Azmoun, 31, is one of the best-known soccer players in Iran, where the sport is a national obsession. State TV pundit Mohammad Misaghi condemned the act as 'childish' and disloyal. Reports say authorities may seize assets of Azmoun and other UAE-based internationals
KYIV, March 20 (Reuters) - Ukraine has deployed interceptor units to protect critical and civil infrastructure in five Middle Eastern countries, Ukraine's security council secretary Rustem Umerov said after a visit to the region. "Work is also underway to expand coverage
Israel's army says it hit Syrian bases and weapons in southern Syria in retaliation for attacks on Druze civilians in Suweida. 'We will not allow harm to Druze in Syria and will continue to act to protect them,' the IDF said, with Defense Minister Israel Katz warning of
"We were attacked," wrote a sailor in the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway blocked for weeks since US-Israeli strikes triggered a war with Iran, in a group chat seen by AFP on Friday. The conversations in Chinese on the messaging app WeChat -- provided by a worker whose
Hundreds of Muslim worshippers held Eid prayers at the gates of Jerusalem's Old City Friday, with Israel closing access to the Al-Aqsa mosque and other holy sites over the war with Iran. "Today, Al-Aqsa has been taken from us. It's a sad and painful Ramadan," Wajdi Mohammed
By Rajesh Kumar Singh CHICAGO, March 20 (Reuters) - U.S. airline chiefs are talking about the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in a way that many of their counterparts overseas are not — projecting confidence about fares and demand even as fuel costs surge and global aviation is
Forced by yet another war in Lebanon to flee his home for the second time in just two years, and mourning lost relatives and friends, Hassan Kiki said he feels much older than 16. "War has aged us... We have lived through what no one else has," the tall teen from south Lebanon
March 20 (Reuters) - The Trump administration is considering plans to occupy or blockade Iran's Kharg Island to pressure Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported on Friday, citing four sources with knowledge of the issue. (Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru,
ATHENS/LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - A manager at London-listed insurer Hiscox faces a criminal charge of providing false testimony during an attempted extradition of a former colleague from Greece to Bermuda, court proceedings and filings seen by Reuters show. An Athens
LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - The family of a British couple detained in Iran said on Friday the pair were being used as "human shields" during the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and they accused Britain's government of failing to make progress on their release. Lindsay and Craig
Even when the fighting ends, their transition to economies based on tourism, tech, finance and logistics could be undone by the geopolitical risk
Four Israeli-Iranian couples share their stories of nearly impossible love
In addition to fatigue and increased hunger, living with constant sleep deprivation and stress has other effects, some long-term. Experts explain the risks – and how to limit the damage, or at least some of it
By Hyunjoo Jin SEOUL, March 20 (Reuters) - South Korean authorities said on Friday that Iranian attacks on Qatar's energy facilities raise uncertainty, but downplayedconcerns about disruption to its liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, citing the availability of alternative
The 127 cheetahs living in a Somaliland sanctuary were all torn away from their mothers to be kept as pets in the Gulf, survivors of a trade that threatens the very survival of the species. The long, slender, spotted felines yawn, stretch, and purr loudly as the staff approach
PARIS, March 20 (Reuters) - The International Energy Agency (IEA), which this month agreed a record release of oil from strategic stockpiles to deal with the effects of the U.S-Israeli war with Iran, outlined on Friday proposals to ease oil price pressures on consumers, such as
Firefighters battled another blaze at a Kuwait oil refinery on Friday after a fresh drone attack from Iran where millions were marking the country's New Year with muted celebrations under the shadow of war. Despite calls for an end to targeting Gulf energy infrastructure by
It's unclear whether U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to calm things down or whether he wants to spark an energy war, but Iran is willing to hold out. Either way, it suits Netanyahu
LONDON, March 19 (Reuters) - Leading European nations, Japan and Canada issued a joint statement on Thursday saying they were ready to join appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and would take steps to stabilise energy markets. This is the full
When an ancient bronze statue of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius landed back on Turkish soil after decades abroad, it was more than a symbolic homecoming. It marked the latest victory in Turkey's increasingly assertive push to recover antiquities illegally taken abroad -- a
SYDNEY, March 20 (Reuters) - Protesters heckled and booed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday during a visit to Australia's largest mosque for Eid al-Fitr prayers, voicing anger over his stance on ally Israel's offensive in Gaza. Some in Australia's Muslim and Jewish
Six major international powers said Thursday they were ready "to contribute to" ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, though three stressed that any initiative would take place post-ceasefire. Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands said
By Andrew Mills, Trevor Hunnicutt and Maayan Lubell DOHA/WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM, March 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump told Israel not to repeat its attacks on Iranian natural gas infrastructure as tit-for-tat strikes on energy plants sent energy prices spiraling,
BRUSSELS, March 19 (Reuters) - European Union leaders called on Thursday for a moratorium on military strikes on energy and water facilities in the Middle East, amid growing concerns about the impact of the Iran war on the global economy. "The European Council calls for
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both praise their relationship as excellent, but after three weeks of attacking Iran, their tactics are increasingly diverging -- the result, some experts say, of Trump's ill-defined goals. Trump said
When Iran retaliated with a strike on Qatari energy assets after Israel targeted the South Pars gas field, an angry Trump was quick to tell out Netanyahu to serve his first attempt at de-escalation
March 19 (Reuters) - Russia issued a fresh call on Thursday for an end to hostilities in the Gulf, starting with a halt to U.S. and Israeli attacks, and made a new offer to use its diplomatic leverage to help end the fighting. "We call for the fastest possible cessation of
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that it "takes money to kill bad guys" when asked if the Pentagon had requested $200 billion in funding for the Iran war. Exactly how much the war has cost so far has yet to be publicly disclosed, and the final bill will depend on
Amid war with Iran, what was once considered a far-fetched initiative has turned into a systematic campaign supported by lawmakers and the right-wing press: expansion of Israel's northern border as far as the Litani River
The strategy of targeting senior officials in Iran promotes less competent individuals to leadership positions, making it harder for the regime to function normally. However, as past wars have shown, a regime cannot be toppled through targeted killings
PARIS, March 19 (Reuters) - France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot will go to Israel on Friday, in an unscheduled visit, after visiting Beirut as part of efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon. The French foreign ministry added, as it announced Barrot's visit, that Barrot
JERUSALEM, March 19 (Reuters) - Iran no longer has the capacity to enrich uranium or make ballistic missiles after 20 days of U.S.-Israeli air attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a news conference on Thursday. "We are winning, and Iran is being decimated,"
By Patricia Zengerle and Steve Holland WASHINGTON, March 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. military's request for $200 billion in additional funding for the Iran war met with stiff opposition in the U.S. Congress on Thursday, as Democrats and even some Republicans questioned the need for
In retaliation for strikes on its energy sector, Tehran's campaign against regional oil and gas infrastructure has intensified and broadened to include Saudi Arabia's Yanbu port and an Israeli refinery in Haifa.
A Yazidi woman who was held as a sex slave by the Islamic State group testified Thursday before a French court, describing in stark detail the horrors she endured under jihadist captivity. The 32-year-old spoke in a Paris tribunal as part of the trial of French jihadist Sabri
By Jason Lange WASHINGTON, March 19 (Reuters) - Some 65% of Americans believe U.S. President Donald Trump will order troops into a large-scale ground war in Iran but only 7% support the idea, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Thursday.
US President Donald Trump said Thursday he had told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to strike any more Iranian gas fields, seeking to distance himself from an attack by a key ally that has shaken world energy markets. Trump insisted on social media overnight that
LONDON, March 19 (Reuters) - Countries at the UN’s shipping agency agreed to work towards a safe maritime corridor to evacuate commercial ships from the Gulf to protect seafarers during the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. In an extraordinary session to discuss the Middle East, the
The war in the Middle East has exposed Europe's reliance on Gulf companies for flights to Asia, Europe's airlines said on Thursday. Since breaking out on February 28, the US-Israeli war on Iran has severely disrupted air traffic above the Gulf countries, which have carved out a
Aziza Ahmad hasn't planned anything -- no family meal, no gifts for the children. In Lebanon, between the war and soaring prices, she said "there's nothing to celebrate" this Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan. From Beirut to Dubai, Manama to Jerusalem, the holy month of fasting
A settler activist's calls to "wipe out" Palestinian villages were dismissed as legitimate speech, while Arab citizens face arrest for nonviolent political posts
While intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard explicitly said that Trump's goals 'are different from the objectives laid out' by Israel, the CIA chief said Israel's goals may diverge on regime change. Hegseth, meanwhile, said that while the U.S. 'holds the cards,' allies may pursue
By Daphne Psaledakis and Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON, March 19 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Thursday drew a parallel between U.S. strikes on Iran and Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor decades ago, as he defended the war against Tehran at a meeting with Japanese Prime
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's parliament speaker and a veteran of the Revolutionary Guards, has emerged as the highest-profile political figure in the Islamic republic after the killing of its leaders. A pillar of the Iranian establishment for some three decades and one of
JERUSALEM, March 19 (Reuters) - An Iranian missile attack hit Israel's Oil Refineries in the northern port city of Haifa but did not cause "significant damage", Israel's Energy Ministry said on Thursday. Energy Minister Eli Cohen said power was briefly disrupted, with
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday that Washington might lift sanctions on Iranian oil that is already being shipped, as energy prices soar due to the war in the Middle East. The deliberation comes as Washington scrambles to ease high energy costs that have been
The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday it was monitoring the impacts of the war in Iran on global inflation and output, but that no countries had so far approached it for emergency assistance related to the conflict. "If prolonged, higher energy prices will lead to
Sarvanaz remembers celebrating Iranian new year as a girl under the bombs of the Iran-Iraq war. As Tehran is again shaken by explosions, she said marking the Nowruz festival has again taken on new meaning. "For me, it's an obligation of being Iranian, it's our root, it's not
President Donald Trump again urged US allies to “step up," while insisting their help isn't needed unblocking the Strait of Hormuz.
WASHINGTON, March 19 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday the U.S. needed more funding for a "lot of reasons" amid the Iran war when asked about a media report that Pentagon was seeking $200 billion for the conflict. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt, writing