Regional
EU and India move toward closer defence ties amid shifting global security landscape
The proposed partnership comes as Europe seeks to reduce strategic dependence on the US and China, while strengthening diplomatic, economic and security ties with partners in the Indo-Pacific.
The European Union and India are set to explore closer defence cooperation, including the possibility of Indian participation in European defence initiatives, according to a draft security and defence partnership document seen by Reuters.
The proposed partnership comes as Europe seeks to reduce strategic dependence on the United States and China, while strengthening diplomatic, economic and security ties with key partners in the Indo-Pacific.
For India, deeper engagement with the EU offers an opportunity to diversify defence cooperation beyond its traditional partners and expand its role as a major security actor.
Under the draft agreement, which is expected to be signed on Tuesday, the EU and India will consult regularly on their respective defence initiatives, including exchanges related to defence industries.
“The EU and India will consult on their respective defence initiatives, including through exchanges on defence industry-related matters,” the document said.
It added that both sides would explore opportunities for India’s participation in relevant EU defence initiatives, where mutual interests and aligned security priorities exist, and in accordance with their respective legal frameworks.
The partnership also foresees the establishment of an annual EU-India security and defence dialogue, alongside deeper cooperation in areas such as maritime security, cybersecurity and counterterrorism—domains that have gained urgency amid rising geopolitical tensions, conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, and growing instability in key shipping routes.
“The growing complexity of global security threats, rising geopolitical tensions and rapid technological change underscore the need for closer EU-India dialogue and cooperation in security and defence,” the draft document said.
The announcement comes on a day of symbolic importance for India, with the country showcasing its military capabilities during its Republic Day parade in New Delhi, including the display of the BrahMos missile system.
The defence partnership is also expected to coincide with the conclusion of long-running negotiations on a free trade agreement between the EU and India, signalling a broader push to deepen economic and strategic relations between the two sides.
Iran has sent the United States a nuclear proposal via Qatar, to be discussed only after Washington meets Tehran’s seven demands, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the US was reviewing the proposal but declined to provide further details.
Mediators have intensified efforts to end the war between Iran and the United States amid fears it could reignite after the US midterm elections, with Trump on Tuesday declining to rule out a resumption of combat operations after the vote and Iran planning wider retaliation if war resumes.
Iran’s top security official Mohsen Rezaei had said earlier on Thursday, during a visit to Russia: “On the issue of diplomacy, we have announced seven conditions to the Americans. As long as they do not execute our seven conditions, we will neither open the Strait of Hormuz nor have negotiations”.
Iran has demanded the lifting of US sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets and war reparations, among other conditions, while Washington has said nuclear issues must be part of any initial negotiations.
The US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, and Iran responded with strikes on Israel and Gulf states that host US bases. Conflict also erupted in Lebanon between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel, and more recently spread to Yemen, from where the Iran-aligned Houthis have struck energy facilities, airports and other targets in Saudi Arabia.
Regional
Iran says US voted ‘No to War’ after Republican midterm losses
The comments came after US President Donald Trump acknowledged that the war with Iran and rising petrol prices had contributed to the Republicans’ poor election performance.
Saudi Arabia and Syria signed a cooperation agreement between the two countries’ defense ministries on Wednesday, Saudi state news agency SPA reported, as Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group continues its missile and drone attacks on the kingdom.
The agreement was signed during a visit by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to Riyadh, where he met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It was their second meeting in Saudi Arabia in less than a month, according to Reuters.
No details were provided on what the agreement entails. Reuters reported last month that Syria was carefully weighing providing military assistance to Saudi Arabia amid the kingdom’s escalating war against the Houthis in Yemen.
A Syrian diplomat said at the time that any request for military cooperation or exchange of expertise “would take place exclusively through official channels and within the framework of the bilateral agreements governing relations between our two brotherly countries.”
Saudi Arabia has been requesting assistance far and wide, from the US to Europe and the Middle East, for both defensive and offensive support in a renewed war against the Houthis.
The two countries also signed several other agreements during Sharaa’s visit to Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has been providing financial assistance to Syria and played a key role in re-establishing Damascus’ ties with world powers after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.
The Saudi Fund for Development signed six agreements with Syria’s Finance Ministry on Wednesday for the provision of concessional development loans worth over $403 million to support development and service sectors in Syria, the Syrian ministry said.
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