Ankara: Turkey issued an international arrest warrant for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of an investigation into Israel's interception of an aid flotilla for Gaza and its detention of hundreds of activists on board, Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced. Netanyahu's office in turn labeled Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as an anti-Semitic dictator.

According to France24.com, the diplomatic tensions between Israel and Turkey have escalated following this development. The arrest warrant is linked to a high-profile incident involving the interception of an aid flotilla to Gaza, which has been a point of contention between the two nations. The flotilla aimed to deliver humanitarian aid to the blockaded region, but was halted by Israeli forces, leading to the detention of activists and international criticism.

In a related move, the USS George Washington aircraft carrier strike group has arrived in the Middle East to replace the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln. The change comes amid apparent deteriorating living conditions onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which had sparked criticism of President Donald Trump's military strategy against Iran.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has issued a stark ultimatum to the country's allies, stating they must choose sides in the economic isolation of Iran. This statement follows President Trump's announcement of a new wave of sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic, further intensifying the geopolitical tension in the region.

Meanwhile, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for targeting an airport and a facility belonging to Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil giant Aramco in the southern Najran region, near the Yemeni border. This attack adds to the ongoing instability and conflict in the Middle East.