Tuesday 8,July ,2025 {HMC} Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Donald Trump he was nominating the U.S. leader for a Nobel Peace Prize as the two took a victory lap Monday to hail their recent joint strikes on Iran ‘s nuclear facilities as an unmitigated success.

The two leaders sat down with their top aides for a dinner in the White House Blue Room to mark the Iran operation and discuss efforts to push forward with a 60-day ceasefire proposal to pause the 21-month conflict in Gaza.

“He’s forging peace as we speak, one country and one region after the other,” Netanyahu said as he presented Trump with a nominating letter he said he sent the Nobel committee.

The call for the peace prize comes after the Israeli leader for years had pressed Trump and his predecessors to take military action against Iran’s nuclear program. Trump ordered U.S. forces to drop “bunker-buster” bombs and fire a barrage of Tomahawk missiles on three key Iranian nuclear sites.

It also allowed Netanyahu to further ingratiate himself with Trump, who for years has made little secret of the fact that he covets a Nobel Peace Prize and sees himself as a capable peacemaker. He’s trumpeted recent truces that his administration facilitated between India and Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, and Israel and Iran.

“Coming from you in particular, this is very meaningful,” Trump told Netanyahu as the prime minister handed him the nomination letter.

Netanyahu’s outwardly triumphant visit to the White House, his third this year, was dogged by Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza and questions over how hard Trump will push for an end to the conflict.

But in an exchange before reporters before the dinner got underway, both leaders expressed optimism that their success in Iran would mark a new era in the Middle East.

“I think things are going to be really settled down a lot in the Middle East,” Trump said. “And, they respect us and they respect Israel.”

Trump says Iran wants to restart talks, but Iran hasn’t confirmed that
Trump indicated anew that Iranian officials have reached out to the U.S. to schedule talks about Iran’s nuclear program. Negotiations had started in April but were scuttled after Israel began its operations last month.

“We have scheduled Iran talks, and they want to,” Trump told reporters. “They want to talk.” He said last week that the talks would restart soon.

Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, sitting at the table with Trump, said the meeting would be soon, perhaps in a week.

Tehran has yet to confirm that it has agreed to restart talks with the U.S.

But Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian in an interview published Monday said the U.S. airstrikes so badly damaged his country’s nuclear facilities that Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction.

Pezeshkian added in the interview with conservative American broadcaster Tucker Carlson that Iran would be willing to resume cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog but cannot yet commit to allowing its inspectors unfettered access to monitor the sites.

“We stand ready to have such supervision,” Pezeshkian said. “Unfortunately, as a result of the United States’ unlawful attacks against our nuclear centers and installations, many of the pieces of equipment and the facilities there have been severely damaged.”

Pushing for a new ceasefire proposal in Gaza

Trump has made clear that following last month’s 12-day war between Israel and Iran he would like to see the Gaza conflict end soon. The meeting between Trump and Netanyahu may give new urgency to a U.S. ceasefire proposal being discussed by Israel and Hamas.

White House officials are urging Israel and Hamas to quickly seal a new ceasefire agreement that would bring about a 60-day pause in the fighting, send aid flooding into Gaza and free at least some of the remaining 50 hostages held in the territory, 20 of whom are believed to be living.

Leavitt announced Monday that Witkoff will travel later this week to Doha, Qatar, for ceasefire and hostage talks.

But a sticking point is whether the ceasefire will end the war altogether. Hamas has said it is willing to free all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu says the war will end once Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile — something it refuses to do.

“We’ll work out a peace with our Palestinian neighbors, those that don’t want to destroy us,” Netanyahu said. “We’ll work out a peace in which our security, the sovereign power of security, always remains in our hands.”

Trump has been pressuring Israel and Hamas to wrap up the conflict, which has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, ravaged Gaza, deepened Israel’s international isolation and made any resolution to the broader conflict between Israel and the Palestinians more distant than ever.

But the precise details of the deal are still in flux. In the days before Netanyahu’s visit, Trump seemed to downplay the chances for a breakthrough.

Asked Friday how confident he was a ceasefire deal would come together, Trump told reporters, “I’m very optimistic — but you know, look, it changes from day to day.”

Trump and Netanyahu are more in sync than ever

After Trump’s decision to get involved in Israel’s war in Iran, the two leaders are more in sync than ever. But that’s not always been the case.

As recently as Netanyahu’s last visit to Washington in April, the tone was markedly different.

Trump used the photo op with Netanyahu to announce that the U.S. was entering into negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program — appearing to catch the Israeli leader off guard and, at the time, slamming the brakes on any Israeli military plan.

Trump, whose policies have largely aligned with Israel’s own priorities, pledged last week to be “very firm” with Netanyahu on ending the war, without saying what that would entail. Pressure by Trump has worked on Netanyahu in the past, with a ceasefire deal having been reached right as the president was taking office again.

Netanyahu has to balance the demands of his American ally with the far-right parties in his governing coalition, which hold the key to his political survival and oppose ending the war.

But given the strong U.S. support in Israel’s war against Iran, highlighted by joint airstrikes on a fortified underground Iranian nuclear site, Netanyahu may have a tough time saying no.

Trump also may be expecting something in return for his recent calls for Netanyahu’s corruption trial to be canceled — a significant interference in the domestic affairs of a sovereign state.

“Trump thinks that Netanyahu owes him,” said Eytan Gilboa, an expert on U.S.-Israel affairs at Bar-Ilan University near Tel Aviv. “And if Trump thinks that he needs to end the war In Gaza, then that is what he will need to do.”

Source AP

Tuesday 8,July ,2025 {HMC} Heavy fighting broke out on Monday in Moqokori district in the Hiiraan region after al-Shabab militants launched a large-scale assault involving suicide bombings and ground attacks, according to military and local sources.

The militant group targeted the district, located approximately 300 kilometers north of the capital, Mogadishu, using vehicle-borne explosives and hundreds of fighters, said local militia commander Abdulahi Adan.

Adan said local militia forces “tactically retreated” from some positions but emphasized that “sporadic fighting continues in the area, so this is not a complete takeover.”
Moqokori is a strategic town in central Somalia, serving as a gateway to several major towns in Hiiraan. The area has been repeatedly contested over the years, with al-Shabab previously seizing it in 2016 and briefly again in 2018.

Military sources reported that the attack was repelled and claimed that several militants were killed, though specific casualty figures have not been released. Government forces, supported by local clan militias, remain engaged in efforts to secure the town.

The assault on Moqokori comes just months after al-Shabab captured Adan Yabaal in the Middle Shabelle region—a town that had served as a forward operating base for Somali military commanders.

Despite the presence of more than 10,000 troops from the African Union Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), al-Shabab continues to carry out complex and deadly attacks across the country, underscoring the persistent threat the group poses to Somalia’s stability.

Source Hiiraan online

Tuesday 8,July ,2025 {HMC} Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met on Monday with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in the coastal city of New Alamein during an official visit focused on deepening bilateral ties and addressing regional developments, particularly in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.

According to Presidential Spokesperson Mohamed El-Shenawy, the meeting included a one-on-one session followed by expanded talks between the two countries’ delegations. Discussions centred on reinforcing the strategic partnership and enhancing coordination on regional security challenges.

At a joint press conference following the talks, President Al-Sisi said the two leaders discussed political and security conditions in the Horn of Africa, as well as expanding cooperation across political, economic, security, and defence sectors. He noted that the talks built on the political declaration signed in January 2025, which aims to elevate Egyptian-Somali relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Al-Sisi announced that both sides had agreed to activate the military cooperation protocol signed in August 2024. The protocol includes efforts to strengthen Somali security personnel and state institutions to combat terrorism and restore state authority across Somalia. He also reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to the African Union’s support mission in Somalia and called for predictable, sustainable international funding to ensure the mission’s continued effectiveness.

Al-Sisi praised President Mohamud’s efforts to promote national unity and fight extremist groups, reaffirming Egypt’s full support for all initiatives aimed at fostering political consensus and achieving lasting peace and development in Somalia.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said his visit sought to reinforce the historic ties between Egypt and Somalia. He expressed gratitude for Egypt’s continued support, especially in healthcare, education, and institutional development. “We are grateful for Egypt’s role in providing healthcare services in Somalia—services that were previously unavailable,” he said.

President Mohamud also expressed interest in expanding cooperation with Egypt across various sectors, with a particular focus on boosting private sector partnerships and exploring mutually beneficial investment opportunities.

He extended a formal invitation to President Al-Sisi to visit Somalia, saying: “The Somali people are eager to welcome you warmly.”

The visit comes amid intensifying diplomatic engagement between the two countries, as the Horn of Africa continues to face persistent security and political challenges. Volatility in the Red Sea, a critical maritime corridor, has also raised concerns due to ongoing regional tensions and proxy conflicts.

The renewed Egyptian-Somali engagement is widely viewed as part of Cairo’s broader strategy to strengthen its presence in East Africa by supporting regional stability, enhancing institutional resilience, and countering terrorism and economic fragility.

Source DAILY NEWS