Middle East

A Tehran-based university professor and researcher says to achieve peace in Iran-Saudi Arabia relations, it is necessary for the two countries to reach an agreement on the war in Yemen and Iran's nuclear program.

Colin Powell, former US Secretary of State under President George W. Bush, has died from coronavirus complications. He had pushed faulty intelligence before the United Nations (UN) to advocate for the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

A massive fire broke out Monday at an oil refinery in Kuwait. The blaze has wounded several workers. Export operations were not affected.

Newcastle new chairman has been involved in the transfer of assets on behalf of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MbS) during the kingdom purge in 2017, according to newly revealed court documents.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan points to the decreasing role of Washington and its allies in the region.

An Israeli military commander believes Hezbollah can fire at least 2,500 rockets towards Israel each day in case of a war. He, meanwhile, stresses Tel Aviv does not want a war with Hezbollah.

The Syrian government and opposition groups have agreed to start drafting a new constitution, the United Nations (UN) says. The drafting committee is comprised of 45 members from the Syrian government, opposition, and civil societies.

The United States has offered selling F-16 aircraft to Turkey in return for its investment in the F-35 programme, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says. Ankara was kicked out of the program after acquiring Russian S-400 missile defence systems.

Israel has reportedly assassinated a former Syrian MP by gunfire in the Golan Heights. Midhat al-Saleh had spent 12 years in an Israeli jail.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has raised the specter of a fresh military operation ‘against Kurdish troops’ in Syria. Ankara’s warning follows the killing of two Turkish special force police in a rocket attack in the war-torn country.

The Lebanese security service arrested several more people for their involvement in the recent bloody events in Beirut. On Thursday, armed confrontations took place in the streets of the capital which left seven people dead and dozens injured.

The Lebanese army has announced the arrest of nine people in relation to the deadly unrest in Beirut on Thursday. Lebanese President Michel Aoun has vowed people who were responsible for the violence would be held accountable. The chaos was the worst street violence over a decade in which six people were killed and dozens more injured.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud says talks with Iran have been “cordial”, and described the negotiations between the two countries as “exploratory”. Tehran and Riyadh are showing signs of warming relations after four rounds of talks.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has condemned the recent killing of the protestors in Lebanon, saying Tehran believes Lebanese government, people and army along with the resistance movement will overcome the seditions and conspiracies that have their roots in the Zionist regime.

Human rights groups have strongly criticized the Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle United club. They have accused the monarchy of "sportswashing" to improve its damaged global image.

Heavy gunfire rang out in the Lebanese capital on Thursday during protests against the lead judge investing the fatal Beirut port blast. The incident has claimed at least six lives and left dozens injured. The Lebanese army troops have been deployed to squash the unrest.

A political commentator says negotiations between Iran and Saudi Arabia will hopefully follow a positive trend, though differences between the two countries remain.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken renewed Washington opposition to normalising relations with Syria under President Bashar al-Assad.

Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has urged the (Persian) Gulf Corporation Council ,(P)GCC, to engage with Tehran. The top diplomat says Qatar considers Iran “part of our region”.

Iran’s nuclear programme and China will be at the top of the agenda of a trilateral meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his counterparts from Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Israeli army has deployed a large number of tanks to the Golan Heights after the Damascus government vowed to reclaim the strategic Syrian region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will host Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett next week in Sochi for talks over a range of issues including Iran's nuclear programme.

An Iranian diplomat in New York has said the Zionist regime’s fabricated accusations against Iran are a tool the regime constantly uses to cover up its crimes against the Palestinian people.

A probe into the huge explosion at Beirut port last year has been halted again after two former Lebanese ministers facing charges in the case, lodged a new legal complaint against the investigator.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has, in a message, congratulated his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein on the successful holding of the country’s parliamentary vote, describing it as the symbol of the place of democracy in Iraq.