West Asia News and Discussions

[A_Gupta]

All three levels of Microsoft CoPilot - including GPT-5 say something like this:

Did the Indian delegation fully or partially walk out of Netanyahu's speech at the UN?

No — the Indian delegation did not walk out, either fully or partially, during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent speech at the United Nations General Assembly.

Reports of the protest make clear that the walkout was staged by Arab League nations, most Muslim-majority countries, several African states, and some European delegations. The United States and a few others remained seated. Nowhere in credible coverage is India listed among those who left the hall.

India’s delegation stayed in place, consistent with its broader diplomatic approach of maintaining engagement with both Israel and Palestine rather than joining symbolic boycotts.

Google AI says:

According to reports, the Indian delegation did not walk out of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the UN General Assembly on September 26, 2025. The delegation remained in the assembly hall while many other nations' delegations did walk out.

Key details from the event:

Mass walkout: Dozens of delegates from multiple nations staged a walkout as Netanyahu began his address. Some news outlets reported that more than 100 diplomats from over 50 countries participated in the walkout, leaving a visibly empty hall.

Indian delegation remains: While a mass walkout occurred, India was not among the nations reported to have participated. This aligns with some Israeli accounts that noted a majority of countries, including non-participating nations, respected the Prime Minister by remaining.

[gakakkad]

What did we really achieve by walking out during Netanyahu’s UN speech? How many Arab countries stood with us during Pahalgam or any of the countless terror attacks on India? Our foreign policy seems like one of perpetual confusion, just like our pedestrians who neither walk on the left of the road or the right of the road, but prefer to walk right in the middle of the road with oncoming traffic!

nothing of that sort happened.

[SSridhar]

What did we really achieve by walking out during Netanyahu’s UN speech?

Don't post anything without proof.
Here is a list of 77 countries that Israel says walked out or didn't attend.

[Ambar]

What did we really achieve by walking out during Netanyahu’s UN speech?

Don't post anything without proof.
Here is a list of 77 countries that Israel says walked out or didn't attend.

Here's a different list categorized by region - https://x.com/i/grok/share/sryZ9VeUGOb2AepuhiyguSECn

And we voted in favor of Palestinian state instead of abstaining - https://www.newsonair.gov.in/india-vote ... palestine/

[gakakkad]

The first is grok hallucinating. If you ask it for proof it will back track .

The later is nothing new . India's official stand now for half a century is that it supports a 2 state solution . Such a view is in line with most of the world and even an accepted view by many Israeli political parties and former pm like the late Shimon Peres .

India has skillfully stayed out of the conflict in terms of sound bites . In practice it has secretly helped Israel by selling ammunition , resources and also sending Indian workers for blue collar jobs that were previously done by Palestinians.

[A_Gupta]

grok - Elon Musk's AI? Yeah, it is quite crappy. I will also add - I don't know why anyone stays on X/Twitter.

[A_Gupta]

The later is nothing new . India's official stand now for half a century is that it supports a 2 state solution . Such a view is in line with most of the world and even an accepted view by many Israeli political parties and former pm like the late Shimon Peres .

India also has an unofficial consulate in Ramallah, and the Palestinian Authority maintains such in Delhi as well. India aids Palestine in education and health.

[chetak]

What did we really achieve by walking out during Netanyahu’s UN speech? How many Arab countries stood with us during Pahalgam or any of the countless terror attacks on India? Our foreign policy seems like one of perpetual confusion, just like our pedestrians who neither walk on the left of the road or the right of the road, but prefer to walk right in the middle of the road with oncoming traffic!

Ambar ji,

Any walkout would have been discussed with the israelis beforehand by our people

This has been our normal practice, at least from 2014 onwards

This govt would never ambush them

The israelis know that India is sometimes constrained, and has to take a geopolitically nuanced position, whereas, the israelis have far more options open to them than India has, because they have normalized kinetic responses as a counter to most provocations...

They have not only provided tangible support but have also stood by us far longer than we acknowledge publicly (which makes us both selfish and ungrateful), and it's not just the Modi govt that is beholden to them.

Their help goes back to many decades before that when Indo israeli meetings were held on the quiet and very often in foreign locales.

It is India that has always benefitted much more from this relationship

India's official stand is that it supports a two state solution was taken by the congi govt, eager to appease local vote banks and under pressure from the "gelf" countries. This govt cannot now over turn this stand, but what it can do and does do, is not to be too vocal about this

One remembers those embarrassing days when the local sunnis or shias would come out on the streets, complete with slogans and violence, depending on which country, saudi or iran, needed India to follow their instructions or buy something from them that India did not particularly need at that point in time. Those days are gone for good

When push comes to shove, and assuming that it is still a Modi govt in power, they will find a way to support israel, which, BTW, has on more than one occasion, helped to pull our chestnuts out of the fire.

we owe them, period.

[SSridhar]

Here's a different list categorized by region - https://x.com/i/grok/share/sryZ9VeUGOb2AepuhiyguSECn

On two counts, I reject this.
1. Israel itself hasn't counted India as having walked out. After all, what more does one need? I also believe this Israeli list because even some other 'western outlets' claimed Canada walked out while it didn't and the Israeli list reflects this accurately.

2. No Indian newspaper reported that India walked out.It would have been a big news here in India had it happened, not only in mainstream media but also vernacular.

And we voted in favor of Palestinian state instead of abstaining - https://www.newsonair.gov.in/india-vote ... palestine/

Look at the contents of the resolution. They agree with whatever we have been saying for almost three to four decades now.

In the declaration, the leaders agreed to take collective action to end the war in Gaza, to achieve a just, peaceful and lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the effective implementation of the two-state solution, and to build a better future for Palestinians, Israelis and all peoples of the region. The declaration called on the Israeli leadership to issue a clear public commitment to the two-state solution, including a sovereign, and viable Palestinian State.

[SRajesh]

https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/i ... 2025-09-30
How many U turns has Trump taken??
Now he is saying Isreal doesn’t want to occupy Gaza

[A_Gupta]

Headline in The Times of Israel:

Trump thanks Netanyahu for accepting Gaza deal, says he hears Hamas wants it too, seeks ‘eternal peace in Middle East’; PM says plan ‘achieves all our war goals’
President says Arab and Muslim countries commit to demilitarize Gaza * PM says if Hamas rejects plan, Israel will 'finish the job'; says no role for Hamas or PA in post-war Gaza * White House releases Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict * PM calls Qatar PM, apologizes for attack * Hamas official reiterates it won't disarm

[A_Gupta]

AI says:

In 2011, during the Obama administration, the US asked Qatar to allow a Hamas office. This request was made to establish a channel for communication and to facilitate mediation.

Key details about the Hamas office in Qatar:

Purpose for establishment: The US wanted an indirect line of communication with Hamas to facilitate negotiations for ceasefires and hostage releases.

Relocation from Syria: The office was established in Doha in 2012, after Hamas leaders relocated from Damascus due to the Syrian civil war.
Mediation efforts: The Doha office has been instrumental in numerous US- and UN-brokered talks involving Gaza.

Qatar's rationale: Qatari officials have consistently stated that their decision to host the Hamas leadership was in response to a US request, and that the office's purpose was to facilitate diplomacy rather than provide support.

Israeli cooperation: For several years, Qatar's support for Hamas was done with the knowledge and approval of the Israeli government, which saw the arrangement as useful for containing violence.

Recent developments: In recent years, particularly following the October 7, 2023 attack, the US and other countries have pressured Qatar to reconsider hosting the Hamas office.

And of course, Israel bombed Qatar, they claim they had the green light from Trump.

[A_Gupta]

IMEC might get a boost if peace breaks out in West Asia.
But it seems Trump's 20 point plan won't bring about that.
To quote the Dawn:

IT appears that the leaders of the Muslim world have been played by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu. Though many Muslim governments, including our own, initially welcomed the 20-point Gaza ‘peace’ plan, when the reality of what it articulates — Palestinian surrender, Israeli impunity, colonial control of Gaza — dawned on them, clarifications began to pour in.

As per media reports, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu made changes to the plan that were not included in the original scheme, which US President Trump had discussed with the leaders of several Muslim states in New York last week. Perhaps that is why Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had to clarify on Tuesday that “this is not our document”, despite Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s initial euphoria. Other Muslim states, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkiye, have similarly been caught off guard by the American-Israeli sleight of hand. Reportedly, the Qataris asked the US to hold off on announcing the plan, a request that Washington clearly spurned.

The change in plan is confirmed by The Times of Israel:
https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu ... from-gaza/

....the premier did, in fact, have a lot to celebrate, as he managed to secure significant 11th-hour changes to the Trump proposal regarding the scope and nature of the IDF’s withdrawal from Gaza, along with the disarmament of Hamas.

[SSridhar]

Once upon a time, it was the West Asian Wahhabi Kingdom of Saudi Arabia plus other GCC states, along with Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon who fiercely opposed Israel. Over the decades, Egypt & Jordan have accepted the reality of Israel. Other GCC Kingdoms have woken up or are waking up to that reality. Syria & Lebanon are roundly silenced. It is Iran which has taken up the mantle of opposing Israel tooth and nail. It has jihadi terrorists, both Shia Houthis, and paradoxically the Sunni Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood under its control. The West Asian Kingdoms have always been opposed to & fearful of MB & MB-inspired Hamas. Unless Iran is defanged completely, Hamas' acceptance of the conditions will only be another Hudabaiyah.

[uddu]

Iranian Women: More Power to Israel
https://x.com/mog_russEN/status/1975536136375136498
@mog_russEN
BREAKING AND UNUSUAL

The Iranian authorities have officially announced the cancellation of mandatory hijab enforcement on women.

Fines or penalties will no longer be imposed on those who do not wear the hijab.

Experts: "The decision came as a result of previous waves of protests and Tehran's desire to avoid inflaming internal society amid tensions with Israel and America."

[A_Gupta]

“ US President Donald Trump signed a document formalizing the Gaza peace plan alongside leaders from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey at a summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Notably, neither Israel nor Hamas was represented at the signing ceremony.”

— if the two major parties to the conflict are not represented, what does the deal mean?

[Manish_P]

“ US President Donald Trump signed a document formalizing the Gaza peace plan alongside leaders from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey at a summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Notably, neither Israel nor Hamas was represented at the signing ceremony.”

— if the two major parties to the conflict are not represented, what does the deal mean?

No bells, only trumpets.

Play will resume shortly after the break

[A_Gupta]

My half-baked personal take:

1. Peace in West Asia is of strategic importance to India because of IMEC.

2. If Iran too can settle things with the West, then it is to India's benefit. Chahbahar port, energy and other trade are important to India, and would be much easier if the US were to lift sanctions on Iran.

3. Like with J&K where Article 370 was an impediment to progress, West Asia is stuck in a no-progress situation. Trump has shaken things up, and I give him full credit for trying. It may be the best thing he has attempted as POTUS.

4. However, I am pessimistic and believe that play will resume shortly after the break.

It seems the Wall Street Journal shared that opinion.
'Cracks already showing': WSJ pours cold water on Trump's peace plan
https://www.rawstory.com/donald-trump-gaza-2674181225/

[ritesh]

My half-baked personal take:

1. Peace in West Asia is of strategic importance to India because of IMEC.

2. If Iran too can settle things with the West, then it is to India's benefit. Chahbahar port, energy and other trade are important to India, and would be much easier if the US were to lift sanctions on Iran.

3. Like with J&K where Article 370 was an impediment to progress, West Asia is stuck in a no-progress situation. Trump has shaken things up, and I give him full credit for trying. It may be the best thing he has attempted as POTUS.

4. However, I am pessimistic and believe that play will resume shortly after the break.

It seems the Wall Street Journal shared that opinion.
'Cracks already showing': WSJ pours cold water on Trump's peace plan
https://www.rawstory.com/donald-trump-gaza-2674181225/

If trumpwa had only read the aashmani kitab, it would have dawned to him that there is no concept of ce-existence in islam.

[A_Gupta]

The Islamic orthodoxy had several doctrinal differences with the Ahmadi/Qadiani/Mirzai - whatever you want to call them - and one of those was the Ahmadi doctrine says no jihad!!!

[Manish_P]

The Islamic orthodoxy had several doctrinal differences with the Ahmadi/Qadiani/Mirzai - whatever you want to call them - and one of those was the Ahmadi doctrine says no jihad!!!

^ Jihad maybe, partition definetly

Ahmedis and the partition of India -

https://www.opindia.com/2019/12/how-ahm ... d-to-know/

With respect to the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan, a fact that is lesser known is that the community was at the forefront of the creation of Pakistan.

One of the foremost advocates for Pakistan was Muhammad Zafrulla Khan who was an Ahmadiyya. The Lahore Resolution of 1940 was authored by Khan himself. Commenting on his role, one commentator wrote, “[T]here needs to be a realisation that Jinnah was the ‘lawyer’ for the case of Pakistan. He argued for it and won. However, Jinnah was never the visionary or a revolutionary strategic thinker to guide the course of the nation. If anybody at all in Muslim League was a strategic thinker, it was Sir Zafarullah Khan, who was also the author of the Lahore Resolution, which for the first time chalked out the idea of Pakistan. Khan, however, belonged to the then Islamic sect of Ahmadis and thus his role over the years was kept a secret, until recently when documents and letters written by Lord Linlithgow revealed the centrality of his role.

Not only the Zafarulla Khan but the Caliph of the Ahmadiyyas at the time, Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad, too, came out in great support for the creation of Pakistan. In the 1946 elections, he advised the Ahmadiyyas to vote for the All India Muslim League and support the demand for the creation of Pakistan on which the elections were fought.

Mirza Mahmood also directed the creation of the Furqan Force, a uniformed fighting force of volunteers comprised entirely of people from the Ahmadiyya sect. The unit fought for Pakistan against India during the first war for Kashmir in 1947-48. Even the expenses for it were paid by the sect itself. He also founded the All India Kashmir Committee in 1931 and the Ahmadiyyas influenced the Kashmiri Muslim identity greatly in the 20th century.

Not merely that, even Muhammad Iqbal, who is referred to as the ‘spiritual father’ of the Pakistani state, was an Ahmadiyya for the most part of his life. He staunchly advocated for the creation of an independent Islamic state and had full faith in the Ummah. It was only during his later years that he quit the sect. It is widely known that he remained in touch with the Ahmadiyya leadership till 1931, when he vouched for the Ahmadi Khalifa as the most able person to lead as the first president of the newly founded all-India Kashmir Committee. His parents and elder brothers remained Ahmadiyyas.
...

[SRajesh]

^^And also Manishji
The 'Ah' sponsored the 'Furqhan regiment' (funded it) during the 1948 Kashmir war.
These were the irregulars that were pushed into Kashmir during start of the conflict.
So much for all that crap by the 'Candle Brigade' to include them in CAA to resettle in India!!

[A_Gupta]

Yes, Ahmadis made their choice for Pakistan and now can suffer for it.

Also strange is that their chief persecutors in Pakistan were against partition until partition happened, and then abruptly changed their tune. In particular, one of the charges against Ahmadis in the early 1950s was that Pakistan had not prevailed in J&K because of an Ahmadi conspiracy . Another of the charges was they were conspiring to undo partition.

[Manish_P]

Yes, Ahmadis made their choice for land is the biggest Pakistan and now can suffer for it.

Also strange is that their chief persecutors in Pakistan were against partition until partition happened, and then abruptly changed their tune. In particular, one of the charges against Ahmadis in the early 1950s was that Pakistan had not prevailed in J&K because of an Ahmadi conspiracy . Another of the charges was they were conspiring to undo partition.

It was more than a choice Gupta ji. They were the drivers. IMHO loss of land (territory) is considered the biggest loss. A dar-ul-islam allowed to become a Dar-ul-harb is not acceptable. This could be one of the reasons the other sects opposed them (and the partition)

[A_Gupta]

Hamas executes 'collaborators and lawbreakers' in graphic scenes in Gaza

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-15/ ... /105893350

Extremely graphic video has emerged of what appears to be Hamas fighters carrying out public executions in Gaza — as the terror group tries to reassert dominance over local clans and gangs that oppose it.

The verified clip, which ABC NEWS Verify has located as having taken place in the Sabra neighbourhood in Gaza City, shows several men being forced to kneel in the middle of a gathered crowd.

Masked gunmen — who are not wearing uniforms, but at least two have green headbands associated with Hamas's military wing — then execute the men, with some firing several shots into their bodies with high-powered weapons.

[SRajesh]

All this piece plan has resulted in is :
1. Hamas are back to their killing ways albeit killing their own people
2. Gangland type struggles started in Gaza
3. Hamas sending wrong bodies as bodies of hostages
And wont be long before they start lobbing rockets

[A_Gupta]

Indonesia, Azerbaijan, Pakistan in talks to provide troops for Gaza stabilization force
Negotiations on the makeup of the force, a key part of Trump’s 20-point-plan, are ongoing.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/1 ... s-00609565

{Ex-Biden official} “ “It’s important to show momentum. It’s important to identify these countries, have them step forward, have the mandate agreed upon, have the structure agreed upon and demonstrate that the troops are actually being prepared for deployment,” he said.”

[A_Gupta]

Peace all along the future IMEC corridor is extremely important for India. So covering the news here.
Via: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-october-16-2025/

The US is working to identify and recruit Palestinians to take part in the transitional technocratic government that will administer postwar Gaza, a senior adviser to US President Donald Trump says.
...
A number of candidates for the technocratic government are coming from the Palestinian diaspora.

“Certain Palestinians have said living in the West Bank under the PA (Palestinian Authority) rule has been like living under the mafia, and a lot of the people who wanted to have a good life just had to leave because it’s not a functional place in that regard. And obviously Gaza was run by a terrorist organization,” the Trump adviser says in surprisingly biting criticism of Ramallah, just days after Washington agreed to include PA President Mahmoud Abbas in the Gaza summit held in Sharm el-Sheikh earlier this week during which Trump was seen warmly embracing Abbas during a photo-op.

“There’s a lot of incredibly successful Palestinians in the diaspora who really want to see the suffering of their people end, and they’ve been reaching out to try to be a part of [the technocratic government],” the senior Trump adviser says.

“It’s the first time that they believe that there could be a new alternative created that’s not the Palestinian Authority and not Hamas, that could finally be a leadership that allows the Palestinian people to break free of the poor situations they’ve been in, which has mostly been inflected by poor leadership and bad decisions.”

[A_Gupta]

Same link (in The Times of Israel):

A senior Trump adviser acknowledges that implementing the demilitarization of Gaza will be a very difficult task.

“Right now we’re in the process of defining how to get there in a way where everyone feels safe,” the Trump adviser says during a briefing with reporters.

“It’s not realistic to think everyone’s just going to walk in, drop their arms and say, ‘There you go,’ he says.

“A lot of the people — even on the Hamas side — are fearful of retribution from other people inside Gaza. So it’s a very complex dynamic,” the Trump adviser continues.

“But the sentiment from the Arab mediators and from us is that they still want to continue to work together to find a way to do it,” he adds. “We’re all working very closely, creatively and aggressively to find the right outcome that satisfies everyone’s objectives.”

Regardless, the Trump adviser asserts all mediators agree that “no rebuilding money will go into areas that Hamas controls.”

The United States is working with Israel to set up a safe zone inside the areas of Gaza still controlled by the IDF to which Palestinian civilians fearing Hamas retribution can flee.

“It would have been almost impossible for Hamas — even if they knew where all the 28 bodies were — to mobilize and get them all,” says the second Trump adviser.

“First we got three. Then we got four. Then we got another four,” the aide continues, citing incorrect figures on the number of bodies Hamas returned. It transferred four bodies on both Monday and Tuesday, though one of those was later identified as a Palestinian, while only two bodies — not four — were returned on Wednesday.

“We’re probably going to put together some program where we’re going to ask [Gazans] to see if they can help us to locate bodies, and we’re going to pay rewards for that type of good behavior,” the second Trump adviser reveals.

[A_Gupta]

A realist view of the Gaza deal
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/now-com ... hard-part/

The question on many minds is not whether Hamas will ultimately accept extinction – a peaceful Hamas being oxymoronic – but whether Israel will return to war when Hamas ignores terms it never agreed to. Israel will not. Not because Trump will forbid it, though he may. And not because the Israeli public is exhausted and the IDF is overextended, which they are. But because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knows it would be pointless.

[ritesh]

Peace all along the future IMEC corridor is extremely important for India. So covering the news here.
Via: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-october-16-2025/

Unfortunately, untill and unless piecefools and their Philosophy exists, IMEC would be non starter and an excercise in vain.

[uddu]

https://x.com/MeghUpdates/status/1979847311867122084
@MeghUpdates
BREAKING Israel says Hamas violated the ceasefire, with the IDF now striking targets in Gaza as PM Netanyahu holds an emergency assessment following IDF casualties in Rafah.

Trump

[A_Gupta]

Via The Times of Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-october-20-2025/

US President Donald Trump suggests that Hamas leadership was not involved in the deadly attack against IDF troops in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday, blaming it instead on “some rebels within.”

Still, he tells reporters aboard Air Force One that “either way, it’s going to be handled properly. It’s going to be handled toughly, but properly.”

Expressing hope that the ceasefire would hold, Trump says the US wants to ensure “that it’s going to be very peaceful with Hamas.”

“As you know, they’ve been quite rambunctious. They’ve been doing some shooting, and we think maybe the leadership isn’t involved in that,” he reiterates.

Israel must start aiding the Palestinians and helping to improve their quality of life if it wants to become fully integrated into the Middle East, says Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, in an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes.

“The biggest message that we’ve tried to convey to the Israeli leadership now is that, now that the war is over, if you want to integrate Israel with the broader Middle East, you have to find a way to help the Palestinian people thrive and do better,” he says, sitting alongside US special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.

He says that the pair are “just getting started” with relaying this message to Israel.

[A_Gupta]

The Times of Israel reports:
https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-say ... tion-vote/

US President Donald Trump on Thursday declared “Israel is not going to do anything with the West Bank,” as officials from his administration leveled harsh criticism against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government after lawmakers advanced legislation to annex parts of the West Bank while Vice President JD Vance was visiting the country.
....
....
Another US official warned Thursday that Trump will “f**k” Netanyahu if the Israeli leader jeopardizes the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, according to a Channel 12 report.

“Netanyahu is walking a fine line with President Trump. If he keeps going, he’ll f**k up the Gaza deal. And if he f**ks up the deal, Donald Trump will f**k him,” the official reportedly told the outlet’s correspondent Barak Ravid.

“In English, it sounds even cruder,” news anchor Yonit Levi noted at the end of Ravid’s report.

[uddu]

Ceasefire? How dare you!
Meanwhile on the flotilla...

[A_Gupta]

https://jinsa.org/jinsa_report/rising-lion-air-defense/
Full report (PDF): https://jinsa.org/wp-content/uploads/20 ... y-Fire.pdf

Over the course of 12 days in June 2025, over a distance of some 2,000 km, Israel and Iran engaged in the first modern long-range missile and drone fire conflict between two countries that did not share a border. This unprecedented air war from June 13-24 demonstrated the effectiveness and tested the limits of modern missile defense capabilities. While the vast majority of the over 500 ballistic missiles fired by Iran did no damage to Israel, that success was due in large part to ad hoc U.S.-led air defense cooperation and achieved at the cost of significant drawdown of both U.S. and Israeli interceptor stockpiles. With Iran all but certain to rearm, the future security of both Israel and the United States will depend on formalizing and expanding the regional air defense network and investing in expanding the stockpiles and innovative capabilities of air defenses.

he United States and Israel demonstrated advanced integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) by coordinating intelligence and operations to intercept 273 of the 574 missiles Iran launched, with only 49 missiles impacting on Israeli populated areas, bases, and infrastructure. Meanwhile, limited assistance from Arab and European partners supported U.S. and Israeli efforts to defeat the 1,084 drones that Iran launched. Unlike during Iran’s previous attacks against Israel, the interplay between Israel’s offensive and defensive operations proved decisive during the conflict. Offensive operations targeting Iranian missile launchers and command sites, disrupted Iran’s ability to sustain attacks and reduced the volume and intensity of follow-on barrages.

Both Israel and the United States face the urgent need to advance their air defense systems, increase interceptor stockpiles, and implement new strategies to address increasingly concentrated and unpredictable missile attacks, before Iran rebuilds its military capabilities.

[A_Gupta]

US sends Gaza stabilization force resolution to UN Security Council members
The draft has been sent to several United Nations Security Council members and seeks to establish a two-year mandate for the force, aiming for international troops to enter Gaza by January 2026.
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-872645

[A_Gupta]

Turkey issues genocide arrest warrant against Netanyahu
https://en.prothomalo.com/international ... vexdjugxsk

Turkey announced Friday that it had issued arrest warrants for genocide against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior officials in his government over the war in Gaza.

The announcement was met with a firm rebuttal from Israel. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel "firmly rejects, with contempt" the charges, calling them "the latest PR stunt by the tyrant (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan".

The Istanbul prosecutor's office said in a statement that a total of 37 suspects were targeted by the arrest warrants, without providing a full list.

[A_Gupta]

US sidelining Israel on decision-making at Gaza ceasefire HQ, official says
Israeli liaison unit said relegated to contractor role in Gaza aid; US includes entire Trump 20-point peace plan in UN resolution establishing international Gaza force.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-sideli ... cial-says/

Along with Israel and the US, countries that have sent troops to the compound include Jordan, the UK, Germany, Denmark, Canada, Australia, France, Spain and the United Arab Emirates. Despite the presence of the foreign soldiers, the CMCC’s composition, role, chain of command, legal status and other issues are not yet locked down.

It is also still unclear which countries will agree to send troops into Gaza as part of the ISF, which Trump on Friday said would deploy “very soon.” Under Trump’s plan — the entirety of which has been submitted to the UN Security Council for approval — the stabilization force will take over Gaza as the IDF completes its withdrawal from there.

Trump also reiterated his claim that many countries have been volunteering to contribute troops to the force to take on Hamas if necessary. The claim contradicted what Arab diplomats are saying behind closed doors — that they don’t want to send their troops into Gaza if it means clashing with Hamas, which is publicly refusing to disarm.

[uddu]

MEA Reacts Sharply As Iran Ends Visa-Free Entry For Indian| India Flags 'Job Frauds, Kidnappings'
India's Ministry of External Affairs reacts sharply after Iran suspends its visa-free entry facility for Indian passport holders effective November 22, 2025. The MEA flags alarming concerns: several Indian nationals have been lured to Iran on false promises of employment or onward transit to third countries, only to be kidnapped for ransom upon arrival. The MEA warns all travelers to remain vigilant and avoid agents offering visa-free travel arrangements. Watch the official government statement, travel advisory, and implications for Indian travelers.