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Tag: foreign minister

  • Finnish FM visits Jerusalem for first time since 2016, discusses regional issues with FM Sa’ar

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    Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar hosted Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen in Jerusalem, marking the first such visit in nearly a decade amid EU discussions on Israel.

    Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar hosted his Finnish counterpart, Elina Valtonen, at the ministry in Jerusalem during an official diplomatic visit on Sunday.

    Valtonen’s visit marked the first time a Finnish foreign minister has visited Jerusalem since 2016.

    The Foreign Ministry viewed the visit as a significant diplomatic opportunity, particularly against the backdrop of the complex international climate in which Israel is operating and the discussions taking place within the European Union regarding ties with Israel.

    Sa’ar and Valtonen first met privately, then held an expanded meeting with delegations from their respective countries. Sa’ar’s office described the talks as “substantive and in-depth,” focusing on two main tracks: strengthening bilateral relations and recent regional developments.

    Sa’ar thanked Valtonen for Finland’s support of the EU’s decision to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.

    Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar hosting his Finnish counterpart, Elina Valtonen, at the Foreign Ministry, Jerusalem, February 15, 2026. (credit: SHLOMI AMSALEM/GPO)

    “This is the first visit in a decade, and we did not want to miss the opportunity to influence the Finnish government,” a source familiar with the details said concerning Israel’s goals for the meeting.

    Sa’ar attempts to counter criticism of Israel’s West Bank bills

    Sa’ar also presented Valtonen with a map of Israel, intended to illustrate the country’s limited size, amid international criticism of recent decisions regarding Israel and the administration of the West Bank.

    The map showed that Israel is approximately one-fifteenth the size of Finland, with Jerusalem officials emphasizing that this relatively small size is central to understanding security constraints.

    Valtonen is slated to visit Yad Vashem and the site of the Nova music festival – a focal point of the October 7 massacre – during her visit.

    The Foreign Ministry estimates that Valtonen’s visit could help shape Finland’s positions within the EU and other international forums in the coming period, particularly regarding regional issues and Europe’s approach to Israel.

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  • Iran’s president seeks ‘fair and equitable negotiations’ with the United States

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    Iran’s president said Tuesday that he instructed the country’s foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations” with the United States, the first clear sign from Tehran it wants to try to negotiate as tensions remain high with Washington after the Mideast country’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month.The announcement marked a major turn for reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, who broadly had warned Iranians for weeks that the turmoil in his country had gone beyond his control. It also signals that the president received support from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for talks that the 86-year-old cleric previously had dismissed.Video above: Iran warns of “regional war” if U.S. attacksTurkey had been working behind the scenes to make the talks happen there later this week as U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff is traveling in the region.But whether Iran and the U.S. can reach an agreement remains to be seen, particularly as President Donald Trump now has included Iran’s nuclear program in a list of demands from Tehran in any talks. Trump ordered the bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites during the 12-day war Israel launched against Iran in June.Iran’s president signals talks are possibleWriting on X, Pezeshkian said in English and Farsi that the decision came after “requests from friendly governments in the region to respond to the proposal by the President of the United States for negotiations.”“I have instructed my Minister of Foreign Affairs, provided that a suitable environment exists — one free from threats and unreasonable expectations — to pursue fair and equitable negotiations, guided by the principles of dignity, prudence, and expediency,” he said.The U.S. has yet to acknowledge the talks will take place. A semiofficial news agency in Iran on Monday reported — then later deleted without explanation — that Pezeshkian had issued such an order to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who held multiple rounds of talks with Witkoff before the 12-day war.Khamenei adviser speaks on the nuclear issueLate Monday, the pan-Arab satellite channel Al Mayadeen, which is politically allied with the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, aired an interview with Ali Shamkhani, a top Khamenei adviser on security.Shamkhani, who now sits on the country’s Supreme National Security Council and who in the 1980s led Iran’s navy, wore a naval uniform as he spoke.He suggested if the talks happened, they would be indirect at the beginning, then moving to direct talks if a deal appeared to be attainable. Direct talks with the U.S. long have been a highly charged political issue within Iran’s theocracy, with reformists like Pezeshkian pushing for them and hard-liners dismissing them.The talks would solely focus on nuclear issues, he added.Asked about whether Russia could take Iran’s enriched uranium like it did in Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Shamkhani dismissed the idea, saying there was “no reason” to do so. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Monday said Russia had “long offered these services as a possible option that would alleviate certain irritants for a number of countries.”“Iran does not seek nuclear weapons, will not seek a nuclear weapon and will never stockpile nuclear weapons, but the other side must pay a price in return for this,” he said.Video below: “HELP IS ON ITS WAY:” Trump weighs response to deadly protests in IranIran had been enriching uranium up to 60% purity, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels. The International Atomic Energy Agency had said Iran was the only country in the world to enrich to that level that wasn’t armed with the bomb.Iran has been refusing requests by the IAEA to inspect the sites bombed in the June war.“The quantity of enriched uranium remains unknown, because part of the stockpile is under rubble, and there is no initiative yet to extract it, as it is extremely dangerous,” Shamkhani said.Witkoff traveling to IsraelWitkoff is expected to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli security officials on Tuesday, according to a White House official who was not authorized to comment publicly about the talks and spoke on condition of anonymity. He will travel to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, later in the week for Russia-Ukraine talks, the official said.“We have talks going on with Iran, we’ll see how it all works out,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday. Asked what his threshold was for military action against Iran, he declined to elaborate.“I’d like to see a deal negotiated,” Trump said. “Right now, we’re talking to them, we’re talking to Iran, and if we could work something out, that’d be great. And if we can’t, probably bad things would happen.” Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani, Matthew Lee and Konstantin Toropin in Washington contributed to this report.

    DUBAI, Dubai —

    Iran’s president said Tuesday that he instructed the country’s foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations” with the United States, the first clear sign from Tehran it wants to try to negotiate as tensions remain high with Washington after the Mideast country’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month.

    The announcement marked a major turn for reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, who broadly had warned Iranians for weeks that the turmoil in his country had gone beyond his control. It also signals that the president received support from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for talks that the 86-year-old cleric previously had dismissed.

    Video above: Iran warns of “regional war” if U.S. attacks

    Turkey had been working behind the scenes to make the talks happen there later this week as U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff is traveling in the region.

    But whether Iran and the U.S. can reach an agreement remains to be seen, particularly as President Donald Trump now has included Iran’s nuclear program in a list of demands from Tehran in any talks. Trump ordered the bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites during the 12-day war Israel launched against Iran in June.

    Iran’s president signals talks are possible

    Writing on X, Pezeshkian said in English and Farsi that the decision came after “requests from friendly governments in the region to respond to the proposal by the President of the United States for negotiations.”

    “I have instructed my Minister of Foreign Affairs, provided that a suitable environment exists — one free from threats and unreasonable expectations — to pursue fair and equitable negotiations, guided by the principles of dignity, prudence, and expediency,” he said.

    The U.S. has yet to acknowledge the talks will take place. A semiofficial news agency in Iran on Monday reported — then later deleted without explanation — that Pezeshkian had issued such an order to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who held multiple rounds of talks with Witkoff before the 12-day war.

    Khamenei adviser speaks on the nuclear issue

    Late Monday, the pan-Arab satellite channel Al Mayadeen, which is politically allied with the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, aired an interview with Ali Shamkhani, a top Khamenei adviser on security.

    Shamkhani, who now sits on the country’s Supreme National Security Council and who in the 1980s led Iran’s navy, wore a naval uniform as he spoke.

    He suggested if the talks happened, they would be indirect at the beginning, then moving to direct talks if a deal appeared to be attainable. Direct talks with the U.S. long have been a highly charged political issue within Iran’s theocracy, with reformists like Pezeshkian pushing for them and hard-liners dismissing them.

    The talks would solely focus on nuclear issues, he added.

    Asked about whether Russia could take Iran’s enriched uranium like it did in Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Shamkhani dismissed the idea, saying there was “no reason” to do so. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Monday said Russia had “long offered these services as a possible option that would alleviate certain irritants for a number of countries.”

    “Iran does not seek nuclear weapons, will not seek a nuclear weapon and will never stockpile nuclear weapons, but the other side must pay a price in return for this,” he said.

    Video below: “HELP IS ON ITS WAY:” Trump weighs response to deadly protests in Iran

    Iran had been enriching uranium up to 60% purity, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels. The International Atomic Energy Agency had said Iran was the only country in the world to enrich to that level that wasn’t armed with the bomb.

    Iran has been refusing requests by the IAEA to inspect the sites bombed in the June war.

    “The quantity of enriched uranium remains unknown, because part of the stockpile is under rubble, and there is no initiative yet to extract it, as it is extremely dangerous,” Shamkhani said.

    Witkoff traveling to Israel

    Witkoff is expected to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli security officials on Tuesday, according to a White House official who was not authorized to comment publicly about the talks and spoke on condition of anonymity. He will travel to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, later in the week for Russia-Ukraine talks, the official said.

    “We have talks going on with Iran, we’ll see how it all works out,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday. Asked what his threshold was for military action against Iran, he declined to elaborate.

    “I’d like to see a deal negotiated,” Trump said. “Right now, we’re talking to them, we’re talking to Iran, and if we could work something out, that’d be great. And if we can’t, probably bad things would happen.”

    Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani, Matthew Lee and Konstantin Toropin in Washington contributed to this report.

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  • Trump announces potential meeting with Iran amid ongoing protests

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    President Donald Trump announced over the weekend that Iranian leaders have reached out to negotiate as protests challenging Iran’s theocracy continue.On Sunday, Trump told reporters that a meeting with Iran is being arranged after the country called to negotiate. “We may meet with them. I mean, a meeting is being set up. But we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump said.Iran’s foreign minister claimed Monday the situation is now under total control following a crackdown on nationwide protests. He also alleged that the protests “turned violent and bloody to give an excuse” for Trump to intervene, though he provided no evidence for this claim.At least two major outlets reported that Trump has been presented with military options for a strike on Iran but has not made a final decision. Iran’s parliament speaker stated that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America launches a strike.The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports that at least 572 people have been killed in Iran, including at least 496 protesters.Around the world, people have been rallying in support of protests in Iran. In Los Angeles, a driver of a U-Haul truck sped through an anti-Iran demonstration on Sunday. Police say one person was hit by the truck, but nobody was seriously injured. The driver of the truck has not been identified, but officials said they were being detained “pending further investigation.”Keep watching for the latest from the Washington News Bureau:

    WASHINGTON —

    President Donald Trump announced over the weekend that Iranian leaders have reached out to negotiate as protests challenging Iran’s theocracy continue.

    On Sunday, Trump told reporters that a meeting with Iran is being arranged after the country called to negotiate.

    “We may meet with them. I mean, a meeting is being set up. But we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump said.

    Iran’s foreign minister claimed Monday the situation is now under total control following a crackdown on nationwide protests. He also alleged that the protests “turned violent and bloody to give an excuse” for Trump to intervene, though he provided no evidence for this claim.

    At least two major outlets reported that Trump has been presented with military options for a strike on Iran but has not made a final decision. Iran’s parliament speaker stated that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America launches a strike.

    The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports that at least 572 people have been killed in Iran, including at least 496 protesters.

    Around the world, people have been rallying in support of protests in Iran.

    In Los Angeles, a driver of a U-Haul truck sped through an anti-Iran demonstration on Sunday. Police say one person was hit by the truck, but nobody was seriously injured.

    The driver of the truck has not been identified, but officials said they were being detained “pending further investigation.”

    Keep watching for the latest from the Washington News Bureau:


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  • Estonian foreign minister expects further Russian provocations

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    NATO reacted appropriately to Russia’s recent violations of Estonia’s airspace but should expect further disruptive actions from Moscow, according to the Baltic country’s foreign minister.

    “I’m really sure that Russia will continue these provocations. It’s not about Estonia, it’s about NATO unity, as well as testing our capabilities, to also trans-Atlantic unity,” Margus Tsahkna told dpa on Friday on the sidelines of the Tallinn Digital Summit.

    In September, three Russian fighter jets entered the airspace of the EU and NATO member state for about 12 minutes.

    The government in Tallinn requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council and consultations with its allies under Article 4 of the NATO Treaty.

    In a subsequent statement, the military alliance warned Russia against further border violations, threatening the use of force.

    “We reacted, I think, in a very solid way,” said Tsahkna, adding that NATO had shown that it functions well, including through the immediate interception of the Russian aircraft.

    “Everything was under control. There was no immediate direct military threat.”

    Even after the incident, the alliance showed political unity and determination, he noted.

    Estonia’s foreign minister joined Latvia and Lithuania in calling for NATO’s mission to monitor Baltic airspace to be converted into a genuine defence operation.

    “We are supporting this idea,” said Tsahkna, while stressing that it is not enough to simply change the mission’s name.

    Rather, it must be upgraded with improved air-defence capabilities, according to the minister.

    The governments in Riga and Vilnius had previously spoken out in favour of transforming NATO’s Baltic Air Policing Mission into an Air Defence Mission.

    Under the joint mission implemented in 2004, NATO allies take turns providing fighter jets and personnel for armed protection flights.

    The three Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which border Russia, do not have suitable aircraft of their own for the task.

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  • Gideon Sa’ar to WSJ: ‘Israel fighting multi-front war on front lines, political arena’

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    He told the American newspaper that he rejoined the Netanyahu government because he believes that differences in Israeli politics will be insignificant in the future.

    Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told the Wall Street Journal in a Tuesday interview that Israel is facing a multi-front war on the battle lines and in the political arena.

    “Today, the challenges are not only military. They are also political, and those who worked to impose a military siege on Israel are now working to impose a political siege,” he told the WSJ.

    He told the American newspaper that he rejoined the Netanyahu government because he believes that differences in Israeli politics will be insignificant in the future.

    “The differences between Israel’s Zionist parties today will be viewed historically as insignificant and marginal in comparison to the challenges we are facing,” Sa’ar said, adding that he came to this realization after October 7.

    He is now aiming to try and “change things from the inside” and rejoined the Likud party this month.

    Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar at a briefing with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. (credit: Ohad Kav)

    “I’m still in the government, even when I sometimes have disputes,” he said.

    He went on to discuss how several European nations’ pending recognition of a Palestinian state affected negotiations and the IDF’s Gaza City Operation.

    “When Hamas praises you, as it did with [Emmanuel] Macron, it speaks for itself,” he said, adding that he didn’t understand why the need to recognize a Palestinian state suddenly arose.

    “In the beginning, it was supposed to be under certain conditions,” such as recognizing Israel and making peace. Now, Sa’ar says he thinks that “all conditions were forgotten.”

    He sees this as a victory for Hamas.

    “Hamas said recognition is the fruit of October 7,” Saar noted.

    Europe “cannot understand that the Palestinians—all the factions—their ideology is to eliminate the Jewish state,” Saar said.

    Talking about ‘two-state solution’

    “It’s a nice term, ‘two-state solution.’ First of all, you have a solution. But when you ask, ‘Do you want a terror state?’ it becomes a different conversation.”

    He added that the growing Muslim communities in Europe affected the calls to recognize a Palestinian state.

    “Europe today has huge Muslim communities. There are already cells of radical Islam there. It has an effect.”

    The minister goes on to discuss the Gaza Strip, saying that “the real aid situation has improved dramatically.” Describing the aid being given to Gazans as not “humanitarian,” but “political.”

    The minister also says that Israel’s global reputation in regards to its strength was restored since October 7, saying that “we changed the entire strategic equation in the Middle East.”

    Also regarding Israel’s global image, Sa’ar said that the country will not “risk real interests for a temporary period of quiet and better PR.

    “We need to survive first. After that, there comes popularity and how much we can convince others around the world.”

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  • German Foreign Minister Wadephul to visit Estonia, Denmark and France

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    German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is travelling to Estonia, Denmark and France on Thursday against the backdrop of the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine.

    Wadephul is set for talks with his Estonian colleague Margus Tsahkna in Tallinn before meeting President Alar Karis, according to the Foreign Office in Berlin.

    He will also give a speech at the conference of Estonian ambassadors.

    In the afternoon, Wadephul is due to travel on to Denmark for talks with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen in Copenhagen.

    From the Danish capital, he is expected to fly to the southern French port of Toulon to take part in the German-French Council of Ministers.

    On Friday and Saturday, he will return to Copenhagen for an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers.

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  • German foreign minister sees Indonesia and Japan as key to business

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    Indonesia and Japan are key countries in Asia for the German economy, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Thursday at the end of a four-day inaugural visit to the two countries.

    “Indonesia is a good example of how we have markets around the world that we don’t really see,” the conservative politician said in Jakarta, after visiting a production facility belonging to German truck and bus manufacturer Daimler Truck.

    Wadephul said Indonesia, a country of more than 280 million people, is developing slowly but steadily.

    “We must finally recognize that there is a growing middle class and a growing number of consumers who are looking for new products and new ideas,” he added.

    “There is no single way to broaden your base or become independent, but rather many ways. And I believe that there are great opportunities in this region in particular.”

    Wadephul visits Daimler factory

    Earlier, Wadephul was briefed on the work at Daimler Truck’s production site in Cikarang, east of Jakarta, which opened in June. The company manufactures chassis for trucks and buses at the site.

    Around 200 employees assemble almost 200 chassis every month, on a site covering 130,000 square metres, for the Indonesian market and neighbouring regions.

    Daimler Truck has invested a total of €27 million ($31.4 million) in the new location. A special feature is the company’s own test track, which the minister took a look at.

    According to the German government, Daimler Truck is one of the few German companies that has its own production facilities in Indonesia, in addition to sales and training activities.

    Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul delivers a statement and takes questions from journalists at the end of his trip. Soeren Stache/dpa

    Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (L) and Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), stand next to each other before their meeting. Soeren Stache/dpa

    Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (L) and Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), stand next to each other before their meeting. Soeren Stache/dpa

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  • Saudi says escalating tensions amid Houthi attacks and US strikes are dangerous

    Saudi says escalating tensions amid Houthi attacks and US strikes are dangerous

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    By Kanishka Singh

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said the kingdom was “very worried” that tensions in the Red Sea amid attacks by Yemen’s Houthis and U.S. strikes on Houthi targets could spiral out of control and escalate the conflict in the region.

    “I mean, of course, we are very worried. I mean, you know, we are in a very difficult and dangerous time in the region, and that’s why we are calling for de-escalation,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan told CNN ‘Fareed Zakaria GPS’ in an interview that will be aired on Sunday.

    Attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthi militia on ships in and around the Red Sea for the past several weeks have slowed trade between Asia and Europe and alarmed major powers in an escalation of the war in Gaza.

    The Saudi foreign minister said the kingdom believed in freedom of navigation and wanted tensions in the region to be de-escalated.

    “We of course, believe very much in the freedom of navigation. And that’s something that needs to be protected. But we also need to protect the security and stability of the region. So we are very focused on de-escalating the situation as much as possible,” he told CNN.

    The Houthis, who control most of Yemen, say their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians under attack from Israel in Gaza.

    Since last week, the United States has been launching strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, and this week returned the militia to a list of “terrorist” groups. President Joe Biden said on Thursday that air strikes would continue even as he acknowledged they may not be halting the Houthi attacks.

    The confrontation risks an expansion of the conflict beyond Hamas-governed Gaza, where the local health ministry says over 24,000 people – or more than 1% of Gaza’s 2.3 million population – have been killed in Israel’s assault.

    Israel launched its offensive following Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by the Palestinian Islamist group, which Israeli officials say killed 1,200 people.

    (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Daniel Wallis)

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