Dealing with the Taliban, securing female rights

Some four years after the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan, no country has recognized the group as the legitimate government. But some are looking to improve relations, despite human rights concerns.

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Japan Times

12 hours ago

• Japan Times

Bombing Iran, Trump gambles on force over diplomacy

For nearly a half-century the United States has squabbled with Iran's Islamic Republic but the conflict has largely been left in the shadows, with U.S. policymakers believing, often reluctantly, that diplomacy was preferable. With President Donald Trump's order of strikes on Iran's nuclear sites, the United States — like Israel, which encouraged him — has brought the conflict into the open, and the consequences may not be clear for some time to come. "We will only know if it succeeded if we can get through the next three to five years without the Iranian regime acquiring nuclear weapons, which they now have compelling reasons to want," said Kenneth Pollack, a former CIA analyst and supporter of the 2003 Iraq war who is now vice president for policy at the Middle East Institute. U.S. intelligence had not concluded that Iran was building a nuclear bomb, with Tehran's sensitive atomic work largely seen as a means of leverage, and Iran can be presumed to have taken precautions in anticipation of strikes. Trita Parsi, an outspoken critic of military action, said Trump "has now made it more likely that Iran will be a nuclear weapons state in the next five to 10 years." "We should be careful not to confuse tactical success with strategic success," said Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. "The Iraq war was also successful in the first few weeks but President (George W.) Bush's declaration of 'Mission Accomplished' did not age well," he said. Yet Trump's attack — a week after Israel began a major military campaign — came as the cleric-run state is at one of its weakest points since the 1979 Islamic Revolution toppled the pro-Western shah. Since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, which enjoys Iran's support, Israel — besides obliterating much of Gaza — has decimated Lebanon's Hezbollah, a militant group that would once reliably strike Israel as Tehran's proxy. Iran's main ally among Arab leaders, Syria's Bashar Assad, was also toppled in December. Supporters of Trump's strike argued that diplomacy was not working, with Iran standing firm on its right to enrich uranium. "Contrary to what some will say in the days to come, the U.S. administration did not rush to war. In fact, it gave diplomacy a real chance," said Ted Deutch, a former Democratic congressman who now heads the American Jewish Committee. "The murderous Iranian regime refused to make a deal," he said. Top Senate Republican John Thune pointed to Tehran's threats to Israel and language against the United States and said that the state had "rejected all diplomatic pathways to peace." Trump's attack comes almost exactly a decade after former President Barack Obama sealed a deal in which Iran drastically scaled back its nuclear work — which Trump pulled out of in 2018 after coming into office for his first term. Most of Trump's Republican Party and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has long seen Iran as an existential threat, attacked Obama's deal because it allowed Tehran to enrich uranium at levels well beneath weapons grade and the key clauses had an end date. But Trump, billing himself a peacemaker, just a month ago said on a visit to Gulf Arab monarchies that he was hopeful for a new deal with Iran, and his administration was preparing new talks when Netanyahu attacked Iran. This prompted an abrupt U-turn from Trump. "Trump's decision to cut short his own efforts for diplomacy will also make it much harder to get a deal in the medium and long runs," said Jennifer Kavanagh, director of military analysis at Defense Priorities, which advocates restraint. "Iran now has no incentive to trust Trump's word or to believe that striking a compromise will advance Iran's interests." Iran's religious rulers also face opposition internally. Major protests erupted in 2022 after the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who was detained for defying the regime's rules on covering hair. Karim Sadjadpour, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote on social media that Trump's strikes could either entrench the Islamic Republic or hasten its downfall. "The U.S. bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities is an unprecedented event that may prove to be transformational for Iran, the Middle East, U.S. foreign policy, global non-proliferation and potentially even the global order," he said. "Its impact will be measured for decades to come."

Japan Times

a day ago

• Japan Times

Trump confirms Republic of Congo-Rwanda peace deal, gripes about Nobels

U.S. President Donald Trump took credit Friday for a peace deal negotiated in Washington between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda — and complained that he would not get a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. The warring African nations said in a joint statement on Wednesday that they had initialed an agreement aimed at ending the conflict in eastern DRC — to be formally signed in the U.S. capital next week. "This is a Great Day for Africa and, quite frankly, a Great Day for the World!" Trump said in a Truth Social post confirming the breakthrough. But his triumphant tone darkened as he complained that he had been overlooked by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for his mediating role in conflicts between India and Pakistan, as well as Serbia and Kosovo. He also demanded credit for "keeping peace" between Egypt and Ethiopia and brokering the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements aiming to normalize relations between Israel and several Arab nations. Trump campaigned for office as a "peacemaker" who would use his negotiating skills to quickly end wars in Ukraine and Gaza, although both conflicts are still raging five months into his presidency. Indian officials have denied that he had any role in its ceasefire with Pakistan. The government of Pakistan, meanwhile, said Friday it would formally recommend Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize "in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership" during the recent conflict. However, Trump's claims for the Abraham Accords being able to "unify the Middle East" have yet to be realized, with war breaking out between Israel and Iran, and no end in sight to the conflict in Gaza. And critics say the Republican greatly exaggerated the significance of the 2020 Serbia-Kosovo agreements, which were statements of intent that were thin on details and quickly unraveled. The president said officials from Dr. Congo and Rwanda would be in Washington on Monday for the signing, although their joint statement said they would put pen to paper on June 27. The resource-rich eastern DRC, which borders Rwanda, has been plagued by violence for three decades, with a resurgence since the anti-government M23 armed group went on a renewed offensive at the end of 2021. The deal — which builds on a declaration of principles signed in April — was reached during three days of talks between the neighbors in Washington, according to their statement. Trump has received multiple Nobel Peace Prize nominations from supporters and loyal lawmakers over the years. He has made no secret of his irritation at missing out on the prestigious award, bringing it up as recently as February during an Oval Office meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Former U.S. President Barack Obama won the prize soon after taking office in 2009, and Trump complained during his 2024 election campaign that his Democratic predecessor was not worthy of the honor.

NHK

2 days ago

• NHK

IAEA chief warns against strike on Iran's nuclear power plant

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said at a UN Security Council meeting that the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran should not be attacked. At the outset of the emergency meeting held on Friday at Iran's request, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on all the parties to "give peace a chance," amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. Guterres said that while Iran has repeatedly stated that it is not seeking nuclear weapons, there is a "trust gap." He went on to say that "the only way to bridge that gap is through diplomacy to establish a credible, comprehensive and verifiable solution." IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi told the meeting that strikes on Iranian nuclear sites have not, so far, led to a radiological release affecting the public. But he warned that a direct hit on the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran, which is in operation, or a hit that disabled the lines supplying electricity to the plant, could result in a high release of radioactivity to the environment. Grossi added that armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place. Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon said, "We do not apologize for striking Iran's nuclear facilities." He also said, "We will not stop, not until Iran's nuclear threat is dismantled." Iran's UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said Israeli attacks are in violation of the UN Charter and UN Security Council resolutions, and an assault on the global non-proliferation regime. He also said Iran's nuclear program is peaceful, and under the world's most extensive IAEA inspections.