Russia’s special envoy for Syria has conducted a secret meeting with Assad and “guarantors” of the Astana process, according to Asharq al-Awsat. The Kremlin’s special envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentiev, who frequently travels to Damascus, carried out a secret visit to the Syrian capital at the end of last week. …

Japan has proposed to the administration of new U.S. President Joe Biden signing a tentative one-year deal on sharing costs for hosting American troops while negotiations on a longer-term agreement continue, government sources say.

Beijing’s embassy here hit out at the Philippines on Monday for what it called “false accusations” about a new law allowing the Chinese coast guard to use force in South China Sea waters claimed by the Asian superpower. In a statement on its Facebook page, the Chinese Embassy in Manila …

Iran’s Defense Ministry has unveiled a new domestically-designed and manufactured satellite launch vehicle capable of putting satellites into an orbit of 500km above the ground.

On Wednesday, the security cabinet is set to meet to discuss tensions with Tehran, including concerns that the US could return to the JCPOA nuclear deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi, the Finance and Defense ministers and financial and military officials took part in a …

The blast caused no injury, no damage to the building and only damage to windshields of several cars parked in the vicinity. The blast caused on January 29, 2021 by a “very low-intensity improvised device” outside the Israeli Embassy building in New Delhi is considered by Israeli and Indian authorities …

Zarif said that the uranium enriched by the Islamic republic could immediately be scaled back to comply with the nuclear deal if the US lifts sanctions. If Iran wanted a nuclear weapon, it would have built one already, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said in an interview with CNN published …

Hezbollah claims to have downed an Israeli drone, but the Israeli military claimed that it crashed. Hezbollah said it downed an Israeli drone on Monday.

Officials warned the US Navy may not visit the Haifa area if a Chinese state-run company takes up management of the city’s port.

Despite warnings by human rights groups, the previous US administration designated Yemen’s Houthis a terrorist organization, which locals fear will only add to their misery. Yemen’s Houthi group, officially known as Ansar Allah, is presently among the organizations the United States designates as terrorists. One day prior to new US …