Israeli offensive in Lebanon, Hajj completed, Putin in North Korea – Trending

Trending Middle East

Thoraya Abdullahi gives a round-up of today’s trends.

On today’s episode, Arab leaders have congratulated Saudi Arabia on a successful Hajj season. More than 1.8 million pilgrims took part, of whom 22 per cent were from Arab countries. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested that the US was “withholding” military support, but US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said only one shipment of heavy weapons was being reviewed. The Israeli army said that operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were “approved and validated”. Russian President Vladimir Putin is on his first visit to North Korea in 24 years, which he says is to deepen trade and security ties with Pyongyang and support it against the US.