Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says Israel has “no intention or plan for peace” and is using diplomatic meetings to push its “illegal strategies.”
“This is not something only we see; the whole world sees it. Israel has no intention or plan regarding peace. It merely uses every platform to advance its own position and illegal strategies,” Fidan told TRT Arabi after meetings in Amman, the capital of Jordan.
He warned that if regional countries and the international community do not take steps to stop Israel’s “expansionist policies,” the result will be not just a regional crisis but a global one.
Fidan spoke after attending a ministerial meeting on Jerusalem, along with separate talks between Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia on the Gaza peace plan and wider tensions in the region.
US President Donald Trump says Washington is in talks with Tehran and would prefer a deal over more military action.
Speaking in Las Vegas, Trump claimed the US had been ready to launch what he called “the biggest attack since World War II,” but held off after Iranian officials asked to negotiate.
“We were all set for the biggest attack since World War II, and they called me and said, ‘Please don’t do it. Let’s talk,'” he said.
“I would rather make a deal with Iran because I don’t want to kill people,” Trump added. He again said Iran could not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.
Police in Germany have found a drone carrying explosives at Leipzig/Halle Airport in the east of the country. An airport worker spotted the device overnight near Ukrainian cargo planes, and a robot was sent in to inspect it. A second object also hit a cargo plane near the airport and landed in Hanover, causing minor damage.
Police removed the detonator and later set off a controlled explosion. One runway reopened just before 2am, but the other stayed closed. The airport is used by the German military and NATO allies to move military goods, and it is a base for Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines, which carries most of the country’s air cargo. It is also a major hub for the delivery company DHL.
Germany’s interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt, said the incident showed a “new level of threat.” He described it as a professional, hybrid attack and hinted that foreign powers might be involved, though he named no suspects. Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany pointed directly at Russia. Moscow has not commented, and it has denied involvement in past incidents.
German airports have been on high alert after several unauthorised drone flights in recent months over military bases, airports, energy sites, and ports. A security expert said the “drone war” has now reached Germany, exposing a weakness the country has known about for years.
The airport has been targeted before. In July 2024, a parcel caught fire there before it could be loaded onto a DHL plane — one of several parcel fires across the UK and EU that authorities suspect were sabotage linked to Moscow. Those parcels held explosives hidden in massage pillows and set off by timers. Russia denied any role. Last year, a Chinese woman was also convicted of passing airport flight and cargo information to a man spying for Beijing.
The United States and Saudi Arabia have signed a landmark agreement allowing Riyadh to develop a civilian nuclear energy programme, opening the door for major US investment in the kingdom’s nuclear sector.
The deal includes nuclear safeguards and is presented as a peaceful energy partnership, but reports suggest it could eventually allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium domestically — a move that has raised concerns over possible nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.
Saudi officials say the agreement expands existing energy cooperation, while US officials insist it will follow strict safety and non-proliferation standards. However, some experts and lawmakers warn that uranium enrichment could give Saudi Arabia a pathway toward developing nuclear weapons capabilities in the future.
The agreement comes amid rising tensions between the US and Iran, with Saudi Arabia caught in the middle of regional security concerns. The deal is expected to face scrutiny in the US Congress before moving forward.
Two people were arrested in New York after climbing to the top of the Empire State Building. A news helicopter filmed them kissing near the antenna, about 443 metres up.
They held up a banner that read, “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.”
Police climbed up and told them they couldn’t stay there. The pair, Vanya Beerkus and Angela Nikolau, are Russian nationals known for “rooftopping” — climbing tall buildings. They appeared in a 2024 Netflix show about the hobby.
Angela’s father said he wasn’t worried, since he climbs roofs too, and called it normal.
The Empire State Building called the climb “unauthorized” and said the couple should have booked its official $1,000 proposal package instead.
The US has decided not to automatically extend its trade agreement with Mexico and Canada (USMCA) for another 16 years. A US official said the deal wouldn’t be renewed as-is until outstanding problems are fixed.
Without a full renewal, the deal now faces a 10-year countdown toward possibly ending by 2036, instead of staying in place until 2042.
The US wants changes on car manufacturing rules, dairy trade access, and blocking countries like China from using the deal to bypass tariffs.
This means the three countries will now need to meet yearly to negotiate. Business groups wanted a full extension for stability, but some US steel industry groups support the yearly reviews, saying it gives American negotiators more leverage.
The USMCA, worth about $2 trillion in yearly trade, replaced NAFTA six years ago.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry says “positive progress” was made in indirect talks between US and Iranian officials in Doha. The talks, mediated separately by Qatari and Pakistani officials, focused on issues related to a memorandum of understanding, including Iran’s frozen assets.
US President Donald Trump described the meetings as “very good.”
In related developments, a foreign container ship ran aground in the Strait of Hormuz after entering shallow waters outside a designated shipping route. Separately, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said Israel’s control over the Gaza Strip “will only continue to grow” until it reaches “100 percent.”
JD Vance says Iran has agreed to allow nuclear inspectors back into the country – a key demand of the international community – with discussions with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) happening “as soon as today”.
The US vice-president said a great deal of progress had been made after the first round of talks between the US and Iran to reach a final deal to end the war, echoing a statement by mediators.
He said teams had discussed the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and “de-confliction for the regional ceasefire”.
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed last week includes a commitment to re-opening the strait and the ending the fighting on “all fronts” – including Lebanon.
In a joint statement released earlier on Monday, mediators Qatar and Pakistan said that after the first round of talks, the US and Iran had agreed to “a roadmap towards reaching a final deal within 60 days”. Vance described the talks as having laid a “very good foundation” for negotiations towards a final settlement.
Speaking in Switzerland on Monday morning, the vice-president said the nuclear issue was “probably the one we’re most excited about as Americans”.
“[This] is a major milestone for the American people and a first step in permanently… ending a nuclear weapons programme in Iran,” he said.
Iran has always insisted that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes only.
JD Vance said the Iranians didn’t walk out. He said there was a little bit of threats, a little bit of whining, that they threatened to walk out but didn’t actually walk out.
I don’t think it really matters. I think it shows that there has been some real progress here, but the process is still very delicate and fragile.
There is a process that can now be a structure for the negotiations. The technical talks continue, and there are various mechanisms in this process that if there’s a problem, then they will get to the problem straight away, resolve it without it derailing the whole process.
He mentioned the Strait of Hormuz and Lebanon as particular areas where they are going to focus.
The 14-point US-Iran framework agreement embodies the “spirit of equality”, adheres to the goals of the UN Charter and is based on the norms of international relations, China’s Foreign Ministry quoted Wang as saying.
Implementation of the deal will help consolidate the “hard-won” ceasefire, open new prospects for improved Iran-US relations and contribute to restoring peace in the Middle East, he added.
“As Iran’s comprehensive strategic partner, China has always maintained a fair and objective stance, supports all efforts conducive to peace, supports Iran in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and national dignity,” Wang said.
He also praised Tehran’s efforts to improve relations with Gulf nations and other regional states. Nezami, meanwhile, expressed appreciation for Beijing’s political support, according to the Iranian embassy in India.
