Historic US-Iran Peace Talks Resume at Swiss Resort: What You Need to Know

US and Iranian diplomats resume peace talks at a Swiss mountain resort. Vice President JD Vance will meet Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf with Pakistani and Qatari mediators. Latest updates on the critical diplomatic efforts to end tensions and resolve the Strait of Hormuz dispute.

The stakes couldn't be higher. After months of tension, threats, and a standoff that had the entire Gulf region holding its breath, American and Iranian diplomats are back at the table this time on neutral ground in Switzerland. The meeting, which kicked off this Sunday afternoon at a secluded mountain resort, marks a critical new chapter in what has been one of the most fraught relationships in modern Middle Eastern politics.

Vice President JD Vance is leading the US delegation, while Iran has sent its top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. But here's what makes this round particularly interesting: it's not just the two sides talking. Pakistan and Qatar are officially in the room as mediators, and Switzerland is playing host in what can only be described as a carefully orchestrated diplomatic dance.

Deep Dive: When Allies Disagree Inside the US-Israel-Iran Triangle

An in-depth look at the shifting dynamics in the Middle East as Washington pursues a new deal with Tehran, leaving Jerusalem worried about what's next.

The Middle East has been on edge for weeks now, and this week's episode of The Deep Dive is diving straight into the chaos. Here's the big news: the United States and Iran are apparently putting pen to paper on a new agreement one that, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, effectively shuts Israel out of the conversation entirely.

That's a pretty stark position for a country that's been Washington's closest ally in the region to hear, especially after everything that's happened over the past few years.

Trump's Shocking Syria-Hezbollah Plan: Is This the End of Israel's War?

Let me tell you something wild that's been unfolding in the Middle East. President Donald Trump just made a statement that has everyone doing a double-take and honestly? It's got people worried.

In what might be one of the most controversial foreign policy moves of this administration, Trump publicly praised Syria's president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and suggested that Syria should take over the fight against Hezbollah. That's right. The same Syria that's been through absolute chaos over the past decade.

"If Israel can't do the job without killing everyone else, he'll do the job," Trump said during a recent press conference. "Syria will do the job."

Ouch. That's quite the rebuke to Israel.

Today’s Top News Stories from Around the World

1. 
   UK General Election: In the UK, voters are heading to the polls for a general election. Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party has secured a significant victory, but what does it all mean? Let’s dive into the details.

2. US Politics: President Joe Biden faces pressure from major donors who are warning they’ll withhold funds unless he steps aside as the Democratic candidate for re-election.

3. Migrant Tragedy: Off the Mauritanian coast, the bodies of 89 migrants have been retrieved from the Atlantic Ocean. Nine people, including a young girl, were rescued, but dozens remain missing.

The Story Behind the "Arab Spring" | Second and Last Part

Almost everyone interested in the situation in the Middle East will be familiar with the "Deal of the Century". 

This is a so-called peace plan drawn up by the administration of US President Donald Trump, especially his son-in-law Jared Kishner, for a solution to the Palestinian problem and peace in the Middle East. 

In fact, it seeks to give Israel full access to occupied Palestine, while offering the Palestinians a small piece of land on the outskirts of their own country that they can make their home.

The plan was announced by the US president a year ago and was and still is supported by some Gulf Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain.

Read the first part of the blog here: The Story behind the "Arab Spring"

The Deal of the Century is a plan that is being called a one-sided and pro-Israel plan around the world, but Trump is calling it the biggest plan of the century, claiming that it would give the Palestinians a separate state. There will be no better opportunity.

With his attitude and policies, Netanyahu has made it clear that the Palestinians can never trust Israel. They have consistently limited every facility available to the Palestinians over the past decade and eliminated every possibility of peace and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. 

Now, in the presence of an extremist Donald Trump in the United States, calling the agreement that Israel has reached with his Jewish son-in-law Kishner a historic achievement.

Under the agreement, all of Netanyahu's demands have been met. Contrary to UN resolutions and the Oslo Accords, Jewish settlements in the occupied territories will be recognized and Israel will have access to more Palestinian territories. East Jerusalem will remain occupied by Israel, which will be able to recognize its "legitimate" capital from the world, while the Palestinians have been offered to make their capital in Abu Des, a small area of   West Jerusalem. This small area called Abu Des is under Israeli siege on all sides.

The plan focuses solely on the security of the Israeli people. It does not include Palestinian representation, which indicates that the Palestinians were excluded from the plan because it was intended only to benefit Israel.

Given the current state of the project and the situation in the region, it seems that the United States has forced the Gulf states to support the project by posing a threat to Iran. 

However, if the Gulf states play their part in the implementation of this plan, it is certain that this cancer called Israel will not allow any country in the Middle East to live in peace and tranquility. 

The biggest reason for this is that if there is peace in the Middle East, everyone's attention will be focused on Israeli atrocities and thus there will be threats to its security.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi attended a video conference against the regime and agreed to unite against the Zionist occupation of West Jordan and the so-called Middle East peace plan "Deal of the Century" drafted by the US President. 

If there is an agreement between Hamas and Fatah, it is a matter of concern for Israeli security, 

he told the Israeli broadcaster.

It is worth noting that if Israel considers the alliance of resistance organizations a threat to its security, how is it possible that when the Middle East countries unite against Israeli atrocities, it will ignore it?

That is, Israel will never allow peace in the Middle East, for which it has prepared the Golan Heights conflict. The Golan Heights is an area of Syria that has been occupied by Israel since 1967.

The Golan Heights cover an area of 1,200 square kilometers. They are located about 60 kilometers southwest of the Syrian capital, Damascus. There are about 30 ghettos in the area and an estimated 20,000 people have moved here. About 20,000 Syrians also live in the area. In addition to the importance of the border between Syria and Israel, it also borders Lebanon on one side and Jordan on the other.

The Golan Heights are of special importance to both Syria and Israel. The main reason is its geographical and military importance. The Syrian capital, Damascus, is clearly visible from this mountain range in southwestern Syria.

Since the Israeli occupation of the area, the Israeli army has been keeping an eye on the Syrian army and fighters from here, while the area of northern Israel is also within reach from here and from 1948 to 1967, when this mountain range was under Syrian control.

 

The Syrian army has been shelling northern Israel from here. Therefore, the geographical location of the area protects Israel against any military attack by Syria. In addition to its military importance, water for this barren region also comes from a reservoir made up of rainwater from these hills, which is Israel's third largest source of water.

Israel's occupation of the Golan Heights has sparked a never-ending conflict in the Middle East, and the United States has backed it in its illegal move.

Israel will continue to fan the flames of civil war in Syria. On the other hand, the Kurdish movement has the direct support of Israel. 

In 2017, a referendum on "independent Kurdistan" in northern Iraq was successful and more than 75% of Kurds voted in favor of a separate homeland. As soon as the results of the referendum came out, the Israeli Prime Minister immediately offered to open his embassy for "Free Christianity".

Israel's support for an independent Kurdistan is proof that it wants to keep the fire burning in the Middle East, because if the Kurdish people continue to support their struggle, the whole of the Middle East will continue to burn.

It is important to examine the geographical boundaries of Kurdistan in order to understand the fires that are being spread through Kurdistan.

Kurdistan is the name of a geographical and cultural region of the Middle East, which shares borders with four of the most important countries in the Middle East. It borders 190,000 square kilometres in Turkey, 125,000 in Iran, 65,000 in Iraq and 12,000 in Syria. Thus, the total area of Kurdistan is 392,000 square kilometres.

The Kurds are the third largest nation in the Middle East and Asia Minor after the Arabs and Turks. The majority of the 37.5 million Kurds in different countries live in Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran, while the Kurds spread all over the world, including Asia, the United States and Europe. For such a large population, the sympathy of an occupying country like Israel is noteworthy.

The purpose of the Kurdish details here is to show that the Kurds are spread over important countries in the Middle East and that the devastation that is being waged throughout the Middle East by fighting them cannot be caused by an atomic bomb.

In other words, it has been proven that Israel is like a cancer not only in the Islamic world but in the whole world which has destroyed the entire Middle East and is still engaged in it.

Iran, Syria and Hezbollah are planning an attack on Israel

The report revealed by the prestigious Israeli newspaper Haaretz and the Arabic Al-Hayat, based in London, spreads to Syrian dictator understands the need to create a new military front against Israel in the Golan Heights to prevent the move of power. The ideologue of macabre plan is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Days ago, the Syrian dictator declared that he was ready to arm the Lebanese group. And the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, said support Syrian attempts to regain the Golan Heights, an area of dispute between Tel Aviv and Damascus since 1967. He also mentioned that Syria will you give your special weapons movement that Hezbollah does not have. The opposition  Syrian Observatory for Human Rights  reported that since the Syrian conflict began in March 2011,  over 94,000 people have died by violence . The nongovernmental organization revised its figure of 80,000 deaths broadcast three days ago  and explained that  eight activists Alawites  have seen a greater number of victims among the members of the regime of  Bashar Al Assad. Syria is a key  Middle East. It is, mostly, a Sunni country (75%), but Assad, in government since the early 60s, Alawid belong to the sect, a branch of the Shiites. This forged a relationship with Tehran after the  1979 Islamic Revolution. It is one of the major players in the Middle East. Works like a thermometer. Henry Kissinger, Secretary of State for Nixon, said over 30 years ago in the region could not make war without Egypt, no peace without Syria.  functions as a regulator of regional violence. Bashar Al Assad  is the president of Syria from 2000. He replaced his father after being the only candidate nominated by the Arab Baath Socialist Party, which is unique in the country party. His father, Hafez al-Assad seized power through a coup in 1971, after participating in military governments since 1963. The UN General Assembly on Wednesday condemned the Syrian government for the "surge" in the war ravaging the country and supported the role of the opposition coalition in negotiations for the transition. Russia was adamantly opposed to the resolution, saying that could be a potential obstacle to negotiations. Only 107 of the 193 members of the Assembly supported the resolution, against 133 that they did when Syria was the center of discussion in the multilateral body, last year. United States, Britain and France joined in the Arab countries supporting the resolution, submitted by Qatar and other Arab nations, who expressed "outrage at the rapidly increasing death toll."

Iran gave Hezbollah drone technology

The deputy defense minister Mohamed Eslami confirmed that Iran transferred to Hezbollah and other countries, who were not named, the technology in unmanned military aircraft manufacturing. The terrorist group was briefed to produce the model Ayub. The Iranian drones "are highly demanded by various countries, so we have transferred the assembly line and we have exported some products," said Eslami to the official news agency Mehr. Eslami said, in the country, are made ​​of three types devices based on their flight time: from large, medium and short range, and there are also special act at low altitude. From the powerful, the military said are "strategic", while the midrange are used on surveillance missions. The short-range, you do not fly more than 200 miles, have many uses, from pilot training to the military support "in offensive operations, defensive and exploration ." In his note, Mehr teaches a picture of an assembly line in Iran's ScanEagle drone , a small observation model developed by U.S. company Boeing, which the Iranians last December said they had begun to produce, after the capture of several aircraft U.S. and Israel that had entered its airspace. Iran showed for the first time, through the agency of record , images allegedly taken by the spy plane "invisible" U.S. unmanned RQ-170 Sentinel , which became the country's Islamic forces in late 2011 and whose data say have decoded completely. 

Israel, Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, Palestine .... Middle East in 2013: war or peace?

With over 5,000 hours of flight from their country to be caught in the war of '73, Amos Yadlin was one of eight Israeli pilots who attacked the Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981 . Just 26 years later, and as head of military intelligence (Aman), was instrumental in the 'raid' in Syria that destroyed what Israel and the United States identified as Syrian-North Korean nuclear reactor. In his four years as head of Aman (2006-2010), received information of each rocket and missile reached the Islamist group Hamas in Gaza and the Shiite Hezbollah in Lebanon. But, above all, his antennae were centered incentrifuges for uranium enrichment in Iran. Major General in reserve, did not participate in meetings at the highest level in Israel that led to the attack last week on a convoy of weapons (SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles) and military research center in Syria. In a meeting with foreign media at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS English) speaking on that raid. With words and silences. And not only in Syria, but Iran, Hezbollah and the negotiations with the Palestinians in the strategic assessment for 2013 by former intelligence analysts and academics INSS center in Tel Aviv who runs Yadlin. The report states that "despite increasing threats, Israel has several opportunities to improve its strategic position, for example, aninternational diplomatic solution to curb the threat of Iran's nuclear program , the resumption of dialogue with the Palestinians and expanding relationships with Sunni Muslim states. "

Is Israel attacked in Syria? Will military confrontation with Syria and / or Hezbollah?

"Since the war in 2006, Hezbollah violated the resolution 1701 of the Security Council of the UN weapons you get banned. Ehud Olmert warned that Israel would not allow the introduction in Lebanon arsenal of four types : chemical weapons, anti-aircraft missiles, rockets long-range missiles and land-sea advanced Yakhont. If confirmed what happened last week in Syria, it means somebody wanted to break these rules and that someone acted to prevent it." The advanced anti-aircraft missiles threaten the freedom of action of Israeli planes (with and without pilot) who frequently violate Lebanese airspace. Yadlin rule out an impending retaliation from Syria, Iran and Hezbollah ."Hezbollah and why should respond if the attack occurred, say, in Syrian territory?" Replies before adding wryly: "Hezbollah was created and promoted by Iran and Syria to act according to the interests of these countries. And now is not the time to wear." Syria? "In the civil war, Bashar Assad remains in power because the world has not intervened. Their army is far superior to the forces of the rebels, but now it is not interested in war to divert external front . Asad's big mistake would involving Israel, Turkey or NATO." "Now we do not expect a war but mistakes on both sides can lead to it. Syria and Hezbollah have memory and know how to react but not directly, but, for example, attacks against Israelis and committed in Thailand, New Delhi and Bulgaria or sporadic Katyushas into northern Israel not claim responsibility. "

What suits Israel the victory of the rebels or the continuity of Asad?

Yadlin recognize the "danger" of the chaos that can make a Syria dominated by opposition groups, including elements linked to Al Qaeda, but believes that " the fall of Asad strengthen Israel , as it will weaken the radical axis Iran-Syria-Hezbollah- Hamas ".

Will Israel attack Iran's nuclear plants?

Commitment to dialogue and international diplomatic option to prevent a nuclear Iran, including an agreement. But it warns: "If there is no choice and you have to choose between two difficult choices, Iran with a nuclear bomb or bomb to not have the bomb, we agree with the Government that this is the least dangerous for Israel."

"Iran has completed all the necessary components to build a nuclear bomb. If continues its current rate of uranium enrichment and, she decides to cross the red line between this spring and summer . "

Clarifies that an attack would come "only when other options have failed" and requires maximum cooperation with U.S. President Barack Obama.

If Israeli attack and Iranian response, a regional war erupt??

"The Middle East will not be involved in a large-scale war, but surely there will be a confrontation . Iran will respond in a calculated, limited, and who knows what and how Israel would react to his reaction. 're not as powerful at military as they think . "

Resumption of dialogue? Palestinians or violent confrontation?

He argues that one of the priorities of Benjamin Netanyahu must resume negotiations: "It's not so important to discuss who is to blame the stalled dialogue but resumed.'s Very important for both sides. Contrary to the most pessimistic, we do not see a third intifada . "

Supports an agreement based on the parameters of the Clinton Plan , but adds: "I see the Palestinians signed an agreement."

All these issues, which can lead to war or clashes calm punctuated by low-intensity focus of Obama's visit in late March in Jerusalem, Ramallah and Amman.

Hezbollah rockets at Israel if attacked

The leader of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel that thousands of rockets might fall on Tel Aviv and other cities' should Israel attack Lebanon. In a speech on the occasion of religious Shiite Ashura, Nasrallah said that Hezbollah's response to any attack would dwarf the attacks from Gaza during the eight-day war between Israel and Hamas.