Middle Orient

Iranian Ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, proposed activating a shipping line that passes through Iran as an alternative to Egypt’s Suez Canal, Anadolu Agency reports. The Suez Canal has been temporarily suspended since Tuesday when a massive Panamanian container cargo ship, Ever Given, ran aground while passing through the new …

The Arabs are warning the world that Turkey and Iran are funding and arming terrorists, that they a major threat to security and stability in the Middle East, and that they keep meddling in the internal affairs of Arab countries. The Arabs are also telling the world that the only …

In a recent issue of Thabat, an Al Qaeda affiliated media outfit, the emir of Jaysh al-Ummah in Gaza – Sheikh Mujahid Abu Hafs al-Maqdisi – explained his vision to solve the Palestinian issue while accusing Palestinian factions of serving the interests of “Western Zionist-Crusaders” and “Eastern Russian-Persian” projects.

A group of retired Turkish navy admirals are under investigation after penning a letter on a Bosporus Strait treaty government officials claim is “reminiscent of coup times.” Turkish police detained 10 retired navy admirals on April 5 after more than 100 former officers issued an open letter Ankara officials interpreted …

A man was executed last year for allegedly spying on Iranian forces for Israel and the United States. Iranian authorities arrested an alleged Israeli spy on Monday. The Intelligence Ministry said the spy was arrested in the northwestern province of East Azerbaijan. Several other alleged spies for unspecified other countries …

Syria’s economic collapse is stoking the struggle over commercial routes between government-held areas and US- and Turkish-backed enclaves, fueling also disagreements on humanitarian aid. Tensions in Syria are increasingly marked by a struggle for the control of economic routes, as the country’s economic crisis is exacerbated amid shortages of even …

As Washington and Tehran make small progress on resolving their dispute over the 2015 nuclear deal, it remains unclear whether Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will support President Hassan Rouhani’s efforts to negotiate. As Iranian President Hassan Rouhani prepares to leave office in a few months’ time, a significant …

The United States refers to Jordan’s King Abdullah II as an “invaluable and indispensable strategic partner.” Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, half brother to Jordanian King Abdullah II and a former crown prince, has signed a statement affirming loyalty to the king, seemingly putting an end to the rift among the …

A senior Israeli military official has declared on Friday that his country has the ability to “completely destroy Iran’s nuclear programme.” Tal Kalman, head of the Strategic Division and the Third-Circle Directorate of the Israeli army, told Israel Today that 2020 was a “good” year concerning war against Iran. Kalman …

The United States and Iran will meet for indirect talks in Vienna on Tuesday aimed at reviving the landmark 2015 nuclear deal. FRANCE 24 spoke with Sahil Shah, policy fellow at the European Leadership Network, where he leads the organisation’s efforts to strengthen nuclear and regional diplomacy with Iran. What …