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Saudi FM Emphasizes Need for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan at the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum held in Beijing. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan at the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum held in Beijing. (SPA)
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Saudi FM Emphasizes Need for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan at the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum held in Beijing. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan at the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum held in Beijing. (SPA)

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan stressed on Thursday the urgency of an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, ensuring a steady flow of humanitarian aid, and charting a clear and irreversible path towards the two-state solution.
Farhan’s remarks came during his speech at the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum held in Beijing, China.
Prince Faisal delivered his speech, marking two decades since the forum's establishment.
He emphasized the forum's role as a cornerstone of cooperation between Arab nations and China, built on mutual respect for sovereignty and independence. "The forum's cooperation mechanisms and its various initiatives over the years have embodied the principles of the UN Charter, striving for a global landscape of peace, security, prosperity, and progress," Prince Faisal said.
He added that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the first Arab-China summit in 2022, alongside the successful visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Riyadh, marked a historic turning point. This collaboration in the political, economic, and social fields elevated the relationship to a level of strategic cooperation, aiming to fulfill the leadership's aspirations and serve the shared interests of both peoples.
The Saudi minister hailed China’s consistent support for ending the war in Gaza and achieving the two-state solution. He stressed the urgency of an immediate and permanent ceasefire, ensuring a steady flow of humanitarian aid, and charting a clear and irreversible path towards the two-state solution.
This path, Prince Faisal said, must guarantee the Palestinian people's inherent right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, adhering to the principles of the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant international resolutions.
Prince Faisal emphasized the importance of ongoing dialogue and consultation to address regional issues peacefully and politically. He stressed the need to maintain the unity and territorial integrity of Arab nations and reject foreign interference in Arab affairs.
He called for continued efforts to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction in the region to promote security and stability and safeguard national achievements.
Highlighting the urgency of global action on climate change, Prince Faisal commended Arab nations for their national climate plans. He pointed to Saudi Arabia's leadership role with the launch of the Middle East Green Initiative and the Saudi Green Initiative.

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Gulf

Iraq Vows No Leniency with Parties Harming Ties with Saudi Arabia

Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi. (INA)
Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi. (INA)
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Iraq Vows No Leniency with Parties Harming Ties with Saudi Arabia

Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi. (INA)
Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi. (INA)

Iraq said it was ready to cooperate fully in verifying any information about an attack on Saudi Arabia that was launched from its territory, renewing its condemnation of the incident and vowing measures to prevent any breach of Iraqi sovereignty.

The Iraqi government’s latest condemnation came a day after the Foreign Ministry denounced the attacks on the Kingdom, in what observers said signaled Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s new government was keen to protect ties with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said on Sunday it had intercepted and destroyed three drones after they entered the Kingdom’s airspace from Iraq.

Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi renewed Baghdad’s condemnation on Tuesday, saying Iraq “reaffirms its firm and historic position in support of distinguished and lasting relations with brotherly and friendly countries of the region, its commitment to the security of Arab states, the importance of supporting stability, all efforts to ease tensions, and preventing attacks, whatever their source.”

“The Iraqi government condemns the recent drone attacks that targeted Saudi Arabia and affirms its continued joint efforts to strengthen regional security and safeguard the security and sovereignty of countries in the region,” he said.

Awadi repeated that the military authorities did not detect or record any activity from the country’s airspace, stressing, however, that Iraqi institutions were fully ready “to cooperate in verifying any information related to the circumstances of the attack that targeted the Kingdom.”

He stressed Iraq’s “categorical rejection of the use of its territory, airspace or territorial waters to launch any attack on neighboring countries.”

Awadi said Iraqi security forces had taken “all necessary steps and measures to thwart and uncover any attempt in this context,” adding that there would be “no leniency toward anyone who tries to violate the sovereignty of the Iraqi state or damage relations with the Kingdom, neighboring countries or brotherly states.”

Observers are now raising questions over how Zaidi will deal with pro-Iran armed factions and confront their activities at home and abroad, particularly under continued US pressure.

In recent months, after the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran, factions launched hundreds of attacks on targets inside Iraq, most of them in the northern Kurdistan region.

They also carried out attacks on more than one country in Iraq’s regional neighborhood. Those attacks stopped during the ceasefire, before resuming with three drones over Saudi territory.

Many believe the factions’ latest attacks pose a serious challenge to Zaidi’s authority. The prime minister, whose government was approved by parliament last week, has received clear US, domestic and Arab backing, a development that was not welcomed by the factions, which are seeking to embarrass him at the start of his tenure in Iraq’s top executive post.

Gulf

Bahrain Suspends Entry of Foreign Travelers Arriving from Three Countries Amid Ebola Fears

A view of Bahrain's capital Manama. (Getty Images file)
A view of Bahrain's capital Manama. (Getty Images file)
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Bahrain Suspends Entry of Foreign Travelers Arriving from Three Countries Amid Ebola Fears

A view of Bahrain's capital Manama. (Getty Images file)
A view of Bahrain's capital Manama. (Getty Images file)

Bahrain said on Tuesday it was suspending the entry of foreign travelers arriving from South Sudan, ‌the Democratic ‌Republic of ‌Congo ⁠and Uganda due ⁠to the Ebola virus outbreak.

The suspension will be effective for ⁠30 days ‌starting Tuesday, ‌according to ‌the country's ‌state news agency.

The World Health Organization expressed deep ‌concern on Tuesday at the speed ⁠and ⁠scale of the Ebola outbreak, as the number of cases rises.

Gulf

UAE Says Drones Targeting Nuclear Plant Came from Iraq

The United Arab Emirates flag flutters against the backdrop of the Abu Dhabi Skyline following a reported Iranian strike, March 1, 2026. (AFP)
The United Arab Emirates flag flutters against the backdrop of the Abu Dhabi Skyline following a reported Iranian strike, March 1, 2026. (AFP)
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UAE Says Drones Targeting Nuclear Plant Came from Iraq

The United Arab Emirates flag flutters against the backdrop of the Abu Dhabi Skyline following a reported Iranian strike, March 1, 2026. (AFP)
The United Arab Emirates flag flutters against the backdrop of the Abu Dhabi Skyline following a reported Iranian strike, March 1, 2026. (AFP)

The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday said drones that targeted its nuclear plant last week came from Iraq, from where Iranian-backed groups have launched several attacks since the Middle East war began.

On Sunday, an unclaimed drone struck an electrical generator near the Arab world's only nuclear power plant in Barakah in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, triggering a fire but causing no injuries or radiation leak. Two other drones had been intercepted.

"As part of the ongoing investigation into the blatant attack on the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant on May 17, 2026, technical tracking and monitoring confirmed that the three drones... all originated from Iraqi territory," the Emirati defense ministry said.

Authorities intercepted six drones that also came from Iraq and "attempted to target civilian and vital areas" in the past 48 hours, the ministry added.

Iraqi authorities had already condemned the attack on Barakah before Abu Dhabi announced where the drones came from.

Iran has attacked the UAE and other Gulf nations since the US and Israel launched strikes on the country on February 28, targeting US assets but also energy and civilian infrastructure.

Iran-backed groups in Iraq have not claimed any strikes since the truce came into place, though Gulf countries have reported attacks from Iraq.

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia had reported intercepting drones that came from Iraq, while Baghdad said its defense systems had not detected any drones launched from its territory toward the Kingdom.