Middle East

Turkish officials said the attack looked like a targeted attack against one person rather than against the Catholic church.

The tanker carried Russian-produced naphtha, a flammable oil, drawing Moscow further into a conflict that so far it had blamed on the U.S.

BAGHDAD: Iraq and the United States held a first round of talks on the future of American and other foreign troops in the country on Saturday, with Baghdad expecting discussions to lead to a timeline for reducing their presence. Roughly…

From southern Lebanon to Gaza to Yemen, these alliances shape the political landscape and highlight the nature of influence and control in proxy warfare.

A broad range of countries raised concerns with lack of protection for domestic workers, gender-based violence and a fear of reprisals against civil society activists and media workers

There are three main reasons for this, none of which are principally about Iran’s regional strategy.

Before the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the war, the U.S. had been trying to broker a landmark agreement in which Saudi Arabia would normalize relations with Israel in exchange for U.S. security guarantees

The tempo of Houthi attacks on shipping appears to have slowed for the time being as the US and its allies have increased their naval patrols in the region.

Saturday's air base attack comes amid soaring tensions in the Middle East following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7.

The sanctions that come with the formal designation are meant to sever violent extremist groups from their sources of financing.

The strike on a Houthi radar site came a day after US and British forces hit scores of targets across the country. Analysts said the Western strikes are unlikely to stop the rebels.

Jordan and other Arab states have been highly critical of Israel's actions and have eschewed public support for long-term planning, arguing that the fighting must end before such discussions can begin

Kerman's deputy governor said the explosions were a "terrorist attack".

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the blast killed four people and was carried out by an Israeli drone. Israeli officials declined to comment.

On Sunday, US Navy helicopters fired on Huthi rebels attempting to board a cargo ship off Yemen, with the rebels reporting 10 fighters dead or missing.

Iran, which supports Hamas financially and militarily, has hailed the deadly attacks as a "success" but denied any direct involvement.

Saturday's targeting of a Japanese-owned chemical tanker came amid a flurry of drone and missile attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels in the Red Sea.

There was no immediate comment from Israel, which has repeatedly said it will not allow arch-enemy Iran to expand its presence in Syria.

Taking to stages in the capital Tripoli and Misrata, about 190 kilometres (120 miles) to the east, performers came from 11 cities around Libya.

The Lebanese Red Cross helped provide assistance to those rescued, according to the statement, which did not specify where the boat was headed.