Author: Steven Sahiounie

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says the United Nations must take action to prevent further mass atrocities by the Israeli regime in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza Strip. In a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Amir-Abdollahian warned against the “devastating” outcomes of Israel’s plan to carry out a full-fledged ground invasion of Rafah. He said an all-out offensive on Rafah would be devastating for the 1.5 million Palestinian people, most of them displaced, who have already been squeezed into the city and are on the edge of survival. He urged the international community not to let such…

A new US draft resolution before the UN Security Council includes some of the toughest language issued by Washington so far, calling for a temporary ceasefire and saying an Israeli assault on Rafah under the current circumstances would have “serious implications” for regional security. The US measure “is significant because Israel did not want the word ‘ceasefire’ in any resolution, and now it’s the US that’s proposing it”, Al Jazeera diplomatic correspondent James Bays reported from UN headquarters in New York City. “Of course, other countries wanted the words ‘immediate ceasefire’ and wanted the Security Council to order it, so…

The Hungarian minister said that all elements contradicting Hungary’s economic interests had been removed from the 13th package of sanctions at the stage of preparation Hungary will not veto the 13th package of EU sanctions against Russia, though it considers it wrong, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said. “At the stage of preparation of the 13th package of sanction all elements contradicting Hungary’s economic interests were removed from it. This is why we believe that from this viewpoint vetoing it would make no sense. At the same time, I think that the European Union is taking…

Five automated bakeries provided by the UAE for the people of Gaza arrived in Egypt’s Al-Arish city on Sunday, reported state news agency WAM. There has been a severe shortage of bread in Gaza, and these bakeries are expected to feed more than 420,000 people a day. The production capacity of each bakery is about 17,500 loaves per hour. The UAE will also be providing flour, diesel, and other support to ensure the bakeries operate 24 hours a day. In addition, the UAE will pay the salaries of the people who will operate and supervise the bakeries in Gaza. The…

The Foreign Ministry of Iran praised the African Union’s (AU) leaders for condemning the Israeli regime’s onslaught on Gaza and supporting Palestine. In comments on Sunday night, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani hailed the communiqué of the 37th African Union summit (AU) that has called for a halt to Israeli crimes against the people of Palestine. “The Islamic Republic of Iran expresses its categorical support for the contents of the statement that signifies the African Union, leaders, and nations’ commitment to the precious right-advocating and humanitarian causes regarding Palestine,” he said. The Iranian spokesman noted that such humanitarian stances coupled…

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wants to see the Security Council “speak with one voice” as the US proposed a rival draft resolution after Algeria requested a vote on its draft resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, said his spokesman on Monday. Asked about the US’s draft resolution, Stephane Dujarric said: “We understand negotiations are still ongoing. So I don’t think I’ll get into the details of it.” “What the Secretary-General would like to see, first of all, on the ground is a humanitarian ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, increasing humanitarian access,” he said. “He would like to…

Israel has been waging a war of genocide against hospitals and medical facilities in Gaza, Mai Alkaila, Minister of Health, said today after Nasser Medical Complex was put completely out of service due to the Israeli ongoing shelling. In a press statement this evening, Alkaila discussed the latest developments regarding the health situation in the Gaza Strip. Further, Alkaila said that as the Israeli brutal aggression on Gaza Strip enters its 136 day, “there is no safe place in Gaza.” Alkaila pointed out that the deliberate targeting of hospitals and medical facilities in Gaza, putting the lives of hundreds of…

According to Gabriela Sommerfeld, Ecuador stands “for the peaceful resolution of conflicts” Ecuador will not send weapons to Ukraine because Kiev is involved in a conflict, Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld said. “President [Daniel] Noboa has issued clear instructions not to send military equipment to any country involved in an international armed conflict,” she pointed out at a parliamentary commission meeting, which was broadcast on her page on Facebook (prohibited in Russia due to its ownership by Meta, which has been designated as extremist). According to Sommerfeld, Ecuador stands “for the peaceful resolution of conflicts.” Noboa announced on January 10…

The Spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry dismissed the attempts to draw a link between a highly-anticipated ceasefire in Gaza and the political future of the Palestinian enclave. Speaking to reporters at a press conference on Monday, Spokesman Nasser Kanaani highlighted the international calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where the Israeli regime has launched a brutal onslaught since October 7. While the bulk of world nations are demanding an urgent ceasefire and cessation of Israeli crimes against the people of Gaza, the Zionist regime is reluctant to stop the war, since it has not achieved its purposes, he…

During the 37th African Union Summit in Ethiopia, Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who took part as a guest, took the opportunity to advance his South-South cooperation agenda, including in bilateral meetings with Arab leaders. In those talks, he dealt both with urgent matters such as the Gaza war, and long-term partnerships. After visiting Egypt, where he met with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and took part in an extraordinary session of the Council of the Arab League, Lula traveled to Addis Ababa, where he attended the summit and held private talks with several leaders, including Palestinian Prime Minister…