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Ukraine, Syria leaders Zelensky and Assad attending Arab League meeting in Saudi Arabia

By
IFP Media Wire
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Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomed both leaders for the 32nd summit.

Assad is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies globally and has been backed militarily by Putin during the Syrian war.

Zelenskyy has made a surprise trip to Saudi Arabia, where he addressed an Arab League summit urging leaders to help protect Ukrainians and the Muslim community in Crimea.

He has stated his first-ever visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will enhance bilateral relations and Ukraine’s ties with the Arab world.

“I have arrived in Saudi Arabia,” he said, adding, “I will speak at the Arab League summit. I will meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and hold other bilateral talks.”

“Our priorities are the return of all political prisoners of Crimea and the temporarily occupied territories, the return of all prisoners and illegally deported persons, the presentation of our peace formula, the implementation of which should involve as many states as possible, and the guarantee of energy security next winter,” he continued.

“Another priority is to protect the Muslim community of Ukraine. Mustafa Dzhemilev, the leader of the Crimean Tatar people, is with us. Crimea was the first to suffer from the Russian occupation, and most of those who are being repressed in occupied Crimea are Muslims,” the president stated.

At the Arab League summit, MbS said that his kingdom is ready to mediate between Russia and Ukraine.

He also added that he hopes Syria’s return to the Arab League will end its crisis.

During Zelensky’s Arab League speech, he said some countries preferred to “turn a blind eye” to Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian land.

“Unfortunately, there are some in the world and here, among you, who turn a blind eye to those cages and illegal annexations,” Zelensky stated, urging leaders “take an honest look” at the war.

“Ukrainians has never chosen the war. Our troops didn’t go to other lands. We do not engage in annexation and plunder of other nation’s resources. But we will never submit to any foreigners or colonisers. That’s why we fight,” he added.

The president also highlighted how the war in Ukraine had affected Muslims in Crimea.

“Crimea was the first to suffer under the Russian occupation and until now most of those who are subjected to repression in occupied Crimea are Muslims,” he continued.

US walks back claim Syria attack killed senior al-Qaeda leader

By
IFP Media Wire
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The Pentagon has so far refused to name the target of the attack. However, relatives and neighbors of the victim claim he had no affiliation with the Islamist militants.

Two unnamed officials cited by the daily raised doubts about the strike, which occurred in a rural area of Idlib Province on May 3.

“We are no longer confident we killed a senior AQ official,” one of the officials said, referring to Al-Qaeda. The second official added that “though we believe the strike did not kill the original target, we believe the person to be al-Qaeda.”

According to the newspaper, residents of the Syrian village targeted in the US strike identified the victim as Lotfi Hassan Misto, a 56-year-old farmer and father of 10. They told the paper that the man was watching over his flock of sheep when he was killed by a Hellfire missile. Family members and neighbors insist that Misto had no connection to any militant group.

“If they claim that he’s a terrorist, or that they got someone from al-Qaeda, they’re all liars,” Misto’s brother told the Post.

US Central Command spokesman Michael Lawhorn said the military “takes all such allegations seriously and is investigating to determine whether or not the action may have unintentionally resulted in harm to civilians.”

When provided with coordinates for the site of the strike, which landed near Misto’s home and chicken farm, an unnamed defense official told the Post the location is a “known area of interest” to al-Qaeda. Local residents disputed that claim, insisting that terrorists do not live or operate near Misto’s home.

The Pentagon was previously forced to admit that a similar drone strike in Kabul in 2021 was a “tragic mistake.” The US initially claimed it had killed a high-level Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL or Daesh) militant, but later acknowledged that the raid killed 10 people, all civilians.

Iran rejects Taliban claims over Helmand Water Rights

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran

The ministry issued a statement on Friday, saying the declaration by the Afghan side about the Helmand River water rights contains contradictory and incorrect information, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran strongly rejects it.

Referring to the Helmand Treaty signed between Iran and Afghanistan in 1973, the statement says the agreement has clearly and unambiguously specified the Iranian side’s water rights from the Helmand River. This is a legal, objective and definite right, and Afghanistan is committed to providing the aforementioned right and not taking any action, which fully or partly strips Iran of its water rights.

It added, although the Afghan rulers,
in the past year and half, have repeatedly emphasized adherence to their obligations under the Treaty, in practice, they have failed to honor the obligations arising from the Treaty.

“Numerous statements for justifying the non-delivery of the legal rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the issue of drought and water depletion in Helmand, require expert reviews, according to the provisions of the Treaty, and those statements have not been yet verified by the experts of the Islamic Republic of Iran; therefore, adopting such positions is unlawful and unacceptable”, says the statement.

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that non-adherence to the Treaty and non-provision of Iran’s Helmand water rights on the part of Afghanistan and issuing political statements without practical action are not acceptable in any way.

The statement reiterates the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the rights to take necessary measures and emphasizes the full responsibility of Afghanistan in this regard.

Two Iranian dips classified among world’s 50 best: Taste Atlas

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Mast-o-Khiar

According to the list Taste Atlas released recently, ‘Kashke Bademjan’ was given the 7th spot and ‘Mast-o-Khiar’ the 37th.

‘Kashke Bademjan’ is a favorite Persian eggplant dip. Kashk means yogurt whey, and bademjan means eggplant. This dish is basically made from the combination of these two ingredients.

The easy and tasty vegetarian dip is full of amazing flavors and makes for a perfect appetizer served with some warm bread.

Mast-o-Khiar is also a Persian creamy and refreshing yogurt dip with cucumber and dill and takes just a few minutes to prepare. It’s a simple herbed yogurt base finished with dried vegetables, rose petals and toasted walnuts.

Israeli soldiers attack Palestinians protesting against ‘flag march’ in Gaza

By
IFP Media Wire
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Palestinian Protesters

Hundreds of Palestinians joined the protest on Thursday, which was called for by Palestinian factions in response to the Israeli march. The Gaza demonstration condemned the ‘flag march’ in Jerusalem, and called for an end to Israeli attacks in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Israeli authorities said their forces had fired after Palestinians threw explosive devices at the barrier between Israel and Gaza.

Osama Abu Qamar, a 50-year-old resident of Gaza’s Jabaliya camp, told Al Jazeera that he had come to participate in the march to protest against the “provocative” march in Jerusalem, where far-right Israelis forced the closure of several Palestinian throughfares in the city as they chanted abusive slogans and waved Israeli flags.

The event, which is held annually to mark the occupation and annexation of East Jerusalem, has led to violence in recent years, and with a truce between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad only coming into effect this week after four days of fighting that killed 33 Palestinians and one Israeli, there was fear of it sparking further violence.

“We will not surrender and we will continue to demand our rights and defend our occupied lands and our sanctities in Jerusalem,” Abu Qamar told Al Jazeera.

Huda al-Salibi attended the march with her family.

“A few days ago, the Gaza Strip was under an Israeli attack that lasted for days in an attempt by the Israeli government to implement racist policies by [far-right National Security Minister Itamar] Ben-Gvir and other extremist ministers,” al-Salibi told Al Jazeera, adding, “Today, the violations in Jerusalem continue with the launch of the provocative march.”

Israel deployed heavy security to prevent violence after past flag marches were marked by Israeli attacks on Palestinians and “death to Arabs” chants.

In 2021, the march was rerouted after violence erupted in the wake of the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam’s third holiest site, by Israeli forces and the evictions of Palestinians from the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, also in East Jerusalem

Hamas, which governs Gaza, called on international and Arab governments to stop the provocative flag parade in Jerusalem, warning that it would lead to further escalation in the coastal enclave, which has been under an Israeli air, sea and land blockade since 2007.

Abd Allatif al-Qanou’, a spokesman for Hamas, told Al Jazeera: “We will not allow Israeli occupation to pass a plan to extend its sovereignty or impose its control over Al-Aqsa Mosque through facilitating the march of the settler flags or the repeated incursions into it.”

“We call for all Palestinians to go to Al-Aqsa to participate in the defence of the compound in order to protect it and to confront the occupation,” he stated.

Al-Qanou’ accused the Israeli government of using what has become known as Jerusalem Unification Day to encourage, facilitate and protect the frequent storming on Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli settlers. The latest occurred on Thursday morning in the run-up to the flag march and was led by Israeli ministers and Knesset members.

“This disgraceful behaviour represents a flagrant violation of our greatest religious symbols, our Islamic sanctities and our sacred capital,” he added.

The leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) announced in a statement that the Palestinian people and their resistance “will not be silent in the face of the so-called march of flags and the [Israeli] occupation’s repeated incursions of Al-Aqsa”.

“We call for urgent action to condemn these occupation policies and attacks against the Palestinian people, their rights and sanctities,” said the PFLP, which has presence in both the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

Reham Owda, a Gaza-based political analyst, told Al Jazeera that Palestinians consider the flag march a provocative attempt by settlers and the far-right government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to change the status quo in occupied East Jerusalem by “Judaising” it and exerting its control on the Old City.

Palestinians fear Israel has gradually been expanding its control over the Al-Aqsa compound, where Jews are not supposed to be allowed to pray.

The international community backs the so-called two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but successive Israeli governments have approved settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, which is supposed to become the Palestinian state’s capital. Palestinians say the expanding settlements diminish the prospects for a viable, sovereign State of Palestine.

Tourist visits to Iran increased four times in 2022: Tourism body

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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According to the data, over 4.1 million tourists traveled to Iran last year, recording a four-fold rise in the number of such visits compared to the previous year.

The rise in the arrival of foreign tourists to Iran last year was 3 times the global average, the data showed.

Nevertheless, Iran’s share in attracting foreign tourists is still small, and only 0.4% of all foreign tourist trips in 2022 were made to Iran.

Tourism in Iran is diverse, providing a range of activities from visiting historical ties, forests and natural attractions to hiking and skiing in mountains and beach holidays by the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea.

According to the UN, Iran is among the top ten countries in the world having natural tourist attractions.

Turkey criticizes US for dispatching warship to Cyprus

By
IFP Media Wire
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US Cyprus Naval Forces

The USS Arleigh Burke, a guided-missile destroyer, arrived in Limassol, Cyprus, for a scheduled visit on Tuesday.

The Turkish foreign ministry issued a statement critiquing the move: “The steps taken in the region by the US which disrupt the balance at the expense of the Turkish Cypriot side damage [United State’s] long-standing neutral position.”

The statement is the second time in less than two months that Turkey has criticised the US for docking warships on the ethnically divided island. In April, the nuclear-powered submarine USS San Juan landed in the port of Limassol, prompting a similar rebuke from Ankara.

Turkey and Greece – Cyprus’ closest ally – are enmeshed in a series of disputes over maritime rights, the sovereignty of Aegean islands, natural gas and airspace boundaries. Greece warned in September that a Ukraine-style war could erupt with Turkey, but ties thawed with goodwill diplomacy following a deadly earthquake in Turkey and a train accident in Greece.

Ankara’s warning over Cyprus, however, underlines how the region remains susceptible to flare-ups.

The island has long been a flashpoint in Eastern Mediterranean tensions. Ankara invaded in 1974 in the name of protecting the Turkish minority after a failed coup attempted to unite the island with Greece. Today, Cyprus is divided between the internationally recognised government in the south and a Turkish government in the north recognised only by Ankara.

Turkey, along with Britain and Greece, is a guarantor power of Cyprus under a treaty that granted the island its independence from British colonial rule in 1960. Previous attempts to resolve the Cyprus dispute have failed, most recently at a 2017 conference in Crans Montana, Switzerland.

The spat has prevented Cyprus from tapping lucrative natural gas deposits in its maritime zone, which has seen renewed interest as a result of the war in Ukraine.

The US has moved closer to both Greece and Cyprus amid the war, while Turkey has struck a path independent of Washington.

On Wednesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a two-month extension of a UN-backed deal under which Ukraine grain ships can cross the Black Sea to global markets. But Turkey has refused to sign on to western sanctions against Moscow and is looking to position itself as a hub for Russian gas.

Ankara has also complained about the US’s use of Greek ports in Western Thrace, a Greek region bordering Turkey.

Greece and Cyprus’ closeness to Washington is also impacting defence ties. Athens is inching towards acquiring F-35s from the US, while Turkey was ousted from the advanced fighter jet programme over its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system.

In September, Erdogan stated that he would increase troop numbers in Northern Cyprus after the US fully lifted its arms embargo on the internationally recognised government. Turkey maintains about 40,000 troops in the north.

Raisi holds friendly meeting with tribal chiefs in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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During the meeting on Thursday evening, Raisi said the province is a beloved part of the Islamic Republic.

He warned against attempts to disrupt national unity and said, “National convergence should be protected, and anyone who tries to break the national unity takes a step on the path of enemies.”

Raisi referred to the acts of violence in Sistan and Baluchestan during months of riots and protests in the country last year, saying, “Rioting is unacceptable to any citizen.”

In September 2022, a wave of unrest broke out across Iran in the aftermath of the death in custody of a young Iranian women.

According to Iranian officials, taking advantage of the public anger, different terror groups and hooligans engaged in deadly acts of violence in different provinces, including in Sistan and Baluchestan.

Later that month, 35 people lost their lives and dozens more were injured as armed terrorists launched attacks on several police stations and public places in Zahedan, the province’s capital.

Referring to the attacks, President Raisi said, “Those who were hurt in the incident need attention and sympathy.”

The president said he asked officials to address the sufferings of those harmed in the attacks as soon as the incidents happened, and that he himself would also visit them and the families of the victims.

Sources say Ukraine’s Zelensky to attend Arab League meeting in Saudi Arabia

By
IFP Media Wire
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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky

Zelensky is on his way to the Arab League meeting in Saudi Arabia, a source familiar with the meeting told Reuters.

Zelensky will then travel on to the G7 meeting in Hiroshima in Japan from the Saudi city of Jeddah on a French government plane, the source told added.

A summit of the League of Arab State (LAS) will take place in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah on Friday.

Leaders of 22 member states will gather for talks on a variety of topics, including security, energy and economy.

Besides, the top level meeting is expected to discuss both regional and international issues, as well as define prospects for future cooperation.

Syrian President Bashar Assad will also attend the summit to represent his country after a 12-year suspension of membership. The Syrian leader is expected to negotiate investments needed for the country’s reconstruction with Arab partners.

Iran rejects US concern over expansion of Tehran-Moscow cooperation

By
IFP Media Wire
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Nasser Kanani

The spokesman wrote in a post published on his Twitter page on Thursday that the signing of an agreement on the completion of the Rasht-Astara railroad, with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin attending the ceremony via videoconference, as well as the inauguration of joint border projects in the presence of Raeisi and Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif are all part of Iran’s “neighbor-oriented” policy.

He highlighted that such a strategy is based upon “cooperation for common security, development and welfare.”

Kanaani’s remarks came after the US State Department’s principal deputy spokesperson voiced concern over the recent agreement between Iran and Russia on the construction of the Rasht-Astara railroad – a vital section of the North-South Corridor that connects South Asia to North Europe.

“Any steps or any project being undertaken to go around sanctions is something that we of course would find deeply concerning,” Vedant Patel has stated.

The agreement signed on Wednesday would facilitate the completion of a strategic part of the corridor, which stretches for 162 kilometers and connects the northern Iranian city of Rasht to Astara that lies on the border with the Republic of Azerbaijan.

According to the Iranian president’s website, Russia will make an investment of 1.6 billion euros in the railroad project, which is expected to come into operation within 48 months.

Moreover, the Iranian president and the Pakistani prime minister inaugurated the Pishin-Mand retail market at a border crossing between the two neighbors on Thursday.

The retail market was opened up at the border crossing that connects Iran’s southeastern city of Pishin to Pakistan’s southwestern city of Mand.

The two heads of state also launched an electricity exchange station that connects the power lines between Iran’s Pollan and Pakistan’s Jiwani.

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