Trump appoints real estate exec Steven Witkoff as Middle East envoy
President-elect Trump announced Tuesday that he has nominated real estate executive Stephen Witkoff to be the next administration's special envoy for the Middle East. “Steve is a well-respected leader in business and philanthropy who has made every project and community he has worked on stronger and more prosperous,” he said of Witkoff Group's chairman, CEO […]
Trump announces pick of real estate tycoon Steven Witkoff for Middle East envoy
President-elect Trump has appointed his longtime ally, New York businessman Stephen Witkoff, as his special envoy for the Middle East. Witkoff is a real estate investor, landlord, and founder of the Witkoff Group, which he founded in 1977. President Trump's previous statements: Who will advise the new president? Steve Witkoff, founder and CEO of Witkoff […]
Trump taps fierce UN critic to serve as envoy to it
Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec Newsletter {beacon} Defense &national security Defense &national security Full text US forces attack Iranian-backed targets in Syria after attack on Americans The U.S. military conducted nine strikes against Iranian proxy targets in Syria on Monday, in response to recent attacks against U.S. service members in the region, […]
Netanyahu appoints hardline backer of settlements as Israeli envoy to US | Israel
As Israel prepares for the incoming administration of President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed a hardline supporter of the Gaza war and longtime supporter of West Bank settlements as ambassador to the United States. Yekiel Reiter, an American-born right-wing publicist and former government aide who immigrated to Israel 40 years ago, was […]
Russia to remove Taliban terrorist status, envoy says
Russia is preparing to remove terrorist designation from Taliban's Zamir Kamrov, Russia's special envoy to Afghanistan. announced on FridayAccording to state media. Kamrov said the Federal Security Service, Russia's security services and “other” agencies were “making the legal final touches to remove the Taliban movement from Russia's terrorist list.” “The main decisions on this have […]
UK climate envoy to keep role at charity whose founders invest in fossil fuels | Climate crisis
Britain's new climate envoy will continue in his role as a trustee of a charity whose founder has donated millions of pounds to the Labor Party and invests in fossil fuels, the Guardian has reported. Former World Bank climate chief Rachel Kyte, who was announced this week as the UK's special representative for climate, will […]
Iran envoy Malley may have been on ‘classified White House call’ after clearance suspended, watchdog finds
A new report from the State Department inspector general says Iran envoy Robert Malley may have participated in a “classified conference call” with the White House after his security clearance was suspended. The State Department's Office of Inspector General did not interview Malley and could not confirm whether he was on the call, but his […]
Disgraced Iran envoy Robert Malley may have been on ‘classified White House-organized’ call after security clearance was suspended
The Harris-Biden administration's special envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, may have participated in a “classified White House-organized” conference call after his top secret security clearance was frozen amid allegations of misconduct, according to the State Department's internal audit agency. The State Department's Office of Inspector General concluded Wednesday that department officials' discipline of Malley for […]
Taliban Bans U.N. Human Rights Envoy from Afghanistan for ‘Propaganda’
The Taliban announced on Wednesday that they had banned the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, from entering the country. The Taliban claimed Bennett was banned because he lacked “professionalism” and was spreading “propaganda”. Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Kahar Barki said Reuters reported on Wednesday that the Taliban regime was […]
North Korea diplomat flees to South in highest ranking envoy defection since 2016 – report | North Korea
A South Korean newspaper reported that a senior North Korean official in Cuba defected to South Korea in November, becoming the highest-ranking North Korean diplomat to defect to South Korea since 2016. Before defecting to South Korea, Ri Il-gyu, 52, was in charge of political affairs at the North Korean embassy in Cuba. Chosun Ilbo […]