Iran says ready to study any Syrian request for troops

Iran and Syria have been close allies for decades and Iran has long provided military advisors to the Syrian armed forces

The Iranian government has been portraying the rebel assault as a US-Israeli plot to destabilise the Middle East

Lebanon says nine killed in Israeli strikes on southern villages

Israel has carried out a near-daily series of strikes in southern Lebanon since the ceasefire

On Monday, the Lebanese army said an Israeli drone wounded a soldier

Israel vows ‘harsh response’ to Hezbollah attack

At least two people were killed on Monday in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon

The ceasefire came into effect on November 27 and stipulates that Israel will not carry out offensive military operations

US President Biden pardons son Hunter before White House exit

Hunter Biden was convicted earlier this year of lying about his drug use when he bought a gun - a felony

Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother for cocaine charges and Trump pardoned the father of his son-in-law for tax evasion

Bashar Al Assad of Syria seeks support from allies as extremist rebels take over key city of Aleppo

Extremist rebels' offensive saw Syrian government forces lose control of Aleppo for the first time since the start of the country's civil war

Trump threatens 100% tariff on BRICS countries over currency plans

The statement comes after a BRICS summit held last month in Kazan, Russia, where the countries discussed boosting non-dollar transactions and strengthening local currencies

The BRICS group has expanded significantly since its inception in 2009, and now includes countries such as Iran, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates

Iran-Europe nuclear talks on as global tensions escalate ahead of Trump’s return

Following the talks in Geneva, shrouded in an unusual level of secrecy, the parties to social media to say the discussions had focused on Iran's nuclear program and sanctions

The sides had "agreed to continue diplomatic dialogue in the near future", the German foreign ministry and the high-level diplomats representing France, Britain and Iran said

Israel PM again warns Iran after top diplomat talks of revising nuclear doctrine if more sanctions imposed

Israel is the region's sole, if undeclared, nuclear-armed state, and it has long made preventing any rival from matching it its top defence priority

Netanyahu said that the ceasefire that went into effect in Lebanon the following day would allow Israel to focus on Iran, but he did not elaborate on what action he envisaged

Iran says may end nuclear arms ban if sanctions reimposed

Iran is set to meet with Britain, France and Germany for talks on its nuclear program on Friday

For Tehran, the goal of the talks on Friday is to avoid a "double disaster" scenario

Palestinian leader Abbas lays ground for succession

Abbas, 89, still rules despite his term as head of the Palestinian Authority ending in 2009

The decree comes on the same day that a ceasefire entered into force in Lebanon