Browsing: Region
– Four people have been confirmed dead, including the pilot and co-pilot, following a helicopter crash in Dorcheh in Iran’s Isfahan province. The incident occurred inside the compound of the local wholesale fruit and vegetable market in Dorcheh, (Mehr) News Agency reported. The director general of Isfahan’s crisis management department said that the helicopter was affiliated with the Iranian Army and was being used for training purposes at the time of the incident, crashing mid-flight due to a technical malfunction. Both the pilot and the co-pilot were killed in the crash along with two civilians. Source link
The Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) will hold an emergency meeting of the Open-ended Executive Committee at the level of foreign ministers, at the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah, on Thursday. The emergency meeting will discuss the illegal Israeli occupation decisions aimed at promoting settlement, annexation and attempting to impose alleged Israeli sovereignty on the occupied West Bank. In a statement issued yesterday, the OIC said that this meeting aims to coordinate positions and discuss ways of action to confront these invalid decisions and measures taken by the Israeli occupation authorities, the latest of which was the decision to start procedures to settle lands in the occupied West Bank under the name of “state property”, as part of its illegal schemes aimed at changing the legal, political and demographic status of the occupied Palestinian territory and undermining the two-state solution. Source link
The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques announced that the Third Expansion of the Grand Mosque covers approximately 1,214,000 square meters, with a cooling capacity of 90,000 tons to maintain a comfortable atmosphere throughout the year. In a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency, the authority said that the Third Expansion continues to play a key role in serving worshipers, as one of the largest expansion projects in the mosque’s history, it represents a major enhancement in integrated services. The expansion provides a spiritually enriching environment built to high engineering and operational standards, it added. The authority emphasized that the expansion is central to its operational plans, adding that field teams operate around the clock to ensure the full readiness of facilities and services and that these efforts enhance efficiency and maintain high levels of comfort and safety for visitors. The expansion’s facilities include more than 25,000 carpets, 17,000 Zamzam water dispensers, 11,436 restrooms and ablution areas, and 1,300 speakers to ensure clear sound across all levels, not to mention 458 drinking fountains, 428 escalators, 28 elevators, 80 doors, and 120 prayer areas. These features facilitate smooth entry, exit, and movement across the ground, first, second, mezzanine, and rooftop levels. The design allows accommodation of large numbers of worshipers during peak periods. Source link
US forces have begun withdrawing from the strategic Qasrak base in the Hasakah countryside of northeastern Syria. Military convoys have departed the site towards the Al-Walid border crossing with Iraqi Kurdistan.Two days ago, dozens of vehicles and logistical equipment were seen leaving the base, which is one of the largest US military bases in Syria and holds strategic importance due to its location and direct control over the international highway, a vital artery for transporting supplies and trade between eastern and western Syria.This development comes as part of a reduction in the US military presence in Syria, following the evacuation of other sites in recent weeks, including the Al-Tanf and Al-Shaddadi bases, as well as other bases in Deir ez-Zor. Source link
The death toll from the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023 has risen to 72,073 martyrs, in addition to 171,749 injured.The Ministry of Health in Gaza stated today that hospitals across the Strip received, over the past 24 hours, one martyr and 8 injured individuals, while a number of victims remain under the rubble and on the roads, as ambulance and civil defense crews are still unable to reach them up to this moment.The ministry further reported that the total number of casualties since the ceasefire last October has risen to 615 martyrs and 1,651 injured, while 726 bodies have been recovered Source link
The United Arab Emirates has reaffirmed its full and unwavering solidarity with the State of Kuwait in all measures it undertakes to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, reiterating its support for Kuwait against any infringement on its sovereignty or national interests. The UAE also expressed its deep concern regarding the list of coordinates and the map submitted by Iraq to the United Nations, and the potential implications for Kuwait’s rights over its maritime areas and waters, including Fisht Al-Eid and Fisht Al-Eij. In a statement, UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs underscored the importance of the Republic of Iraq taking into consideration the fraternal and historic ties that bind the two countries and their peoples.The Ministry called for this matter to be addressed with a spirit of responsibility and seriousness. The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also called for any related matters to be addressed through constructive dialogue and diplomatic channels, in a manner that enhances regional security and stability. Source link
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that his country is committed to peace and stability in the region and that recent Iranian-US nuclear negotiations yielded encouraging signals.”Iran is committed to peace and stability in the region. Recent negotiations involved the exchange of practical proposals and yielded encouraging signals. However, we continue to closely monitor US actions and have made all necessary preparations for any potential scenario,” the Iranian president said on X on Saturday.On Sunday, Iran’s Foreign Ministerآ Abbas Araghchiآ said that he would likely meet US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on Thursday in Geneva, Switzerland, for a new round of negotiations, according to (IRNA) news agency. On Tuesday, Geneva hosted the second round of talks between Iran and the US on Iran’s nuclear program, following a previous round in the Omani capital, Muscat, on Feb. 6 Source link
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and his Omani counterpart Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi discussed the latest developments in the indirect nuclear talks with the United States in a phone call on Monday. The two sides discussed arrangements for the next round of nuclear talks. Al Busaidi had previously confirmed that a round of negotiations between the United States and Iran would be held next Thursday in Geneva, Switzerland. He said that the US-Iranian negotiations would be driven by positive efforts to finalize an agreement between the two sides Source link
The Sultanate of Oman said that it is closely monitoring the coordinates lists and map submitted by the Republic of Iraq to the UN, which it said infringe upon the State of Kuwait’s sovereignty over its maritime areas and fixed, stable maritime elevations.In a statement issued Monday, the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed its solidarity with the State of Kuwait regarding the full sovereignty of Kuwait over its maritime areas and elevations.It urged the Republic of Iraq to take into consideration the course of the historical relations between Kuwait and Iraq and their brotherly peoples, and to act seriously and responsibly in accordance with the rules and principles of international law and the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in line with bilateral understandings, agreements, and bilateral memoranda of understanding. Source link
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi discussed during a phone call on Sunday the latest developments related to indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States. The two sides exchanged views on the ongoing diplomatic process and stressed the importance of constructive engagement and continued dialogue as a means to advance talks and achieve a sustainable understanding, according to (IRNA) news agency. On Tuesday, the Swiss city of Geneva hosted the second round of talks between Tehran and Washington on Iran’s nuclear program, following a previous round in the Omani capital, Muscat, on Feb. 6. During his participation in the Peace Council meeting in Washington on Thursday, US President Donald Trump said that the course of developments regarding Iran would become clear within ten days. Source link