Friday, April 17, 2026

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Erdogan urges long-time advisors to resign, overhauls his team: Report

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revamped his team of advisors on Thursday, asking many to resign to open the way for a change of staff, two sources familiar with the issue told Middle East Eye.

2 Syrian soldiers killed in Israeli attack on west coast

Israel has carried out airstrikes against Syria’s west coast, near the ancestral home region of President Bashar al-Assad, killing two Syrian soldiers and wounding six others, state media have reported.

US says Iran’s blocked funds to be transferred to Qatar ‘in coming days’

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller has stated that Iran's frozen assets will expectedly be transferred to the "final destination" in Qatar in the "coming days or so".

Top US general disputes claim he recommended Trump attack Iran

Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley revealed that he never recommended a US military attack on Iran during the previous administration, pushing back on claims made by former President Donald Trump and his White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.

Iran-US prisoner swap set to happen as soon as early next week: Report

Tehran and Washington are set to exchange prisoners as early as Monday under an agreement officially announced in mid-August, according to people familiar with the matter.

Deadly fighting continues in Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, 15 killed so far

At least six people have been killed and more than a dozen wounded in fresh clashes in Lebanon’s largest Palestinian camp, the Palestinian Red Crescent’s Lebanon branch has confirmed, taking the death toll to 15 since fighting broke out on September 7.

Iran denies military build-up at border with Azerbaijan

The chief of General Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Baqeri, has rejected media speculation that Tehran is building up troops at the country’s border with Azerbaijan amid persisting tensions in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Armenia should not rely on Russia, but must get closer to West: PM

Yerevan should distance itself from Moscow and try to get closer to the West, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview with Politico.

Blast kills 5 at Gaza rally marking 2005 Israel pullout

At least five Palestinians have been killed and 25 others wounded in an explosion next to the separation fence along the Israeli frontier with the Gaza Strip, the Ministry of Health in the besieged enclave has confirmed. The cause of the blast was not immediately known.

Iran says not to tolerate presence of terrorists on border with Iraq

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has stressed that Tehran cannot tolerate the presence of terrorist groups on the Iranian common border with Iraq.

Iran censures west-sponsored statement critical of Tehran-IAEA interaction

Nasser Kanaani, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry has rejected a Western-sponsored anti-Tehran statement issued during the IAEA’s Board of Governors meeting on Wednesday, stressing it is politically motivated and distorts facts.

Live Update: Russia’s “Special Operation” in Ukraine; Day 568

Russia, wary of NATO’s eastward expansion, began a military campaign in Ukraine in February 2022 after the Western-leaning Kiev government turned a deaf ear to Moscow’s calls for its neighbor to maintain its neutrality. In the middle of the mayhem, Moscow and Kiev are trying to hammer out a peaceful solution to the conflict. Follow the latest about the Russia-Ukraine conflict here:

Russia voices annoyance with Azerbaijan, Armenia over elections in Ukraine, Nagorno-Karabakh

Russia has protested to Azerbaijan over comments it made about regional elections in areas of Ukraine claimed by Moscow, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday. She also accused Armenia of making "unacceptable and harmful" statements that were damaging to the prospects for a peace settlement between Yerevan and Baku over the breakaway territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Removal of terrorist bases in Iraq’s Kurdistan underway: Report

The process of elimination of bases that accommodate the anti-Iran terrorist groups in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region has kicked off as the deadline of September 19 set by Tehran approaches, an informed source told Tasnim news agency on Wednesday.

Pakistan court extends ex-PM Imran Khan’s custody for 2 weeks

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan's detention related to charges of leaking state secrets was extended for another two weeks, his lawyer confirmed on Wednesday.

Revived Iran-Saudi ties will be strong in all fields: Ambassador

Saudi Arabia’s envoy to Iran has expressed his satisfaction with the beginning of a new chapter in Tehran-Riyadh relations, stressing that the revived ties between two countries will be strong in all fields, including in trade and investment.

Israel deprived life-saving healthcare to ‘two Palestinian children a day’ in 2023: Report

Israeli authorities have denied life-saving healthcare to almost 400 Palestinian children in Gaza during the first half of 2023, according to a new report by the humanitarian organization, Save the Children.

UN warns human rights in Afghanistan in ‘state of collapse’

The United Nations rights chief has accused Afghanistan's ruling Taliban of a "shocking level of oppression" of women and girls and cautioned that human rights in the Asian country were in a state of collapse.

Iran oil prices rose by an average of $6.1 per barrel in August: OPEC

Latest figures by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) show Iranian oil prices rose by an average of $6.1 per barrel in August.

Biden admin defends prisoner swap agreement with Iran against Republican attacks

United States President Joe Biden’s administration has defended a looming prisoner swap deal with Tehran against growing criticism from Republican legislators who say it will strengthen the Iranian government.

Israeli Supreme Court holds 1st hearing challenging judicial overhaul

Israel’s Supreme Court heard the first challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s contentious judicial overhaul, deepening a showdown with the far-right government that has bitterly divided the nation and put it on the brink of a constitutional crisis.

President Raisi says Iran has authority on released assets

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi has stressed Tehran’s full authority on its recently-unblocked funds, saying it is the Islamic Republic that decides how to spend the funds and that the money will be spent "wherever we need it."

Yerevan de facto recognizes Baku’s sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh: Moscow

The Armenian leadership has for all intents and purposes recognized that Nagorno-Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan, Moscow announced on Tuesday.

Putin says Russia has earned twice as much money as west seized

Moscow has already earned double the amount of gold and foreign exchange reserves frozen by the West last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Tuesday.

Turkish president, Armenian PM agree to continue efforts toward lasting peace in Caucasus region

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have exchanged views on the situation in the South Caucasus and agreed to continue diplomatic efforts to reach lasting peace in the region, the press service of the Armenian government announced after their phone call.

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