Author: Steven Sahiounie

The Israeli occupation forces have detained at least 8,430 Palestinians from the West Bank, including Jerusalem, since October 7, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS). In a fact sheet marking the occasion of 200-day anniversary of the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, PPS said that among the 8,430 detainees were 280 women and girls, including women detained from the 1948 territories and women holders of Gaza resident identity card rounded up from the West Bank. PPS added that the 8,430 detainees also included at least 540 minors, including those released afterwards, and noted that the majority of detainees in…

Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri has stressed that Iran’s recent retaliatory strikes on the Israeli-occupied territories have had “strategic” impacts both on the region and the world. “The situation in the region has changed … after Iran’s retaliatory and punitive action against the sensitive areas and military bases of the Zionist regime,” Major General Mohammad Baqeri said in an event on Tuesday. He hailed the victorious operation that was conducted in response to the Israeli crimes, noting that it manifested national willpower against the occupying regime and had “strategic effects at the regional…

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is ready to help settle the conflict in the Middle East in case of a corresponding request and a mandate, CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov told TASS. “Certainly, the CSTO is ready to provide the means at its disposal to settle this conflict (the Middle East conflict – TASS) if there is a corresponding request and a mandate,” he said. According to Tasmagambetov, “the opportunities for successful settlement of such conflicts are shrinking sharply due to the fundamentally different views of the leading world players on the structure of the future world order.” “This…

Türkiye’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Sedat Onal, bid farewell to the UN on Monday. Onal, who was newly appointed as Türkiye’s ambassador to the US, thanked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his support for Türkiye’s initiatives at the UN and reiterated his country’s commitment to peace and the UN’s development agenda. Separately, Onal had a courtesy meeting with UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis. “While bidding farewell, Ambassador Onal expressed his appreciation for PGA’s support and cooperation & wished him success during the rest of the 78th Session of the GA,” the Permanent Mission of Türkiye to the…

The conflict in Ukraine could be resolved by the end of 2025, if proponents of peace, not war, win the June elections to the European Parliament and the US Presidential elections in November, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said, noting that it is necessary to stop the proponents of further hostilities in Ukraine. Orban believes that, if proponents of peace win the elections to the European Parliament, “military decisions in Europe could be slowed down, stopped or even cancelled.” “Another election will take place in America, with one candidate favoring war and another one favoring peace. If a peaceful candidate…

“It is regrettable to see the EU deciding quickly to apply more unlawful restrictions against Iran just because Iran exercised its right to self-defense in the face of Israel’s reckless aggression,” Amir-Abdollahian wrote in a post published on the social media platform X on Tuesday. He added, “The EU should not follow Washington’s advice to satisfy the criminal Israeli regime.” The top Iranian diplomat also lamented the EU’s reactions in the face of the Israeli regime’s genocide against Palestinians, describing them as “almost nothing more than hollow words.” Amir-Abdollahian finally called on the EU to apply sanctions on Israel instead.…

During a telephone call this evening, President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, discussed the latest developments in Palestine in light of the continued Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, particularly in the Gaza Strip. The President stressed the urgency of putting an immediate end to the genocidal war waged against Palestinians in the Strip, underscoring the importance of accelerating the introduction of humanitarian, relief and medical assistance, preventing displacement and stopping the dangerous Israeli escalation in the West Bank, including Jerusalem. President Abbas expressed his appreciation and gratitude for the position of the Spanish Prime Minister…

European Union (EU) foreign ministers have agreed to impose new sanctions on Iran that would cover the alleged supply of missiles to other countries and entities following an Iranian military operation against the Israeli regime earlier this month in retaliation for the killing of senior Iranian generals in Syria. The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday that members of the bloc had agreed in principle during a meeting in Luxembourg to expand the EU’s current drone-related sanctions on Iran to cover missiles and their transfers out of the country. “We have reached a political agreement in order…

The Turkish President says he had not received any signals from Qatari leadership indicating a desire for Hamas to leave the country. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pointed out on Tuesday that he does not believe the Palestinian Resistance group Hamas will depart from Qatar, where it is currently based. Returning from his first trip to Iraq since 2011, Erdogan indicated that he had not received any signals from Qatari leadership indicating a desire for Hamas to leave the country. “The sincerity they [Qatar] have toward them [Hamas], their stance toward them, has always been like a member of the family,” he…

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro described the United States’ reimposition of sanctions on his country as a “grave mistake”. US officials recently announced that the Biden administration will reimpose sanctions on Venezuela, claiming that the Maduro government did not uphold “an inclusive and competitive election.” The United States “did not honor a single word of the agreement signed last October in Qatar,” Maduro stressed during a meeting with an Iranian delegation visiting the country to enhance strategic relations between Caracas and Tehran on Tuesday. He was referring to talks brokered by Qatar in September 2023, which resulted in a prisoner swap…