Middle East

Qatar Says Gaza Truce Talks in 'Final Stages'

Key mediator Qatar said negotiations for a Gaza truce and hostage release deal were in their "final stages" on Tuesday, adding that it was hopeful an agreement could be reached "very soon". Qatar, Egypt and the United States have stepped up efforts to broker a ceasefire to enable the release of hostages held in Gaza since ...

Russia, Iran to Sign 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership' Treaty on Jan 17

Russia and Iran will sign a "comprehensive strategic partnership" treaty on Friday during a visit to Russia by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, the Kremlin said Monday. Raising concerns in the West, Moscow and Tehran have boosted their military and political cooperation amid Russia's full-scale military offensive on Ukraine and ...

Norway to Host Talks on Mideast Two-State Solution

Dozens of countries will send delegates to Norway on Wednesday as part of a global alliance aiming to find a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Norway's foreign ministry said on Monday. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa, the head of the UN's Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA Philippe Lazzarini, and UN envoy ...

Macron and Starmer Discuss Ukraine, Middle East at UK Meeting

French President Emmanuel Macron met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday in Britain, where they discussed the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Starmer welcomed the French head of state to his Chequers country residence northwest of London, and the two leaders "underscored the need for unity in uncertain times", according to ...

Iran Rejects Macron's Remarks on its Role in Region as 'Baseless'

Iran on Wednesday rejected as "baseless" French President Emmanuel Macron's claim that Tehran was the main strategic and security challenge in the Middle East. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei described the comments as "baseless, contradictory, and speculative," and called for France "to reconsider its non-constructive approaches to ...

In Pursuit of a President Defying the Detrimental Mini-State

The Iranian mullahs' camp and their local allies have adopted excessive tactics of intimidation, threats and coercive politics. They revel in flaunting their defiance, entrenched in denial, loudly proclaiming that the "resistance" remains intact, "strong" and poised for a swift revival. While listening to their rhetoric and observing the arrogance ...

Blinken to Visit South Korea with Eye on Political Crisis

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit South Korea for talks next week, the two countries announced Friday, with Seoul mired in political turmoil as its impeached president resists arrest. Blinken, on what will likely be his last international trip before president-elect Donald Trump's return, will also visit Japan and France, the State ...

Czech Republic Reopens Damascus Embassy to Help US

The Czech Republic, whose embassy has represented the United States in Syria since 2012, has reopened its mission after closing it last month following a coup that toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. The Czech Republic has represented the US and other Western countries in Syria after nations closed their embassies because of civil war. "We ...

2025 Celebrations Begin as the World Reflects on a Chaotic 2024

Crowds will marvel at fireworks and toast champagne to greet 2025 on Tuesday, waving goodbye to a year that brought Olympic glory, a dramatic Donald Trump return, and turmoil in the Middle East and Ukraine. It is all but certain 2024 will go down as the hottest year on record, climate-fuelled disasters wreaking havoc from the plains of Europe to ...

Jimmy Carter: From Humiliation in Iran to the Historic Camp David Accord

The humiliation of the hostages in Iran will remain a stain on the record of Jimmy Carter, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 100. However, the former U.S. president achieved the first Israeli-Arab peace agreement, one of the successes of a foreign policy long criticized for its perceived weakness. Even Zbigniew Brzezinski, his national ...

Middle East Crisis: A Challenging Transformation

It was hardly surprising. In this part of the world, where decades of chronic turmoil are frequently interrupted by bouts of disorder fueled by power struggles, the potential for harm has yet to be fully contained. A new political landscape appears to be emerging in various parts of the Middle East, as declared by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin ...

China, Iran FMs Agree Mideast ‘Not a Battleground for Big Powers'

The top diplomats of China and Iran agreed Saturday that the Middle East is "not a battleground for the big powers" and should not be an arena of geopolitical competition between countries outside the region. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi agreed that "the international community should respect the ...