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Jordan King: Saudi Arabia Draws Red Lines for Iran’s Regional Activities

Jordan's King Abdullah speaks during a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (photo credit: REUTERS/ARND WIEGMANN)
Jordan's King Abdullah speaks during a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (photo credit: REUTERS/ARND WIEGMANN)
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Jordan King: Saudi Arabia Draws Red Lines for Iran’s Regional Activities

Jordan's King Abdullah speaks during a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (photo credit: REUTERS/ARND WIEGMANN)
Jordan's King Abdullah speaks during a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (photo credit: REUTERS/ARND WIEGMANN)

Jordan’s King Abdullah II said on Thursday that Saudi Arabia was assuming a positive role in the Middle East and was drawing “red lines” for Iran’s worrying activities.
 
During a discussion session with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, King Abdullah stressed that King Salman bin Abdulaziz was leading an unprecedented proactive Saudi role in the Middle East.
 
As for Iranian interference in Arab affairs, he said: “The Saudi policy is to say: the red lines are here.”
 
King Abdullah pointed to Tehran’s meddling in a number of Arab countries, warning of its exploitation of militias and its use of religion in regional conflicts.
 
He added that Saudi Arabia was not the only country concerned about Iran’s destabilizing activities, but also all states in the region, “especially after we saw the repercussions of these policies in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon.”
 
The Jordanian monarch said he did not believe that Iran would change its foreign policy, which was adopted decades ago.
 
“We believe in Jordan that dialogue is the best way to solve problems, but the policy of Iran poses major challenges in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen,” he noted, emphasizing his concern about the future of Lebanon, which has suffered significantly during the past decades.
 
“We do not want these (Iranian) trends to create new problems inside Lebanon,” he stated.
 
On Jerusalem, the Jordanian monarch said that the Palestinians no longer see the United States as a fair mediator after Washington announced its decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to transfer its embassy to it.
 
In this regard, he reiterated his commitment to resolve the issue of Jerusalem within the framework of a comprehensive solution between Israelis and Palestinians.
 
“The hiccup at the moment is, out of tremendous frustration; the Palestinians don’t feel the United States is an honest broker, but in the same time, they are reaching out to the Europeans, and I think, to me, that is a signal that they do want peace,” King Abdullah said.
 
“We cannot have a peace process… without the role of the United States,” he said, adding: “None of us know what the [US] plan is.”
 
King Abdullah underlined the importance of Jerusalem for all religions and its central role among Muslims, Christians and Jews. He pointed out that Jerusalem should be viewed as a “city of hope” that brings people together.

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Prayers and Tears Mark 20 Years Since the Indian Ocean Tsunami That Killed Some 230,000 People

Acehnese people attend a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami at the Baiturrahman Mosque, an Aceh landmark that survived from the tsunami, in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 26 December 2024.
Acehnese people attend a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami at the Baiturrahman Mosque, an Aceh landmark that survived from the tsunami, in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 26 December 2024.
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Prayers and Tears Mark 20 Years Since the Indian Ocean Tsunami That Killed Some 230,000 People

Acehnese people attend a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami at the Baiturrahman Mosque, an Aceh landmark that survived from the tsunami, in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 26 December 2024.
Acehnese people attend a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami at the Baiturrahman Mosque, an Aceh landmark that survived from the tsunami, in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 26 December 2024.

People started gathering in prayer on Thursday and visiting the mass graves in Indonesia’s Aceh province to mark 20 years since the massive Indian Ocean tsunami, one of modern history’s worst natural disasters.

Many openly wept as they placed flowers at a mass grave in Ulee Lheue village where more than 14,000 unidentified and unclaimed tsunami victims are buried. It is one of several mass graves in Banda Aceh, the capital of Indonesia’s northernmost province. It was one of the areas worst-hit by the earthquake and tsunami, along with the district of Aceh Besar.

"We miss them and we still don’t know where they are. All we know is that every year we visit the mass grave in Ulee Lhue and Siron," said Muhamad Amirudin, 54, who lost two of his children 20 years ago and has never found their bodies.

"This life is only temporary, so we do our best to be useful to others," Amirudin, visiting the grave with his wife, said.

A powerful 9.1-magnitude earthquake off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Dec. 26, 2004, triggered a tsunami that killed around 230,000 people across a dozen countries, reaching as far as East Africa. Some 1.7 million people were displaced, mostly in the four worst-affected countries: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.

More than 170,000 people died in Indonesia alone.

A relative of a victim of a 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami offers flowers during its 20th anniversary at Tsunami Memorial Park at Ban Nam Khem, Takuapa district of Phang Nga province, southern Thailand, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP)

Even though 20 years have passed, survivors are still grieving the loved ones they lost to the giant wave that flattened buildings all the way to the provincial capital of Banda Aceh.

Thousands of people gathered to pray at the Baiturrahman Mosque in downtown Banda Aceh. Sirens sounded across the city for three minutes to mark the time of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami.

The infrastructure in Aceh has been rebuilt and is now more resilient than it was before the tsunami struck. Early warning systems have been installed in coastal areas to alert residents of potential tsunamis, providing crucial time to seek safety.

The rebuilding efforts were made possible by the support of international donors and organizations, who contributed significant funds to help the region recover. Schools, hospitals, and essential infrastructure that were destroyed by the disaster have been reconstructed with enhanced strength and durability, ensuring better preparedness for future challenges.

A relative of victim of a 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami stands at Ban Nam Khem beach, Takuapa district of Phang Nga province, southern Thailand, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP)

In Thailand, people gathered at a memorial ceremony in Ban Nam Khem, a small fishing village in Phang Nga province that bore the brunt of the devastating waves.

The tsunami also claimed the lives of over 8,000 people in Thailand, including many who remain missing, leaving a deep scar on the nation’s history. Nearly 400 bodies remain unclaimed.

Mourners shed tears and comforted each other as they laid flowers at the village’s tsunami memorial. Around 300 people joined a modest ceremony with Muslim, Christian and Buddhist and prayers.

Urai Sirisuk said she avoids the seaside memorial park the rest of the year, because the loss of her 4-year-old daughter still cuts deep every time she's reminded of it.

"I have this feeling that the sea has taken my child. I’m very angry with it. I can’t even put my foot in the water," she said.

But, she said, "I still hear her voice in my ears, that she’s calling for me. I can’t abandon her. So I have to be here, for my child."