Middle East

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei is to deliver a speech on the occasion of International Quds Day. Ayatollah Khamenei’s speech on Friday will be aired live on local and international radio and television channels. Every year on International Quds Day, millions of Muslims hold rallies worldwide …

President Mahmoud Abbas declares end to “agreements and understandings” signed with Israel and US, and turns over responsibility of occupied territories back to Israel, in response to Israel’s plan to annex parts of occupied West Bank. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ended “all agreements” including security coordination with Israel and the …

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has praised Palestinians for standing firm against Israel’s occupation of their homeland, saying the nation’s “iron resolve” will lead to ultimate victory and drive the occupiers out of holy Jerusalem al-Quds. Speaking at Wednesday’s cabinet session in the run-up to the International Quds Day’s demonstrations, Rouhani …

Indonesia on Tuesday called for Saudi Arabia to decide if it will allow the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca after the coronavirus pandemic plunged the ritual into doubt. Last year around 2.5 million faithful traveled to Saudi Arabia from across the world to take part in the “hajj”, which all …

Associates of jailed members of the Saudi royal family have hired lobbyists with close connections to US President Donald Trump to advocate for their release, the New York Times reported. A former senior associate of Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz bin Salman al Saud hired Robert Stryk, a lobbyist with strong …

In the run-up to the International Quds Day events, Iran’s Foreign Ministry reminds the world community that Palestine’s fate is only to be decided by Palestinians, no matter what religion they practice. “For seven decades, the international community failed to solve the question of Palestine since the plans proposed never …

Iranian epidemiologists say the symptoms associated with COVID-19 in Iran have changed from respiratory to gastrointestinal. They also believe the shift to gastrointestinal symptoms which are often accompanied with no fever or only low fever cause a delay in diagnosis and result in the further spread of the virus by …

The Saudi military student who killed three Americans at a US naval base in December had longstanding ties to al-Qaeda and planned an attack before he arrived in the United States, US justice officials said Monday. The December 6 attack by Mohammed Alshamrani, a Royal Saudi Air Force flight student …

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that a four-day lockdown starting on May 23 would be imposed nationwide as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus during the Eid al-Fitr religious holiday. Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Erdogan also said schools would not re-open this …

With both countries heavily sanctioned by the US, neither seem to have anything to lose by angering the US further. Iran complained to the United Nations on Sunday and summoned the Swiss ambassador in Tehran, who represents US interests in the Islamic Republic, over possible measures Washington could take against …

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the declaration on Sunday, according to his official website. Americans will be expelled from Iraq and Syria, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday, according to his official website. Iran almost got into a full-blown conflict with the United States when …

Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami confirmed his country’s readiness to put all of its defense capabilities at the disposal of Iraq, stressing the importance of defense cooperation between the two countries in establishing security and stability in the region. In a phone call, Hatami congratulated his new Iraqi counterpart, Lieutenant …

An official at Yemen’s Hudaydah port says Saudi authorities have impounded nearly two dozen ships carrying energy derivatives and food destined for the impoverished and war-ravaged Arab country. A total of 22 ships are moored at the port city of Jizan in southwestern Saudi Arabia, the unnamed official told Arabic-language …

China’s Ambassador to Israel, Du Wei, has been found dead in his apartment north of Tel Aviv. The Chinese ambassador to Israel was found dead in his home north of Tel Aviv on Sunday, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said. No cause of death was given and Israeli police said it was …

The Saudi aggression forces continue their escalation on various fronts, as they launched more than 10 offensive operations during the past week. The spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, “Brigadier Yahya Sarie,” told the Yemeni News Agency (Saba) that the offensive operations were distributed on the Al-Jouf, Marib, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhali, …

The Iranian Ministry of Health has announced that 1757 new cases of coronavirus have been registered in the past 24 hours and 35 new deaths, which is the lowest death rate in two months. “1757 new cases of Corona virus were recorded, bringing the total number of people infected in …

Iran may use its military for a second year to help fight locusts that have invaded the south of the country, an Agricultural Ministry official was quoted as saying on Friday, as the swarms threaten to destroy crops worth more than $7 billion. The locust invasion, seen as the worst …

China and Russia have rejected US plans to extend a UN arms embargo on Iran along with a probable push to trigger a return of all sanctions on Tehran at the UN Security Council. “It has no right to extend an arms embargo on Iran, let alone to trigger snapback,” …

Nakba Day is observed on 15 May every year and commemorates the displacement of Palestinians when the Israeli state was founded in the aftermath of the Second World War. “Nakba” is the Arabic word for “catastrophe” or “disaster” and the occasion remembers the 700,000 Palestinians forced to flee as a …

Qatar has made wearing a face mask compulsory for everyone who steps outside their home, with violators facing jail time and fines of up to $55,000. The move comes as the number of reported novel coronavirus cases in the Gulf country jumped by another 1,733 on Thursday. Cabinet mandated the …