On June 27, Israeli Prime Minister NETANYAHU said at a press conference that between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River there is no territorial space for a two-state solution. He added Israeli public opinion, previously divided on the two-state framework, has shifted over the past three years following the October 2023 escalation in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Analysts said the remarks are a fresh blow to prospects for a Palestinian state on territory Israel occupied in 1967, noting 157 o

Iranian state television said vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz must still coordinate with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. It said the safest inbound route into the Persian Gulf is south of Hormuz Island and the safest outbound route is south of Larak Island.

South Korea’s presidential office said Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix will unveil major investment plans at a meeting chaired by President Lee Jae-myung on Monday. The announcement will be made at a Blue House briefing at 1400 KST (1300 Beijing) outlining one of three government “super projects” to promote regional balance; the plan is being driven by the ministries of trade, science, transport and energy. Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong and SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won will attend. Market observers expect the two chipmakers to invest more than 1,000 trillion won over the next decade (about $650 billion), potentially including a semiconductor cluster in the southwest Honam region.