Author: Steven Sahiounie

Türkiye maintains its role as a leading provider of humanitarian aid to Gaza, the country’s president said Tuesday, pointing to the dispatch of its ninth vessel carrying 3,774 tons of relief materials to the Palestinian enclave. Speaking after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara, Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized that Türkiye had been allowing no exports to Israel that could be used for military purposes long before the current military offensive on Gaza began in October last year. Erdogan highlighted Türkiye’s role as a stable actor amidst global turmoil, attributing this to its balanced foreign policy and achievements in the…

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi says the Zionists controlling the regime of Israel will only come to know the true scale and intensity of Iran’s military response if they decide for a new attack on Iran. Raeisi made the remarks in a Tuesday meeting in Tehran with Vice-President of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council of Lebanon Sheikh Ali al-Khatib. The remarks came amid reports suggesting that the Israeli regime may decide to retaliate a wave of Iranian drone and missile attacks that were carried out over the weekend in response to an Israeli airstrike on April 1 on the Iranian consulate in…

The Arab League on Tuesday strongly denounced relentless attacks carried out by Israeli settlers on Palestinian cities and towns across the West Bank. “These attacks, often perpetrated under the tacit approval and protection of Israeli authorities, are exacerbating a pervasive state of impunity and continued oppression of Palestinian lives and properties,” the league said in a statement. Gamal Roshdy, the secretary-general’s spokesperson, said that while daily atrocities committed by Israeli forces in Gaza demand attention, they must not overshadow the escalating violence in the West Bank. He added: “Incidents of violent crimes, arson and property destruction perpetrated by armed settlers…

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