Browsing: Region
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday accused Israel of undermining all efforts to halt the war in the Middle East, but said Ankara would continue to pursue any opportunity to advance a ceasefire. “The Israeli government has continued to undermine all initiatives aimed at ending the war,” Erdogan said following a weekly cabinet meeting in the Turkish capital. “If there is even the slightest chance to silence the weapons and open space for negotiations, we are making sincere efforts to seize it,” he added. “Our hope is that this unlawful, senseless, illegitimate, and extremely costly war for all humanity will come to an end as soon as possible.”Erdogan also said Turkiye has stepped up diplomatic contacts to achieve a ceasefire. “As the war drags on, we have warned that the fire could spread to other countries. As we leave behind the 38th day of the conflict, we unfortunately continue to carry the same concerns for our region,” he said. “In the face of increasing risks, I, as president, on one hand, and our ministers on the other, are accelerating our diplomatic contacts,” he added. Turkiye has attempted to mediate an end to the hostilities, notably through negotiations conducted with Pakistan and Egypt. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan yesterday met with the US ambassador to Turkiye, Tom Barrack, who called the meeting “productive”. “Turkiye’s partnership continues to be vital as we work toward @POTUS’s (Trump’s) vision for a more secure region,” the ambassador said on X, using Turkiye’s official name. Fidan also spoke on the phone with his Iranian counterpart to discuss “the course of war and other developments”, a Turkish diplomatic source said. Source link
An Israeli airstrike killed at least 10 people and wounded several others outside a school housing displaced Palestinians yesterday, health officials said, in the latest violence overshadowing the fragile US-backed Gaza ceasefire deal. Before the strikes, some Palestinians had clashed with members of an Israeli-backed militia, who they said attacked the school in an attempt to abduct some people, medics and residents said. In the midst of the clashes, east of the Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, Israeli drones fired two missiles into the area, killing at least 10 people and wounding several others, they added.It was not immediately clear how many civilians had been killed in the strikes, which hit in a closely packed neighborhood of mostly displaced Palestinians. Ahmed al-Maghazi, an eyewitness, said their area was attacked by members of the Israeli-backed militia who operate in the territory adjacent to where the Israeli forces are in control, before the militia opened fire.“The residents tried to defend their homes, but the occupation forces targeted them directly,” he told Reuters. Later yesterday, a leader of one of the Israeli-backed militias said in a video, which Reuters couldn’t immediately authenticate, that they killed some five Hamas members . There was no immediate comment from Hamas, which brands those groups that operate in areas under Israeli control as “Israeli collaborators.” Earlier yesterday, an Israeli airstrike killed one Palestinian and wounded a child as they travelled on a motorbike in Gaza City, medics said.Medics said that Israeli forces killed another Palestinian when they opened fire on a vehicle in central Gaza, taking yesterday’s death toll to at least 12. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on any of the three incidents yesterday. The Palestinian group Hamas, which has run Gaza since 2007, and Israel have traded blame over violations of the ceasefire that kicked off in October. The Gaza health ministry says Israeli fire has killed at least 700 people since the ceasefire began. Israel says four soldiers have been killed by fighters in Gaza over the same period. The violence comes as Hamas has continued to resist relinquishing its weapons, a major obstacle in talks to implement the next steps in US President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan for Gaza. On Sunday. Hamas’ armed wing said that discussing the group’s disarmament before Israel fully implements the first phase of Trump’s Gaza plan was an attempt to continue what it called a genocide against the Palestinian people. Source link
An Israeli airstrike yesterday hit the southern suburbs of Beirut, where Israel’s army said it was targeting the Hezbollah group, as Lebanon reported more attacks in the country’s south. AFPTV footage showed smoke billowing across the skyline after the strike on the southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold which has largely emptied of residents following repeated Israeli attacks and evacuation warnings. Israel’s army said it was “striking Hezbollah targets in Beirut”, after previously warning it would hit the area. Israel has launched strikes across Lebanon and a ground invasion in the south since March 2, when Hezbollah entered the Middle East war on the side of its backer Iran. Shortly before the warning, an AFP journalist in the southern suburbs had seen just a few shops open, as well as a gas station belonging to the Al-Amana fuel company that was destroyed in a previous raid. The Israeli army had announced targeting Al-Amana stations recently that were “controlled by Hezbollah”. Fresh portraits mourning Iran’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the US-Israeli attacks on February 28 that triggered the war, were also visible along some roads. The latest attacks came a day after the first reported strike on the town of Ain Saadeh, east of Beirut, which killed three people including two women, according to Lebanese authorities.Among the dead were Pierre Mouawad, a local official in the Lebanese Forces, a party strongly opposed to Hezbollah, and his wife. Samir Geagea, head of the Lebanese Forces, said yesterday that “the Israelis were targeting a member of the Quds Force”, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ foreign operations arm, but he did not seem to have been killed. Israel’s military said it had struck a “fighter target” east of Beirut and was reviewing the incident after “reports of casualties among Lebanese civilians not involved in the fighting”. In a statement, the Lebanese army said its investigation showed there were “no new tenants” in the targeted building. “While it was discovered that a person was seen leaving the building on a motorcycle immediately after the attack, the investigation is ongoing to determine his identity and uncover further details.” In south Lebanon, the health ministry said four people were killed in an attack on a car in Kfar Rumman, near the city of Nabatiyeh. The state-run National News Agency (NNA) also reported deadly strikes elsewhere in the country’s south and east, including in the Tyre district village of Burj Rahal, where an AFP correspondent saw mangled metal and household items among the rubble of destroyed buildings. “The preliminary toll is 15 homes damaged, which are no longer liveable,” said Burj Rahal mayor Daoud Ezzedine.“The residents want to return home, but unfortunately they will not be able to.” Later, the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for more than 40 southern Lebanese towns. The NNA reported several strikes on the south. Hezbollah announced attacks on Israeli targets in south Lebanon and across the border, including launching an advanced missile and attack drones at a base near the central city of Hadera.Lebanon’s health ministry said an Israeli attack killed a paramedic from the Hezbollah-allied Risala Scouts association yesterday.It also said two paramedics from the Islamic Health Committee were killed in an Israeli strike a day earlier. Lebanon says 1,497 people have been killed since the war erupted, including 57 health workers. World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X that the WHO “has verified 92 attacks on health facilities, medical vehicles, personnel, and warehouses”.“These acts cannot become the new norm,” he added.On Sunday, a strike in the capital’s Jnah neighbourhood hit near the country’s largest public medical facility, killing five, the ministry said.Israel’s military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir visited troops in southern Lebanon on Sunday and pledged to intensify strikes against Hezbollah. Source link
Tehran’s response includes lifting sanctions, safe passage in Strait of Hormuz, reconstructionTrump threatens severe action if Iran does not agree to deal by deadlineIran said yesterday it wanted a lasting end to the war with the US and Israel, and pushed back against pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz while US President Donald Trump warned the country could be “taken out” if it did not meet his deadline tonight to reach a deal. Responding to a US proposal through mediator Pakistan, Tehran rejected a ceasefire and said a permanent end to the war was necessary, the official IRNA news agency reported. The Iranian response consisted of 10 clauses, including an end to conflicts in the region, a protocol for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, lifting of sanctions and reconstruction, the agency added. Trump, who has threatened to rain “hell” on Tehran if it did not make a deal by 8 pm EDT today (midnight GMT) to open the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies, rejected the Iranian response and said his deadline was final. At a news conference, Trump said Iran could be “taken out” in one night “and that night might be tomorrow night,” referring to today. He vowed to destroy Iranian power plants and bridges, brushing off concerns that such actions would be a war crime or alienate Iran’s 93mn people. Without an agreement with Tehran, Trump said, “Every bridge in Iran will be decimated” by midnight EDT (0400 GMT) tomorrow and “every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding, and never to be used again.” After the US and Israel attacked on February 28, Iran effectively closed Hormuz, a conduit for about a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supply.The waterway’s stranglehold on the global economy has proved a powerful bargaining chip, and Tehran is reluctant to relinquish it too easily. The Pakistani-brokered framework for ending the war proposed an immediate ceasefire, followed by talks on a broader peace settlement to be concluded within 15 to 20 days, a source aware of the proposals said.Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran’s demands “should not be interpreted as a sign of compromise, but rather as a reflection of its confidence in defending its positions.” He added that earlier US demands, such as a 15-point plan, were rejected as “excessive”. RESCUE MISSIONAt the news conference, Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth praised the successful weekend retrieval from Iran of a US airman whose jet was shot down on Friday.Hegseth, who has faced scrutiny for outspokenly blending his evangelical religious faith with military operations, described the rescue in explicitly religious terms. The rescue mission came amid rising concern about the nearly six-week-long war’s effect on the global economy, including a sharp rise in fuel prices. The conflict has also hit Trump’s approval ratings and intensified anxiety among Republicans about November’s midterm elections. VOWS TO DESTROY INFRASTRUCTUREFresh aerial strikes were reported across the region yesterday. Hegseth said today would see even more.Iranian state media said the Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence chief, Majid Khademi, had died. Israel claimed responsibility for his death. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz threatened to destroy Iran’s infrastructure and hunt down its leaders “one by one.” The Israeli military also said it had targeted Iran’s air force through a series of strikes on theBahram, Mehrabad, and Azmayesh airports. Iran said two of its petrochemical complexes were attacked. Emergency and firefighting teams brought a blaze under control at the South Pars complex in Asaluyeh, Iran’s National Petrochemical Company said. No casualties were reported.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike on the petrochemical facility in southern Iran was part of dismantling Iran’s Revolutionary Guards “money machine”. Experts have said strikes on civilian infrastructure such as power plants and bridges would constitute war crimes. Trump said Iranians are “willing to suffer that in order to have freedom,” saying that the US has intercepted messages asking for bombings. “They’re saying, ‘Please come back,’” he said. FIGHTING BACK Iranian weekend strikes on petrochemical facilities and an Israeli-linked vessel in Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE underscored the country’s ability to fight back despite Trump’s repeated claims to have knocked out its missile and drone capabilities. Israel saw a heavy day of rocket volleys yesterday, with the sounds of sirens and missile interception booms ringing out across the country throughout the day.Israel’s military told Reuters there had been 20 missile launches from Lebanon and five from Iran during the day. Several attacks resulted in impacts.A missile hit Haifa overnight, killing four. This raised the war’s death toll in Israel to 23, according to Israel’s ambulance service.Yemen’s Houthis said yesterday that they also carried out missile and drone attacks against Israel.Thousands of people have been killed across the Middle East in the Iran war, including 3,546 in Iran. Source link
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries posted a sharp rise in renewable energy output in 2024, driven by explosive growth in solar and wind capacity, even as the region experienced notably higher rainfall amid broader climate shifts, according to the GCC Statistical Center’s “Climate Statistics 2024” report.The findings, released Saturday, highlight the GCC’s accelerating transition toward sustainability while documenting measurable changes in key climate indicators across the six member states.Solar capacity recorded an average annual growth rate of 88.1% between 2013 and 2024, with electricity generation surging from just 0.13 GWh in 2013 to 23.5 TWh in 2023. Wind capacity expanded significantly over the same period, rising from 4.8 MW in 2015 to 567 MW in 2024.Rainfall across the GCC jumped 49.4% in 2024 compared with the long-term 1980–2010 average, pointing to evolving weather patterns in the arid region. At the same time, temperature readings from 23 approved monitoring stations remained relatively stable, with no recorded extremes exceeding 49°C between 2012 and 2024. The report also notes progress in climate resilience measures. All GCC states now operate advanced mobile-based early warning systems using cell broadcast technology, and climate change adaptation and awareness topics have been integrated into national school curricula.The data underscores the dual reality facing the Gulf: a determined push to diversify the energy mix and build resilience, even as climate variables show signs of change. Solar and wind expansion reflects ambitious national visions aimed at reducing reliance on hydrocarbons while capitalising on the region’s abundant natural resources.Analysts view the rapid renewable growth as a positive step toward the GCC’s collective sustainability goals, though overall renewable penetration remains modest relative to the region’s total energy needs.The GCC Statistical Center, based in Oman, compiles the report using national, regional, and international data to support evidence-based policymaking on climate adaptation and mitigation.This latest edition arrives as Gulf nations continue to balance economic diversification with environmental stewardship amid global calls for cleaner energy. Related Story Source link
A collapsed building is pictured following Israeli bombardment on Abbasiyeh, near Tyre in southern Lebanon, yesterday.(AFP) Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon killed at least two girls and wounded 40 people yesterday, Lebanon’s health ministry said, while the Israeli military announced the death of another soldier in battle.Israel has carried out strikes across Lebanon and launched a ground invasion in the south since March 2, when Hezbollah entered the war in the Middle East on the side of its backer Iran. In separate statements, the Lebanese health ministry reported that an Israeli strike on Habbush killed at least two girls and wounded 22 people, while a strike on Al-Hawsh near the coastal city of Tyre wounded 18, including a child, three women and three paramedics. The ministry had said in an earlier statement the strike on Al-Hawsh damaged a nearby major hospital. The director of the Lebanese Italian Hospital told the state-run National News Agency (NNA) that it would “remain open to provide the necessary medical care” despite the damage. A member of the media walks near a damaged…
Bushehr nuclear power plant, Iran’s only operational civilian nuclear facility, was built by Russia and officially handed over in September 2013, after decades of twists, turns and delays linked to Iran’s turbulent history. The facility, located in the south of the country and equipped with a 1,000-megawatt reactor, was hit yesterday by a US-Israeli airstrike, killing a security guard, Iranian state media reported. It had already been targeted four times since the start of the war on February 28. Yesterday, Russia, which sends technicians to help operate it, began evacuating its 198 Rosatom employees. Yesterday’s strike was just the latest episode in the plant’s turbulent history.The project began in 1975 during the Shah’s reign, and was initially awarded to Germany’s Siemens. But work on it was interrupted by the 1979 Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988). Although a major oil and gas producer, Iran sought to revive the project in the late 1980s to diversify its energy resources and reduce its dependence on fossil fuels for domestic consumption. But Germany’s government persuaded Siemens to withdraw over concerns about nuclear proliferation. Tehran then turned to Russia, which took over the contract in January 1995, aiming to commission the 1,000-megawatt pressurized water reactor in 1999. But a series of problems led to an 11-year delay.Russians and Iranians also had several financial disputes over the cost, estimated at over $1bn. Washington exerted pressure on Moscow not to complete the plant, which the US feared would facilitate Iran’s potential acquisition of nuclear weapons.Moscow obtained a waiver to complete Bushehr by concluding an agreement with Tehran that included supplying Iran with the fuel used by the plant — then repatriating it back to Russia to reduce the risk of proliferation. Many analysts and diplomats believe Russia delayed the plant’s completion to maintain leverage over Iran, particularly to compel it to co-operate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). CIVILIAN USEUnlike Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility or the future Arak heavy water nuclear power plant, the Bushehr facility is not considered a proliferation risk.For years, Western nations have accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, an accusation Tehran denies. Iran has repeatedly accused or suspected Israel — the country considered the only military nuclear power in the region — of sabotaging some of its uranium enrichment facilities. While the US has insisted on a total ban on Iranian uranium enrichment, Iran defends its right to civilian nuclear programmes, even though it has reached a 60% enrichment level — far beyond what is required for civilian use. Source link
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) murdered at least 72,292 Palestinian civilians and injured at least 172,073 others since the beginning of the genocide that the Israeli occupation has been committing against the Gaza Strip in October 2023.The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip said in a statement on Sunday that hospitals across the Gaza Strip received four martyrs – four of whom have been pulled out from under the rubble, in addition to five injured persons.The statement indicated that many of the victims remain under the rubble and scattered on the streets, as ambulance and civil defense crews are still unable to reach them.Since the “ceasefire” agreement went into effect in October 2025, the IOF murdered at least 716 Palestinians, and injured at least 1,968 others, while 759 bodies were pulled out from under the rubble. Source link
Kuwait's Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy said today that two power generation and water distillation plants were targeted by hostile Iranian drones, causing significant material damage and taking two electricity generation units out of service. There were no casualties reported.In a press statement, ministry spokesperson Fatima Jawhar Hayat said that technical and emergency teams have begun their work in accordance with approved emergency plans, in coordination with relevant authorities, to ensure the safety and stability of the electricity and water systems, which represent a top priority.She affirmed that all technical teams were working around the clock to ensure uninterrupted services. Source link
Three Palestinians were martyred and others wounded Sunday morning in a new Israeli airstrike on Gaza City.Palestinian news agency (WAFA), citing medical sources, reported that the three Palestinians were martyred when Israeli forces targeted a gathering of civilians near Al-Shawa Square, east of the city.Since the ceasefire last October, the death toll has risen to 720, with injuries exceeding 1,968, while 756 bodies have been recovered. Source link