Israel and Arab States have urged the U.S. to delay any potential military action against Iran, warning that such a move could undermine ongoing protests inside the country, according to NBC News.
The U.S. broadcaster reported that Israeli officials conveyed their concerns to President Donald Trump’s administration, saying that the U.S. should wait until the Iranian regime is “even more strained”.
According to NBC News, Israel told the White House it supports regime change in Iran and backs U.S. efforts aimed at facilitating it. However, Israeli officials reportedly believe that military action by Washington could shift focus away from domestic discontent and instead allow Iranian authorities to frame unrest as the result of foreign aggression.
Israeli officials were said to have argued that protests inside Iran have created a rare opportunity for internal pressure to build without direct foreign involvement.
Israel has suggested alternative approaches to increase pressure on Tehran. NBC News said these included improving internet access to help protesters communicate and organise, and also tightening economic sanctions.
President Trump has said he has not yet decided what course of action the U.S. will take. He said the White House was still weighing its options and had not made a final decision on whether to pursue military measures against Iran.
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Tuesday, Trump said Iran was "on my mind" and that he expected an update on the situation soon.
“When I see the kind of death that is happening over there. We think. So, we're going to get some accurate numbers. I'll have them in about 20 minutes, we'll get some accurate numbers as to what's happening with regard to the killing. The killing looks like it's significant, but we don't know yet for certain. I'll know within 20 minutes, so… And we’ll act accordingly.”
Trump said that helping Iranian protesters involved economic actions, among other steps. He added that he would cancel all meetings with Iranian officials until bloodshed during the protests comes to an end.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Al Jazeera on Monday that he had continued to communicate with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff during the protests and Tehran was studying ideas proposed by Washington.
However, direct communications between Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Witkoff have been suspended, a senior official told Reuters on Wednesday, after President Donald Trump's threats to intervene amid nationwide protests in Iran.
The senior official added that U.S. threats undermine diplomatic efforts and that potential meetings between the two officials to find a diplomatic solution to a decades-long nuclear dispute have been cancelled.
More than 2,571 people have now been killed during the violent crackdown by security forces on protests in Iran, a human rights group has said.
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel on Wednesday for a two-day visit, becoming the first Indian premier to address the Knesset. He praised the “vital” India–Israel ties and reaffirmed solidarity amid regional tensions.
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem says it will provide on-site passport and consular services to settlers based in the West Bank on Friday 27 February. The move marks the first time American consular officials have offered such services to settlers, U.S. officials said on Tuesday.
Iran has signed a secret €500 million arms deal with Russia to rebuild air defences, weakened during last year’s war with Israel, the Financial Times has reported. The agreement, signed in December in Moscow, will see Russia deliver 500 Verba launch units and 2,500 9M336 missiles over three years.
Comments by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee suggesting that Israel had a biblical right to much of the Middle East drew condemnation over the weekend from countries across the region, which described the remarks as “dangerous and inflammatory”.
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state has risen to 46, authorities said, with 21 people still reported missing. The storms triggered landslides and widespread flooding, displacing thousands across Juiz de Fora and Uba.
The situation in Cuba was heating up and called for restraint following a deadly incident involving a Florida-registered speedboat off the coast of the Caribbean island, the Kremlin said on Thursday (26 February).
Syria’s economy is showing clear signs of recovery, with economic activity accelerating in recent months, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday.
The United States has deployed the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford near Israel as part of a growing military build-up amid tensions with Iran, while governments around the world urge their citizens to leave parts of the region.
Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab and Ombudsman Alfredo Ruiz tendered their resignations to the National Assembly on Wednesday. Neither official has publicly provided reasons for stepping down.
Britain’s Ministry of Defence is reviewing military flight records after files appeared to show that Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet landed at Royal Air Force bases, adding fresh pressure on police who are already examining his movements through several civilian airports.
Pakistan’s overnight air strikes on Afghanistan’s major cities have deepened a volatile standoff between the neighbours, straining a fragile ceasefire and prompting Islamabad to call the confrontation an “open war.”
Melania Trump, the First Lady of the United States, will chair a session of the United Nations Security Council on Monday in an historic first, becoming the first sitting first lady to preside over a council meeting during Washington’s monthly presidency of the body.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved an $8.1 billion, four-year Extended Fund Facility programme for Ukraine on Thursday, aimed at preserving macroeconomic and financial stability as the war with Russia continues into its fifth year.
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