Egypt, Greece, Cyprus Hold Military Drill in Mediterranean

Egypt, Greece, Cyprus launch Medusa 10 training exercise in Mediterranean (Egypt’s State Information Service)
Egypt, Greece, Cyprus launch Medusa 10 training exercise in Mediterranean (Egypt’s State Information Service)
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Egypt, Greece, Cyprus Hold Military Drill in Mediterranean

Egypt, Greece, Cyprus launch Medusa 10 training exercise in Mediterranean (Egypt’s State Information Service)
Egypt, Greece, Cyprus launch Medusa 10 training exercise in Mediterranean (Egypt’s State Information Service)

Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus began the main stage of “Medusa 10” joint naval and aerial training on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt, with the participation of French and Emirati navy, aerial and special forces.

The drill is part of the coordination efforts and joint work to confront the challenges in the Mediterranean region.

The Egyptian military issued a statement Saturday, announcing that the Defense Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Mohamed Zaki, the Greek Defense Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, and representatives of the Cypriot, French, and Emirati ministries of defense witnessed the main phase of the training, which lasted for several days.

The main stage started with a detailed brief on the training activities, events, and timeline aboard Anwar el-Sadat helicopter carrier.

The attendees observed the training of the participating countries, which included maritime activities on sailing formations, air bombing a number of enemy targets by means of multi-role aircraft, and methods of utilizing artillery of various weaponry against hostile targets and repelling non-traditional threats.

The activities also included, according to the Egyptian statement, training on the right to board and inspect any suspected vessel and a number of activities by the Naval Special Forces such as securing the beaches, raiding coastal targets, and carrying out amphibious operations to control vital targets.

The activities concluded with an air-maritime parade with the participation of a number of marine units and multi-role aircrafts of various models from the participating countries.



Trump's Syria Announcement Surprised his Own Sanctions Officials

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa meets with US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in this handout released on May 14, 2025. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa meets with US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in this handout released on May 14, 2025. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS
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Trump's Syria Announcement Surprised his Own Sanctions Officials

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa meets with US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in this handout released on May 14, 2025. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa meets with US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in this handout released on May 14, 2025. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS

When President Donald Trump announced in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday that he would lift all sanctions on Syria, the decision took many in the region by surprise.

It also caught some in his own administration off guard.

In Washington, senior officials at the State Department and Treasury Department scrambled to understand how to cancel the sanctions, many of which have been in place for decades, according to four US officials familiar with the matter.

The White House had issued no memorandum or directive to State or Treasury sanctions officials to prepare for the unwinding and didn’t alert them that the president’s announcement was imminent, one senior US official told Reuters.

After the announcement, officials were confused about exactly how the administration would unwind the layers of sanctions, which ones were being eased and when the White House wanted to begin the process.

By the time Trump met interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, officials at State and Treasury were still unsure how to proceed, the senior official said.

“Everyone is trying to figure out how to implement it,” said one US official in reference to the president’s announcement.