24/02/2026

TUESDAY | FEB 24, 2026

9

Mexican drug boss killed

Iran sees diplomatic solution

o Shooting sparks wave of violence in Mexico

PARIS: Iran’s top diplomat said on Sunday that his country would strike back at US interests in the Middle East in the event of an attack, though he still saw a chance for a diplomatic resolution. Speaking to US broadcaster CBS, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he expected new talks on the details of a deal, “probably” Thursday, as fears loomed of renewed conflict after Washington carried out a major redeployment of military assets to the region. US threats of military action have multiplied since a protest movement sparked a major crackdown that rights groups say killed thousands of people. On Sunday, Iranian students held competing pro- and anti-government protests at several universities, with critics of the clerical leadership risking arrest or worse if they are caught. “If the US attacks us, then we have every right to defend ourselves,” Abbas said, alluding to American interests in the region as potential targets. Still, he said, “there is a good chance to have a diplomatic solution”. After a recent round of talks in Geneva, Iran said it was preparing a draft proposal for an agreement that would avert military action. “I believe that when we meet, probably this Thursday in Geneva again, we can work on those elements and prepare a good text and come to a fast deal,” Araghchi told CBS. Axios had earlier reported, citing an unnamed senior US official, that if Iran submitted its proposal in the next 48 hours, Washington was ready to meet again later in the week “to start detailed negotiations”. The US has sent two aircraft carriers to the Middle East in recent weeks, along with other jets and ships, and has also shored up its air defences in the region to back up its threats of military intervention. Western governments fear Iran’s nuclear programme is aimed at developing a bomb, which Tehran has long denied, though it insists on its right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes. On the subject of enrichment, Abbas said on Sunday:“As a sovereign country, we have every right to decide for ourselves, by ourselves.” A previous round of diplomacy last year was interrupted by Israel’s bombing campaign against the Islamic republic. That sparked a 12-day conflict in June that the US briefly joined with strikes on nuclear facilities. Iran has previously said that quickly striking a deal is in its interests if it means relief from sanctions, which contributed to protests late last year over the high cost of living. – AFP Thousands of Hamas members voted to choose the council and the political bureau, a third Hamas source said, without specifying how the vote was conducted. “The primary goal of the process was to renew internal legitimacy and fill leadership vacancies,” he said. The new leader will need to navigate between international calls, led by the United States and Israel, for the group to disarm, and resistance to that demand from its armed wing, which fought Israeli forces in Gaza. Hamas has said previously it would surrender its weapons to a Palestinian authority in Gaza under certain conditions. – AFP

GUADALAJARA: army announced on Sunday that it had killed powerful drug lord Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera in an operation that sparked a wave of violence in parts of the country. Oseguera, the 59-year-old leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was wounded in a clash with soldiers in the town of Tapalpa, in Jalisco state, and died while being flown to Mexico City, the army said in a statement. He had a US$15 million (RM58 million) US bounty on his head. Gunmen retaliating for the raid blocked more than 20 roads in western Jalisco state, burning cars and trucks. As violence spread across the country, at least eight states suspended in-person classes and the judiciary authorised judges to close courts where necessary. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged citizens to remain calm. Oseguera, whose nickname was “El Mencho”, is one of the biggest Mexican drug lords to be taken down since the capture of the founders of the Sinaloa cartel, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and Ismael Zambada. Both are now serving time in the United States. Sunday’s statement said that in addition to Mexico’s own military intelligence, the raid was carried out with “complementary information” from US authorities. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Washington “provided intelligence support”. Six suspected cartel gunmen besides Oseguera were killed and three soldiers were wounded, the Mexican army said. The Mexican

Mexican police officers secure an area where vehicles were set on fire on Sunday. – REUTERSPIC Two cartel suspects were arrested and a variety of weapons were seized, including rocket launchers capable of taking down airplanes and destroying armoured vehicles, the statement said. reinforcing “strategic” sections of its frontier with Mexico, which has seen cross-border incursions by criminal groups linked to cartels in recent months.

The United States has classified the Jalisco cartel as a terrorist organisation and accuses it of sending cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl into the United States. US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau welcomed the operation and called Oseguera “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins”. “This is a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world,” he said. The raid came amid pressure from US President Donald Trump for Mexico to stem the flow of drugs, particularly fentanyl, into the United States. Trump has threatened repeatedly to slap tariffs on Mexican exports, arguing that Sheinbaum has not done enough to combat the drug trade. In a statement on social media released after violence broke out, the US State Department urged US citizens in large parts of Mexico to “shelter in place until further notice”. – AFP

As gunmen blocked roads with retaliatory violence, Jalisco state, which is scheduled to host four World Cup games this summer, cancelled all events involving large crowds. The streets of the state capital Guadalajara were almost empty as stores, pharmacies and petrol stations shut down. Maria Medina, who works in a petrol station that was set on fire, said men with guns showed up and told everyone to get out. “I thought they were going to kidnap us. I ran to a taco stand to take cover,” Medina said. The violence spread to the neighbouring state of Michoacan, where Oseguera’s cartel also has a presence and to the resort city of Puerto Vallarta. His cartel was formed in 2009 and became one of Mexico’s most violent drug trafficking organisations, according to the US Justice Department. Amid the violence, Guatemala said it was

Hamas in final phase of choosing new leader GAZA CITY: A senior Hamas official said on Sunday that the Palestinian movement was in the final phase of selecting a new leader, with two prominent figures competing for the position. and has reached the final stage of selecting the head of the political bureau,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak publicly.

the central part of the territory. “We have paid a heavy price under Hamas rule, and we need a leader who can ease the suffering we are experiencing,” he said, giving only his first name. Radwan Mortaja, 38, from Al Mawasi in southern Gaza, said the two contenders were seasoned figures within Hamas. “At this time, we need leaders with long experience ... and who are acceptable to Arab countries to help stabilise Gaza,” said Radwan. “I believe figures such as Khaled Meshaal and Khalil al-Hayya can help steer the situation during this difficult phase.”

Members of the council are elected every four years by representatives from Hamas’s three branches: the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank and the movement’s external leadership. Hamas prisoners in Israeli jails are also eligible to vote. The council subsequently elects the political bureau, which in turn selects the head of the movement. Palestinians in Gaza voiced mixed reactions to the developments within Hamas. “It will not make a difference to us in Gaza whether it is Meshaal or Hayya,” said Ali, 40, originally from northern Gaza but now displaced to

He said the race for the group’s leadership was now between Khaled Meshaal and Khalil al-Hayya. A second Hamas source confirmed the development, while a third source said the new leader would lead the movement only “for one year”. Despite a US-brokered ceasefire that entered its second phase last month, violence has continued in Gaza, with Israel and Hamas blaming each other for violating the agreement.

Hamas recently completed the formation of a new Shura Council of more than 80 members, a consultative body largely composed of religious scholars, as well as a new 18-member political bureau, the official said. Since the war in Gaza began, Israeli forces have killed several Hamas leaders, including two former chiefs. “The movement has completed its internal elections in the three regions