Tehran is looking at alternative transport routes from Pakistan to China. The exploitation of a rail corridor to China, especially valuable for oil transport, is under consideration. A fourth South Korean ship has successfully crossed the Red Sea. Energy is also a central issue at the ASEAN Summit in Cebu.
Lebanon’s south is now a battlefield where a regular army equipped with tanks and planes and guerrillas armed with rockets and drones hunt each other with no regard for the suffering of the local population. Beirut's Sports City is now a vast dormitory for refugees. President Aoun is gambling his political fate on talks, while Hezbollah attacks him with a smear campaign.
Three Indian workers were wounded in the Iranian attack on the Fujairah oil terminal in the United Arab Emirates, the only one that bypasses Hormuz, a development that threatens to reignite the regional conflict, amidst competing alliances and interests. Against this backdrop, Abu Dhabi decided to leave the cartel of oil-exporting countries and consolidate its alliance with Israel. These steps, for Iran, will lead to the “collapse” of the Gulf.
Kuwait-born US journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin was arrested and had his passport revoked for publishing the video of a US fighter jet crashing. A similar measure was taken against 21 other people, including two sisters. Bahrain has revoked the citizenship of 69 people accused of sympathies with Iran. Activists see the conflict as giving the authorities an “opportunity to crack down even harder”.
Foreign Minister Abbas Arakhchi’s visit to St Petersburg has confirmed that, following the invasion of Ukraine, Iran has become an “irreplaceable supplier” to the Russian army, which has been weakened by problems with arms production and heavy losses at the front. Meanwhile, Moscow’s know-how is now making Tehran’s drone attacks more effective in terms of navigation and precision.
Palestinians are going to the polls in some 90 municipal councils and more than 280 villages. Elections are also taking place in Deir el-Balah, the only place in Gaza taking part in the vote. For the Catholic leader, today's election is of local rather national importance. The high cost of living and socioeconomic problems exacerbated by war and occupation are the main issues. A conference on the future of Fatah is scheduled for May.
