Middle East

“We have received positive messages from Saudi Arabia and senior Iranian officials have responded favorably to them,” an adviser to Iranian President Akbar Turkan said. Turkan said in a statement to Al-Alam television that there were positive messages and indicators from Saudi Arabia and senior Iranian officials. They responded positively, …

Iran has seized a foreign tanker “smuggling” fuel to “some Arab states”, Iran’s state TV reported. The development is the latest escalation in tension in the Persian Gulf. The tanker was seized by the Islamic Republic Guard Corps (IRGC), the powerful Iranian paramilitary force. An IRGC commander was cited as …

People connected to the government of Saudi Arabia have run a network of fake accounts and pages on Facebook Inc (FB.O) to promote state propaganda and attack regional rivals, the social media giant said on Thursday. Facebook said it had suspended more than 350 accounts and pages with about 1.4 …

Some Syrian Army soldiers have been killed in a blast that rocked the Shayrat airbase located in the east of the Syrian Homs province, local media report without revealing the exact number of casualties. According to the state SANA news agency, the explosion was a result of a “technical error” …

Social media activists have officially launched the “Kaaba Unites Us” online campaign to celebrate the Hajj Islamic pilgrimage. In a statement on Monday, a group of online activists said Hajj required special attention on the social media as it both united Muslims from all backgrounds and provided a unique way …

President Michel Aoun warned Lebanese on Thursday of the risk of harsh financial measures from international institutions unless sacrifices are made to save the country from economic crisis. Aoun’s comments in a speech marking army day appeared to raise the possibility of Lebanon having to go to the International Monetary …

US officials claim Washington has intelligence that the son and possible successor of Osama bin Laden have been killed, NBC reports. As of yet, the officials have provided few additional details. Three US officials who requested anonymity told NBC that Hamza bin Laden – son of terror leader and founder …

Saudi Arabia approved a draft agreement on security cooperation with Iraq on Tuesday evening, the Saudi press agency said, in a bid to strengthen ties with the neighboring country. King Salman chaired a cabinet meeting in the city of Neom that tasked the Minister of Interior, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud, …

Pro-government forces, including Nato allies, killed more civilians in Afghanistan in the first half of 2019 than insurgents did, UN figures show. The unprecedented figures for January to June come amid a ferocious US air campaign against the Taliban. Some 717 civilians were killed by Afghan and Nato-led forces, compared …

The Yemeni Parliament expressed its regret for the Arab and international silence towards the continuation of the alliance of Saudi aggression and American sponsorship of committing the terrible massacres against civilians in markets, houses and roads. The Council condemned the massacre carried out by the Saudi-led aggression coalition yesterday in …

According to a recent UN report, the number of Yemenis who need humanitarian assistance reached 24.1 million, with the continuation of the Saudi and Emirati aggression, since March 2015. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a report that malnutrition continues to have a significant impact on …

The ruler of Dubai, one of the most high-profile leaders in the Middle East, and his estranged wife are beginning a court battle in London over the welfare of their children. Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum’s wife, Princess Haya Bint al-Hussein, is the third female member of his court to run …

Iranian President Hassan Rowhani meets Omani Foreign Minister Ben Alawi and says Tehran and Muscat bear the primary responsibility for ensuring the security of the Strait of Hormuz. He points out that the presence of foreign forces in the region is a major cause of tension. The latter also stresses …

  The owners of Stena Impero, a British-flagged oil tanker seized by Iran this month, said on Saturday that Indian, Russian and Philippine embassy officials met crew members from their respective countries and reported that they were in good health. “We hope this situation can be resolved swiftly and will …

Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian on Friday afternoon during weekly protests along the border with Israel, Gaza health officials said. Thousands of Palestinian gathered along the frontier, and the Israeli army said some in the crowd hurled explosive devices and grenades toward the border fence separating Gaza from …

Bahrain has executed three pro-democracy activists on two separate cases, defying widespread calls to commute the death sentences handed to the prisoners in an “unfair” mass trial. Ahmad al-Malali, 24, and Ali Hakim al-Arab, 25, were executed at Jaw prison, south of the Bahraini capital Manama, on Friday after private …

The Saudi border guards on Thursday killed a Yemeni child in Razih district of Saada province as part of his continuous targeting of Saada Governorate and the villages of border directorates. According to the Yemeni Press Agency, a security source in Saada said that “the border guards opened fire on …

Azerbaijan rescued nine people from an Iranian cargo vessel after it sent a distress signal when it was in the Caspian sea, Azerbaijan’s state maritime agency said on Friday. Two helicopters and a border patrol vessel have been sent to the site of the accident, the agency said. The agency …

The spokesman for Yemeni Armed Forces says army troopers and allied fighters from Popular Committees have launched a string of airstrikes against military aircraft hangars in Saudi Arabia’s southwestern region of Asir, using a squadron of domestically-manufactured Qasef-2K (Striker-2K) combat drones. Brigadier General Yahya Saree said the unmanned aerial vehicles …

  Tunisia’s first freely elected President, Beji Caid Essebsi, has died aged 92, the country’s presidency says. He was the world’s oldest sitting president. He was admitted to hospital on Wednesday but officials did not say why he was receiving treatment. Mr Essebsi won Tunisia’s first free elections in 2014 …