Trump, Iran edge toward nuclear-talks showdown

U.S.-Iran talks shift to Oman as Tehran demands bilateral format, Saudis warn they’ll match any Iranian bomb and Gulf incidents raise war fears.
Joshua Marks

An Iranian Kurdish man in traditional dress walks past an anti-U.S. billboard in Tehran’s Valiasr Square on Feb. 4, 2026. Credit: AFP via Getty Images.

(Feb. 4, 2026 / JNS)  The upcoming U.S.-Iran nuclear talks are now expected to be held in Oman on Friday, after the Trump administration agreed to Tehran’s request to move the venue from Turkey, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing an Arab source familiar with the discussions.

As second phase of Gaza peace deal moves forward, Hamas leaders could leave Strip

Hamas leaders in exile reject reports leaders will leave, as questions remain about terror group’s disarmament.

Destroyed homes in the Hamad City area, north of Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, January 6, 2025. (Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)

Senior Hamas commanders in Gaza are preparing to leave the enclave as part of the transition to the second phase of the Gaza peace plan, Saudi Arabia news site Asharq al-Awsat reported last week.

Quoting three Hamas sources, the report stated that “several prominent political and military leaders” who survived the war would be allowed to leave the territory as part of the transition to the second phase of the Gaza peace plan. Turkey, which currently hosts some political leadership of Hamas, has been

In book, Kushner says Netanyahu was unenthusiastic on Jerusalem recognition

In upcoming memoir, former US President’s son-in-law said to claim Trump considered nixing the move given the PM’s cool response.

By MICHAEL HOROVITZ

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner (L) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak at a press conference at the prime minister's Jerusalem residence on December 21, 2020. (Screen capture/YouTube)

Jared Kushner, the son-in-law and senior advisor to former US president Donald Trump, reveals in an upcoming book that when Trump decided to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the US embassy there in 2017, then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reaction was decidedly tepid.

The book, “Breaking History: A White House Memoir,” is set to be published on August 23 but was posted on a Saudi website earlier this week and reveals Netanyahu’s cool response almost sabotaged the plan.

In new book, Kushner claims envoy Friedman went rogue to okay West Bank annexation

Top Trump aide says ‘my knuckles turned white’ as Netanyahu used peace plan rollout to promise sovereignty in settlements and Jordan Valley, did so thanks to Friedman’s assurances.

By JACOB MAGID

Then-US president Donald Trump, center, is flanked by then-ambassador to Israel David Friedman, left, and then-senior adviser Jared Kushner in the Oval Office on August 12, 2020. (AP/Andrew Harnik)

US ambassador to Israel David Friedman went rogue when he told then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the Trump administration would back plans to annex large parts of the West Bank, ex-White House senior adviser Jared Kushner maintains in a new book slated to be published later this month.

Trump wanted to scrap peace plan unless Abbas approved - Kushner

Trump only wanted to proceed with Abbas’s approval even though Kushner explained that the logic of the deal was “heads you win, tails they lose.”

By LAHAV HARKOV

Jared Kushner attends the funeral for Ivana Trump, socialite and first wife of former US President Donald Trump, in New York City, US, July 20, 2022.

(photo credit: REUTERS/JEENAH MOON)

Former US president Donald Trump nearly shelved his peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians at the last minute because the latter did not support it, contrary to what was presented as the plan’s unique logic, former White House senior advisor Jared Kushner wrote in a book set to be published later this month.

Kushner and then-ambassador to Israel David Friedman walked Trump through the parts of the plan and their expected reactions to it for over an hour. Kushner

Jared Kushner to invest Saudi funds in Israeli start-ups - report

People familiar with the fund's investment plan told The Wall Street Journal that the fund has already selected two Israeli firms to invest in.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner (L) meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (R) during his visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, September 1, 2020     (photo credit: SAUDI PRESS AGENCY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)

A new private-equity fund run by Jared Kushner intends to invest millions of dollars raised from Saudi Arabia in Israeli start-ups, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

The fund, Affinity Partners, has already raised over $3 billion, including a $2 billion commitment from Saudi Arabia's sovereign-wealth fund.

‘What the hell was that?’: Netanyahu annexation announcement caught Trump off guard

Book tells of Jared Kushner’s fury at Israeli PM’s unexpected declaration, an exasperated Trump snapping, ‘If you want to do it, do it,’ and Netanyahu’s cold feet before UAE deal.

By TOI STAFF

Then-US president Donald Trump, right, looks over to then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, during an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, January 28, 2020, at which Trump unveiled his 'Peace to Prosperity' vision for an Israeli-Palestinian accord. (AP/Susan Walsh)

In January 2020, during a festive White House unveiling of Donald Trump’s long-gestating peace plan, then-Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu giddily announced that under its auspices, Israel would move to immediately annex large

Funcionarios de los gobiernos de Biden y Trump participarán en evento conmemorativo de los Acuerdos de Abraham

Enlace Judío – Altos funcionarios de las administraciones de Biden y Trump harán una rara aparición conjunta en un evento que marcará el primer aniversario de la firma de los Acuerdos de Abraham la próxima semana en Washington, de acuerdo con The Times of Israel.

El evento del próximo martes está siendo organizado por el Instituto de la Paz Acuerdos de Abraham, una iniciativa de Jared Kushner, asesor principal y yerno del expresidente Donald Trump, y uno de los principales intermediarios de los acuerdos de normalización que firmó Israel el año pasado con Emiratos Árabes Unidos, Baréin, Marruecos y Sudán.

Kushner asistirá y ofrecerá comentarios de apertura, dijo el director ejecutivo del Instituto, Robert Greenway, quien fue director de asuntos de Medio Oriente en el

The Interests Behind the Saudi-Qatar Rapprochement

Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman greets Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, image via Twitter @TRTWorldNow

BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 1,887, January 15, 2021

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Behind the ending of the dispute between the two Gulf States stands an intense fear of Iran as well as American pressure to renew diplomatic ties. Israel must bear in mind that ties with the Gulf States are not etched in stone.

The year 2021 began with refreshing news: after three years of a diplomatic and economic boycott of Qatar accompanied by a land blockade, Saudi Arabia and Qatar will be signing an agreement that will bring the dispute to an end. The

Analysis: To Normalize Ties With Israel, Saudi Crown Prince Must Placate His Father – and Biden

While the king sees his realm as the guardian of the whole Arab world, his son backs a Saudi-first approach. This debate will be key in relations with Israel, Iran and the new U.S. administration.

Zvi Bar'el

Saudi King Salman, center, and his son Crown Prince Mohammed, left, in Riyadh, 2019. Amr Nabil / AP

Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi was shocked by Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal’s tirade against Israel during a virtual security conference in Bahrain. After all, just a few days earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (a meeting whose existence Prince Turki vehemently denied).

Granted, Netanyahu didn’t return with a new normalization deal, but the very fact that the meeting took place could be viewed as a step toward it.

Kushner: Trump’s Jerusalem recognition led to ‘explosion of peace’ in region

White House senior adviser links president’s recognition of capital to subsequent normalization deals, recalling and dismissing criticism that move would inflame tensions.

By JACOB MAGID

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner after planting an olive tree at the Jerusalem Grove of Nations on December 21, 2020. (Amos Ben Gershom/ GPO)

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner said Monday that US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital yielded an “explosion of peace” in the region.

“It turns out Jerusalem is not the cause of the problem — it is the core of the solution,” Kushner said at a tree-planting ceremony in the capital’s Grove of Nations.

‘Historic’: Israel, Morocco agree on diplomatic ties ‘as soon as possible’

US move to recognize Rabat’s claim over Western Sahara paves way for fourth in series of Trump-brokered normalization accords, will include liaison offices and direct flights.

By JACOB MAGID and AP

(L-R) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump and Moroccan King Mohammed VI (Abir Sultan, Evan Vucci and Moroccan Royal Palace/AP)

Israel and Morocco have agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations, US President Donald Trump announced Thursday, marking the fourth Arab-Israel agreement in four months.

As part of the announcement, Trump said that the US would recognize Morocco’s claim over the disputed Western Sahara region.

As his time in office winds down, Trump said Israel and Morocco would restore diplomatic and other relations, including the immediate opening of liaison offices in

Trump’s bribe to Morocco to ‘recognize’ Israel means little — but could inflame a colonial conflict in the Western Sahara

The latest Trump move to bribe an Arab nation into “recognizing” Israel means practically even less than the first 3 “normalizations” — but could inflame a smoldering colonial conflict some 4000 miles to the west of Tel Aviv.

BY JAMES NORTH

MOHAMED AL WALI, 65, A POLISARIO FIGHTER, STANDS NEXT TO A SAHRAWI ARAB DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC FLAG AT A FORWARD BASE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF TIFARITI, WESTERN SAHARA, SEPTEMBER 9, 2016. (PHOTO: REUTERS/ZOHRA BENSEMRA)

The latest Trump move to bribe an Arab nation into “recognizing” Israel means practically even less than the first 3 “normalizations” — but could inflame a smoldering colonial conflict some 4000 miles to the west of Tel Aviv.

What’s more, one expert even warns that Trump’s bribe might eventually jeopardize global food security.

Saudi Arabia will soon move to normalize ties with Israel, official predicts

Senior defense official says the kingdom could be next to ‘come out of the closet,’ amid reports that Israel on verge of normalizing relations with Sudan

By TOI STAFF

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, left, speaks to his father, King Salman, at a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh, December 9, 2018. (Saudi Press Agency via AP)

A senior defense official on Thursday predicted Saudi Arabia would soon move to normalize ties with Israel.

The comments by the official, who spoke to reporters as Defense Minister Benny Gantz visited America, came amid reports that Sudan was poised to follow the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in normalizing diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.

It wouldn’t have happened without Trump

Only an administration staffed by amateurs who didn’t play by the rules could have orchestrated the Abraham Accords. Don’t expect the Democrats to build on this success.

JONATHAN S. TOBIN

President Donald J. Trump, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Foreign Affairs for the United Arab Emirates Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyanisigns sign the Abraham Accords Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, on the South Lawn of the White House. Credit: Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian.

(September 16, 2020 / JNS) The gala signing of the normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain was a bitter pill for the diplomatic establishment to swallow. The people who are counting on taking back control of American foreign policy after a Joe Biden victory in November could only look on with dismay as President Donald Trump presided over the sort of ceremony that they would have liked to have pulled off, but failed to do so when they had the chance.

En una sola frase Trump expuso la mentira palestina

MSNBC

Una de las declaraciones más notables hechas por el Presidente de los Estados Unidos Donald Trump durante su discurso del martes, antes de la ceremonia de firma de los Acuerdos de Abraham, pasó prácticamente desapercibida tanto para los partidarios como para los críticos de los Acuerdos.

Quizás esto tuvo que ver con el hecho de que lo dijo al principio de su discurso, que fue innovador en su conjunto.

O tal vez fue porque sus palabras precedieron a las del Primer Ministro Benjamin Netanyahu, el Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos Abdullah bin Zajed al-Nahjan y el Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Bahrein Abdullatif al-Zajani.

Después de las observaciones iniciales, que incluían agradecer a todos los que hicieron posible el Tratado de Paz de Jerusalem y Abu Dhabi y una declaración

Los acuerdos de paz de Israel son una pesadilla estratégica para Irán

El Comandante de la Armada de Irán, Almirante Habibollah Sayari, señala un mapa durante una conferencia de prensa en Teherán el 22 de diciembre de 2010. HAMED JAFARNEJAD/AFP A TRAVE DE GETTY IMAGES

Cuando el presidente de los Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, anunció el 13 de agosto el Acuerdo Abraham, que normalizó las relaciones entre los Emiratos Árabes Unidos e Israel, el mundo tomó nota de ello como un momento histórico. En Irán, el acuerdo también se registró como una grave amenaza. En una notable muestra de unanimidad, diversos funcionarios de todo el establecimiento político denunciaron el acuerdo y advirtieron sobre sus consecuencias. Fue una señal de un próximo e inevitable cambio de estrategia por parte de Irán.

El día después del acuerdo, el Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores iraní condenó el pacto como “una idiotez estratégica” y “una puñalada de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos en la espalda del pueblo palestino”. Un día después, el Cuerpo de la Guardia Revolucionaria Islámica (IRGC) emitió una ardiente declaración,

El príncipe heredero de Arabia Saudita quiere normalizar las relaciones con Israel, pero el rey se resiste

El Rey Salman, entre sus familiares durante el funeral de su medio hermano Abdullah en 2015 (Foto: AP)

Detrás de las puertas del palacio en Arabia Saudita, estalló una disputa entre el rey Salman y su hijo, el príncipe Mohammed bin Salman, sobre si el reino debería seguir a los Emiratos Árabes Unidos y Bahréin y normalizar las relaciones con Israel, informó el Wall Street Journal el sábado. Según el informe, el heredero apoya el establecimiento de vínculos económicos con Israel y la promoción de la cooperación en la lucha contra Irán, contrariamente a la posición de su padre.

El rey Salman es un partidario desde hace mucho tiempo del boicot árabe a Israel y apoya la demanda palestina de un Estado independiente. Por otro lado, Ben Salman quiere sortear lo que ve como un conflicto irreversible, unirse a la normalización con Israel, desarrollar una relación comercial y cooperar en la lucha contra Irán.

Bahrain follows UAE to normalise ties with Israel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hvkaxUjqIs

¿Puede el Monte del Templo ser una carta comercial para atraer a los saudíes?

Arabia Saudita ya disfruta de la custodia de la Mezquita Sagrada, Al-Masjid al-Ḥaram en La Meca, que es el santuario más sagrado del Islam.

Por: Tovah Lazaroff

Monte del Templo. Foto Andrew Shiva Wikimedia

El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump , ni siquiera se detuvo cuando un periodista en Washington le preguntó si Arabia Saudita seguiría a los Emiratos Árabes Unidos, que la semana pasada firmó un acuerdo de paz con Israel para normalizar los lazos.