Russian–Iranian cooperation, UN legitimacy for Trump’s Gaza plan

 Today’s international newspapers covered the nuclear cooperation between Iran and Russia and the situation in Gaza.

A Second secret meeting between Iran and Russia on sensitive nuclear-related technologies

The Financial Times reported that a team of Iranian scientists made a second secret visit last year to a Russian facility specializing in laser technology, as part of what Washington says is Tehran’s attempt to acquire technologies that could be used in designing nuclear weapons.

According to the newspaper, an Iranian company linked to the defense sector organized the trip using diplomatic passports, while records showed that the participants were researchers from universities and centers affiliated with Iran’s Ministry of Defense.

The delegation met with a Russian company under US sanctions, believed to possess technologies that could help test nuclear-weapon designs without an explosive experiment. The newspaper also noted a later visit by a Russian researcher to Tehran early this year.

Experts cited by the newspaper said the information offers “a strong indication” of Russian–Iranian cooperation involving dual-use technologies that may have sensitive military applications.

UN legitimacy for Trump’s Gaza plan… Implementation faces complex obstacles

The New York Times reported that the UN Security Council’s vote in favor of US President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza granted the US administration important diplomatic momentum by providing international legitimacy to the plan, which calls for establishing an international force to stabilize the Strip, disarming factions, preparing for a technocratic Palestinian administration, and supporting reconstruction efforts.

According to the newspaper, some Gaza residents responded cautiously, seeing in the UN decision a potential opportunity to restore a measure of stability, despite widespread doubts about the plan’s ability to quickly change realities on the ground.

The newspaper pointed out that several countries expected to join the international force, such as Azerbaijan and the UAE, expressed reservations, fearing being drawn into direct confrontation with Hamas, which rejected the UN resolution and argued that the international force could become a party biased toward Israel.

It also noted that the absence of official Palestinian representation remains a weak point in the plan, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refuses to involve the Palestinian Authority before wide-ranging reforms, something Israeli officials doubt can be achieved.

Analysts quoted by the newspaper warned that delays in implementing the plan’s provisions may solidify a new reality in Gaza, based on an actual division between areas controlled by Israel and others controlled by Hamas, increasing the risk of renewed confrontations.

The newspaper further noted that the Trump administration’s tough stance toward Israel on the Gaza issue drew praise from supporters of the two-state solution, while also inviting criticism over what was seen as ignoring the escalating settler violence in the West Bank, amid calls for a more balanced US approach in dealing with the Israeli government.

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ANHA