International

The US has a “clear interest” in preventing the fragmentation of Syria and stopping the Islamic State

The Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, said on Monday that his country has a “clear interest” in preventing the “fragmentation” of Syria and stopping a resurgence of the terrorist group Islamic State (IS).

“This moment presents a historic opportunity, but it also carries considerable risks,” the head of US diplomacy said about Syria during an event at the State Department.

Blinken, who described the fall of President Bashar al-Asad as a “defeat” of his allies in Iran, Hezbula and Russia, stressed that “the Syrian people have to be the one who chooses their path and their future.”

He also announced that senior State Department officials have been deployed in the region to analyze the situation with key actors and allies.

“We have a clear interest in doing what we can to avoid the fragmentation of Syria, massive migrations from Syria and, of course, the export of terrorism and extremism from the region to the world,” he stressed.

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Blinken also said that the United States has a “strong interest” in preventing a resurgence of IS “given the death and destruction it has caused for so long,” as well as “ensuring that any weapons of mass destruction that remain in Syria do not fall into the wrong hands.”

The head of US diplomacy said that it is “imperative” that human rights in Syria are respected, especially of vulnerable minorities, and that state institutions be preserved.

In that sense, he said that the latest statements of the rebel leaders are “welcome,” but stressed that actions are more important than words.

The Pentagon watches that IS does not take advantage of the collapse

For his part, the head of the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin, warned on Monday that IS could take advantage of the collapse of the Al Asad government in Syria to reorganize.

“As this develops, there is the potential that elements in the area, such as the Islamic State, will try to take advantage of this opportunity and regain capacity,” Austin said in statements from Japan aboard the ship USS George Washington.
Austin was also “surprised” that “the opposition forces advanced as fast as they did.”

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“I think everyone expected to see a much firmer resistance from Al Assad’s forces,” he said.

The President of the United States, Joe Biden, said last weekend that Washington’s immediate priority is to prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State, which in 2014 came to control vast areas of Syria and Iraq, in which it proclaimed a “caliphate.”

With this objective, US forces carried out a dozen airstrikes in central Syria on Sunday, reaching 75 targets linked to the terrorist group, according to the Pentagon.

The United States has 900 soldiers deployed in Syria, who will remain in the region as part of the international coalition against IS in order to prevent the jihadist group from taking advantage of the situation to reorganize.

Biden’s advisor travels to Israel with a focus on Gaza and Syria

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will travel to Israel this week to hold talks with senior Israeli officials focused on negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the situation in Syria after the fall of the Al-Assad government.

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According to a White House spokesman to EFE, Sullivan will address with senior Israeli officials “a variety of important issues, including efforts to achieve the release of hostages and a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the latest events in Syria, as well as tensions around Lebanon and Iran.”

Biden announced this weekend that he will send several officials to the region to evaluate the next steps in Syria and that he himself will hold telephone conversations with the leaders of Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Israel, neighboring countries of Syria.

Sullivan’s trip will be the first official visit of a high-ranking US official publicly announced since the insurgent coalition led by the Levant Liberation Organization (HTS) took control of Damascus.

HTS, which split in 2016 from the Al-Qaeda subsidiary of the Nusra Front, is designated by the United States as a terrorist organization.

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”