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Iranian voices concern over violence against Syria alawites

In a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, on Thursday night, Araqchi stressed the need to safeguard the rights of minorities in Syria.

The top Iranian diplomat emphasized the necessity of avoiding internal conflicts and forming an inclusive government with the participation of all political, ethnic, and religious groups in the country.

He reiterated the Islamic Republic of Iran’s principled policy of supporting Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Iranian and Turkish Foreign Ministers also discussed issues related to bilateral relations and regional developments.

Israeli military continues Jenin raid, two more killed in West Bank

Israel Palestine West Bank

Hundreds of Palestinians in Jenin refugee camp started leaving their homes on Thursday.

“The Israeli army, using loudspeakers on drones and military vehicles, ordered them to evacuate the camp,” where Israel’s military launched an intense military operation this week, Jenin governor Kamal Abu al-Rub told AFP news agency.

Elsewhere, two Palestinian men were killed overnight in attacks by Israeli forces in Burqin, taking the death toll to 12 across Jenin governorate in the first two days of large-scale raids.

The raids are part of Israel’s Iron Wall campaign across the Palestinian occupied territory, launched just days after a ceasefire in Gaza.

Palestinian news network Al Quds Today reported Muhammad Abu al-Asaad and Qutaiba al-Shalabi were killed in “an armed clash with the occupation forces that lasted for several hours”.

The Israeli military confirmed the killings on Thursday, claiming that the two were affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and were wanted for carrying out the shooting attack in the village of Funduq in the Qalqilya governorate earlier this month, which killed three Israelis and injured six.

However, al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, said the two men were Hamas members.

Palestinian General Authority of Civil Affairs said Israeli forces have refused to release their bodies.

Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli troops involved in the killings surrounded a house in Burqin, and fired shots and missiles at it before razing it to the ground using a bulldozer.

Hassan Sobh, Burqin’s mayor, was quoted as saying in the report that Israeli soldiers used women as human shields during the attack.

On Wednesday, the Defence for Children International Palestine (DCIP) reported that a 16-year-old, Motaz Imad Mousa Abu Tabeekh, was shot dead by Israeli forces.

According to the Ramallah-based organisation, he was one of the seven Palestinian minors killed in Israeli attacks across the occupied West Bank this year. Four of them had been killed by Israeli drone attacks and three were shot dead.

Israeli troops arrested 22 Palestinians across the occupied territory between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, according to the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society.

The joint statement on Telegram said the arrests took place in the governorates of Hebron, Nablus, Tulkarem, Ramallah and Jerusalem, and involved “abuse and destruction of infrastructure, and vandalism and destruction of citizens’ homes”.

Zelensky says he might engage in direct talks with Putin

Zelensky Putin

Zelensky signed a decree banning himself from any negotiations with Putin in the fall of 2022 after the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, along with the Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions, officially became part of Russia as a result of referendums. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga said earlier this month that the legislation remains in force.

However, in an interview with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Zelensky appeared to have changed his stance on the issue. According to the agency, the Ukrainian leader said he wants to secure a commitment from Trump to defend Ukraine before engaging with Putin.

“The only question is what security guarantees and honestly I want to have understanding before the talks. If he can guarantee this strong and irreversible security for Ukraine, we will move along this diplomatic path,” he stressed.

Last year, Putin stated he would only be able to negotiate with Zelensky if he were to hold an election and win it, to restore his legitimacy.

Zelensky remains in power in Ukraine despite his term having officially expired in May last year. The Ukrainian leader canceled the presidential vote, citing martial law that he imposed due to the conflict with Russia.

According to Putin, the move violated the Ukrainian constitution, leaving parliament as the sole legitimate authority in the country.

On Tuesday, Trump said he is ready to meet with Putin “anytime” to discuss a diplomatic settlement to the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.

“We are talking to Zelensky. We are going to be talking with President Putin very soon and we will see how it all happens,” he added.

Earlier this week, the Russian leader commended Trump’s intention to resume contacts between Moscow and Washington, which had been halted by the Joe Biden administration. However, he stressed that dialogue can only happen on an “equal and mutually respectful basis.”

Putin noted Moscow noted the US president’s apparent willingness to restore communication and “do everything to prevent World War Three.”

Two Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza despite ceasefire

Gaza War

The Israeli military said they were looking into the report of the attack, the Reuters news agency said on Thursday.

The attack comes after Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire that took effect on Sunday.

The initial phase is scheduled to last six weeks, and involves a limited prisoner exchange, the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops in Gaza and a surge of aid into the enclave.

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 47,283 Palestinians and wounded 111,472 since October 7, 2023. At least 1,200 people were also killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day and 250 taken captive.

Russia says Trump’s sanctions threats usual routine

Kremlin

“We do not see any particularly new elements here,” he said on Thursday.

“You know that Trump, during his first term, was the US president who resorted to methods of sanctions too often.”

Trump has announced that he would impose new tariffs and sanctions on Russian exports if the conflict in Ukraine was not resolved soon.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in January that Moscow was open to dialogue on the Ukrainian conflict resolution with the new US administration, but that the priority should be to address the root causes of the crisis.

He confirmed that Russia was taking note of statements by Trump and his team members about their willingness to restore contact and the need to do everything possible to prevent World War III.

Ex-Iranian envoy to UK: EU reluctant to side with Trump against Iran

Trump

Seyyed Jalal Sadatian told IRNA that Europe appears unwilling to activate the snapback mechanism, which would reinstate UN sanctions on Tehran. Instead, Europe has placed three key issues on the negotiation table: Iran’s nuclear program, regional policies, and missile capabilities.

He said while Donald Trump has expressed his willingness to negotiate with Iran, the nature of direct talks between Iran and Europe differs significantly from Trump’s vision. Iran maintains that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) remains intact, serving as the framework for any discussions.

Sadatian noted that reports suggest that European leaders have accepted this stance, recognizing that the U.S. is no longer a JCPOA member and, therefore, currently unable to engage in direct negotiations with Iran.

He added: “This dynamic highlights the complexities of ongoing diplomatic efforts, as Europe seeks to navigate a balanced path amid competing pressures from Washington and Tehran.”

Iran injects 70 billion kWh nuclear electricity into national grid

Mohammad Eslami

Eslami said this output has saved 105 million barrels of oil, equivalent to $8 billion, while requiring only $1.8 billion in startup investment, emphasizing the advantages of nuclear energy in meeting national needs.

He highlighted the significant economic potential of heavy water, stating that its global price is approximately $1,000 per kilogram.

Eslami went on to say that 300 derivatives can be produced from heavy water, with some priced at tens of thousands of dollars per gram.

He noted that methanol derived from heavy water fetches $1.2 million per ton compared to less than $500 per ton from petrochemical processes.

Eslami further added that Iran’s heavy water production is recognized for its high purity based on international certifications, including from the U.S. and other Western countries.

Currently, Iran holds a 12.5% share of the global heavy water market. Eslami added that this share could grow further, as international demand for Iranian heavy water continues to rise.

Turkmen Horse important cultural symbol of ancient and modern Iran

Iran Turkmen Horse

In North Khorasan Province, the counties of Raz, Jargalan, Maneh, and Samalghan are recognized as the main hubs for breeding Turkmen horses and are among the most important regions for producing this breed in Iran.

Every year, horse racing competitions and festivals are held in these areas to introduce and preserve the purebred Turkmen horse.

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Iranian foreign minister to visit Afghanistan ‘soon’

Abbas Araghchi

The embassy posted on its X account, “Araghchi’s upcoming visit to Afghanistan.”

Reacting to the announcement, the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described Araghchi’s visit as a “constructive step” toward strengthening bilateral relations and stated that the visit could “usher in a new phase” for the relations between the two countries.

Zaker Jalali, the Third Political Director at the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote on his X account, “The shared political, economic, and security interests between Afghanistan and Iran present an opportunity to enhance bilateral cooperation.”

The visit marks Araghchi’s first trip to Kabul since assuming his position.

Representatives from various ministries and an economic and trade delegation will accompany the foreign minister, according to IRNA.

During the visit, a range of topics and issues of mutual interest are expected to be discussed.

In recent years, Iranian officials have frequently addressed Iran’s water rights from the Hirmand River, known as Helmand in Afghanistan.

Besides Iran’s water rights, it appears that Araghchi’s visit is also related to issues of terrorism, narcotics and millions of illegal Afghan refugees in Iran.

Gaza death toll climbs as ceasefire allows rescuers to search rubble

Gaza War

According to the latest figures from the Palestinian health ministry, the death toll in Gaza from the 15-month war has risen to 47,107, with an additional 111,147 wounded, as assessments of the scale of destruction continue.

Since the ceasefire, over 248 people have been added to the death toll, including 183 bodies found under the rubble.

The ministry noted on Wednesday that 54 dead bodies were transported to hospitals in the past 24 hours, 53 of them retrieved from destroyed buildings, along with 19 wounded.

Meanwhile, civil defence crews in the enclave announced that while searching through the rubble, they retrieved over 66 bodies on Tuesday and another 62 on Monday.

“We are waiting for difficult and arduous tasks represented in searching for the bodies of more than 10,000 martyrs, who are still under the rubble of destroyed homes, buildings and facilities, not registered in the martyrs’ statistics,” they said in a press release on Sunday.

Civil defence forces themselves have suffered tremendous loss, with about 48 percent of their staff killed, wounded or imprisoned.

After over 15 months of war, Palestinians are uncovering the mass destruction wrought by Israel onto the enclave, with the most recent statistics from the government media office on Tuesday placing the estimate of bombs dropped on Gaza at 100,000 tonnes of explosives.

The bombing campaign has destroyed 88 percent of the strip’s infrastructure and residential areas, including homes, sewage networks, electricity grids and water lines.

Israeli forces have violated the provisions of the ceasefire agreement several times since it came into effect on Sunday morning.

The Israeli army has carried out several attacks across the strip, firing live bullets and directly targeting civilians, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Reports have also emerged of booby traps being placed in houses and other infrastructure just hours before the truce began, including one instance in a ​​​​​home in northern Gaza that left several people wounded.

Wafa correspondents confirmed on Sunday that 10 Palestinians were admitted to al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City after being injured by unexploded ordnance left behind by Israeli forces near the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.

The Israeli army has completely destroyed 161,600 housing units, rendered 81,000 homes uninhabitable and partially destroyed 194,000 others, according to the latest government office assessments.

Around 216 government headquarters and 42 sports facilities were also damaged during Israel’s 15-month bombardment.

The educational sector has been severely impacted, with 137 schools and universities completely destroyed and 357 partially demolished.

Religious infrastructure in the enclave was also targeted, with three churches and over 832 mosques destroyed. Additionally, 206 archaeological and heritage sites were wrecked during Israel’s shelling campaign.

Gaza’s water networks have also been largely damaged, with around 330,000m of infrastructure left in ruins.