Iran

The US Senate has overwhelmingly approved a substantial aid package totaling 95 billion USD, aimed at supporting key American allies, including Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The largest portion of the package, 61 billion USD, is earmarked for Ukraine, while Israel will receive 26 billion USD, with 9 billion USD designated for humanitarian aid in Gaza.

We often talk of Israel as an example we should learn from in a number of areas. One of them, and an extremely important one, is defense.

In that context it is a welcome development that Athens has announced plans to develop a system similar to the Iron Dome, Israel's missile defense system developed with US assistance, aimed at safeguarding the country against attacks from the air.

Traders are lookling ahead this week to the release of key U.S. inflation data and corporate earnings.

With Iran downplaying Israel's reported attack on the country, tensions between the regional rivals cooled.

While the situation remains tense, the lack of escalation over the weekend provided traders with an opportunity to pick up equities and helped push oil down.

Iran and Israel appeared to step back from the brink of broader conflict as lawmakers in the United States approved new Israeli military aid on Saturday despite growing criticism of its ally's war in Gaza.

"Unambiguous condemnation of Iran's attack against Israel" – What he said about Cyprus, Turkey & the economy

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan discussed efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and reach a fair and lasting peace in the region during a meeting with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul on Saturday, his office said.

The United States House of Representatives has approved a comprehensive legislative package worth 95 billion USD, earmarking funds for Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific region. Despite facing opposition from a faction within the Republican Party, the bill secured passage with significant bipartisan support, with 316 votes in favor and 94 against.

People visit the Si-o-Se Pol Bridge in Iran's central city of Isfahan on April 19, 2024. World leaders appealed for calm on April 19 after reported Israeli retaliation against Iran, added to months of tense spillover from the war in Gaza, with Iranian state media reporting explosions in the central province of Isfahan.

Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini's defense and diplomatic editor, joins Thanos Davelis to explore Defense Minister Nikos Dendias' plan for a defense system for Greece similar to Israel's Iron Dome, discuss the view from Athens following Iran's attack on Israel, and look at the key takeaways from the EU summit on Cyprus.

Western states have sought to send Iran messages via Turkey in recent days to reiterate appeals for de-escalation, a Western diplomat said on Friday.

The messages were conveyed before reported Israeli attacks on Iran early on Friday, after which Tehran indicated it had no plans for further retaliation.