Middle East

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the recent attack on the Iranian tanker SABITI has been carried out by one or more governments based on the information received.

US President Donald Trump says the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and other countries should be responsible for protecting the US-allied Kurds in northern Syria against a Turkish incursion, not the US which is "7,000 miles away" from Syria.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the recent attack on Iranian oil tanker Sabiti in the Red Sea was not an act of terrorism, but a wrong move by a state actor, which will have consequences for it.

“Iran proposed dialogue before wars in Syria and Yemen broke out, but some countries insisted on militarism,” Larijani said in a meeting with his Algerian counterpart Slimane Chenine on Sunday night.

The Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) says many Western Asian countries believe the Middle East without the United States is a safer place.

The United States forces have reportedly left five “high value” prisoners behind in Syria amid Turkey’s offensive against the war-ravaged country.

Syrian army troops have entered the towns of Tabqah, Ain Issa and Tel Tamer in northeastern Syria after Damascus reached an agreement with Kurds in the region to deploy troops in the area, state media report.

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organisation says no maritime entity in the region responded to a request for assistance from Iranian oil tanker after it was hit by two missiles Friday.

Leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has suggested that the country has no reason for hostility against Saudi Arabia, but regretted that such countries are acting against Iran under the will of the United States.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the country will respond to any goodwill gesture with goodwill, and believes regional issues can be resolved through dialogue.

Iran's foreign minister has offered to bring together Syrian Kurds, the Damascus government and Turkey in an effort to establish security along the Turkish-Syrian border.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman says the Islamic Republic has announced it is ready to negotiate with Saudi Arabia, with or without a mediator.

Iran's foreign minister says the country welcomes efforts by intermediaries to arrange talks with Saudi Arabia, including those by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan who is due to arrive in Tehran on Saturday.

Iran’s government spokesman says Pakistan has announced its readiness to mediate between Tehran and Riyadh, but Iran won’t act as the representative of Yemen’s Ansarullah movement in possible talks with Saudis.

An Iranian oil tanker operated by the National Iranian Tanker Company has been hit by two missile attacks near Saudi Arabia.

Iran has called for the immediate withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syria and a halt to Ankara’s military operation in the country.

Iran’s foreign minister has, in an article written for the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai, called on regional countries to contribute to the implementation of the Hormuz Peace Endeavour (HOPE), an initiative put forward by President Hassan Rouhani.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has started his war on northern Syria a few weeks after unveiling his country’s new plan for the region with pictures and maps during the 74th annual session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The Damascus government has condemned Turkey’s military operation in northern Syria as a blatant violation of the international law, as shelling from the Turkish army claimed its first civilian victims on Wednesday.

Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Ali Larijani has cancelled a trip to Istanbul after Turkey launched a military operation in northeast Syria.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkish military forces have officially started an operation in northern Syria against Kurdish militants.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called on the Turkish government to reconsider its decision to launch an operation in northern Syria against Kurdish forces, saying the path Ankara has chosen won’t serve the region’s interests.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Iran will be a companion of Saudi Arabia if the kingdom changes course and pursues regional issues at the negotiating table instead of “killing people.”

Iran’s foreign minister says Iraqi people are vigilant enough to keep others from capitalizing on the current situation in the country.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has hailed the United States’ decision to withdraw its forces from Syria, saying the decision must have been taken much earlier.