Iran says it can produce atom bomb but does not intend to

Iran has the technical capability to produce an atomic bomb but has no intention of doing so, Mohammad Eslami, head of the country's atomic energy organisation, said on Monday, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
1 August 2022

Shiite protesters in Iraq besiege parliament building in Baghdad

Thousands of followers of an influential Shiite cleric stormed into Iraq’s parliament on Saturday, for the second time this week, protesting government formation efforts lead by his rivals, an alliance of Iran-backed groups.
30 July 2022

Floods kill at least 53 in Iran

Rescuers searched for the missing in Iran on Friday after landslides and floods triggered by heavy rains killed at least 53 people, officials said.
30 July 2022

Iran flooding kills 24 people in two days

Two days of flooding near the Iranian capital have killed at least 24 people and another 19 are still missing, officials said yesterday.
29 July 2022

Black Sea grain shipment centre to open in Turkey

The United Nations and Turkey will open a joint centre with Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul today to coordinate the resumption of grain deliveries across the Black Sea.
26 July 2022

Saudi prince heads to EU for first time since Khashoggi killing

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was set to embark on a visit to Greece and France yesterday, state media reported, his first Europe trip since the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
26 July 2022

Accused Palestinian gunmen's houses demolished by Israeli forces

Israeli troops on Tuesday demolished the houses of two Palestinians accused of killing an Israeli security guard in an attack outside the West Bank settlement of Ariel in April, authorities said.
26 July 2022

“The Line” in Saudi Arabia: What’s all the hype about?

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has unveiled the designs for “The Line” in NEOM, which according to its twitter handle is “a city that offers a healthier and more sustainable way of life.”
26 July 2022

Iran won’t be rushed into ‘quick’ nuke deal

Iran said yesterday it will not be rushed into a “quick” deal reviving its faltering 2015 nuclear accord with world powers, as negotiations remain deadlocked.
25 July 2022

Kuwaiti emir's son Sheikh Ahmad named prime minister

Kuwait named the emir's son as prime minister on Sunday, replacing caretaker premier Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid who faced a combative parliament amid a feud between the government and elected assembly that has hindered fiscal reform.
24 July 2022

Closing Jewish Agency would hurt Israel-Russia ties: Lapid

A Russian decision to shut down an agency that processes the immigration of Jews to Israel would be a “serious event” impacting bilateral ties, Prime Minister Yair Lapid said yesterday.
24 July 2022

More than 20 killed in south Iran floods

Flooding in southern Iran has killed at least 21 people and left others missing following heavy rainfall in the largely arid country, state media reported yesterday.
23 July 2022

‘Do not want to be stung twice’

Iran is seeking economic guarantees from the US to revive a 2015 nuclear deal so as not to be “stung twice” the same way, its foreign minister said.
22 July 2022

Saudi citizen arrested for helping non-Muslim journalist enter Mecca

Saudi Arabia authorities have arrested a citizen of the country for driving a non-Muslim journalist into the holy city of Mecca during Hajj recently.
22 July 2022

8 civilians killed in Turkish attack on Iraqi province

Eight civilians died and another 23 people were injured in a Turkish attack on Iraq's northern province of Dohuk, Iraq's state media said on Wednesday.
20 July 2022

Military strike on Syria will "benefit terrorists", Iran's Supreme Leader tells Erdogan

A military strike on Syria would destabilise the region, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan who is in Tehran for a summit on the Syrian conflict, state TV reported.
19 July 2022

Biden disputes Saudi account of Khashoggi murder discussion

US President Joe Biden on Saturday differed with Saudi Arabia in their account of discussions at a bilateral summit about the 2018 murder of
17 July 2022

US spreading ‘Iran-phobia’

Tehran yesterday accused Washington of provoking tensions in the Middle East, a day after US President Joe Biden ended a tour to Iran’s rival Saudi Arabia and arch-foe Israel.
17 July 2022

Iran arrests several after protests at drying lake

Iranian police have arrested several people for disturbing security after they protested the drying up of a lake once regarded as the Middle East’s largest, official media said yesterday.
17 July 2022

Israel strikes Gaza Strip after rocket fire

Israel yesterday hit the Gaza Strip before dawn in what it said was a retaliatory strike for rocket fire from the Palestinian territory controlled by the Islamist movement Hamas.
16 July 2022