NATO's mission to Iraq, which was entirely evacuated to a base in Italy due to the Middle East war, could return to Baghdad in the coming months, its former commander told AFP. "The general staff is working on various options" to allow the mission to return to Iraq, said French
ZURICH, May 22 (Reuters) - Switzerland expanded its sanctions lists against Russia and Belarus on Friday, adopting parts of the European Union's latest package of measures over Moscow's war in Ukraine, the government said on Friday. The Federal Department of Economic Affairs
By Imad Creidi DAMMAM, Saudi Arabia, May 22 (Reuters) - Iran's publication of a new map asserting its control over the Strait of Hormuz risks extending an already punishing ordeal for thousands of mariners trapped on ships in the Gulf. More than 20,000 sailors are stuck on
By John Irish PARIS, May 21 (Reuters) - France has drafted a U.N. Security Council resolution on setting up an international mission to restore movement in the Strait of Hormuz and could submit it if conditions are right, the foreign ministry said on Friday, as Washington
May 22 (Reuters) - The Royal International Air Tattoo, one of the world's largest defence shows, has been cancelled due to military operations linked to the Iran war, it said on Friday. RIAT had been scheduled for July 17-19 at RAF Fairford, an active Royal Air Force base in
European frustration with Israel intensified this week after a far-right Israeli minister posted a video of the mistreatment of international activists detained in the country.
ROME, May 22 (Reuters) - Israel must halt the expansion of settlements in the West Bank and curb growing settler violence, seven major Western nations said on Friday, accusing the Israeli government of aggravating tensions in the West Bank. "Over the past few months, the
HELSINGBORG, Sweden, May 22 (Reuters) - The United States has seen some progress in talks with Iran and is in constant communication with the Pakistani mediators, but there is more work to be done, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday. "There's been some progress. I
By Canan Sevgili and Mirac Dereli May 22 (Reuters) - A Turkish court annulled the main opposition party's 2023 congress, effectively ousting its leader Ozgur Ozel, in a ruling that has inflamed a political crisis, jolted financial markets and could prolong the 23-year rule of
A Washington Post report revealed that the U.S. military fired over 200 high-altitude THAAD interceptors in defense of Israel, roughly half of the Pentagon's total stockpile
Lebanon’s army and General Security stressed that their members remain loyal state institutions, responding to US sanctions that for the first time targeted security officers for alleged ties to Hezbollah.
Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, has reportedly departed for the Iranian capital, while Doha dispatched a diplomatic team.
By Anna Uras, Rami Ayyub and Layli Foroudi ROME/JERUSALEM/PARIS, May 22 (Reuters) - Activists released from Israeli custody after being detained on a flotilla trying to bring aid to Gaza were subjected to abuse, organisers said on Friday, with several hospitalised with injuries
May 22 (Reuters) - A Qatari negotiating team arrived in Tehran on Friday in coordination with United States to help secure a deal to end the war with Iran and resolve outstanding issues, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday. Doha, which has worked as a
Lebanon's Health Ministry reported six paramedics and a child among those killed, and many others were wounded, while the IDF separately reported killing seven Hezbollah members
ANKARA, May 22 (Reuters) - An Ankara court on Friday rejected an appeal by Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) against a ruling to oust its leader, the Cumhuriyet daily and other Turkish media said. The CHP has appealed also to a higher court, as well as
By Maha El Dahan and Jana Choukeir DUBAI, May 22 (Reuters) - There is a "50-50 chance" of a U.S.-Iran peace agreement, the United Arab Emirates' presidential advisor said on Friday, but stressed that any political settlement must address the root causes of instability in the
According to the Saudi Al Arabiya news agency, the draft interim deal includes an immediate, comprehensive and unconditional cease-fire across all arenas, but doesn't address Iran's nuclear program. U.S. Secretary of State Rubio confirmed that 'slight progress' had been made
By Ece Toksabay and Huseyin Hayatsever ANKARA, May 22 (Reuters) - Turkey's political opposition dug in on Friday to resist an unprecedented court ruling that ousted its leader and annulled its congress, inflaming a political crisis that critics say aims to further prolong
More than a million Muslims are gathering in Mecca for the hajj pilgrimage overshadowed by the Middle East war, as animosity smoulders across the region despite a fragile ceasefire. This year's rites, drawing Muslim worshippers from across the world, including Iran, follow
The response comes after Israel accused the NYT of spreading 'one of the worst blood libels' in modern media history and was part of an 'orchestrated anti-Israel campaign'
By Jacob Bogage and Parisa Hafezi WASHINGTON/DUBAI, May 22 (Reuters) - Iran's foreign minister met his Pakistani counterpart on Friday to discuss proposals to end the U.S.-Israeli war, Iranian media reported, with Tehran and Washington still at odds over Tehran's uranium
TAIPEI, May 22 (Reuters) - Taiwan's presidential office said on Friday it had not received any information about the U.S. adjusting military sales, after a senior U.S. official suggested there was a pause due to the need to have enough arms for the war with Iran. Taiwan, which
SYDNEY, May 22 (Reuters) - A second group of Australian women and children linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) extremist group have departed a refugee camp in northeast Syria and may be returning to Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Friday. The
Lebanese mother-of-two Hala Farah is collecting photos and videos to preserve the memory of her hometown which, like many others along the southern border, has been completely destroyed by Israeli forces. Testimony from residents and officials, as well as satellite images and
By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON, May 21 (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday announced sanctions against nine individuals, including Iran's designated ambassador to Lebanon, for obstructing the peace process in the Middle Eastern country and impeding the disarmament of the
Like many Moroccan farmers, Mehdi el-Maazi was hopeful that rare heavy rains would yield an abundant harvest this year -- but those hopes were quickly shattered as the Middle East war sent fuel and fertiliser costs soaring. Morocco, where agriculture employs about a quarter of
By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON, May 21 (Reuters) - Republican leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives unexpectedly canceled a vote on Thursday on a resolution seeking to end the Iran war unless President Donald Trump obtains Congress' authorization, two days after a
More than six months after the United Nations endorsed a peace plan in Gaza, the humanitarian situation there remains catastrophic, three global NGOs said Thursday, calling on Israel to respect its obligations. Major gaps remain between Israel's commitments and the reality
By Sabine Siebold, Stine Jacobsen and Michael Martina HELSINGBORG, Sweden May 22 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet NATO allies on Friday for the first time since President Donald Trump called the alliance into question due to divisions over the Iran war
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Al Nassr clinched the Saudi Pro League title with a 4-1 win over Damac on Thursday, ending his long wait for domestic silverware. A trademark free-kick and a close-range finish, both in the final half-hour, sealed the win Al Nassr needed on the
New tranche of sanctions marks a warning shot from Washington as Senate Republicans threaten to freeze funding to the Lebanese Armed Forces if it does not move more aggressively to disarm Hezbollah.
Speaking on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said he would be willing to wait "a couple of days" for Tehran's response to the latest US proposal to end the war.
May 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. decision to remove Francesca Albanese, a U.N. expert on the Palestinian territories, from a list of sanctioned individuals is temporary and does not reflect a policy change, the State Department said on Thursday. The U.S. imposed sanctions on
Julien Cabral has just completed his first voyage with the "Flotilla for Gaza". One of his eyes is ringed with purple, he has a wound on his left temple and an injured shoulder blade. The 57-year-old Belgian originally from the port of Antwerp was on board a small boat that
Was Israel pushing regime change as long as two decades ago? Either way, the Ahmadinejad option is loony, and the Gulf states have explained to the U.S. president that time is on Tehran's side
Israel said on Thursday it had deported all the foreign activists seized by its forces from a Gaza-bound flotilla, as the first group arrived in Turkey following global outcry over their treatment in custody. Hundreds of activists from countries around the world were placed in
One suspect is accused of working for Iran's Revolutionary Guards intelligence service and gathering information on leading German Jewish figures
With the US-Israel-Iran war producing a historic supply shock, Al-Monitor hosted a panel of experts to explore how the conflict has ushered in a new era for global energy markets.
By Emma Farge May 21 (Reuters) - The Board of Peace's lead envoy for Gaza warned the U.N. Security Council on Thursday that the enclave's current division could become permanent, leaving more than 2 million people crowded into less than half its territory, unless a ceasefire
WASHINGTON, May 21 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump vowed on Thursday that the United States will eventually recover Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium despite comments from Iran that it will not hand over the material. "We will get it. We don't need it, we don't
The first of hundreds of Gaza flotilla activists began arriving at Istanbul airport Thursday after being arrested then deported from Israel, an AFP correspondent said. The 422 activists, among them 85 Turkish nationals, were flown from southern Israel on three planes chartered