World must move from ‘plunder to protection' to save oceans, UN chief warns

Nations must move from 'plunder to protection' in order to save the world's seas from crisis, the UN chief told the ocean summit on Monday.
All countries must come forward with 'bold pledges' including a biodiversity target to protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030, to tackle plastic pollution, overfishing and for greater governance of the high seas, he urged at the opening ceremony. Guterres also stressed the importance of multilateralism and warned, in an apparent swipe at the US, which was not present at the conference: 'The deep sea cannot become the wild west.'
'We live in an age of turmoil, but the resolve I see here gives me hope' UN secretary general, António Guterres told the summit in Nice. 'Hope that we can turn the tide. Hope that we can move from plunder to protection.'
His words drew applause from the audience, which included 60 world leaders, including the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and his Argentine counterpart, Javier Milei, heads of small island developing states as well as ministers, policymakers, scientists and civil society activists.
The conference, which seeks to finally get the high seas treaty into place, comes against a backdrop of increasing competition for ocean resources. In April, Donald Trump moved to fast-track deep-sea mining under US law, sidestepping ongoing international efforts to regulate the industry. His actions have lent urgency to the voices of those calling for a moratorium, amid warnings it will cause irreversible damage to vulnerable ecosystems.
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, began his address with an urgent call to 'revitalise multilateralism behind the UN secretary general' in order to save oceans.
'While the Earth is burning, the ocean is boiling' warned Macron, adding that working together to 'mobilise all actors, heads of state and governments speaking here but also scientists' was the only way to tackle the crisis.
Macron told leaders it was a 'necessity' for nations to impose a suspension on deep-sea mining. 'It's madness to launch predatory economic action that will disrupt the deep seabed, disrupt biodiversity, destroy it … The moratorium on deep seabed exploitation is an international necessity.'
So far 37 countries have announced their support for a moratorium or pause, and in July, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) will meet to discuss a global mining code.
Macron said the high seas treaty 'will be properly implemented' as he expects the crucial threshold of 60 ratifying countries to be reached. He did not specify a timeline.
The high seas lie outside national boundaries, where fragmented and loosely enforced rules have so far meant the vast area was essentially lawless.
Getting 60 countries to ratify the agreement, which in itself took 20 years to negotiate, was a crucial goal for France and Macron at the summit.
'In addition to the 50 ratifications already submitted here in the last few hours, 15 countries have formally committed to joining them,' Macron said.
The treaty, signed in 2023, will enter into force 120 days after the 60th ratification. The treaty is crucial to meet a globally agreed biodiversity target of protecting 30% of the oceans by 2030, known as '30x30'. But so too, is increased protection of national waters.
The French president has been criticised for doing less than others to meet this goal, by failing to ban bottom trawling in 'protected' areas. On Sunday, France announced it would 'limit' bottom trawling and seek to protect 4% of its metropolitan waters.
Nicolas Fournier, campaign director at Oceana, said: 'These announcements bring more questions than answers. President Macron built expectations that the French government would finally act against bottom trawling in marine protected areas – yet these announcements are more symbolic than impactful.'
The UK announced on Sunday it would ban bottom trawling in half of its protected marine areas.
The conference comes as just 2.7% of the ocean is effectively protected from destructive activities, according to the Marine Conservation Institute.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Times

3 minutes ago

• Times

US bombs Iran live: Trump says nuclear programme ‘obliterated'

Israel's military says it has begun further strikes on military targets in western Iran. In a post on social media, the IDF claimed that the air force 'neutralised' the launchers that fired missiles towards Israel earlier this morning and targeted other launchers that were preparing to fire. The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said there has so far been no increase in radiation levels following the US strikes on Iran. 'Following attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran – including Fordow – the IAEA can confirm that no increase in off-site radiation levels has been reported as of this time', the IAEA said in a statement. 'IAEA will provide further assessments on situation in Iran as more information becomes available.' Eleven people have been taken to hospital after Iranian missiles hit 'multiple sites' across Israel, the national emergency service said. Images and video posted on social media appeared to show extensive damage to apartment buildings. Ten 'hits' have been reported across northern and central Israel, including in Haifa, Nes Ziona, Rishon Lezion, and Tel Aviv, according to the state broadcaster Kan and other Israeli media. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Israel's air defence systems were seen in action in the skies above Jerusalem following the Iranian missile David Adom, Israel's emergency service, said it had dispatched teams to the affected areas. Iranian state TV reported that 30 missiles were fired at Israel. Iran's foreign minister described the US strikes as 'extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behaviour' in a post on social media. Abbas Araghchi added that Iran 'reserves all options' to defend itself following the attack on Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Israel's military says it has detected missile launches from Iran following the US strikes. The Israeli air force 'is operating to intercept and strike where necessary to eliminate the threat,' the IDF said in a statement. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Iran's National Nuclear Safety System Centre has issued a statement reporting 'no signs of contamination' at the Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan sites following the US strikes. 'There is no danger to the residents living around the aforementioned sites,' the statement added. 'This attack is an illegal, unjustifiable and extremely dangerous act of aggression,' the Venezuelan government said in a statement while calling for an 'immediate end to hostilities'. Miguel Díaz-Canel, the president of Cuba, said the bombings were a violation of international law. 'We strongly condemn the US bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities, which constitutes a dangerous escalation of the conflict in the Middle East,' he said. 'The aggression seriously violates the UN Charter and international law and plunges humanity into a crisis with irreversible consequences.' Analysis by David Charter in Washington President Trump's political allies are out in force to try to get ahead of the inevitable political fallout from the Iran strikes. Trump is facing two-pronged domestic criticism — usurping the exclusive power of Congress to declare war and breaking his 'America First' promise to voters to avoid new wars. There are already calls from some Democrats to impeach him. A notable feature of Trump's second term has been his pushing of the boundaries of executive power but with the Republicans in control of both chambers of Congress, he will not be concerned about impeachment. Trump is much more worried about placating his core supporters who hate the cost to taxpayers of foreign adventurism. Hence the appearance of loyalists like Markwayne Mullin, a senator from Oklahoma, on Fox News last night, to reassure the base that this is what they voted for all along. 'Peace through strength is what President Trump has been talking about from day one,' he said. The White House has released pictures from the National Security Council last night: After addressing the nation, President Trump issued another warning to Iran on Truth Social. Any retaliation, he said, 'will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight'. Leading Republicans who have previously clashed with Trump praised his decision to strike. Mike Pence, his former vice-president with whom Trump had a spectacular falling out, said he 'should be commended for his decisive leadership'. Mitch McConnell, the Republican senator, also said Trump had made the correct decision. Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation struck a defiant tone in response to the American strikes and said it would not allow development on its 'national industry' to be halted. The US attacks were a 'blatant' violation of international law, the agency said, and the international community should condemn them. The organisation did not mention the extent of the damage inflicted by the bombings. António Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, condemned the American strikes and said the situation was in danger of spiraling out of control. 'This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge — and a direct threat to international peace and security,' he said in a statement. 'There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control — with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world.' Guterres called for UN member states to de-escalate and uphold their obligations under the UN charter. 'At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos,' he added. 'The only hope is peace.' Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic congresswoman, said Trump should be impeached for launching strikes without congressional approval. 'The president's disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers,' she wrote on X. 'He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations. It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.' As the world waits to see how Iran will respond, Trump warned that the US will inflict further destruction if Tehran does not seek peace. 'This cannot continue,' he said. 'There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. 'Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal. 'But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill, most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes.' Trump said that Pete Hegseth, the defence secretary, would hold a press conference at the Pentagon on Sunday morning at 8am (1pm UK time). 'Thank you very much. A short time ago, the US military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime: Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horribly destructive enterprise. Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror. 'Tonight I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular nilitary success. Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. if they do not future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier. 'For 40 years Iran has been saying, 'death to America, death to Israel'. They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms blowing off their legs with roadside bombs. that was their specialty. We lost over a thousand people. Hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate. 'In particular so many were killed by their general Qasem Soleimani. I decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen. It will not continue. 'I want to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we've gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel. I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they've done and most importantly I want to congratulate the great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight and all of the United States military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades. 'Hopefully we will no longer need their services in this capacity. I hope that's so. I Also want to congratulate the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Dan 'Razin' Cane — spectacular general — and all of the brilliant military minds involved in this attack. With all of that being said this cannot continue. 'There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all by far and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision speed and skill. 'Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes. There's no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight Not even close. There's never been a military that could do what took place just a little while ago. tomorrow General Cane and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth will have a press conference at 8am [1pm UK time] at the Pentagon. 'I want to just thank everybody and in particular God. I want to just say we love you God and we love our great military. protect them. God bless the Middle East. God bless Israel and God bless America. Thank you very much.' President Trump said Iran's nuclear capabilities had been 'obliterated' and Tehran must now make peace or face further destructive attacks. Addressing the nation from the White House, the president said 'massive precision strikes' on the three Iranian nuclear sites had been a 'spectacular military success'. Iran's nuclear facilities — 'a horribly destructive enterprise' — were destroyed, according to Trump. He said Tehran was the world's 'number one state sponsor of terror'. In his first public comments on the US strikes, Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu praised President Trump and said 'the forces of civilisation thank you'. Trump, Netanyahu said, had made a 'bold decision' that 'will change history'. He added: 'History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world's most dangerous regime the world's most dangerous weapons. His leadership today has created a pivot of history that can help lead the Middle East and beyond to a future of prosperity and peace.' Netanyahu said he and Trump believed in 'peace through strength'. He added: 'God bless America, God bless Israel, and may God bless our unshakeable alliance, our unbreakable faith.' Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. The governors of California and New York, states that are both home to significant Jewish communities, said they were closely monitoring the situation in case of any threats following the strikes on Iran. Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, said that while there have been no specific threats so far, 'we urge everyone to stay vigilant and report suspicious activity'. Kathy Hochul of New York said she is receiving intelligence briefings. 'The New York State Police are working to protect at-risk sites and fight cyberattacks,' she said. Siavash, a 30-year-old completing his military service in Iran, said that he was in shock. 'I keep rereading Trump's tweet. We did everything to prevent this moment. Since Obama said, 'all options are on the table,' we've tried — as citizens — to keep war off the table. But here we are. I'm sitting in uniform, watching the US strike … It feels like an absolute failure for me and people like me. 'Those nuclear sites were supposed to bring progress. Instead, they devoured our youth. I keep replaying every year since 2009 in my head. Honestly, I haven't lived since 2019. Today, I remembered how the US attacked Iraq. I knew Trump would do the same — and now it's happened. I once told a friend I couldn't leave Iran, that the grief of absence would kill me. He said, 'I just don't want you to die here — under both the regime and a war.' Maybe he saw more clearly than I did.' The American strikes involved six 'bunker-buster' bombs dropped on the Fordow site, President Trump appears to have told a Fox News host. Sean Hannity said he had spoken to Trump, who told him that the Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites were 'wiped out' by 30 Tomahawk missiles launched by American submarines 400 miles away. Hannity, a favoured confidant of Trump's, said Iran's nuclear ambitions were 'officially dead'. 'Everyone is out of harm's way for now, that does not mean that American assets in the region are not at risk,' Hannity added. Analysis by Katy Balls, Washington Editor Donald Trump pitched himself as an antiwar president, winning support on the promise of a move away from the 'forever wars' that have dominated previous presidencies and a focus back home. His decision to strike three nuclear sites in Iran will test his coalition. It risks upsetting the isolationists in his party and comes after a week of public fighting among Republicans and members of the wider Maga movement over the best course of action. Last week Trump told a reporter that he decides what counts as America First. That claim is about to be tested. Already tensions are clear with Steve Bannon, the former Trump adviser and godfather of Maga, who has just called on Trump to 'talk to Maga'. He said: 'There's a lot of Maga who are not happy about this. I'll just be blunt'. • Read Katy Balls's full analysis of the fight for the soul of Maga An Iranian state-run news agency has acknowledged the attack on the country's Fordow nuclear site, though did not provide any details on the extent of the damage. Quoting a statement from Iran's Qom province, IRNA said: 'A few hours ago, when Qom air defences were activated and hostile targets were identified, part of the Fordow nuclear site was attacked by enemies.' Tasnim, a semi-official news agency, also reported that air defence opened fire in the area. Further details were not immediately available. Yoav Gallant, the former Israeli defence minister, praised the US strikes. 'President Trump took a bold decision for the United States, for Israel, for all of humanity,' Gallant, who was fired by Binyamin Netanyahu last year in a clash over the war against Hamas, said on X. 'The world is now a safer place.' CNN reported that the Israeli government had been given advance notice that the US was going to strike Iran. While some senior Republicans praised Trump for striking Iran, Thomas Massie, the isolationist congressman from Kentucky, said it was 'not constitutional'. Massie introduced a war powers resolution to Congress last week seeking to block US involvement in Israel's conflict with Iran. He says that under the US constitution presidents must seek approval from Congress before launching a war. He was joined by prominent Democrats, including the Californian congressman Ro Khanna. After Trump announced the strikes on Saturday night, Khanna called on his colleagues to vote on Massie's resolution 'to prevent America from being dragged into another endless Middle East war'. World leaders have been calling for restraint since Israel began bombing Iran, with Sir Keir Starmer urging Binyamin Netanyahu to seek a diplomatic solution. At the G7 meeting in Canada last week, the heads of some of the world's wealthiest economies urged de-escalation but stopped short of calling for a ceasefire. Beyond the West there was strident criticism of Israel. Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister, said Beijing explicitly condemned Israel's 'violation of Iran's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity'. President Putin offered to serve as a mediator between Israel and Iran. In his first public comments since the conflict broke out last week, Putin said it was a 'delicate issue' but that, 'in my view, a solution could be found.' That the US was planning to strike Iran after President Trump spent days mulling over the decision was teased by the news that B-2 bombers were on the move. Flight trackers first reported that the planes had taken off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri early on Saturday morning local time. The aircraft, which can be equipped with the 30,000lbs 'bunker buster' bombs needed to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities, were believed to be heading to a US base on the Pacific island of Guam. However, Trump's announcement of a 'very successful' raid suggests that the B-2s had been on a mission to Iran. The B-2 can fly at an altitude of 50,000ft and is equipped with stealth technology making it difficult for enemies to detect. The US military first used B-2 Spirit stealth bombers in combat during the 1999 Kosovo War. Trump's social network, Truth Social, appears to be down for many of the users trying to view it. The president regularly uses the channel, which he owns, for official announcements. About 40 minutes ago he used the platform to confirm America's 'very successful attack' on three Iranian nuclear facilities. Trump has said he will make a national TV address to Americans at 10pm eastern daylight time (3am in Britain). He posted on social media: 'I will be giving an Address to the Nation at 10:00 P.M., at the White House, regarding our very successful military operation in Iran. This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU' Lindsey Graham, the US senator who was among the most vociferous supporters of bombing Iran, praised Trump for making the 'right call'. 'The regime deserves it,' he said on X. 'Well done, President @realDonaldTrump.' Israeli officials told the Trump administration that they did not want to wait up to two weeks before striking Iran, according to Reuters. That is how long the US president gave himself to decide on Thursday, a deadline that would have expired on July 10. On what was described as a 'tense' phone call on Thursday, Israel is said to have warned the White House that it could act alone rather than wait, citing a limited window in which to target Iran's nuclear facilities. JD Vance, the US vice-president, is believed to have been against American involvement, illustrating the split inside the Maga movement over taking military action. For more than a decade, even before he officially ran for president, Donald Trump has repeatedly said Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb. In 2018 he withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, an agreement reached by his predecessor Barack Obama that restricted Tehran's atomic ambitions in return for sanctions relief. Trump's stance has not changed during his second term. 'Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, it's very simple' he said last week while mulling over US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. The Trump administration had been negotiating with Iran over a fresh deal, but the countries were unable to reach an agreement before Israel launched its surprise assault last week. 'We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.' The United States struck at targets inside Iran in a high-stakes attempt to extinguish Tehran's nuclear programme. It risks spiralling into an unpredictable regional war. After spending days deliberating taking military action, President Trump said the US had targeted three nuclear sites inside Iran: 'Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan'.

Times

3 minutes ago

• Times

Does Iran have nuclear weapons? Why US is attacking now

It had long been assumed that Iran's two main nuclear enrichment facilities were hidden so deeply into the country's mountains that it would prove challenging for the Israeli military to destroy them. That did not stop Israel trying. Some experts questioned whether its attacks starting on June 12 would do anything more than temporarily set back the nuclear programme — but there will be far less doubt about the effectiveness of America's bombing raid on Saturday. • America strikes Iran: follow live Israel's attack on Iran was, therefore, a gamble. Either it has degraded Iran's nuclear weapons facilities sufficiently enough to halt further production, or the prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has emboldened Tehran to accelerate its race to build a nuclear bomb. Israel claimed the threat was 'imminent' after Iran enriched more than 400 kilograms of uranium to 60 per cent, just shy of the 90 per cent needed to build a bomb. The fuel, if weaponised, could be enough for nine nuclear warheads, according to the UN. Israeli missiles struck Natanz, one of the country's main facilities, and killed some of Iran's top nuclear specialists. The strikes also killed Iran's top two military commanders and severely injured a senior aide to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who headed nuclear policy. The attack came a day after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) declared Iran to be in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time due to Tehran's unwillingness to disclose information about its nuclear stockpile, and days before Iran and the US were scheduled to hold another round of talks to curb the nuclear programme. But western intelligence agencies, including US ones, had assessed that Iran was not currently building a bomb, although it possessed the know-how. Iran has always claimed that its nuclear programme was meant for peaceful purposes but that it could build a bomb if its sites were attacked. Even before America joined in, one expert said that the Israeli strikes could bring that moment closer. 'It's far more likely now that Iran will withdraw from the non-proliferation treaty and make the decision to build nuclear weapons,' said Kelesy Davenport, the director for Nonproliferation Policy at the Arms Control Association. • What weapons does Iran have and how long can it attack Israel? 'Israel cannot destroy the knowledge Iran has gained about nuclear development. There is already a real risk that Iran is already diverting enriched uranium to covert sites. So Israeli strikes can set back the programme, but Israel cannot stop Iran indefinitely,' she said. It is widely accepted that Israel has nuclear weapons of its own, although it does not admit or deny having them. In 2008, The Sunday Times uncovered the secrets of a subterranean factory engaged in the manufacture of Israeli nuclear weapons. Hidden beneath the Negev desert, the factory had been producing atomic warheads for 20 years. Back then it had almost certainly begun manufacturing thermonuclear weapons, with yields big enough to destroy entire cities. It is not clear what weapons were used to attack Natanz and how far down they were able to penetrate. Some experts believe only with American support could Israel meaningfully degrade all of Iran's nuclear capabilities. • The Iran-Israel conflict in maps, video and satellite images Last year, Iran fired drones, cruise and ballistic missiles at Israel on two occasions and it appears likely that Tehran will retaliate. Those previous exchanges avoided setting off a devastating regional war because of the strength of Israeli air defences. But with each attack, the risk increases that a missile gets through. Indeed, Netanyahu may calculate that an Iranian misstep could drag the US into the conflict — forcing Trump to reconsider his opposition to a strike on Tehran's nuclear facilities.

Daily Mail​

an hour ago

• Daily Mail​

Map shows full list of countries that want Israel wiped off face of the Earth or refuse to acknowledge it exist. No wonder Israelis have a siege mentality: PETER VAN ONSELEN

There are few nations on Earth whose very existence is up for debate. Fewer still where that debate is held not only in the United Nations General Assembly but on the streets of Sydney, London and New York. Yet that's the uncomfortable reality Israel has lived with every day of its modern existence. A state carved born from the ashes of the Holocaust and immediately met with war. Now, nearly 80 years on, Israel is still surrounded: geographically, diplomatically and ideologically by forces that don't just criticise its policies but question whether it should exist at all. And yet some people can't even fathom why Israelis feel under siege. You can't defend every Israeli decision. I don't. The country's response to Hamas sometimes shocks and appalls, and its handling of relations with Iran and the Palestinians can at times be counterproductive. But for those with short memories or selective sympathies, Israel's actions take place in a context that is unique in modern geopolitics: it's a state surrounded by enemies, some of whom don't just hate it but want it wiped off the map entirely. The states that want Israel gone Let's start with Iran given the current conflict. The Islamic Republic isn't remotely shy about its intentions. For decades, Iranian leaders have referred to Israel as a 'cancerous tumour' and 'the little Satan'. Iran has repeatedly pledged to wipe it from the face of the planet. Which is precisely why Israel is determined to prevent Iran developing nuclear weapons. It's not just puffed up rhetoric either. Iran funds and arms proxies located right on Israel's borders, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Iran's nuclear ambitions, thinly disguised behind claims of civilian purposes, are rightly feared. Syria, despite the implosion of its own state, remains formally at war with Israel. It has offered safe passage and logistical support to anti-Israel groups. It has allowed Iranian military infrastructure to be set up on its territory. Every Israeli airstrike on Syrian soil counts as a pre-emptive act of self-preservation. While some Arab states have quietly stepped back from overt hostility thanks in part to the Abraham Accords, others remain diplomatically frozen. Saudi Arabia has toyed with recognition but still hasn't made the leap. Algeria, Iraq and Yemen remain openly hostile - with the Houthis in Yemen regularly firing rockets. These are not minor players in the Middle East. They are regional powers with long-standing ideological or religious opposition to Israel's existence. Terrorist groups committing genocide Right behind the hostile states are the armed terrorist groups that operate with their blessing. Groups whose founding charters demand the destruction of Israel. This isn't speculative or exaggerated, it's all there in black and white. Take Hezbollah for example, the Iranian-backed militia in Lebanon. Its 1985 open letter to the world doesn't mince words and has never been retracted: 'Our struggle will end only when this entity [Israel] is obliterated.' It has thousands of rockets aimed at Israeli cities and has provoked multiple wars. And then there is Hamas, which has long governed Gaza and fired thousands of rockets into Israel during the past few years, including before the slaughter on October 7, 2023. Hamas' charter literally calls for the destruction of Israel. It doesn't talk about peace or a two-state solution. Rather, it calls for Islamic rule 'from the river to the sea' - a euphemism for the end of the Israel state. Then there's Palestinian Islamic Jihad, smaller than Hamas but no less lethal or ideologically opposed to Israel's very existence. PIJ is bankrolled by Iran, is responsible for suicide bombings and rocket attacks and is committed to armed resistance as the only pathway forward. Coexistence is not on its agenda, yet in some quarters of the Western world these groups are not even regarded as terrorist organisations. They are referred to as 'freedom fighters', a form of Orwellian rebranding that should concern us all. Countries that still say 'no' to Israel's right to exist As of today there are more than two dozen countries that still refuse to recognise Israel as a legitimate nation. Not rogue states or banana republics but members of the UN. They include Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as states already mentioned. They have no formal diplomatic relations with Israel: No embassies in Israel, no Israeli embassies in their home states, nor any acknowledgement of its existence. A significant portion of the Muslim world, with hundreds of millions of citizens, therefore regards the tiny Jewish state as illegitimate. Not just in policy terms but in principle, and that's before you factor in the noisy rejections of Israel by the likes of North Korea and Venezuela. To be sure, the Abraham Accords - an agreement between Israel and Arab states struck under the first administration helped overcome some of the anti-Israeli sentiments around the world. The UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan all moved towards formal recognition. But the list of holdouts remains long and politically influential. It's also worth noting that some of the so-called moderate states have no love for Israel either. They might shake hands in Washington, but their schoolbooks, media and official rhetoric still often demonises Israel and legitimises the actions of its enemies. The campaign to delegitimise Israel Perhaps the most galling players in attempts to delegitimise the state of Israel can be seen in some Western universities, NGOs and parliaments: Lopsided outrage that erupts whenever Israel defends itself, but not so much when rockets fall on Tel Aviv or families are slaughtered by jihadists. The nuance to understand Israeli reactions is lost in the very institutions that are supposed to use nuance as a cornerstone of their approaches and thinking. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement claims to target Israeli policies, but in reality it aims to isolate and weaken the state entirely. Some of its founders are open about their end goal: not a two-state solution, but no Jewish state at all. And yet BDS continues to be embraced in Western cultural and academic circles writ large, particularly among those for whom context and consistency are optional extras. Then there's the protest movements. In the wake of Hamas's barbaric October 7 attack, which saw over 1,200 Israelis killed and hundreds taken hostage, university students across the West held rallies against Israel. Think about that for a moment. Civilians were butchered, babies beheaded and women raped, yet the global response in some quarters was not horror at the atrocities but outrage that Israel dared to respond. No other nation on earth would tolerate that kind of hypocrisy and nor should Israel. An understandable siege mentality So yes Israel has a siege mentality. But that's not paranoia, it's realism. Israel is a country surrounded by its enemies, some of them with large armies, others with well-funded terror networks, and still more with ideological purity that rejects Israel's very right to exist. Some with nuclear weapons, others trying to develop them. How would you feel if you lived in Israel? It's also a country that has each and every military response it makes dissected in the global media. Meanwhile its attackers are too often granted the soft bigotry of low expectations. When Israel makes a mistake, it's a war crime. When Hamas targets a bus stop, it's 'resistance'. Criticising Israeli policy is fair game. After all, unlike almost every single one of its enemies, Israel is a democracy, where leaders face elections and journalists hold them to account. But questioning Israel's right to exist, or pretending its strategic environment is anything other than hostile, is an abdication of intellectual honesty. And so is reflecting negatively on Israel's responses without the context it exists within. Sympathy without context is misguided sentiment There's no doubt the Israel Palestine conflict is messy, painful and very tragic. Innocents suffer, lives are lost and peace feels further away with every passing year. But if you claim to care about peace or justice you cannot ignore the basic fact that one side is trying to survive in a region where its very existence is considered provocative. Israel certainly isn't perfect. No country is, including democracies. But it is a democracy surrounded by autocracies. It is a nation born out of trauma, rejected by many the moment it arrived. Ever since it has been forced to fight for the simple right to live. Those who rush to condemn Israel while ignoring the threats it faces every single day reveal more about their prejudices than their principles. Israel feels besieged because it is, and no amount of slogans or campus activism changes that.