Syria accused Israel of carrying out an airstrike in a central province early on Thursday, the second such attack this week. The aerial attack caused material damage, it said. The country’s state news agency quoted an unidentified Syrian military official as saying the air defense systems shot down most of …

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday the most recent disagreement between Turkey and Greece over Cyprus had made the relationship more difficult and patience was required to settle differences. “This has been a setback but we should not be discouraged,” she said. Turkey and EU member state Greece are …

Iran Thursday began exporting crude oil for the first time in the Gulf of Oman, bypassing the strategic Strait of Hormuz. During a ceremony marking the inauguration of the project, President Hassan Rouhani called the plan “strategic.” Iranian state media described the move as an indication that sanctions imposed by …