President Zoran Milanovic, a staunch critic of Israel’s war on Gaza, says Israel broke an “unwritten rule” by announcing their ambassador before approval.

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic has refused to approve Israel’s new ambassador to Zagreb due to the “policies pursued by the current Israeli authorities”.

“The proposed Ambassador of the State of Israel has not received, nor will he receive, the consent of the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović,” the president’s office said in a statement on Monday.

Milanovic, a staunch critic of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, said he had previously refrained from publicly commenting on the matter, in line with diplomatic practice, but now argued that Israel had broken the “unwritten rule” by announcing its proposed ambassador before receiving consent.

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was working with its Croatian counterparts to “resolve the matter of the status of Israel’s next ambassador in Zagreb”, in a statement carried by The Times of Israel.

Tensions between Croatia and Israel have been simmering amid Israel’s military aggression in Gaza and the broader Middle East.

In February, Milanovic announced that members of Croatia’s armed forces would not cooperate with the Israeli army “due to their unacceptable actions and unprecedented trampling of” international humanitarian law.

In March, he condemned the US-Israel war on Iran, saying that the desire for government change in Tehran could lead to “economic damage” and long-term consequences.

Nissan Amdur is meant to replace Ambassador Gary Koren, whose term finished at the end of May. According to Ynet, Amdur will now go to Croatia as charge d’affairs, which doesn’t need presidential approval.

A source familiar with the details told the outlet that Milanovic is a “problematic political figure who in the not-so-distant past made clearly anti-Israel and antisemitic remarks”.

It’s the first time in Croatia’s history a president has rejected the approval of an ambassador, the report said.

Milanovic said “granting or withholding of consent for proposed ambassadors is a sovereign right of” the president.

Milanovic has been in office since 2020, and is part of a left-wing party that holds different views to the conservative government, which is pro-Israel.

Despite having limited power, the the realm of confirming ambassadorial appointments is in his domain.

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Iraq launches desert sweep after reports of secret Israeli bases

Iraqi security forces have launched sweeping operations in the country’s western following reports of secret Israeli military bases there. Iraqi authorities have denied the presence of unauthorised foreign bases amid growing tensions involving the US, Israel and Iran.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/5/18/iraq-launches-desert-sweep-after-reports-of-secret-israeli-bases?traffic_source=rss

Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen says while the meeting was “constructive” nothing “had changed” on the US position

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has told US special envoy Jeff Landry that Greenland is “not for sale”.

Landry, who was appointed by President Donald Trump last year to spearhead the purchase of the island, met Nielsen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister, Mute Egede, in the capital Nuuk to discuss the future of the territory.

Trump has threatened to take over the autonomous territory of Denmark – which is a NATO ally – possibly by military force, insisting it is vital to US security to gain control.

Nielsen said that while the meeting was “constructive” there was “no sign…that anything had changed” regarding the US position, according to the AFP news agency.

“The Greenlandic people are not for sale. Greenlandic self-determination is not something that can be negotiated,” Nielsen was quoted by Danish TV 2 as saying after the meeting. Landry did not immediately comment.

Greenland is “focused on finding a solution that is good for us all” and to deter threats of “annexation, takeover or purchase” of the country, Nielsen continued.

Trump has long said the US needs to take over Greenland to prevent Russia or China from occupying the island, and has accused Danish authorities of failing to adequately ensure its security. That stance has sparked unrest within NATO, with numerous European members of the military alliance objecting to the threats.

According to the Danish public broadcaster, Landry said on his arrival that Trump had told him to “go over there and make as many friends as we can get”.

“They asked for a meeting, and we’ve explained our situation and standpoint, and that we have some red lines – we will not sell Greenland, we will own Greenland for all time,” Egede said.

The foreign minister added that a group of experts from the US, Greenland and Denmark are trying to find a solution to the situation, adding that the group’s work seems “promising”.

Trump has said that control of Greenland is important, so the island can be part of his Golden Dome defence system against nuclear attack.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/18/not-for-sale-greenland-premier-tells-us-envoy?traffic_source=rss