Author: Steven Sahiounie

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to China is set to determine the future of the world, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. The trip laid the groundwork for many years to come, she said on TVC television. “These are momentous steps that will determine the future not only of our region, but also of the entire planet,” the diplomat said. Zakharova also said relations between Russia and China is seen by the world-majority countries as an alternative. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier on Saturday that Putin’s visit to China reaffirmed that relations of comprehensive partnership between the countries…

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned against a full-scale ground operation in the Gaza Strip city of Rafah and called for more aid for the Palestinian population. “We are unanimous in our opinion, we in Germany, in Europe, as well as the American government: it is irresponsible now to think about an attack on Rafah, where many millions of refugees have taken refuge and are unprotected,” Scholz said in Karlsruhe. His words are quoted by the DPA agency. “This cannot end well,” he said. The Chancellor also said that sufficient humanitarian aid should be delivered to Gaza. His statement was met…

Resistance fighters are opposing the occupation’s incursions into the West Bank as the IOF conduct a campaign of raids and arrests. In the early morning hours on Sunday, Israeli occupation forces carried out a widespread operation involving raids and arrests across diverse regions of the West Bank, with confrontations unfolding in numerous locations. A large contingent of Israeli occupation forces raided the city of Qalqilya, bolstered by jeeps and military vehicles, according to local sources. They raided two residences in the al-Qaraan neighborhood and used loudspeakers to force locals to evacuate. Confrontations broke out between Resistance fighters and occupation forces in Qalqilya.…

US and Iranian officials held talks in Oman last week aimed at reducing regional tensions, the New York Times reported. Through intermediaries from Oman, Washington’s top Middle East official Brett McGurk and the deputy special envoy for Iran, Abram Paley, spoke with Iranian counterparts. It was the first contact between the two countries in the wake of Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone attack on Israel in April. The US officials, who communicated with their Iranian counterparts in a separate room — with Omani officials passing on messages — requested that Tehran rein in its proxy forces across the region. The…

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raeisi says relations with Azerbaijan are stronger than just two neighbors. He made the remarks alongside his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on Sunday during the inauguration ceremony of the Qiz Qalasi dam, which was built jointly by Iran and Azerbaijan on the Aras River at the common border. “As Leader of the Islamic Revolution [Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei] said our relationship with the friendly, brotherly and neighboring country of Azerbaijan goes beyond neighborliness. Our relationship is a strong kinship bond that has roots in the beliefs of the two nations … and connects our history and civilization,” he said. “This heartfelt relationship…

An accident has reportedly occurred to the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in northwestern Iran. The accident reportedly happened as the president was returning from the Khoda Afarin region in Iran’s northwestern province of East Azarbaijan after inaugurating a dam at the common border with the Republic of Azerbaijan. Some people in the president’s entourage have reportedly contacted the command center, raising hopes that the accident has had no casualties. The president’s convoy included three helicopters. Two of the choppers carrying a number of ministers and officials have landed safely. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and the Friday prayers leader…

Austria has become the latest country to reinstate financing for the UN organization for Palestinian refugees, which was halted after “Israel” falsely accused UNRWA staff of colluding with the Palestinian Resistance. Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Sweden, and the EU have recently reinstated funding for the organization. Austria was one of many major donors, including the EU and the United States, to halt financing for UNRWA in January, freezing a total of around $450 million in aid, despite Israeli failure to provide any proof for their allegations. Several nations renewed financing following the publication of an assessment of UNRWA headed by former French Foreign Minister…

Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz faces heavy backlash after warning that he and his party would quit the government coalition. Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz is facing backlash from members of the coalition following his June 8 ultimatum for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to put together a plan for post-war Gaza, Israeli media reported. Splits have recently emerged in the War Cabinet as the Palestinian Resistance continues to inflict heavy losses on the Israeli occupation forces in northern Gaza where the Israeli military previously claimed the group had been dismantled. Simultaneously, the families of Israeli captives still held by the…

Preparations for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea are ongoing, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS. “Preparations for the visit are proceeding at their own pace,” he said. Peskov said Putin’s meeting earlier on Saturday with Natural Resources and Environment Minister Alexander Kozlov, who heads the intergovernmental commission on cooperation with the North Korea, was unrelated to the preparations for the visit. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un invited Putin to visit his country when he traveled to Russia in September. It was reported earlier that the countries would work to set a time for Putin’s trip. Source:…

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan in eastern city of Dhahran, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday. During the meeting, the strategic relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them in various fields were reviewed, SPA said. It said efforts to find a credible solution to the Palestinian issue, including a lasting ceasefire and unhindered entry of humanitarian aid in Gaza, with a view to a “two-state solution that meets the aspirations and legitimate rights of the Palestinian people”, were also discussed. Source: Arab News