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Iran to Open Interest Section in Swiss Embassy In Saudi Arabia

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Iran to Open Interest Section in Swiss Embassy In Saudi Arabia

It could be a beginning for a diplomatic thaw between regional rivals

Having long rivalry in the region and day-to-day allegations and counter allegations, Iran and Saudi Arabia have lately shown some kind of diplomatic thaw. The first indication came from Tehran by Bahram Qassemi, the foreign ministry spokesperson on Saturday when he said that his country plans to open an interests section in Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh had closed its missions in Iran, including embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad after unruly protesters damaged some window panes etc after the execution of a revered Shia clergy Sheikh Mohammed Baqer Al-Nimr by Saudi authorities in early 2016.

Bahram Qassemi said, “There have been advances made in the past two weeks, and I believe there are signs that the interests section will open and become operational.”

Iran to Open Interest Section in Swiss Embassy In Saudi Arabia

Switzerland has been representing Iranian interests in Saudi Arabia for last eight months. He said that the Iranian interests section  would be located in the Swiss Embassy in Riyadh.

Read More: Isolated Trump gets Saudi Arabia, Israel support on Iran deal withdrawal

Since severing their ties after 1979 Islamic Revolution, Swiss embassy in Tehran hosts US interest section while Pakistan embassy in Washington hosts Iranian interests section.

The Iranian interest section in Swiss embassy in Riyadh will deal with the issue of Iranian Hajj pilgrims, which has been the point of much contention between the two countries for years.

Another bone of contention was the 2015 Mina tragedy when, according to Tehran about 4,700 people, including 460 Iranian were killed in a stampede. Iran held Saudi Arabia responsible for the death of the Haj pilgrims.  However, Saudi Arabia claims nearly 770 people were killed in the incident. Hundreds remain missing till date.

The stampede, which was supposedly caused by a member of Saudi Royal family, who allegedly drove for hitting symbolic Satans in Mina ground against the law and the traffic arrangements.

Read More: Iran rejects Saudi Arabia allegation of supplying missiles to Houthis

This tragedy came shortly after a huge construction crane collapsed into Mecca’s Grand Mosque, killing more than 100 pilgrims, including some Iranians.

Iranians claim that some important scientists were killed among the Haj pilgrims and there could be a conspiracy to hinder Iran’s progress in various developmental projects, including its nuclear program.

Iran did not send pilgrims for Hajj the following year on the grounds that Saudi Arabia was not able to ensuring safety of the pilgrims.

Replying to a question of possibility of rapprochement between the two countries, Qassemi said, “We have announced time and again that we are ready for negotiations with regional countries, even Saudi Arabia.” He said that Iran has never rejected offers by third countries to mediate.

Read More: Iran, Saudi Arabia confront at Munich conference

Ever since breaking its ties with Iran, the Saudi Arabia has ramped up its rhetoric against Tehran over its role in the region. Riyadh, along with Tel Aviv and Washington, has been critical of Iranian cooperation to Syrian and Iraqi government fighting Daesh (IS) terrorists and other similar groups.

Saudi Arabia has also been accusing Tehran of supporting and supplying arms, especially missiles to Yemen’s Houthis who are fighting tooth and nail against Riyadh-led aggression since March 2015.

Read More: Iran: President Rouhani puts conditions for resuming ties with Saudi Arabia

However, Saudi Press Agency or Al-Arabia have not yet reported about any positive diplomatic move with Iran.

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India, China complete disengagement in Depsang, Demchok at LAC after 4 years standoff

The Indian Army said that coordinated patrolling will start soon by both sides, and the ground commanders will continue to hold talks.

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India, China complete disengagement in Depsang, Demchok at LAC after 4 years standoff

In a significant development, India and China have completed the disengagement exercise in the Depsang and Demchok friction points at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. The troops of both the countries are now verifying the vacation of positions and removal of infrastructure.

Reportedly, the Indian Army said that coordinated patrolling will start soon by both sides, and the ground commanders will continue to hold talks. The two sides will exchange sweets for Diwali tomorrow.

Earlier, Foreign secretary Vikram Misri announced that New Delhi and Beijing reached an agreement to disengage in the remaining friction points at LAC in eastern Ladakh. After the agreement, the two countries began troops disengagement at the two friction points at Demchok and Depsang plains on October 23.

India-China relations worsened because of the Chinese troops’ aggression along the Line of Actual Control, the de facto border, in April 2020. It further deteriorated on June 15, 2020, after 20 Indian soldiers died in the line of duty thwarting the Chinese offensive in the Galwan Valley. New Delhi had said India’s bilateral relations with China will normalise only after the situation at the LAC returns to what it was before May 2020.

Reports said that the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have pulled back their forward-deployed troops and equipment from the two flashpoints, and have also dismantled temporary structures that had been built during the four-year-long standoff.

The Indian soldiers will resume their patrolling in areas that had been cut off because of the PLA’s presence. Nonetheless, the disengagement in Depsang and Demchok will not lead to the creation of buffer zones.

Both the countries had disengaged from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A) and Hot Springs (PP-15) areas and created buffer zones. Speaking to a newspaper publication, Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia (retd), a former director general of military operations said that the disengagement at Depsang and Demchok will facilitate patrolling by both sides in a coordinated manner, and in the agreed upon frequency and strength of the patrolling parties.

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Iran says 2 soldiers killed in Israeli air strikes

Emphasising Iran’s right to self-defense under the UN Charter, the Iranian Foreign Ministry highlighted its obligation to counter foreign aggression.

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The Iranian Army said on Saturday that two of its soldiers were killed in Israeli air strikes that targeted military bases.

Iran stated that its air defenses effectively countered the attack, resulting in the unfortunate deaths of two soldiers and some areas suffering limited damage.

The Israeli military conducted strikes on Iranian military sites after 2 am on Saturday, responding to what they cited as ongoing attacks by Iran and its allies in the region.

Following the strikes, the Israeli military announced they had successfully completed the mission and achieved their objectives.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the precise targeting of military sites in Iran to neutralize immediate threats to Israel.

“I can now confirm that we have concluded the Israeli response to Iran’s attacks against Israel. We conducted targeted and precise strikes on military targets in Iran — thwarting immediate threats to the State of Israel,” the Israel Defence Force posted on X.

Iran’s air defense headquarters acknowledged the hits on bases in Ilam, Khuzestan, and Tehran but asserted that these attacks were effectively repelled, with investigations ongoing to assess damages. Moreover, Iran indicated its readiness to retaliate against any Israeli aggression, stating that Israel would face proportional consequences for its actions.

Iran expressed its intentions to respond to the Israeli attacks on its military bases, condemning the actions as a violation of international law and the UN Charter’s principles on the use of force.

Emphasising Iran’s right to self-defense under the UN Charter, the Iranian Foreign Ministry highlighted its obligation to counter foreign aggression.

Pakistan strongly condemned Israel’s strikes on Iran, attributing the escalation to Israel and urging the UN Security Council to intervene for peace and security.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasised that Iran should refrain from retaliating against Israel, advocating for restraint on all sides to prevent further escalation.

“I am clear that Israel has the right to defend itself against Iranian aggression. I’m equally clear that we must avoid further regional escalation and urge all sides to restrain. Iran should not respond,” the PM said at a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

The United States advised Iran to halt its attacks on Israel to cease the ongoing violence and break the cycle of conflict, underlining the importance of de-escalation.

“We urge Iran to cease its attacks on Israel so that this cycle of fighting can end without further escalation,” U.S. National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett told reporters.

President Joe Biden was briefed on the Israeli operation throughout its development and execution by his National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan.

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BRICS Summit: PM Modi, China’s Xi Jinping discuss Ukraine war with Russia’s Putin

“The world has entered a new period of turbulent change. We need to build a peaceful BRICS, and be the guardian of common security,” said Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Summit.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, China’s Xi Jinping, and other BRICS leaders on Wednesday discussed the war in Ukraine with President Vladimir Putin as the Kremlin chief chaired a major summit aimed at showing Western attempts to isolate Russia have failed.

India supports dialogue and diplomacy and not war, PM Modi said at the BRICS Summit, in an unambiguous message calling for resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict through peaceful negotiations.

Putin, whose administration has dismissed allegations of war crimes against him as politically motivated, kicked off the Summit on Wednesday by noting the strong interest from over 30 States in joining the BRICS group.

He emphasised the importance of maintaining a balance in any expansion, acknowledging the unprecedented interest from countries in the Global South and East while ensuring that it does not diminish the effectiveness of BRICS.

“The world has entered a new period of turbulent change. We need to build a peaceful BRICS, and be the guardian of common security,” said Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Summit.

On the Ukraine crisis, Jinping said, “We need to push for the situation to de-escalate as soon as possible.” He also expressed his concern over the crisis in Gaza, saying, “We need to push for a ceasefire.”

PM Modi emphasised the need for a people-centric approach to solving global challenges and called for reformed multilateralism. The PM underlined the importance of dialogue and diplomacy for global peace and stability.

Addressing the summit in Kazan, a Russian city along the Volga, Europe’s longest river, Putin also reiterated the group’s focus on discussing acute regional conflicts, alluding to the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine.

Russia, heavily reliant on oil exports, sees China and India as major buyers, with the two countries responsible for about 90% of Moscow’s oil sales, making it Russia’s largest foreign currency source.

In a public exchange, Prime Minister Modi expressed his desire for peace in Ukraine to Putin, while Chinese President Xi discussed the Ukrainian conflict privately with the Russian leader.

As Russia continues its advancement, it currently controls a significant portion of Ukraine, including Crimea, unilaterally annexed in 2014, as well as a substantial portion of the Donbas region, comprising Donetsk and Luhansk, along with parts of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

Putin has reiterated that Moscow will not negotiate the status of these regions, claiming them as part of Russia and emphasising the need to consider Russia’s long-term security interests in Europe.

The anticipated BRICS communique is expected to include proposals from China and Brazil aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine, with the two countries seeking support for a ceasefire from other developing nations. Ukraine has accused Beijing and Brasília of aligning with Moscow’s interests.

Putin has acknowledged the potential of the Chinese-Brazilian proposals as a basis for ending the conflict, following Russia’s deployment of troops into Ukraine in 2022 after years of fighting in the eastern part of the country.

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