Author: Steven Sahiounie

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says the Israeli regime is the main source of tension in the region. He says Iran’s retaliatory operation of April 13 against Israel was within the framework of the legitimate right to self-defense and international law. Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a phone conversation with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi on Tuesday. The duo discussed the latest developments in the region as well as relations between Tehran and Jakarta. The top Iranian diplomat said Tehran has never been for escalation in the region, and the Islamic Republic will always remain the pillar of regional stability.…

The US will not shoot down Russian drones and missiles fired at Ukraine, in contrast to how American forces protected Israel from an Iranian attack last weekend, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told journalists on Monday. The US, the UK and France helped Israel repel a massive barrage launched by Iran in retaliation for what Tehran said was an Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus earlier this month. Kirby was asked during a daily briefing whether the same tactics could be used in the Ukraine conflict. “I knew this question was coming,” he responded. “Look: different conflicts, different airspace,…

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and the UN’s coordinator for the Gaza Strip Sigrid Kaag on Tuesday discussed the various facets of the humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory, the volume and quality of aid entering it and the priorities regarding the type of aid. The meeting took place at the Foreign Ministry’s headquarters in Cairo where the two sides reviewed the ongoing endeavors with various parties to expedite the launch of the UN mechanism as soon as possible. They affirmed the inevitability of intensifying the volume of aid to meet the needs of the Palestinian people as well as…

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi says the international community should stop Netanyahu from “stealing” attention away from Gaza by escalating his confrontation with Iran. In remarks during a news conference with his German counterpart in Berlin, Safadi said Iran had responded to the attack against its consulate and had announced that it “did not want to escalate further”. “We are against escalating. Netanyahu wants to draw attention away from Gaza and focus on his confrontation with Iran,” Safadi added. Source: AlJazeera

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock says a number of European countries are taking another look at extending an existing EU sanctions regime against Iran that targets drone production. Baerbock had campaigned with France and other EU partners late last year to extend the European Union sanctions regime. “I hope that we can now finally take this step together as the EU,” said Baerbock. A virtual meeting of EU foreign ministers on the tensions in the Middle East is planned for Tuesday. source: AlJazeera

Jordanian King Abdullah II said Tuesday that his country must not become ‘the theatre of a regional war’ after Jordan intercepted multiple missiles and drones when Iran attacked Israel at the weekend. The king reinforced the nation’s commitment to upholding its security and sovereignty above all other considerations. He stressed Jordan’s aim was to safeguard its own sovereignty rather than defend Israel. Last weekend, Jordan was among a group of nations that helped Israel shoot down missiles, rockets and attack drones launched by Iran and its allies at Israel. Earlier on Tuesday, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the international community should stop Israeli Prime Minister…

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry will pay a visit to Türkiye over the weekend. During his visit in weekend , Shoukry is expected to meet with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, according to diplomatic sources. Details regarding the visit will be announced in the coming days. source: Anadolu Agency

Pakistan’s defense minister voices concerns over a possible spillover of the tensions in the region to other nations like Pakistan and warned that nations supporting “Israel” could be caught in the middle. Pakistani defense minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif condemned Tuesday the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, calling it a breach of its sovereignty, and continued to declare that Iran’s attacks on “Israel” were defensive and in proportion. Iran, he said during the Geo News’ Capital Talk show, has the right to retaliate given the fact that “Israel” deliberately violated international law in its attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus,…

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi lauded the Yemeni nation’s perseverance and resistance, saying their support for Palestine has been extremely effective in deterring the Zionist regime’s atrocities and altered the equations in favor of the people of Gaza. Raisi held a telephone conversation with Chairman of the Supreme Political Council of Yemen Mahdi Al-Mashat on Monday. Praising the support of the Yemeni people and warriors for the oppressed and powerful people of Gaza, the Iranian president stated, “This support, in addition to admirable measures such as magnificent protests, declaration of clear and firm positions in backing the oppressed people of Palestine and also…

Chairperson of Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) Ella Pamfilova has bestowed upon Russian President Vladimir Putin the official certificate signifying his election win. “Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin], let me hand over to you the [presidential] certificate,” she said during a meeting with Putin in the Kremlin. Putin, in turn, thanked her for her work during the presidential election in March. “I would like to thank you and your colleagues, both in the Central Election Commission and in local commissions,” Putin said. “I know that this was a difficult job, but it was very important for the country, for the state’s internal…