Just in: Senegal’s President Diomaye Faye Emerges New ECOWAS Chairman

Senegal’s President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has been elected as the new Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), taking over the leadership of the 15-member regional bloc at a critical period marked by rising insecurity, political instability and efforts to strengthen regional integration.

Faye emerged as the new chairman on Sunday during the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where regional leaders deliberated on pressing political, economic and security issues confronting West Africa.

The Senegalese leader succeeds Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio, who assumed the rotating chairmanship in June 2025 after taking over from Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu.

Faye’s election places him at the helm of ECOWAS at a time the regional body is battling terrorism, violent extremism, unconstitutional changes of government and the diplomatic fallout from the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger from the bloc.

Restoring regional cohesion and advancing economic integration are expected to rank high on his agenda.

The 46-year-old Senegalese president, who came to office in April 2024 on a reformist platform promising transparency, anti-corruption measures and stronger African cooperation, is widely regarded as one of the new generation of leaders shaping the continent’s political landscape.

Established in 1975, ECOWAS remains the principal regional organisation promoting economic integration, free movement, peace, security and democratic governance across West Africa.

The Authority of Heads of State and Government is the bloc’s highest decision-making body, with its chairmanship rotating among member states.

New York Mayor Says He Is Exploring Possible Arrest of Netanyahu During UN Visit

• Zohran Mamdani calls Israeli PM a “war criminal” and says his legal department is actively reviewing whether city authorities can enforce an ICC warrant, as US envoy dismisses the threat as “pure political theater”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said his administration is actively examining whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be arrested if he visits the city for the United Nations General Assembly in September. Speaking on The New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast, Mamdani said the city’s legal department is assessing the matter, which aligns with a campaign pledge he made during the mayoral race. “I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” Mamdani said. “He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court. And what you will find is that is an opinion that is held by many purely because of what his actions have wrought over these last many years.”

When asked about the legal authority available to his office, Mamdani said the issue remains under active review. “That’s an active conversation with our legal department. However, what we’ve seen at the national level is a desire sometimes to write your own laws, to go outside of the bounds of legality. That’s not something we have an interest in.” The mayor clarified that he would act only within the bounds of existing law. “Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do, but we won’t be writing our own laws to that end.” The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders in 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the war in Gaza, following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. Both President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden criticised the court’s decision.

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Any attempt by New York authorities to enforce the warrant would face major legal obstacles. The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC and requires member states to execute the court’s arrest warrants. Former prosecutors have warned that any attempt by Mamdani or New York police officials to arrest Netanyahu based on an ICC warrant would violate US federal law and could expose them to federal conspiracy charges. US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz dismissed the mayor’s comments on Saturday, describing them as “pure political theater.” In a social media post, Waltz outlined four reasons why the arrest “is not going to happen”: the US is not party to the Rome Statute; the UN Headquarters Agreement grants diplomatic protections to visiting heads of government; head-of-state immunity applies; and federal authority trumps any local mayor’s wishes. The Trump administration has escalated its long-running battle against the ICC, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently pledging to “dismantle” the court and accusing it of “waging a war against our country, not with bullets or missiles” but with “the force of so-called international law.”

Netanyahu dismissed the concerns during an interview earlier in the week with WABC radio host Sid Rosenberg, accusing Mamdani of supporting Hamas and suggesting the mayor “secretly hates America.” Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said on social media on Saturday that Netanyahu “will come to New York, address the United Nations General Assembly with pride, and stand before the world to state Israel’s truth and its unwavering right to defend its citizens.” Danon also accused Mamdani of failing to confront the “rising wave of antisemitism” in New York City and suggested that “if anyone should be arrested, it is Mayor Zohran Mamdani.”

New York Mayor Says He Is Exploring Possible Arrest of Netanyahu During UN Visit

Two US Soldiers Killed, One Missing in Iranian Strike on Jordan as Ceasefire Collapses

• CENTCOM confirms first American combat deaths since March; Trump orders eighth consecutive night of airstrikes as regional conflict widens to Gulf allies

Two United States soldiers have been killed and a third remains missing in action following Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks on US forces in Jordan on Friday, marking the first American combat deaths in the Iran conflict since March. The attack, which targeted Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Azraq, Jordan, confirms the collapse of a fragile ceasefire signed just one month ago and signals a dangerous escalation as both nations broaden their targets across the Middle East.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the fatalities in an official statement, reporting that two service members were killed in action while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks on July 17. One additional service member is currently listed as missing in action. Four American service members were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals and have since been discharged, while others who sustained minor injuries have returned to duty. CENTCOM stated it will withhold the identities of the fallen soldiers until 24 hours after their next of kin are notified. The deaths bring the total number of US service members killed since the conflict began nearly five months ago to 16, with more than 420 wounded. The previous confirmed US combat fatalities occurred on March 1, when six Army Reserve soldiers died after an Iranian strike hit a temporary operations centre at Kuwait’s Shuaiba port. An Army sergeant died days later from injuries sustained in an attack in Saudi Arabia. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged the news in a post on X, writing: “Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve.”

In response to the Jordan attack, President Donald Trump directed the US military to carry out another round of airstrikes against Iran on Saturday night, marking the eighth consecutive night of US bombing. CENTCOM said the strikes targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces responsible for the Jordan attacks, hitting coastal surveillance facilities, air defense sites, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage locations. Iranian state media reported that the latest US strikes killed at least three people and wounded eight others in Hormozgan province, while damaging two bridges and a road tunnel. According to Iran’s Health Ministry, at least 50 people have been killed and more than 500 injured in US strikes since the latest phase of the conflict began on June 27.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the attack on the Al-Azraq base, stating it had “completely destroyed” at least two US fighter jets and severely damaged several others. While CENTCOM has not confirmed these claims, satellite images published by Iranian media showed significant destruction at King Faisal Air Base in Jordan, with multiple structures destroyed. Jordan’s military confirmed it intercepted ten Iranian missiles fired into its airspace overnight, with no damage reported from intercepted projectiles. However, the attack marks Jordan’s growing exposure in the conflict, as the Pentagon had relocated troops there from Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE in search of greater security, regarding the kingdom as a comparatively safe rear position. The IRGC has broadened its targeting beyond Jordan, striking US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait. In Kuwait, Iranian attacks damaged a power generation and desalination plant, while Kuwait Petroleum Corporation confirmed one of its oil facilities had been hit, causing significant damage and some injuries. Iran also claimed to have targeted radar facilities and drone hangars at Camp Arifjan and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. Saudi Arabia’s early warning system issued alerts urging residents of Al-Kharj and Yanbu to seek shelter, with two sources confirming an Iranian missile attack triggered the alerts.

The attack confirms the collapse of a memorandum of understanding signed in mid-June, which was intended to hold for 60 days while negotiators addressed Iran’s nuclear programme and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The dispute centred on control of the waterway, which previously carried a fifth of global energy exports. Under the agreement, the strait was to reopen, but Iran demanded the right to manage traffic and charge vessels a service fee. When commercial ships instead used an alternative route protected by the US Navy, Iran struck a cargo vessel on June 25, prompting US strikes and a rapid escalation. Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Khazem Gharibabadi, said Tehran has suspended its commitments under the deal, stating: “We were in negotiations. Unfortunately, it was the Americans themselves who, in fact, took these aggressive actions, in violation of their own commitments.” Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei derided President Trump’s signature as “worthless and invalid,” accusing Washington of repeatedly violating the agreement.

A central concern within the US military is Iran’s deliberate strategy of attrition. Iran is drawing on a large stockpile of low-cost drones and missiles to exhaust American air defences, with each Patriot interceptor fired to bring down a comparatively cheap Iranian drone depleting supplies that take years to replace. Officials note Iranian forces are growing more effective at exploiting American defences. The conflict also carries substantial political risk for the Trump administration, with midterm elections less than four months away.

Two US Soldiers Killed, One Missing in Iranian Strike on Jordan as Ceasefire Collapses