Greece and Israel teamed up the middle of last week for a long-range air strike drill over the Mediterranean. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) and the Hellenic Air Force practiced long-range flights, aerial refueling, low altitude runs, and live fire actions. While the goal was mutual learning, it was understood that the focus for the IAF was preparation for a potential strike on Iran.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began a visit to the U.S. on Monday in California where he met with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. Their primary topic was technology with a heavy focus on artificial intelligence (AI). They also took time to discuss anti-semitism on Musk’s social platform X (formerly Twitter) and the judicial reform that the prime minister is leading in Israel.
From the west coast, Bibi flew to New York for the General Assembly of the United Nations where he held conversations with numerous world leaders. While there, he met with the new president of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, who committed to opening their embassy in Jerusalem by the end of 2023. Netanyahu met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday, promising continued assistance on humanitarian issues.
In their first ever face-to-face meeting, Israel’s prime minister spoke with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about putting the two countries’ shaky past behind, instead looking forward to cooperation on energy, technology, innovation, AI, and cyber security.
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Then, yesterday afternoon, Prime Minister Netanyahu met with U.S. President Joe Biden. They discussed numerous issues, including their joint stated commitment to not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. But chief among their topics was the normalization of ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, which the U.S. is helping to broker. A sticking point for the Biden administration has been the Palestinian issue. Netanyahu promised to compromise on a limited basis. A key issue for Saudi Arabia has been their desire for a defense alliance with the U.S. similar to that enjoyed by Japan and South Korea. This week, the Biden administration agreed to that.
Saudi Crown Prince MBS Says Every Day Brings Normalization with Israel Closer
In a truly amazing interview with Brett Baier of Fox News, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman denied reports that normalization talks with Israel had stalled. “Every day we get closer. It seems it’s for the first time a real one – serious. We get to see how it goes,” said the de facto leader of the nation. Much will depend on negotiations over the Palestinians. MBS said that he wanted to see “a good life for the Palestinians”, but he stopped short of demanding a two-state solution. While most of the negotiations are taking place behind closed doors, there is the occasional leak.
One such bit of leaked news is momentous if true. The Saudis are very concerned over the possibility of Iran going nuclear, with MBS saying that if it were to happen then Saudi Arabia would “have to get one, for security reasons, for balancing power.” Now, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that a secretive deal is being discussed between Israeli officials and the Biden administration for the establishment of a U.S.-run uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia as part of the normalization deal.
Palestinian Bomb Plot Fails – Twice
A device that exploded near a tree in Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon Park on Friday was likely intended for pickup and use in another location. No one was injured in the premature explosion. Two Palestinian suspects were later arrested with one of them admitting to being part of the plot. Two days earlier during a protest along the separation fence with Gaza, a group of Palestinians attempted to throw a bomb over the barrier. The device exploded prematurely killing five and wounding 20 others. It seems the ruthlessness of the terrorist element is only surpassed by their incompetence.
U.S. Completes “Not Ransom” Payment for Hostages
The “prisoner swap” between the U.S. and Iran was completed on Monday. This is despite Iran canceling the security clearance of several of the most experienced inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
This is despite Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s visit to Tehran on Tuesday, leading to the minister’s declaration that relations between Russia and Iran are “reaching a new level”. This is despite the pledge that the United States does not pay ransom for hostages, which is a huge relief to us all because the alternative would be insanity. This is despite Iran disrespectfully insisting that the “not ransom” money, which was funneled through Qatari banks, be paid in euros.
Mysterious Objects Fall from the Iranian Sky
On Monday, objects began falling from the sky in and around the city of Gorgan in the north of Iran. Some of these mysterious meteors exploded when they hit the ground, causing minimal damage and injuring two people. Speculation ran rampant with possible explanations running from enemy attack to extra-terrestrial beings.
After letting the confusion mount for a while, the Defense Ministry finally fessed up. “In the process of testing defense and drone systems in a desert region, one of these systems suffered a technical defect and deviated from its main path,” admitted a ministry spokesperson.
The Brief War You May Have Never Heard Of
Hostilities broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Azeri autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh. A large contingent of Armenians lead a separatist movement bent on breaking away from Azerbaijan. This has led to years of tension which occasionally breaks out in outright war, as it did Tuesday.
The Armenians and the Azeris both rushed troops to the border. Then, when seven Azeri soldiers were killed in an Armenian landmine explosion, Azerbaijan declared war. They immediately began shelling the city of Stepankart in Nagorno-Karabakh. Eventually, 27 were killed and 200 were injured by the Azeri artillery. Then, as quickly as it began, the war was over with the Azeris as victors. Russian peacekeepers mediated a deal in which the separatist Armenians would lay down their weapons and leave Karabakh. Peace has returned to the region, at least until the hostilities break out again.
China Breaching Taiwanese Airspace Again
Once again, China is asserting their dominance in the South China Sea. In a single 24-hour period from Sunday to Monday, they sent a record-high 103 warplanes toward Taiwan. While turning back before actually reaching the island, many still crossed into the nation’s airspace.
Wild Weather Continues
Huge storms continue to pound parts of the globe. In Spain, flooding has hit Madrid, Sierra de Yeguas, and Espinardo. In other parts of the world, dangerous waters have covered parts of Cape Town, South Africa; Hérault, France; Kenton, UK; Taif, Saudi Arabia; and Bahla and Samad al-Shan, Oman. In addition, there was a massive dust storm in Yobe, Algeria, and tornados in Beijing and Suqian City in China and in rural Kansas. Major natural disasters are to be expected as the world’s birth pangs increase.
