Egypt's defence pact snub, Trump's escape from Iran threat, H-1B visa fee hike

This edition of Statecraft examines Egypt's decision to abstain from the new defence pact signed in Mecca by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. The report outlines Egypt's strategic balance between US and Israeli relations, its defence ties with the UAE, and its commercial partnerships with India and Washington. On US-Iran tensions, US President Donald Trump demanded war reparations from Tehran for damages over a 50-year period and the deaths of American personnel and Iranian protesters. Amid these escalations, the report detail Trump's alleged escape from the NATO summit in Turkey using an airport catering truck and a decoy Air Force One following intelligence on an Iranian assassination threat. Additional stories cover a US court dismissing criminal charges against Gautam Adani, a new fee structure increasing expenses for US employers extending H-1B and L-1 visas, and Arihant Pangam Bam becoming the first Indian to win gold in the senior women's individual event at the Asian Aerobic Gymnastics Championship.