Meloni met the Qatari leader to discuss the energy crisis due to the ongoing United States and Israeli war on Iran, emphasizing Italy's readiness to contribute to the rehabilitation of Qatari energy infrastructure.
The designation prohibits the sites from being targeted or used for military purposes, with violations potentially constituting serious breaches of the 1954 Hague Convention and grounds for criminal responsibility.
The Ministers strongly condemned the unjustifiable Iranian attacks against the GCC countries which threaten regional and global security and called on Iran to cease immediately its attacks, they said in a joint EU-GCC statement. The statement also reaffirmed that Gulf countries have the right to take all necessary measures to defend their security and stability and protect their territories, citizens and residents.
The ongoing conflict between the US and Israel against Iran is creating significant challenges for Gulf Arab nations, which are already feeling the economic strain from rising tensions and instability in the region.
When EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa arrived at Jordan's Al Husainiyah Palace at midday on Thursday, there was not a cloud in the sky. Temperatures hovered around a pleasant 20 degrees Celsius. While large parts of Europe were struggling with heavy snowfall, Jordan was showing its best side, as were the leaders gathered for the first-ever EUJordan summit in Amman.
Moses Chrispus Okello, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, states that there is a high risk of escalation in Somaliland, where Israel and the UAE have interests. He emphasizes that tensions could also rise in neighboring Djibouti, where the US and other powers are active.
Qatar's minister of state for foreign affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi, speaks with Talk to Al Jazeera, as the Gulf faces its most dangerous escalation in years after coming under Iranian drone and missile attacks. Al Khulaifi condemns Iran's aggression, warns that attacks on energy infrastructure threaten global markets, and argues that Gulf security is inseparable from global stability.
The global impact of the Gulf countries is not limited to oil. This region is a hub of the international economy and if it decides to focus on its defense and to start pulling investments and to stop its [economic] engagement with the international community, the effect will be felt in every household in the world.
Israeli restrictions on Palestinian access to the old city of Jerusalem and its places of worship constituted a flagrant violation to international law, including international humanitarian law, the historical and legal status quo, and the principle of unrestricted access to places of worship.
Bilateral ties between Egypt and Somalia continue to deepen. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi assured his Somali counterpart, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Sunday in Cairothat Egypt stands firmly behind "Somalia's unity and territorial integrity." On Wednesday, Cairo then followed up on an agreement from January 2025 and deployed 1,091 troops to Somalia's capital Mogadishu. The deployment of Egyptian forces to Somalia the first such deployment in their decades-old bilateral history marks a significant shift.
Syria and Saudi Arabia have signed a major investment package spanning aviation, energy, real estate and telecommunications as Damascus's new leadership seeks to rebuild after a devastating 14-year civil war. Syrian Investment Authority chief Talal al-Hilali announced a swath of deals on Saturday, including the development of a new international airport in Aleppo, the launch of a low-cost Syrian-Saudi airline, and a telecommunications project called SilkLink aimed at turning the country into a regional hub.
