Gulf

Reports Iranian hackers targeted Western universities

Government-backed Iranian hackers have targeted universities in Europe, the United States and Australia in recent months, consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers has found, Dutch broadcaster NOS reported on Friday. It is unclear whether…

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Italian banks closing Iranian citizens’ accounts over US sanctions

Several Italian banks have closed or imposed restrictions on accounts held by Iranian citizens citing US sanctions against Iran and putting some people in a delicate financial situation. Several European…

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Iran says it will strike U.S. and Israel if they make the ‘slightest error’, US Senate limits Trump’s war powers on Iran

Iran is ready to strike the United States and Israel if they give it any reason to do so, the head of the elite Revolutionary Guards said in a live…

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U.S. warship in Arabian Sea seizes suspected Iranian weapons

Navy personnel serving on the US cruiser Normandy uncovered a shipment of weapons aboard of a sailboat in the Arabian Sea after boarding the vessel "in accordance with international law,"…

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Possible first case of coronavirus in Iran

An Iranian woman has died of a suspected coronavirus infection, the state daily newspaper IRAN reported on Wednesday, without citing any sources. The 63-year-old woman died in a Tehran hospital…

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Saudis warned to prepare for freezing temperatures

Weather warnings have been issued for most regions in Saudi Arabia, with temperatures expected to reach zero degrees and below. The General Authority of Meteorology and Environment said the freezing…

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Al-Qaeda leader in Yemen killed in US strike

The United States has killed the leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), President Donald Trump said. Qasim al-Raimi, who has led the jihadist group since 2015, was killed…

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Iran will no longer share evidence from Ukraine airliner crash after leaked audio

Another pilot witnessed the moment the plane was hit and alerted the control tower, a leaked recording showed. Ukraine confirmed its authenticity, and now Iran says it no longer wants…

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UK takes charge of coalition Gulf mission to protect ships from Iran

Britain has taken over command from the United States of a maritime security mission in the Gulf to protect global shipping from the threat of attack by Iran. Royal Navy…

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First cases of coronavirus recorded in UAE

The UAE’s Ministry of Health says it is working around the clock to report any cases of the coronavirus as early as possible after the first case was recorded on…

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Passenger plane skids off runway in Iran

An Iranian passenger plane with 150 people on board skidded off the airport runway in Iran’s Ahwaz province on Monday. The Caspian Airlines aircraft skidded off the runway at Mahshahr…

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Rockets hit US embassy in Baghdad

At least three rockets struck the US embassy in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Sunday. One rocket hit the embassy cafeteria while two others landed a short distance away.…

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34 US service members diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries following the Iranian missile attack on US forces in Iraq

Thirty-four US service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries following the Iranian missile attack on US forces in Iraq earlier this month, Pentagon spokesman Jonathon Hoffman said Friday.…

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Allegations Saudi Arabia hacked phone of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos

The United Nations is set to support a claim that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos had his mobile phone hacked by Saudi Arabia. According to a report in The Guardian, the…

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Canada, Iran at odds over who should analyse downed Ukrainian plane’s black boxes

Iran said it had asked the U.S. and French authorities for equipment to download information from black boxes on a downed Ukrainian airliner, potentially angering countries which want the recorders…

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France says more countries back European-led naval mission in Hormuz

A European-led naval mission in the Straits of Hormuz - a vital shipping route for world transport that has been impacted by military tensions in the Middle East - has…

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Trump warns Iran’s supreme leader to be ‘careful with his words’

President Trump warned Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to be “very careful with his words,” after he used a rare public address to deride “American clowns” and defend Iran’s…

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Canada says black boxes from Iran crash should be sent to France

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday urged Iran to send the black boxes from the passenger plane shot down by its forces to France for analysis and said the…

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UAE unreservedly supports Germany efforts to bring peace in Libya

UAE’s minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, tweeted on Friday that “the UAE unreservedly supports German efforts in convening the conference & the international community’s goals of peace…

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Iran willing to negotiate with anyone except US, says supreme leader

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said European nations including the UK "cannot be trusted" but Tehran is not against negotiating with anyone - except the US. Making his…

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US military now says 11 troops were injured in Iran missile attack on US forces inside Iraq

The United States has treated 11 of its troops for symptoms of concussion after an Iranian missile attack on an Iraqi base where US forces were stationed, the country's military…

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Victims’ governments to press Tehran for answers for downing of Ukrainian jet

Iran is facing fresh pressure to give a full accounting of what happened to the Ukrainian Airlines plane that was shot down over its capital city last week with 176…

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UN aviation experts to join Ukraine Airlines Iran crash investigation

Experts from the UN aviation watchdog, ICAO, will support the investigation into the crash of a Ukrainian Passenger plane in Iran on January 8, following an invitation from the Iranian…

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Israeli army insists it ‘had no role in Soleimani killing’

The Israel Defense Forces played no part in the killing of Iran’s Qassem Soleimani, IDF’s international spokesperson Jonathan Conricus tells FRANCE 24’s Middle East Matters programme, describing the senior commander’s…

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Iran social media posts call for fifth day of protests

Iranian social media postings urged citizens to take to the streets for a fifth day on Wednesday, after the admission by the authorities that they had accidentally brought down a…

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New video shows Ukrainian plane struck by two Iranian missiles

A new video has surfaced showing the moment two missiles hit a Ukrainian passenger plane over Iran's capital, Tehran, killing all 176 passengers and crew on board. The New York…

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European Ministers trigger process to save Iranian Nuclear Deal

Britain, France and Germany triggered a mediation process aimed at forcing Iran to return to compliance with limits placed on its nuclear program, or potentially face the reimposition of international…

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Iran makes arrests in connection with downing of Ukrainian passenger plane

Iran's judiciary said on Tuesday that arrests have been made over the accidental downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane that killed all 176 people on board just after takeoff from…

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Trudeau sends signal blaming Trump for Ukraine’s plane downing

As groups representing Iranian-Canadians and Jewish-Canadians called on the federal government to get tough on the regime in Tehran, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent a signal to his base that…

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Iran’s police shoot at crowds protesting against Government’s denial it shot down Ukrainian plane

Iranian security forces have fired live ammunition and tear gas at demonstrators protesting against the Islamic Republic's initial denial it shot down a Ukrainian jetliner. Videos sent to the New…

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Europe stands by Iran nuclear deal for now

The leaders of Germany, France and the U.K. have said they will stand by the Iran nuclear deal, defying a call from President Donald Trump to abandon the 2015 pact.…

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Canadian officials arrive in Iran amid Flight PS752 investigation

Iran has issued eight more visas to a team of Canadian officials following a fatal plane crash near Tehran and most members of the group should be in Tehran on…

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Tributes pour in as Oman mourns Sultan Qaboos

World leaders and the people of Oman have paid tributes to Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, the Arab world's longest-serving ruler who died on Friday at 79. UK Prime…

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Iran’s top female athlete defects

Iran's only female Olympic medallist, Kimia Alizadeh Zenoorin, has said she has left the country permanently following accusations of mistreatment and sexism against officials. The 21-year-old is reportedly in the…

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Iran concedes de-escalation ‘only solution’ to end crisis with US

Iran signalled Sunday it favours a de-escalation after 10 days of heightened tensions with the United States during which both sides fired missiles and Tehran accidentally shot down a passenger…

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Rockets hit Iraqi airbase where US troops are based

Several rockets have slammed into an Iraqi airbase north of Baghdad where US troops are based, officials and military sources said, adding that at least four Iraqi airmen were wounded. Al…

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Iranians come out for a second day of anti-regime protests

Scores of protesters gathered for a second day in Iran on Sunday chanting slogans against the authorities following the military's admission it had shot down a passenger plane in error…

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The Iranian missile system suspected of bringing down the Ukrainian airliner

The main suspicions are that the Ukrainian passenger aircraft was downed by a Russian-made Tor-M1 missile. The Tor is among the most modern air defence systems Iran has. After initially…

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Iran plane crash: Missile struck underneath cockpit – Ukraine

Ukraine's top security official, Oleksiy Danilov, has told the BBC that his country's investigators had already gathered evidence that a missile brought down a Ukrainian passenger jet, before Iran changed…

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US to expel a dozen Saudi trainees after base attack investigation

The United States will expel at least a dozen Saudi military students accused of extremist links and child pornography, after an investigation into a shooting rampage by a Saudi officer…

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Dubai and Abu Dhabi braced for more bad weather

Further rain fell across the UAE on Sunday morning following a wet weekend which saw flooding and thunderstorms. The rainfall is expected to continue in some parts throughout the day,…

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Canada outlines ‘first steps’ on long road to justice for UIA Flight PS752 victims

The Iranian government's admission that its own military forces shot down flight PS752 was "an important step," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Saturday, but it was also a "first step." There…

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Protesters in Tehran to condemn government ‘lies’ on downed jet

Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets in Iran's capital, Tehran, to vent anger at officials, calling them liars for having denied shooting down a Ukrainian passenger plane. Protests…

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Merkel meets Putin to align positions amidst geopolitical tension

German Chancellor Angela Merkel met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday for talks set to focus on flashpoints in the Middle East. Her visit — the first…

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Country leaders react to Iran’s admission of downing Ukrainian passenger jet

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is set to hold a telephone call with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on Saturday after Tehran said it had mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian passenger…

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Oman announces new ruler after death of longtime ruler Sultan Qaboos

Oman announced Saturday culture minister Haitham bin Tariq Al Said as the new ruler of the Gulf Arab country, ending speculation over the mystery of who would succeed longtime ruler…

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Iran admits its military shot down Ukrainian Boeing unintentionally

Iran announced Saturday that its military 'unintentionally' shot down a Ukrainian jetliner, killing all 176 aboard. The statement came Saturday morning and blamed 'human error'' for the shootdown. An Iranian military…

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Iran says investigation into airline crash could take one to two years

Iran said on Friday it wanted to download black box recordings itself from a Ukrainian airliner that crashed, killing all 176 people aboard, after Canada and others said the plane…

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France warns Iran could have nuclear weapon within one to two years

Iran could have nuclear weapons in one to two years if the country carries on violating the 2015 nuclear accord, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday. “If…

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European ministers meet to salvage Iran nuclear deal

European foreign ministers are expected to discuss the Iran crisis at an emergency meeting in Brussels on Friday after US President Donald Trump urged allies to “break away” from the…

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Photo Story: Canada’s grief

Scenes from the vigil that was held for those killed when Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 crashed in Iran on 08 January 2020; in Toronto, Canada. The Ukrainian jet, flying…

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Iran invites Boeing to probe Ukrainian plane crash

Iran has invited Boeing to take part in the investigation into a Ukrainian jetliner that crashed earlier this week at a time of soaring tensions between Washington and Tehran, killing…

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Satellite photos reveal extent of damage from Iranian strike on air base in Iraq

Satellite photos taken Wednesday show that an Iranian missile strike has caused extensive damage at the Ain al-Assad air base in Iraq, which hosts U.S. and coalition troops. The photos,…

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US lawmakers back limits to Trump’s war powers

The US House of Representatives on Thursday voted in favor of a resolution to curb President Donald Trump's ability to wage war against Iran. The vote was mostly split along…

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Video shows moment alleged missile strikes Ukrainian aircraft

A video appears to capture the moment a missile struck a Ukrainian passenger plane near Tehran before it crashed, killing all 173 people on board minutes after it took off. The…

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Anger in Canada as Iran offers only limited access to its crash probe

Iran's civil aviation authority has said it's following international rules and will allow other countries to participate in its investigation of a plane crash that killed 63 Canadians. But the role Canada…

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Trudeau – Ukrainian Boeing may have been unintentionally shot down by Iranian Anti-Aircraft missile

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday evidence indicates an Iranian missile downed a Ukrainian jetliner late Tuesday and that the strike “may have been unintentional.” Trudeau says Canadian and…

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