Now I don't know about that per se as I've never heard such reasoning, but maybe it's true with the Middle East seemingly growing more volatile by the day. However, something seems a bit 'off' about this as flydubai has continued servicing Israel even after the October 7th Hamas terrorist attack when other airlines would not.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had remained in New York after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian departed last week, ostensibly to take part in indirect talks with the U.S. on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, ending the war and reviving nuclear negotiations.
But after weekend meetings with Iranian and Qatari mediators produced little progress, Rubio told the Iranians on Monday that Araghchi and his team had to leave immediately, the officials told The Associated Press.
Araghchi and his delegation departed very early Tuesday.
The Trump administration had granted visas to Iran’s president, foreign minister and other officials to attend the annual U.N. gathering despite the ongoing war, though the visas came with severe restrictions. Read more, and see video here.
Netanyahu praised passenger Yaniv Hayoun for his heroics aboard the flight from Dubai – and vowed to find out if Iran was behind the attack that sent the plane into a horrifying nosedive.
“He acted with a coolness of judgement and heroism that prevented another 9/11,” the prime minister said of Hayoun on Fox News’ “Hannity” Wednesday night.
Netanyahu met with Hayoun, who was “completely stained with the blood,” after making it back to Israeli soil safely.
The hero told the prime minister “he just had to do it” when he selflessly jumped into action from the plane’s 16th row during the bloody attack in an attempt to save the 174 passengers onboard, most of whom were Israelis — including his family.
“He’s an incredible hero. Look at what he did under impossible circumstances,” Netanyahu told host Sean Hannity.
The departure closes the Iraq chapter of the U.S.-led military mission launched against ISIS in 2014, while shifting primary responsibility for the country's security to Iraqi forces. The broader counter-ISIS campaign is not ending, however, with the U.S.-led task force relocating its headquarters to Jordan and operations continuing in Syria.
"Job well done to the tens of thousands of American service members, diplomats, and civilian personnel who answered the call in Iraq," CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said.
"Because of your grit, sacrifice and professionalism, ISIS no longer poses a systemic threat to Iraq’s national security and Iraqi security forces, including the Peshmerga and other Iraqi Kurdistan Region security forces, now possess the capacity, leadership, and operational independence to unilaterally manage threats to their homeland."
