The last Israeli captive’s body is found in Gaza – where many thousands of Palestinians lie buried under rubble.
Israel – as part of its long-standing policy – has not returned the remains of many hundreds of Palestinians.
Why – and what’s the impact?
Presenter: James Bays
Guests:
Amjad Sharwa – Director of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network in Gaza
Yara Hawari – Co-Director at Al-Shabaka: the Palestinian Policy Network
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has held a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) after a United States aircraft carrier arrived in the region amid growing fears of a new conflict with Israel or the US.
The US has indicated in recent weeks that it is considering an attack against Iran in response to Tehran’s crackdown on protesters, which has left thousands of people dead. US President Donald Trump has sent the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier to the region.
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Pezeshkian hit out at US “threats” in the call with Saudi Arabia’s leader on Tuesday, saying they were “aimed at disrupting the security of the region, and will achieve nothing other than instability”.
“The president pointed to recent pressures and hostilities against Iran, including economic pressure and external interference, stating that such actions had failed to undermine the resilience and awareness of the Iranian people,” a statement from Pezeshkian’s office said on Tuesday.
The statement also said that Prince Mohammed “welcomed the dialogue and reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to regional stability, security, and development”.
“He emphasised the importance of solidarity among Islamic countries and stated that Riyadh rejects any form of aggression or escalation against Iran,” it said, adding that he had expressed Riyadh’s readiness to establish “peace and security across the region”.
The official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported after the call that Prince Mohammed told Pezeshkian that Riyadh would not allow its airspace or territory to be used for military actions against Tehran.
“HRH the Crown Prince affirmed during the call the Kingdom’s position in respecting the sovereignty of Iran, stressing that the Kingdom will not allow its airspace or territory to be used for any military actions against Iran or for any attacks from any party, regardless of their origin,” SPA reported.
“HRH the Crown Prince also affirmed the Kingdom’s support for any efforts aimed at resolving disputes through dialogue in a manner that enhances security and stability in the region,” the news agency added.
“The Iranian president expressed his gratitude to the Kingdom for its steadfast position on respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran and conveyed his appreciation for the role undertaken by HRH the Crown Prince in exerting efforts and initiatives to achieve security and stability in the region.”
The call between the two leaders came after Trump repeatedly threatened to attack Iran during Tehran’s deadly crackdown on antigovernment protests this month. Last week, the US president dispatched an “armada” towards Iran but said he hoped he would not have to use it.
Delivering a speech in Iowa on Tuesday, Trump again said that a large “armada” was heading towards Iran and repeated his threats, saying that Tehran should yield to US demands.
“By the way, there’s another beautiful armada floating beautifully toward Iran right now. So we’ll see,” Trump said in his speech.
“I hope they make a deal. I hope they make a deal. They should have made a deal the first time. They’d have a country,” he said, in an apparent reference to US attacks on Iran last June.
Amid growing fears of a new war, a commander from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday issued a warning to his country’s neighbours.
“Neighbouring countries are our friends, but if their soil, sky, or waters are used against Iran, they will be considered hostile,” Mohammad Akbarzadeh, political deputy of the IRGC’s naval forces, was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency.
Israel carried out a wave of attacks on Iran in June 2025, targeting several senior military officials and nuclear scientists, as well as nuclear facilities. The US then joined the 12-day war to bombard three nuclear sites in Iran.
The war came on the eve of a round of planned negotiations between the US and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Since the conflict, Trump has reiterated demands that Iran dismantle its nuclear programme and halt uranium enrichment, but talks have not resumed.
On Monday, a US official said that Washington was “open for business” for Iran.
“I think they know the terms,” the official told reporters when asked about talks with Iran. “They’re aware of the terms.”
Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, told Al Jazeera that the odds of Iran surrendering to the US’s demands are “near zero”.
Iran’s leaders believe “compromise under pressure doesn’t alleviate it but rather invites more”, Vaez said.
But while the US military builds up its presence in the region, Iran has warned that it would retaliate if an attack is launched.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson warned on Tuesday that the consequences of a strike on Iran could affect the region as a whole.
Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka says Tiger Woods was the first person he called to discuss a return to the PGA Tour after leaving LIV Golf.
Koepka joined the lucrative Saudi-Arabian-backed LIV series in 2022, but left in December with one year left on his contract.
The 35-year-old has since rejoined the PGA Tour under a new returning member programme and admitted he was “nervous” as he prepared for his first event back on the series at this week’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.
“I think the 23rd [of December] I was released and then called Tiger right away, then that process got the ball rolling,” said Koepka.
“I’ve always had a good relationship with Tiger. That was what I wanted to do once I had the opportunity to, I guess, get reinstated on the PGA Tour.
American Woods is a 15-time major winner and chairman of the PGA Tour’s Future Competitions Committee.
And Koepka added: “I didn’t know [the new PGA Tour commissioner] Brian [Rolapp], I didn’t have a relationship with him obviously just because he’s pretty new and Jay [Monahan, the previous incumbent] was going to be the next call.
“I felt like Tiger was somebody that I’ve relied on in the past for questions and answers and how to deal with things and I felt like that was maybe the most comfortable call for me.”
Married with a young son, the three-time PGA Championship winner and twice US Open champion said he was leaving LIV Golf to prioritise “the needs of his family”.
“I don’t regret anything I do,” added the Florida-born Koepka, who won nine PGA Tour events during his nine seasons on North America’s elite professional circuit.
“I’ve learned a lot. I’ve always enjoyed the ride no matter where I’m at.”
Speaking about making his return to Torrey Pines in California, he said: “Maybe I’m a little nervous about that as well, just to see, I guess, how the fans respond to it.
“I hope that they’re excited. I hope that they’re happy that I’m out here. You know, hopefully that goes, at least like the conversations I’ve had with players, that they’re excited that I’m back and happy to see me play.”
Rory McIlroy recently suggested Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour could mean the rival LIV Golf tour was in decline.
But the Northern Irishman has now added the decision could also have been motivated by the level of competition.
“He obviously is a very competitive person and wants to compete at the highest level,” said McIlroy, 36.
“I think he made the decision that he thought competing at the highest level meant coming back to the PGA Tour.
Palestinians in need of advanced medical care say they’re hopeful Gaza’s Rafah border with Egypt will reopen soon after Israel received remains of the last captive on Monday, a key part of the first stage of the US-backed plan to end the war.
Chelsea have not won the Premier League since Antonio Conte led them to the 2016-17 title – and facing the Italian’s Napoli side on Wednesday brings that into sharp focus.
Conte’s triumph came in the season when Pep Guardiola began his reign as Manchester City boss.
It was Conte’s first campaign in England, too, and Chelsea enjoyed a club-record 13 consecutive league wins on their way to lifting the championship with 93 points.
Their fifth Premier League crown in 13 seasons matched Manchester United’s achievement in that same period. Chelsea – or indeed United – haven’t ruled the roost since, amid an extensive turnover of players and coaches.
Nine years down the line, we reach a dramatic finale to the Champions League’s opening phase. Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea need a win against Conte’s Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona to go directly into the last-16 stage. Their hosts – Serie A champions last season – must win to stay in the competition.
Like so many aspects of Chelsea’s recent history, you’d struggle to write this script.
Thomas Tuchel’s Champions League triumph in 2021 and two Club World Cup triumphs have been notable achievements since Conte’s departure.
But in strictly Premier League terms, the peak of Conte’s short stint at the wheel has not been repeated at Chelsea. They haven’t really come close.
Rosenior, 41, is the latest of seven head coaches, not including interim appointments, to have led Chelsea since Conte was sacked in July 2018. He has been in post for a matter of weeks.
Speaking about Conte on Tuesday in Naples, Rosenior said: “I have huge respect for him. Firstly as a player, he was a magnificent footballer. He then went on to – and still has – an incredible career as a coach.
“I think his passion as a player transmits to the passion in his teams and obviously when I was younger watching Chelsea play in the manner that they did, defensively so strong.
Getty ImagesAfter winning the Premier League, Conte fell out with the Chelsea hierarchy under then-owner Roman Abramovich – a rift that sparked his season‑long downfall.
Chelsea missed out on several key transfer targets as Romelu Lukaku went to Manchester United, Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool and Kyle Walker to Manchester City.
Instead, they signed Tiemoue Bakayoko, Alvaro Morata, Davide Zappacosta and Danny Drinkwater, with only Antonio Rudiger proving a success among the club’s five major additions.
Conte’s second season marked the beginning of Chelsea’s transition into what many have described as a ‘cup team’, as they lifted the FA Cup.
Even when Chelsea won the title in 2017, Conte described his success as a “miracle” because it involved the “same players that the season before finished 10th.”
Despite having had an ill-fated spell at rivals Tottenham since his Stamford Bridge reign, Conte will be remembered fondly by Chelsea supporters and took a positive tone when recalling his two years at Stamford Bridge.
“It was a great experience,” Conte said on the eve of the reunion with his former club.
“We’re talking about a fantastic club with a great vision, a winning mentality and the same desire to win.”
Napoli also boast three former Chelsea players in Romelu Lukaku, Kevin de Bruyne and Billy Gilmour, but all three are injured and expected to miss Wednesday’s match.
Napoli have faced Chelsea before – in a dramatic Champions League last‑16 tie in 2012.
Getty ImagesThis winter, the breakdown in relations between Enzo Maresca and Chelsea’s sporting directors and ownership felt eerily similar to the circumstances surrounding Conte’s departure.
Ultimately, Maresca’s position became untenable and he did not make it to the end of the season, with Rosenior replacing him.
In his first campaign, Maresca reduced the gap to the league leaders to 16 points, although Liverpool’s total of 84 was the lowest title‑winning tally since 2016.
However, instability has been Chelsea’s enduring problem when compared with standard‑setting clubs such as Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal, who have dominated the Premier League in recent years.
All three have enjoyed continuity in the dugout and boardroom, a foundation that has helped to underpin sustained success.
Chelsea had hoped to build for the long term around Tuchel, who had close working relationships with director Marina Granovskaia and technical adviser Petr Cech, but UK government sanctions led to the end of the Abramovich‑era leadership.
When Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their BlueCo takeover in 2022, they emphasised their ambition to win the Premier League. But relations soon soured with Tuchel, who appeared increasingly strained under the new ownership.
Graham Potter was then appointed, with the intention of replicating the team‑building models of Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp and Arsenal under Mikel Arteta, while drawing inspiration from Brighton’s recruitment strategy.
Yet Chelsea recruited too many players during the first season under new ownership, which created a chaotic dressing room environment that Potter could not manage. The club subsequently opted for a higher‑profile manager, appointing Mauricio Pochettino in 2024, but he did not align with their vision and was followed by the younger Maresca.
There remains widespread appreciation for Maresca’s work despite his acrimonious departure over a difference in vision with the ownership.
His successor, Rosenior, was promoted from within the BlueCo structure – having been head coach at partner club Strasbourg – in an effort to minimise mid‑season disruption, work within a structure that is built to focus on developing young players, and maintain a similar style of play to his predecessor.
Conte can look at Chelsea from a distance now, fascinated by how the approach has changed.
He said: “Every coach wants to sign young players, but if young players are over £100m like [Moises] Caicedo and [Enzo] Fernandez, it’s not for all clubs, especially in Italy. They are doing very well and are doing something important for the future.”
The club he led to glory nine seasons ago sit fifth in the Premier League and are 13 points behind leaders Arsenal with 15 matches remaining.
Manchester City – still led by Guardiola – are in the hunt.
The latest Deloitte Football Money League table placed Chelsea 10th of all European clubs, behind all five of their fellow ‘big six’ Premier League rivals.
Chelsea had been above Tottenham since 2024, but revenues of £506.85m now put them behind those clubs, with Aston Villa also closing the gap.
That financial picture can in part be attributed to Tottenham having a new 60,000‑seat stadium, which has significantly boosted their matchday and commercial income.
Chelsea have also needed to play catch‑up with clubs such as Manchester City and Manchester United in securing major sponsorship deals, having fallen behind during the later Abramovich years – and they remain without a front‑of‑shirt sponsor.
Chelsea’s hectic transfer activity, both incoming and outgoing, has added further complexity.
More than £1.5bn has been spent on signings since the 2022 takeover, while over £750m has been raised through player sales. That approach has been driven partly by the desire to rebuild the squad, but also by the need to manage lower revenues that limit spending power under financial regulations through constant player trading.
Rosenior’s goals are concentrated on what he can influence.
“The aim for us long term and in the short term as well is to compete for trophies,” he said.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot admits he’s aware of the “noise” around the club after just five wins in their last 18 Premier League matches, but refuses to define what an “acceptable” outcome to the season would look like to him.