolution will include an enforcement mechanism to secure navigation in the strait.

He revealed that Bahrain is contributing to drafting the text, with input from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, in a way that would require Iran to halt attacks on commercial vessels and attempts to impose transit fees, as well as to stop laying naval mines and disclose their locations.

Waltz underlined that the draft is narrower in scope than the previous unsuccessful proposal and comes amid a ceasefire with Iran.

The United States and Gulf countries are continuing negotiations this week and are seeking swift adoption of the resolution, provided consensus among the countries concerned is maintained.

Waltz framed the issue not only as part of a confrontation with Iran but also as a matter related to international law and the freedom of global trade, stressing that no country has the right to blackmail global trade.

A previous draft resolution blocked by Russia and China had sought authorization for the use of defensive force to protect navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and free it from Iranian attacks. It also would have allowed states, individually or through voluntary multinational maritime partnerships, to use all necessary and proportionate defensive means, applying to the strait and adjacent waters to secure passage and deter attempts to close, obstruct or otherwise interfere in any way with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil passes.

Gulf

Saudi Arabia Provides New Contribution of $2 Million to Support UNRWA

Saudi Prince Mansour bin Khaled bin Farhan, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Jordan, hands UNRWA’s Acting Commissioner-General, Christian Saunders a cheque of $ 2 million as the Kingdom’s annual contribution to UNRWA (Saudi Embassy in Jordan)
Saudi Prince Mansour bin Khaled bin Farhan, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Jordan, hands UNRWA’s Acting Commissioner-General, Christian Saunders a cheque of $ 2 million as the Kingdom’s annual contribution to UNRWA (Saudi Embassy in Jordan)
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Saudi Arabia Provides New Contribution of $2 Million to Support UNRWA

Saudi Prince Mansour bin Khaled bin Farhan, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Jordan, hands UNRWA’s Acting Commissioner-General, Christian Saunders a cheque of $ 2 million as the Kingdom’s annual contribution to UNRWA (Saudi Embassy in Jordan)
Saudi Prince Mansour bin Khaled bin Farhan, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Jordan, hands UNRWA’s Acting Commissioner-General, Christian Saunders a cheque of $ 2 million as the Kingdom’s annual contribution to UNRWA (Saudi Embassy in Jordan)

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday delivered on Tuesday a check worth $2 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), representing the Kingdom's annual support for the agency’s budget, programs, and operations in the region.

Saudi Ambassador to Jordan Prince Mansour bin Khalid bin Farhan delivered the check at the embassy to UNRWA’s Acting Commissioner-General, Christian Saunders.

He stressed the Saudi commitment, under the directives of the leadership, to support the Palestinian cause and assist the brotherly Palestinian people.

The Ambassador then highlighted the importance of supporting UNRWA's budget to enable it to fulfill its social, humanitarian, educational, and health responsibilities toward Palestinian refugees, particularly under current conditions.

Prince Mansour noted the agency’s vital role in providing humanitarian services and alleviating suffering.

For his part, Saunders expressed his appreciation to the Kingdom for its continued and steadfast support, which enables UNRWA to implement its programs in service of Palestinian refugees.