Israel Cancels Visas for French Lawmakers

French Ecologist party deputy Francois Ruffin was among lawmakers who had their visas cancelled by Israel. JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP
French Ecologist party deputy Francois Ruffin was among lawmakers who had their visas cancelled by Israel. JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP
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Israel Cancels Visas for French Lawmakers

French Ecologist party deputy Francois Ruffin was among lawmakers who had their visas cancelled by Israel. JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP
French Ecologist party deputy Francois Ruffin was among lawmakers who had their visas cancelled by Israel. JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP

Israel's government cancelled visas for 27 French left-wing lawmakers and local officials two days before they were to start a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories on Sunday, the group said.
The action came only days after Israel stopped two British members of parliament from the governing Labor party from entering the country, AFP said.
It also came amidst diplomatic tensions after President Emmanuel Macron said France would soon recognize a Palestinian state. Macron has in turn sought to pressure Netanyahu over conditions in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war.

Israel's interior ministry said visas for the 27 had been cancelled under a law that allows authorities to ban people who could act against the state of Israel.

Seventeen members of the group, from France's Ecologist and Communist parties, said they had been victims of "collective punishment" by Israel and called on Macron to intervene.

They said in a statement that they had been invited on a five-day trip by the French consulate in Jerusalem.

They had intended to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories as part of their mission to "strengthen international cooperation and the culture of peace", they added.

"For the first time, two days before our departure, the Israeli authorities cancelled our entry visas that had been approved one month ago," they said.

"We want to understand what led to this sudden decision, which resembles collective punishment," said the group.

'Major rupture'
The delegation included National Assembly deputies Francois Ruffin, Alexis Corbiere and Julie Ozenne from the Ecologist party, Communist deputy Soumya Bourouaha and Communist senator Marianne Margate.

The other members were left-wing town mayors and local lawmakers.

The statement denounced the ban as a "major rupture in diplomatic ties".

"Deliberately preventing elected officials and parliamentarians from travelling cannot be without consequences," the group said, demanding a meeting with Macron and action by the government to ensure Israel let them into the country.

The group said their parties had for decades called for recognition of a Palestinian state, which Macron said last week could come at an international conference in June.

Israeli authorities this month detained British members of parliament Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed at Tel Aviv airport and deported them, citing the same reason. Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the action "unacceptable".

In February, Israel stopped two left-wing European parliament deputies, Franco-Palestinian Rima Hassan and Lynn Boylan from Ireland, from entering.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reacted with fury to France's possible recognition of a Palestinian state. He said establishing a Palestinian state next to Israel would be a "huge reward for terrorism".



Starmer Tells Zelensky ‘Focus Must Remain on Ukraine’ amid Iran War

 Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at 10 Downing Street in London, Tuesday, March 17, 2026.(Suzanne Plunkett, Pool Photo via AP)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at 10 Downing Street in London, Tuesday, March 17, 2026.(Suzanne Plunkett, Pool Photo via AP)
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Starmer Tells Zelensky ‘Focus Must Remain on Ukraine’ amid Iran War

 Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at 10 Downing Street in London, Tuesday, March 17, 2026.(Suzanne Plunkett, Pool Photo via AP)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at 10 Downing Street in London, Tuesday, March 17, 2026.(Suzanne Plunkett, Pool Photo via AP)

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in London on Tuesday that "the focus must remain on Ukraine" despite the US-Israeli war with Iran.

Starmer welcomed Zelensky to his official Downing Street residence for talks after the Ukraine leader met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace.

"I think it's really important that we are clear that the focus must remain on Ukraine," said Starmer.

"There's obviously a conflict in Iran going on, in the Middle East, but we can't lose focus on what's going on in Ukraine and the need for our support," he added.

Washington has partly rolled back sanctions against Moscow to cool oil prices sent soaring by the Middle East war, which appears to have scuttled US-led talks on ending Russia's four-year invasion.

Tuesday's meeting came after Downing Street had earlier announced that Britain and Ukraine are set to sign a defense partnership aimed at addressing the threat of low-cost drones.

Zelensky's visit in London -- ahead of a trip to Spain on Wednesday -- comes as his European allies have vowed to keep up support for Kyiv in the conflict with Russia.

"Our resolve is unbreakable," said Starmer, reiterating the UK's long-standing backing of Ukraine.

Earlier, Zelensky and King Charles shook hands during a private audience at Buckingham Palace.

"I thank His Majesty and the entire Royal Family for their unwavering support and solidarity with Ukraine," Zelensky wrote on X.

The Ukrainian leader was later due to meet NATO chief Mark Rutte in London, his spokesman said.

He was also expected to address members of the UK parliament.


Middle East War Could Trigger ‘Permanent’ Refugee Crisis, Warns Türkiye

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Ankara, Türkiye, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP)
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Ankara, Türkiye, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP)
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Middle East War Could Trigger ‘Permanent’ Refugee Crisis, Warns Türkiye

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Ankara, Türkiye, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP)
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Ankara, Türkiye, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP)

If the Middle East war spreads, it could create a "permanent" refugee crisis, Türkiye’s top diplomat warned Tuesday as Lebanon said Israel's bombardment had displaced over a million people.

"If the war... spreads, there is a possibility this will turn into a permanent refugee crisis with refugees seeking shelter outside the borders of their countries," Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told a joint news conference with his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand.

"This needs to stop as soon as possible."

Lebanon was dragged into the Middle East war on March 2 when Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei during the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Since then, more than one million people have registered as displaced, the Lebanese authorities said on Monday -- representing more than a sixth of its entire population.

The news came as Israel's military said it had launched a limited ground operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

"The humanitarian situation is deeply concerning in Lebanon and has the potential to worsen if there is a ground offensive there," Anand told the news conference.

Fidan said the war "could lead to permanent damage.. between countries of the region" pointing to the conflict "spreading across Lebanon, and things also becoming much more complicated in Iraq."

He said Türkiye had been "working very hard diplomatically since the outbreak of the war to prevent these crises from escalating", saying he would travel to several countries in the region on Wednesday.

Anand said Canada appreciated Türkiye’s diplomatic efforts and its "role as an interlocutor in the current Middle East conflict" while also expressing its resolute opposition to Iran's "reprehensible" strikes on regional nations.

"Canada absolutely condemns those retaliatory strikes.. Those retaliatory strikes must stop, whether they are in Doha or even against this very country," she said.


US Does ‘Not Need’ Help from Allies on Iran, Trump Says

An F/A-18F Super Hornet launches from the flight deck of the US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln during the Operation Epic Fury attack on Iran from an undisclosed location March 6, 2026. (US Navy/Handout via Reuters)
An F/A-18F Super Hornet launches from the flight deck of the US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln during the Operation Epic Fury attack on Iran from an undisclosed location March 6, 2026. (US Navy/Handout via Reuters)
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US Does ‘Not Need’ Help from Allies on Iran, Trump Says

An F/A-18F Super Hornet launches from the flight deck of the US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln during the Operation Epic Fury attack on Iran from an undisclosed location March 6, 2026. (US Navy/Handout via Reuters)
An F/A-18F Super Hornet launches from the flight deck of the US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln during the Operation Epic Fury attack on Iran from an undisclosed location March 6, 2026. (US Navy/Handout via Reuters)

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that US forces "no longer need" military help in the Iran war, after his calls for assistance from allies to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil traffic were largely rebuffed.

The American president has spent recent days griping about how world powers have so far declined to send warships to escort tankers through the narrow waterway in and out of the Gulf and key to the transit of crude.

With the war in its third week, Trump has repeatedly stressed that US and Israeli air strikes have decimated Iran's leadership, military facilities, and weapons manufacturing capacity.

"The United States has been informed by most of our NATO 'Allies' that they don't want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran, in the Middle East," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

"Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer 'need,' or desire, the NATO Countries' assistance -- WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea," Trump said, adding: "WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!"

Speaking of allies who have rejected his call for assistance, the 79-year-old Republican said he is "not surprised by their action, however, because I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one way street."

The US-Israeli war on Iran has expanded dramatically across the Middle East, with Iran targeting the energy facilities of its crude-producing neighbors.

Tehran has also attacked and threatened tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, all but closing the vital waterway through which one fifth of global crude oil passes.

French President Emmanuel Macron insisted Tuesday that his country would not participate in operations to open the Strait of Hormuz given the current context of air strikes and other military dangers, but once the situation becomes "calmer" it could participate in an "escort system" alongside other nations.

Britain has also waved off Washington's request for assistance. But Trump on Monday suggested Paris and London would lend a hand to the United States in the operation, and said several other countries -- without naming them -- had responded favorably to his call.