Middle East

Vietnam says in talks with Iran over oil tanker

Hanoi has been in talks with Tehran over the seizure of a Vietnamese oil tanker off the Iranian coast, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday.

Turkey probes Twitter posts over ‘Erdogan death’

Turkey has launched an investigation into social media rumors claiming Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has passed away.

Israeli spyware firm NSO added to US trade blacklist

An Israeli spyware company has been added to the United States trade blacklist. The NSO Group has created software traced to the phones of government officials, journalists and human rights activists around the world.

US says possible to implement understanding on JCPOA compliance

The United States believes it is still possible to quickly reach and implement an understanding on a mutual return to compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or the Iran Nuclear Deal.

US says to maintain military presence in ME

A US official has confirmed that the administration of President Joe Biden does not intend to end the US military presence in the Middle East.

Hackers attack Israeli engineering companies

A hacker group called Moses Staff says it has successfully conducted a cyberattack on three Israeli engineering companies. It comes less than two weeks after the same group leaked files saying to have obtained them in an attack on the Defense Ministry.

Lebanon FM: Saudi Arabia dictates “impossible terms”

Saudi Arabia is dictating impossible terms by asking Beirut to reduce the role of Hezbollah in Lebanon, Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday.

Syria: Israel targets Damascus neighborhood

Israel has launched a missile attack on the outskirts of the Syrian capital, Damascus, state TV reported early on Wednesday, citing a military source. The raid reportedly caused some material damage but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Iraq to ink energy contracts with Saudi Arabia

Baghdad plans to sign energy contracts worth tens of billions of dollars with Riyadh, the state newspaper Al-Sabaah reported, citing Iraqi Oil Minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar.

Yemeni forces close to liberating Ma’rib city

The Yemeni forces have arrived at the entrances of the Marib city on different fronts after liberating areas adjacent to the city.

Analyst: Saudis don’t know what to do with Iran influence in Lebanon

The Saudis know what they don’t want — growing Iranian influence in Lebanon — but they don’t know what to do about it, Joseph Bahout, research director at the American University of Beirut, believes. He stated Riyadh doesn’t want a government with Hezbollah as strong.

‘Israeli delegation visits Sudan after military coup’

An Israeli delegation, which likely included representatives from the Mossad spy agency, has reportedly visited Sudan, and met with military leaders involved in the recent coup in the African country.

Israel kicks off mass drills to simulate war with Hezbollah

The Israeli military launched massive war games on Sunday. The week-long exercise is expected to simulate a full-scale war with Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement.

FM: Lebanon, Saudi crisis not to be resolved through negotiation

The recent diplomatic crisis between Beirut and Riyadh cannot be resolved through negotiations, Lebanon's top diplomat says. The row began after a Lebanese minister stated Saudi Arabia-led war on Yemen was an act of aggression.

Hezbollah official: MbS lives in “dilemma and anxiety”

A high-ranking Hezbollah official has stated Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) lives in a state of “dilemma and anxiety” and will have to face a great situation after the fall of Yemen’s Ma’rib.

Report: Hamas test-fires new missiles

The Hamas resistance movement has reportedly test-fired new missiles from the besieged Gaza Strip as part of its efforts to increase its combat readiness.

Iran FM: US can rejoin JCPOA through Biden executive order

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian has stated US President Joe Biden can issue an executive order so that Washington could promptly return to the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Yemen’s Houthi threatens to ban Saudi products

The Houthi movement in Yemen has threatened to ban Saudi Arabia's products from entering northern Yemen. The warning comes in response to Riyadh’s boycott on Lebanese products over the remarks of an official in Beirut.

Saudi Arabia seeking to instigate chaos in Lebanon: Ex-diplomat

Iran’s former chargé d'affaires to Riyadh says Saudi Arabia and a few like-minded Arab countries pushed to expel Lebanon’s ambassador to Riyadh, seeking chaos in the country.

Damascus condemns Turkish extension of troops deployment in Syria

The Syrian Foreign Ministry has condemned Ankara’s decision to extend its troops' deployment in Syria for two more years. The Damascus government has warned the policies of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have become a direct threat to peace and security in region and world.

More than a dozen killed in Yemen’s Aden blast

An explosion near the entrance to the international airport of Yemen’s port city of Aden has killed at least 12 people. Several people were also wounded.

Saudi FM says not much progress in talks with Iran

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud has described negotiations with Iran as friendly, but confirmed not much progress has been made. Tehran and Riyadh have held four rounds of dialogue so far in order to ease tensions on several issues.

UAE recalls envoy from Beirut, advises citizens not to travel to Lebanon

The United Arab Emirates (UEA) has announced the withdrawal of its ambassador from Lebanon and advised its citizens not to travel to the country. It follows recent comments made by a Lebanese minister over Saudi-led war on Yemen.

Lebanon hopes to ease tensions with Arab states

Beirut is hoping to soon calm tensions with the Persian Gulf countries, Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said on Saturday. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait, have given Lebanon's envoys 48 hours to leave their countries over comments by a Lebanese minister, slamming Saudi-led war on Yemen.

EU not to recognize new Israel settlements

The European Union (EU) has reiterated its call for Israel to halt its plans to expand settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. The bloc has announced any new changes to the pre-1967 borders that are not agreed upon by the parties will be rejected by the EU.

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