Author: Steven Sahiounie

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian inaugurated a new site for Iranian consular services in the Syrian capital on Monday, Syrian state media reported, in a building near the previous consulate flattened in an Israeli airstrike last week.The strike, which flattened the consular building adjacent to Iran’s embassy and killed seven Iranian military officers including two senior commanders, was an escalation of Israeli attacks on Iranian interests in Syria alongside the Gaza war.It drew condemnations from the United Nations and European Union for striking diplomatic premises, and Iran has vowed revenge.Syria’s Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad attended the opening of the new…

Netanyahu stated in a post on X earlier today that a date has been scheduled for the Rafah invasion, but he did not disclose which day exactly. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters on Monday that the US still opposes “Israel’s” plans to launch a ground invasion of Rafah after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scheduled a date for the assault. This comes after Netanyahu stated in a post on X today that a date has been scheduled for the Rafah invasion, but he did not disclose the specific date. “We have made clear to Israel that we think…

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed the latest developments in the war in Gaza with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong during a phone call on Monday. During the discussion, Shoukry updated his Australian counterpart on the latest developments in the conflict and Egypt’s consultations with international powers to contain the crisis. Shoukry expressed his condolences to the Australian government following the death of an Australian aid worker in Gaza. The worker was killed during an Israeli airstrike, which targeted aid workers associated with the World Central Kitchen. The strike resulted in the deaths of seven aid workers. Shoukry emphasized Israel’s…

At a meeting in Damascus on Monday with Syria’s Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that “Israel” will be dealt with adequately for its aggression on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. The Iranian diplomat stressed that the aggression on the consulate is undeniable proof that the regime has no regard for international law. “We regard Syria’s security as our own security,” he added, noting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is nearing the end of his career. The aggression, which occurred on April 1, claimed the lives of seven high-rank IRGC advisors. Among the martyrs was Brigadier…

Russia and China agreed that any meetings on Ukraine ignoring Moscow’s interests are futile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a news conference with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. “We discussed the current situation around the Ukraine crisis,” Lavrov said. “We and our Chinese colleagues supported the conclusion that any international meetings that <…> ignore Russia’s position while promoting the <…> so called peace formula of [Ukrainian leader Vladimir] Zelensky and are therefore disconnected from reality are futile,” he added. Moscow is grateful to Beijing for its unbiased and balanced position on Ukraine as well as for the willingness…

Moscow will raise the issue of the Ukrainian military’s attack on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant at one of the forthcoming meetings of the UN Security Council on Ukraine, Russia’s permanent representative Vasily Nebenzya said while answering media questions. “At one of the upcoming meetings on Ukraine we will raise this issue,” he said. “We are calling on the international community to condemn these irresponsible and extremely dangerous actions,” Nebenzya added, stressing that Western countries, supplying Kiev with weapons and ammunition, “should be held responsible for these reckless actions of the Ukrainian authorities.” Ukrainian UAVs attacked the nuclear power plant…

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi received today in the Egyptian capital Cairo Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Mustafa. The Prime Minister conveyed the greetings of President Mahmoud Abbas to Egyptian President Sisi, and congratulated him on the occasion of his taking the constitutional oath to assume a new presidential term, Primer Mustafa further conveyed his appreciation to Egypt’s steadfast and historically supportive position for Palestine and its cause. During the meeting, the Prime Minister briefed the Egyptian President on the government’s work agenda and priorities, most notably stopping the aggression against the Palestinian people, strengthening the effort to provide…

The Turkish foreign minister announced on Monday that the country has decided to take “a string of measures” against Israel until a cease-fire is reached. “Türkiye has decided to take a string of measures against Israel until a cease-fire is achieved and Israel allows uninterrupted aid into Gaza,” Hakan Fidan told a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the capital Ankara. “These measures, approved by our president, will be implemented step by step, and without delay. These measures will be shared with the public by our relevant institutions,” he said. The foreign minister said Türkiye “requested to…

AMMAN — Food prices in Jordan increased by 1.8 per cent by the end of February, according to a monthly report by the World Bank, while the Department of Statistics indicated a rise in the inflation rate in Jordan by 1.57 per cent during the same month compared to February 2023.

SINGAPORE – The dollar was firm but sluggish in Asian trading on Monday as investors looked ahead to U.S. inflation data after the big payrolls number last week, and as Treasury yields reached for December highs.