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‘Very high’ turnout seen in polls

Voters line up at a voting precinct in Barangay Bagong Silang, Caloocan City. — BW FILE PHOTO

THE 2025 May midterm elections saw a “very high” voter turnout, with particularly strong participation in Mindanao, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) said on Wednesday.

In a press conference, PPCRV spokesperson Ana D. Singson said the parish-based watchdog recorded an estimated 80.27% turnout, led by a strong showing in Mindanao — an unlikely figure for a midterm election.

The figure is significantly higher than the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) target of at least 70% voter turnout, out of 68 million registered voters.   

“Very high turnout, especially in the southern regions. Usually, voter turnout is not as high, nalalayo siya (it differs) from the presidential election,” Ms. Singson said.   

“But this time, we had 80.27% of voters turning up… So, I think that means people are really excited.”

She added that the PPCRV will soon release its full report, allowing the public to see the regional voter turnout data.

In the 2022 presidential elections, the Comelec recorded a voter turnout of 82.6%, or 55.5 million out of 67.4 million registered voters, while a turnout of 75.95% was recorded in 2019.

Political scientist and retired University of the Philippines professor Clarita A. Carlos linked this to the increased youth participation in this election, with many hoping to change the current political landscape.   

“The young are sick and tired of the kind of politics we have, and the noise they’re hearing,” Ms. Carlos said in an interview.

“And I guess some part of it may have come from the realization of many that it is their responsibility to really participate. Otherwise, they have no reason, you know, to comment or even critique any of the actions of the government,” she added.   

According to COMELEC data, millennials and Gen Z voters account for 60.5% or 41,412,361 of the total 68,431,965 registered voters in the 2025 midterm elections.

Meanwhile, Ms. Singson called for more volunteers to join the PPCRV as more physical copies of election returns (ERs) arrive for the unofficial parallel count.

During this process, the PPCRV compares the physical ERs it receives with the digital ERs transmitted from the precincts.   

The PPCRV currently holds 11,860 physical ERs, or 12.71% of the total, and the watchdog expects more to come, Ms. Singson said. — Edg Adrian A. Eva

PSALM remits P377.5M in 2024

STATE-RUN Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) said it remitted a total of P377.51 million last year in a program intended to compensate communities and local government units (LGUs) hosting energy projects.

PSALM released P46.08 million in Energy Regulation (ER) 1-94 program and P241.72 million in Share in the National Wealth (SNW), the firm said in a statement on Tuesday.

ER No. 1-94 is a program intended to make sure that host communities get a reasonable share of the profit from power plants operating in their area.

Meanwhile, under the Republic Act No. 7160, the Local Government Code of 1991, an LGU is entitled to receive an equitable share in the proceeds from the utilization and development of national wealth within their jurisdictions.

For PSALM, these proceeds come from 1% of the gross sales or receipts from the preceding calendar year. These funds, known as SNW, are intended to directly benefit the inhabitants of host communities.

Financial benefits from the ER 1-94 program were sourced from the Agus and Pulangi Hydroelectric Power Plants (HEPPs), as well as the Sual, Pagbilao, and Bakun power plants under independent power producer administrator (IPPA) arrangements.

On the other hand, SNW proceeds came from the Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan Hydroelectric Power Plants, Agus and Pulangi HEPPs, and the Bakun and San Roque power plants under IPPA deals. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

Japan, Manila eye deeper ICT ties

EMBASSY OF JAPAN IN THE PHILIPPINES FB PAGE

TOKYO and Manila said that they are seeking to deepen collaboration in Information and Communications Technology (ICT), following a meeting between the Japanese envoy and Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Henry Rhoel R. Aguda.

“Both Ambassador Kazuya Endo and Secretary Aguda expressed readiness to collaborate more closely in advancing the strong economic relations between Japan and the Philippines through more comprehensive cooperation in ICT,” the Japanese Embassy in Manila said in a statement on Wednesday.

Mr. Endo said that the Japanese government has introduced various public and private initiatives in ICT advancement, including the Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN), cybersecurity, undersea cables, and digital terrestrial broadcasting systems.

“He also expressed Japan’s continued cooperation for the advancement of ICT in the Philippines,” the embassy said.

Mr. Aguda said that the Philippines is seeking to find “more avenues for cooperation” from Japan to support the Philippines’ digitalization goals. — Adrian H. Halili

Poll body stalls winning Benguet lawmaker’s proclamation

BAGUIO CITY — Re-elected Benguet lawmaker Eric Go Yap’s proclamation was suspended by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) following a reportedly “rehashed” disqualification case regarding his citizenship.

Mr. Yap won the Benguet lone congressional district’s race by a landslide, garnering 144,093 votes over vice-governor Ericson Felipe, who got 62,371 votes, Jerome Wakat with 765 votes, and Bok Mistah Siddayo with 312.

“In view of the foregoing, the Commision second division orders the suspension of the proclamation of respondent Eric Go Yap as Representative of Lone District of Benguet. The suspension of the proclamation shall be effective until further of the commission,” the order stated, as read by Comelec-Cordillera Assistant Regional Director Vanessa Roncal.

Mr. Yap said he remains unfazed by the “recycled citizenship issue.” “What’s important is that we won. There’s nothing to be worried about because the committee has yet to decide on the petition, considering the number of disqualification cases filed,” Mr. Yap confidently said in mixed English and Filipino.

The lawmaker added that the citizenship issue has long been resolved when he ran as Benguet congressman after he was appointed as legislative caretaker, following the death of the Rep. Nestor Fongwan Sr. in 2020.

“The issue of my citizenship has been dealt with in 2021,” added Mr. Yap. “Temporarily, they suspended my proclamation pending decision, but then we filed our response and submitted my birth certificate… Nothing will change. We’ll just have to wait for Comelec’s decision,” Mr. Yap assured.

Mr. Yap’s closest rival, Mr. Felipe, is also facing a disqualification case for abuse of government resources when he allegedly used a government-issued vehicle for his campaign sorties. — Artemio A. Dumlao

Wanted NPA leader killed in Surigao del Sur clash

COTABATO CITY — The Army’s 10th Infantry Division lauded on Tuesday local executives and leaders of indigenous tribes for helping locate a New People’s Army (NPA) official wanted for 23 criminal cases, who was killed in an encounter last weekend in Lingig town in Surigao del Sur.

The chief of the NPA’s self-styled Sentro de Grabidad-Southern Mindanao Regional Committee died from multiple bullet wounds he sustained when he and his companions traded shots with personnel of the Army’s 67th Infantry Battalion in Sitio Mendezona in Barangay Rajah Cabungsuan in Lingig.

Local executives and police officials had confirmed that he was wanted for multiple murder, multiple frustrated murder, arson, armed robbery, extortion and narcotics trafficking cases that are pending in different courts in regions 10, 11, and 13.

Army Major Gen. Allan D. Hambala, commander of the 10th Infantry Division, told reporters on Tuesday that it was from local executives in Surigao del Sur province that officials of the 67th IB had learned of the presence of the NPA leader and his followers.

Local officials were quoted in Tuesday’s radio reports in Central Mindanao as saying that his followers scampered away when they ran out of ammunition, leaving him behind. — John Felix M. Unson

Bulldogs force winner-take-all Game 3 in UAAP men’s volleyball

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS — UAAP/JOAQUI FLORES & JULIUS DOMONDON

VENGEFUL National University  (NU) turned back Far Eastern University (FEU) with a stellar comeback in the clutch, 25-22, 20-25, 25-15, 18-25, 15-11, to force a winner-take-all Game 3 in the UAAP Season 87 men’s volleyball finals on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

On the brink of being dethroned from their long-time kingdom, the NU Bulldogs unleashed a staggering 10-3 finishing bite capped by Jade Disquitado’s thunderous block on the FEU Tamaraws’ top gun Dryx Saavedra to complete the Game 2 comeback and tie things up at 1-1.

NU, with a new lease on life and now smelling blood, shoots for its fifth straight title on Saturday at the same venue.

Coach Dante Alinsunurin, leaning on the composure of his battle-scarred wards that has lorded over the league since 2018.

Veteran spiker Buds Buddin, who just came back from an ankle injury in the playoffs, rediscovered his fiery form with 20 points on 20 hits, including three in the decider, to lead NU’s retaliation after a 25-22, 22-25, 25-13, 22-25, 13-15 loss in Game 1.

That defeat was the Bulldogs’ first since 2017, boasting an unbeaten reign in eight straight finals games for a lasting dynasty.

Not this time around as NU drew ample support from Congolese middle blocker Obed Mukaba, who also came big with three points in the fifth set for a total output of 20 as well as Leo Ordiales and Leo Aringo with 13 and 10 points, respectively.

Mr. Buddin did, anchoring NU’s ship in the rocky rubber after nearly blowing a 2-1 set lead like in Game 1 that proved as a stark contrast to FEU.

As the Bulldogs flashed steely resolve from a huge deficit, the Tamaraws folded under pressure by committing five errors in the decider alone -— with four coming in the most crucial stretch after building a comfortable 8-5 lead.

Game 1 heroes Mr. Saavedra (24) and Amet Bituin (10) had their usual numbers but the Tamaraws still fell short of winning their first title since Season 74 (2012) — at least for now.

Meanwhile, Ateneo de Manila University’s Ken Batas captured the Season MVP plum while JJ Macam of University of Santo Tomas (UST) was the Rookie of the Year. The two also won Best Outside Spikers alongside other season awardees Popoy Colinares (UST) and Leo Coguimbal (Adamson University) as Best Middle Blockers, Amil Pacinio (Ateneo) as Best Opposite Spiker, Dux Yambao (UST) as Best Setter and Menard Guerrero (De La Salle University) as Best Libero. — John Bryan Ulanday

WGM Frayna keeps her World Cup bid alive by beating WGM Khalilova

WGM JANELLE MAE FRAYNA — FACEBOOK.COM/NCFPCHESS

THE Philippines’ Janelle Mae Frayna resuscitated her World Cup bid by blasting Uzbekistan’s Madinabonu Khalilova in the seventh round of the Asian Individual Chess Championships in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old many-time national women’s champion showed pin precision in mangling Kalilova’s Sicilian Defense and tore down brick by brick the latter’s kingside defense with a decisive mating attack.

When it was over, the enlisted Army personnel from Albay were set to checkmate her befuddled Uzbek foe or win material before the latter resigned in 39 moves.

The propelled Frayna, whose trip is bankrolled by the Philippine Sports Commission, back into the top 10 as she shared sixth spot with six others with five points, or just a point off pace setters Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Seshadri Srija of India and Bat-Erdene Mangunzul of Mongolia.

But for her to have a legitimate shot at snaring one of the two tickets to the Women’s World Cup set July 5 to 29 in Batumi, Georgia, she must sweep her last two foes, including against fourth-seeded Chinese International Master Song Yuxin in the eighth and penultimate round.

Frayna is the country’s last hope at having a representative to Batumi as teammates Marie Antoinette San Diego, Bernadette Galas and Jan Jodilyn Fronda in her division and Pau Bersamina, Jem Garcia and Grandmaster Daniel Quizon have fallen by the wayside and virtually out of contention. — Joey Villar

Pacers escape 19-pt hole; KO Cavaliers in Game 5

TYRESE HALIBURTON scored 31 points and dished out eight assists as the Indiana Pacers eliminated the host Cleveland Cavaliers with a 114-105 decision in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Tuesday.

Pascal Siakam put up 21 points for fourth-seeded Indiana, which overcame a 19-point point deficit while closing out the best-of-seven series.

“We’re talking about eight more wins for an NBA championship,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “The league is wide open this year. We’ve just got to keep believing.”

Indiana has qualified for back-to-back trips to the Eastern finals for the first time since 2013-2014, when it lost to the Miami Heat twice. The Pacers were beaten by the eventual champion Boston Celtics last season.

“We’re happy to go to the conference finals, but we want the whole thing this year,” Indiana’s Myles Turner said.

Donovan Mitchell posted 35 points and nine rebounds while playing with a sprained left ankle and sore calf for top-seeded Cleveland, which lost all three home games in the series. Evan Mobley added 24 points and 11 rebounds but a team that went 64-18 in the regular season was sent home.

“They were the better team. They deserved it and played great,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said. “They wore us down. I thought we were built for it, but we weren’t ready for that.”

“The season was not a success in terms of where our goal was. Success would be going to the conference finals, but we didn’t do that. Quite honestly, I expected more coming off the Miami series (a four-game sweep). Now, we’ve got to figure out the next piece.”

After the Cavaliers went up 44-25 early in the second quarter, Haliburton scored 22 points and drained six 3-pointers during an epic 55-24 burst that put the Pacers up 80-68 with 1:50 remaining in the third.

Cleveland got as close as 98-97 with 5:03 left in the fourth on a Mitchell 3-pointer, but Andrew Nembhard answered with a 3-pointer and Haliburton made a three-point play. Haliburton wound up 10 of 15 from the field, including 6 of 10 on 3-point attempts.

Nembhard finished with 18 points and six assists, Aaron Nesmith collected 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Turner had 10 points and four blocked shots for Indiana. The Pacers held the Cavaliers to a 9-of-35 shooting (25.7%) from beyond the arc.

“We had a lot of confidence in what we did last year, even though a lot of people didn’t,” Haliburton said of again reaching the conference finals.

Cleveland All-Star guard Darius Garland had 11 points on 4-of-16 shooting and Max Strus missed all nine of his field-goal attempts. They combined to miss all 12 of their 3-point tries while committing eight fouls.

Mitchell was aggressive from the tip, scoring 13 points and making 7 of 8 free throws as the Cavaliers went up 31-19 after the first.

Haliburton sank five 3-pointers in a 27-12 run to end the first half, bringing the Pacers within 56-52. Haliburton had 17 points at the break, while Mitchell topped Cleveland with 16.

“If we got one when we were up 20 (in Game 2), the series looks a lot different,” Mobley said, referencing a 120-119 home loss. “You have to win the ones you can, and when you’re up 20, these are the ones you have to win.”

“We didn’t start out the best in Game 1, then we got hurt and everything went downhill. We’ve got to be mentally stronger from the jump.”

Mitchell added, “We just didn’t get the job done. Nothing else needs to be said.”

“We let the city down. We let each other down. I believe in this team. That’s what just sucks. We’re a good team, but ultimately for three (home) games, we don’t seem it.” — Reuters

Mavericks unlikely to trade away ‘gift’ of No. 1 pick

Having beaten long odds to win the top pick in next month’s NBA draft — and blessed with an obvious candidate to become the No. 1 selection — the Dallas Mavericks reportedly aren’t planning to use it as a trade chip.

The Mavericks have their sights set on 18-year-old forward Cooper Flagg, who led Duke to the Final Four in his only season with the Blue Devils, as ESPN on Tuesday cited sources that indicated Dallas isn’t interested in trading the pick.

Patrick Dumont, the Mavericks’ representative on the NBA’s Board of Governors, appears to have the final say on personnel matters, sources said, and he looks upon the 6-foot-8 Flagg, who piled up numerous awards at Duke, as a “gift.”

If Flagg’s prowess and promise weren’t enough of a lure for the franchise — especially general manager Nico Harrison — that traded away superstar Luke Doncic, Dallas no longer controls its first-round draft selections from 2027-30. That draft capital went toward building the roster that advanced to the 2024 NBA Finals.

Flagg, a first-team All-American, also won the Wooden Award as the nation’s top collegiate player and the Associated Press’ national player of the year. At Duke, he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He shot 48.1% from the floor, including 38.5% on 3-pointers.

Said Mavericks Chief Executive Officer Rick Welts of Flagg: “I don’t know who we’re going to take, but should we take him, I think his résumé is pretty strong. Every time he’s put in a situation that everyone wondered if he could succeed, he’s succeeded and then some.”

Dallas had just a 1.8% chance to win the top pick during the NBA’s draft lottery, which was conducted on Monday. The draft will be held June 25-26 in New York. — Reuters

Tatum-less Celtics plan to ‘leave it all out there’ vs Knicks

IF the Boston Celtics extend their season by beating the visiting New York Knicks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday night, they will do so without leading scorer Jayson Tatum.

Tatum, 27, suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon in the final minutes of New York’s 121-113 victory in Game 4 on Monday night. He had surgery on Tuesday and will miss the remainder of the playoffs.

The Celtics said the surgery was a success, but the length of the recovery process remains unclear. Some reports said Tatum could miss the entire 2025-26 season as well.

“Get ready for the next one,” Jaylen Brown said. “Get ready to fight. Get ready to come out on our home floor and do what we need to do. That’s the goal. Still the goal. We’ve got enough in the locker room, so I believe in my guys.”

The Knicks have a 3-1 lead in the series and can end Boston’s season with a win on Wednesday. The victory also would put New York in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years.

Jalen Brunson had 39 points and 12 assists to help the Knicks overcome a 14-point deficit in Game 4. He’s averaged 30.2 points in 34 career playoff games with New York.

“We have a great opportunity,” Brunson said. “We’re playing a really good team, and I don’t think we’re playing our best basketball yet. We have a team that’s fairly new this year and we still have a long way to go to be the best that we can be. There’s always time to learn for us. We’ve got to make sure that we’re never satisfied and have that student mentality.”

Tatum scored 42 points in Game 4, also racking up eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks before he was helped off the floor with 2:58 left. He averaged 26.8 points per game during the regular season.

“Obviously you’re always concerned about someone’s health, so it’s twofold,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “We’re concerned about his health, where he’s at, and then we’re concerned about what we have to do better for Game 5 when we get back to Boston.”

The Celtics had a 9-2 record this season in games they played without Tatum. That includes a 109-100 victory over Orlando in the first round. Tatum sat out that game with a wrist injury.

“It’s a part of this sport, part of this game, and we feel for him, of course,” Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis said. “But we have to move forward. He doesn’t want us to be sad and not playing our best basketball. So we’re going to go out there and leave it all out there and live with the results.”

New York will be seeking its third win in Boston during the series. The Knicks took a 2-0 series lead with road wins before the teams split two games in New York. The Knicks are 5-0 on the road this postseason.

“That team is special,” Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said of Boston, per the New York Daily News. “They’re defending champions. It takes a whole team to beat them.”

Towns has double-doubles in six straight games dating to the Knicks’ first-round series against Detroit and is averaging 19.8 points and 14.0 rebounds in the Boston series. — Reuters

Coach Murray, Novak Djokovic part ways ahead of French Open

BENGALURU — Andy Murray will no longer coach 24-times Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, with the pair’s high-profile partnership coming to an end after six months and no titles, the Briton’s team said on Tuesday.

Djokovic appointed fellow former world number one Murray ahead of this year’s Australian Open and the Serb said at the Qatar Open in February that he would continue working with Murray for an indefinite period.

However, the partnership has come to an end as Djokovic looks to arrest a dip in form during the clay season atthe Geneva Open next week ahead of his quest for a fourth French Open title when Roland Garros gets underway on May 25.

“Thanks to Novak for the unbelievable opportunity to work together and thanks to his team for all their hard work over the past six months,” Murray said in a statement.

“I wish Novak all the best for the rest of the season.”

Djokovic, who won 25 of his 36 matches against Murray, said he was grateful for his former rival’s hard work and support in their short spell together

“I really enjoyed deepening our friendship together,” Djokovic added.

Djokovic reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January before injury ended his campaign. He made the Miami Open final in March but his bid for a 100th tour-level title ended in a defeat by Jakub Mensik.

The Serb, who turns 38 three days before the year’s second Grand Slam begins, has been woefully out of form since that Miami defeat and was beaten in his opening matches at Masters tournaments in Monte Carlo and Madrid last month.

He was expected to jumpstart his clay campaign in Rome before returning to Paris, where he won Olympic gold last year, but skipped the ongoing Italian Open without giving a reason.

Djokovic accepted a wildcard for the May 18-24 Geneva Open. — Reuters

US to lift Syria sanctions, gets $600-B Saudi deal

US PRESIDENT Donald J. Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman shake hands during a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13. — REUTERS

RIYADH — US President Donald J. Trump kicked off his trip to the Gulf on Tuesday with a surprise announcement that the US would lift long-standing sanctions on Syria, and a $600-billion commitment from Saudi Arabia to invest in the US.

The US agreed to sell Saudi Arabia an arms package worth nearly $142 billion, according to the White House, which called it the largest “defense cooperation agreement” Washington has ever done.

The end of sanctions on Syria would be a huge boost for a country that has been shattered by more than a decade of civil war. Rebels led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa toppled President Bashar al-Assad in December.

Speaking at an investment forum in Riyadh at the start of a deal-focused trip that also brought a flurry of diplomacy, Mr. Trump said he was acting on a request to scrap the sanctions by Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

“Oh, what I do for the crown prince,”Mr. Trump said, drawing laughs from the audience. He said the sanctions had served an important function but that it was now time for the country to move forward.

The move represents a major US policy shift. The US declared Syria a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979, added sanctions in 2004 and imposed further sanctions after the civil war broke out in 2011.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on X the planned move marked a “new start” in Syria’s path to reconstruction. Mr. Trump has agreed to briefly greet Mr. Al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, a White House official said.

Mr. Trump and the Saudi crown prince signed an agreement covering energy, defense, mining and other areas. Mr. Trump has sought to strengthen relations with the Saudis to improve regional ties with Israel and act as a bulwark against Iran.

The agreement covers deals with more than a dozen US defense companies for areas including air and missile defense, air force and space, maritime security and communications, according to a White House fact sheet.

It was not clear whether the deal included Lockheed F-35 jets, which sources say have been discussed. The Saudi prince said the total package could reach $1 trillion when further agreements are reached in the months ahead.

Saudi Arabia is one of the largest customers for US arms, and the two countries have maintained strong ties for decades based on an arrangement in which the kingdom delivers oil and the superpower provides security.

But relations were strained after the 2018 murder of US-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul caused a global uproar. US intelligence concluded that bin Salman approved an operation to capture or kill Khashoggi, a prominent critic, but the Saudi government has denied any involvement.

Mr. Trump did not mention the incident during his visit and called bin Salman an “incredible man.” “I really believe we like each other a lot.”

Mr. Trump will go on from Riyadh to Qatar on Wednesday and the United Arab Emirates on Thursday in a trip that is focused on investment rather than security matters in the Middle East.

Several US business leaders attended the event, including Elon Musk, the Tesla chief who has led a government-downsizing effort for Mr. Trump in Washington, OpenAI Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sam Altman, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman.

Mr. Trump was shown speaking with several Saudi officials, including sovereign wealth fund governor Yasir al-Rumayyan, Aramco CEO Amin Nasser and investment minister Khalid al-Falih as he viewed models for the kingdom’s flashy, multibillion-dollar development projects.

Mr. Bin Salman has focused on diversifying the Saudi economy in a major reform program dubbed Vision 2030 that includes “giga-projects” such as NEOM, a futuristic city the size of Belgium. Oil generated 62% of Saudi government revenue last year.

The kingdom has scaled back some of its ambitions as rising costs and falling oil prices weigh.

NO VISIT TO ISRAEL
Mr. Trump has not scheduled a stop in Israel, raising questions about where the close ally stands in Washington’s priorities as Mr. Trump presses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a new ceasefire deal in the 19-month-old Gaza war.

Israel’s military operations against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and its assassinations of the two Iran-allied groups’ leaders, have at the same time given Trump more leverage by weakening Tehran and its regional allies.

Mr. Trump said it was his “fervent hope” that Saudi Arabia would soon normalize relations with Israel, following other Arab states that did so during his first 2017-2021 term. “But you’ll do it in your own time.”

Mr. Netanyahu’s opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state makes progress with the Saudis unlikely, sources told Reuters.

Mr. Trump on Tuesday called Iran “the most destructive force” in the Middle East and warned that the US would never allow it to obtain a nuclear weapon. He said he was willing to strike a new deal with the Islamic Republic but only if its leaders changed course.

“I want to make a deal with Iran,” he said. “But if Iran’s leadership rejects this olive branch… we will have no choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure.” — Reuters

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