Iran’s president calls Israel warmonger as he seeks talks with West
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has accused Israel of seeking regional war, as he attempted to cast Tehran as restrained and...Geostrategy
Iran arrests 12 accused of collaborating with Israel
Iranian authorities have announced the arrest of 12 people accused of "collaborating" with the country's arch-foe Israel, local media reported...Geostrategy
Red Sea issue puts Yemen peace process on hold
DUBAI, UAE- As Houthi attacks roil the Red Sea and Western air raids target the rebels, moves to end Yemen's long-running...The Iran-backed Houthis have been fighting a Saudi-led coalition since March 2015, months after they seized the capital Sanaa.
Hundreds of thousands of people have died in the fighting and from indirect causes such as disease and malnutrition.
UAE defends Israel ties, calls for two-state solution
Despite maintaining its ties with Israel since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, the UAE has been at pains to...The United Arab Emirates and Israel established diplomatic ties in 2020 as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords
UAE's ambassador to the UN Lana Nusseibeh said her country has a field hospital in Gaza because of cooperation with Israel.
Relative of freed Israeli hostages appeals for Gaza deal
Talks have been underway for weeks to secure a second truce in the four-month war, which would see more hostages...A special forces raid in Gaza's southern city of Rafah saw Louis Har, 70, and Fernando Simon Marman, 60, freed
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum stepped up pressure on Israeli authorities to bring home the remaining captives
Court asks Netherlands to stop export of F-35 parts to Israel
The Appeals Court in The Hague sided with a group of human rights organizations that argued the parts contributed to...The Appeals Court in The Hague sided with a group of human rights organizations that argued the parts contributed to violations of law by Israel in its war with Hamas.
"Israel does not take sufficient account of the consequences for the civilian population when conducting its attacks," said the court.
GPSSA issues circular on pensions, gratuity in UAE
ABU DHABI, UAE – The Emirates General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA) has issued a circular to government and...The circular included limiting the procedure of deduction from the pension or end-of-service gratuity for the benefit of GPSSA's debt.
In cases of unlawful disbursement, GPSSA has the right to deduct from other beneficiaries' shares, proportional to their entitlements.
Several nations eager to join Charter of Cooperation, says OPEC Secretary-General
ABU DHABI, UAE - Secretary-General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries Haitham Al Ghais said that OPEC is in...The names of these countries will be announced after the completion of the ongoing consultations, the OPEC chief said.
He said the Charter helps facilitate dialogue and exchange views regarding conditions in the global oil and energy markets.
Vessel reports missile attack off Yemen’s coast: security firms
Another security firm, Ambrey, said the Marshall Islands-flagged, Greece-owned bulk carrier "was targeted by missiles in two separate incidents" within...The incident occurred before 0400 local time (0100 GMT) in an area where Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted Red Sea shipping in recent months, UKMTO said
Houthis' attacks prompted some shipping companies to detour around southern Africa to avoid Red Sea, a vital route that normally carries about 12 percent of global maritime trade
Israeli military says 2 hostages rescued in overnight Gaza operation
The military said in a statement that "during a joint IDF (military), ISA (Shin Bet security agency), and Israel Police...During the October 7 attacks, Palestinian fighters seized about 250 hostages, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Israel says around 130 are still in Gaza
Dozens of captives taken on October 7 were released during a one-week truce in November that also saw the release of more than 200 Palestinian captives held in Israeli jails
Iraq resumes talks with US on coalition forces exit
According to the military spokesman for Iraq's prime minister, the discussions aim to schedule a timeline for a pullout of...The US-led military coalition was set up in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group
Since October, US and allied troops have been targeted more than 165 times in the region
Hospitalized Pentagon chief hands duties to deputy
The latest health scare came weeks after it emerged that Austin, 70, had kept previous hospital stays secret and had...Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks "assumed the functions and duties" just before 5:00 pm (2200 GMT), Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said
Austin was "admitted into the critical care unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for supportive care and close monitoring," the Pentagon said
In Brief
Antony Blinken said there was "clear interest" in pursuing relations with Israel after talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday, the latest stop in a tour to calm a region inflamed by the Israel-Hamas war. . Blinken discusses Israel normalization in tented Saudi talks