Author: Steven Sahiounie

Overall outlook for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) energy and non-energy sectors is positive

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has denounced as unacceptable the assassination of the head of the political bureau of the Hamas resistance movement Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, warning of its extremely dangerous consequences. In a telephone conversation with Iran’s interim Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani on Thursday evening, both sides expressed their condemnation of the killing of the Hamas leader and pointed out the extremely dangerous repercussions of such actions in relation to simmering tensions in West Asia and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The two top diplomats noted that the architects of this provocative move wished to cease the negotiation process over…

South Africa condemned “Israel’s” assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, who led Hamas’ Political Bureau, during his stay in Iran’s capital, Tehran. Pretoria stressed that the continuous targeting of civilians in Gaza and the assassination of martyr Haniyeh “will further spiral the already tense situation in the entire region.” “South Africa urges that a thorough investigation be conducted and calls on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint to avoid any acts that would escalate tensions in the particularly fragile region,” the South African Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “The Government expresses its heartfelt condolences to the Haniyeh family as well…

Ali Bagheri, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Faisal Bin Farhan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia and Egyptian FM , consulted and talked to each other over the phone. According to Iran press, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister and Iran’s acting foreign minister discussed the relations between the two countries and the latest developments in the region. Ali Bagheri, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Faisal Bin Farhan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, consulted and talked to each other over the…

The funeral ceremony for Ismail Haniyah political leader of Hamas kicked off in Doha’s Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque in the Qatari capital, Doha. Iran Press/West Asia: The body of the assassinated Hamas leader has arrived at Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque in the Qatari capital, Doha and the funeral ceremony will continue after Friday prayers. Crowds of people attend Qatar State Grand Mosque, for the funeral of Martyr Ismail Haniyeh. According to Al Jazeera report heavy security measures are in place at the scene, with attendees being searched and prohibited from bringing phones into the service. After…

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro expressed his country’s readiness to resume dialogue with the United States if the latter is ready to respect Venezuela’s sovereignty and stop threatening it, on the condition that the talks be based on the Qatar Agreement. He reviewed the record of negotiations that led to this agreement and its key conclusions. Last year, the two countries launched secret negotiations in Qatar, ultimately agreeing to a prisoner swap. The mentioned agreement is based on three phases, ultimately leading to the normalization of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Phase one: Preparatory…

The UAE ’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan has had talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on diplomatic efforts to counter the rising conflict in the Middle East. During the phone call, the officials also discussed ways to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and increase humanitarian aid to the enclave, state news agency WAM reported on Friday. Sheikh Abdullah “underscored the importance of putting an end to extremism and halting escalating tensions and violence in the region, which threaten regional and global peace and security.” Tension has risen after 12 people were killed recently in the…

The first vice president of Iran has traveled to Qatar to attend the funeral procession for Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh. Mohammad Reza Aref left Tehran for Doha on Friday morning to partake in the burial of Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran on Wednesday. Haniyeh was killed in a special residence in northern Tehran after being hit by an aerial projectile in the early hours of July 31. The Hamas chief was in Tehran to attend the new Iranian president’s swearing-in ceremony. A funeral procession was held for the Palestinian figure in Tehran on August 1. Leader of the…

The Ethiopian birr weakened by 28% against the dollar this week after the central bank adopted a market-determined foreign exchange rate

Manufacturers across the United States, Europe and Asia turned in a weak performance last month as factories grappled with tepid demand