US partners reject Trump’s new wave of tariffs

UNESCO includes archaeological sites in the West Bank and Lebanon despite Israeli objections

A United Nations committee inscribed an archaeological site in the West Bank and a group of castles in southern Lebanon on the World Heritage List. The decision was made at a UNESCO meeting in South Korea, days after Israel urged the rejection of the nominations, calling them an attempt to “instrumentalize cultural heritage.”

Sebastia, a hill town 10 km northwest of Nablus (occupied West Bank), is identified as ancient Samaria, capital of the biblical Kingdom of Israel. Its remains range from the Iron Age to the Islamic period. The Palestinian bid, submitted in 2012, argued that World Heritage status would help preserve the site, which remains undeveloped under Israeli control.

The five castles of Mount Amel, also included, combine influences from Crusaders, Ayyubids and Mamluks. Among them is Beaufort Castle (Al-Shaqif), taken by Israeli forces in May during their deepest incursion into Lebanon in more than 25 years.

Adel Naim Daoud Atieh of the Palestinian delegation said: “who have protected this extraordinary site for generations, despite occupation, restrictions and repeated attempts to separate it from their own heritage.” An Israeli delegate called the decision a “disgrace” and accused it of politicization. Israel withdrew from UNESCO in 2019.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry accused the Palestinian delegation of a “hostile and unilateral campaign” and claimed that Hezbollah has turned Beaufort Castle into a military stronghold. UNESCO responded that all nominations are evaluated under the same criteria and that it does not take a position on political disputes. A Lebanese delegate noted that the castles have been used “only for cultural and tourist purposes” since the Israeli withdrawal in 2000.

Additionally, the committee included Tyre, an ancient Phoenician city in southern Lebanon, on the List of World Heritage in Danger, following intense Israeli airstrikes during the war against Hezbollah before the June ceasefire.

The US military disabled the M/T Lavine in the Gulf of Oman on Friday after the vessel attempted to break the Iranian naval blockade four times. US Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins told The Associated Press that the crew ignored warnings and were fired upon in the engine room. It is the second commercial ship affected since the blockade was reimposed.

Incident in the Gulf of Oman

Hours earlier, President Donald Trump called the negotiations with Iran “by far the most serious we’ve ever seen,” although he added that he is “in no rush” to end the war. Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard vowed not to bow to pressure and attacked US bases in Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain. The United States responded by bombing an Iranian naval base in the north of the country and targets on the Qeshm islands and Isfahan province.

The Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for global energy supplies, remains de facto closed due to Iranian attacks. The Houthis, allies of Tehran, attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, increasing pressure on shipping. Brent crude fell slightly to $96 per barrel, well above $72 before the conflict. In the United States, a gallon of gasoline averages $4.11, according to AAA.

Human cost and diplomatic stagnation

Iran’s Ministry of Health reports 3,434 deaths since the start of hostilities. The International Maritime Organization estimates that 6,000 seafarers are stranded on 400 vessels near the strait. The UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, called for urgent measures to help them.

There are no signs of diplomatic progress. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told local media that he “will not be intimidated by threats” and downplayed mediation efforts. A delegation from Oman arrived in Tehran to discuss maritime traffic, but the talks show no results. Israel announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Washington next week to meet with Trump.

The government of Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, announced on Friday its “firm and definitive” decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia explained in

The reasons behind the departure

The decision comes seven months after the National Assembly, with a pro-government majority, approved a law to repeal accession to the Statute. Plasencia accused the court of “geographical bias” and of concentrating its work “disproportionately in African and Latin American countries.” He added that the ICC has been “instrumentalized to deepen inequalities” and rejected the use of “lawfare”, a term that describes the use of the law as a political weapon.

Venezuela ratified the Statute in June 2000 during the mandate of Hugo Chávez. The ICC investigates war crimes and crimes against humanity when countries are unable or unwilling to do so.

Tensive relationship with the Prosecutor’s Office

The now former president Nicolás Maduro had criticized the Prosecutor’s Office in The Hague for closing its office in Caracas last December. The court argued “lack of real progress” in cooperation. Despite the closure, the investigation into the violence following the 2017 protests “remains active,” according to the ICC.

The investigation was opened in 2021 after a request from Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Paraguay and Peru. So far there are no arrest warrants.

In parallel, former chief prosecutor Karim Khan was dismissed on Friday for “serious misconduct”, in an unprecedented decision. Khan had already been suspended last June.