Gulf

Alert level increased in Italian jails after recent developments in Persian Gulf

The level of alert for terrorist risks has been raised in the Italian jail system after the US killing of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, sources said Wednesday. Penitentiary administration…

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Photo Story: Dakar Rally 2020 stage 4

Russian driver Dmitry Sotnikov, co-driver Ruslan Akhmadeev and Mechanic Ilgiz Akhmetzianov (Kamaz-Master) in action during stage four of the Rally Dakar 2020 between Neom and Al Ula in Saudi Arabia,…

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U.S. and Iran both appear to signal desire to avoid further conflict

President Donald Trump on Wednesday tempered days of angry rhetoric and suggested Iran was “standing down” after it fired missiles at U.S. forces in Iraq overnight, as both sides looked…

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Canada in mourning as most of Ukrainian air crash victims were heading there

Canada's prime minister has vowed his government will get answers after a passenger jet crashed in Iran, killing 176 people on board including 63 Canadians. Justin Trudeau revealed 138 passengers…

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Small rockets land near Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone

The US-led coalition to fight ISIS confirmed small rockets landed near the the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad on Wednesday afternoon without causing any damage to coalition troops or…

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Trump confirms no US troops were killed in Iran strikes, stating that Iran is standing down

President Trump backed away from further military confrontation with Iran on Wednesday after a barrage of missiles fired at American troops killed no one and Tehran indicated that would be…

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Fears Mount Over Fate of 15 Britons and Americans Detained in Iran

Fears are mounting about the plight of more than a dozen Britons and Americans imprisoned in Iran. The U.S. and British governments accuse Tehran of holding them as "bargaining chips."…

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US sends B-52 bombers to British territory of Diego Garcia

The US deployed six long-range B-52 bombers to the British overseas territory of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean base as part of its preparations for possible conflict with…

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Names of passengers, crew on board Ukrainian plane that crashed in Iran released

Among the 176 people on board of the Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 that crashed shortly after taking off from the Tehran airport on Jan. 8, were 11 Ukrainian citizens,…

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Terror attack, missile hit versions ruled out in Ukrainian air crash

Ukraine's Embassy in Iran has commented on the versions of the Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 crash near Tehran airport, saying a terror attack and a missile hit have so…

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Von der Leyen issued an appeal for the U.S. and Iran for end to Middle East violence

"The use of weapons must stop now to give space for dialogue," the European Commission president said in a brief statement following a special meeting of her College of Commissioners…

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Major international airlines suspend flights through Iranian / Iraqi airspace, UIA issues emergency telephone numbers

Singapore Airlines, Air Canada, British Airways, Vietnam Airlines, Qantas, Air France and KLM flights won’t go through Iranian / Iraqi airspace until further notice. “As a precautionary measure and following…

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Iran civil aviation says will not give black box to Boeing

The Jerusalem Post is reporting that Iran's civil aviation organization has said that it will not hand over to Boeing the black box of the Ukrainian airlines flight that crashed…

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Netanyahu warns Israel will strike back hard if attacked

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that his country would strike back hard against anyone who attacked it, as he reiterated his support for the US killing of Iranian…

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Nationalities of those on board Ukrainian airline released

Ukraine’s foreign minister, Vadym Prystaiko, said in a statement that those on board the plane included 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans and three…

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Magnitude 4.9 earthquake hits Iran

A handout intensity map made available by the United States Geological Survey shows the location of a magnitude 4,9 earthquake which hit at a depth of 10km, near the city…

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Iran’s supreme leader Khamenei warns “Iran’s is peaceful, but willing to deal with bullies of world”

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, spoke Wednesday morning following the Iranian missile attack on Iraqi military bases in which US forces are located. The attack comes in response to…

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No Polish troops in Iraq hurt in Iranian missile attacks

No Polish troops stationed in Iraq were hurt in Iranian missile attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq, Poland's Defence Minister said on Wednesday. "None of the Polish soldiers in Iraq…

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Hezbollah threatens to attack Israel if US responds to Iran attack

Hezbollah will attack Israel if the United States responds to missile attacks carried out by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday night, according to the Iranian Tasnim news…

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Photo Story: First photos from scene of Ukraine International Airlines plane crashes near Tehran

Photos of the wreckage after an Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 carrying 176 people crashed near Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran, killing everyone on board; in Shahriar, Iran, 08 January…

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British forces in ‘on standby’ in Middle East

Britain's defense secretary says urgent measures are being taken to protect British interests in the Middle East, as tensions rise between the U.S. and Iran. Ben Wallace said that the…

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Ukrainian president says all dead on board airliner that crashed in Iran, reports that black box has been recovered

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that all passengers and crew on board a Ukrainian airliner that crashed in Iran have been killed, citing preliminary information. In a…

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Iran claims 80 ‘American terrorists’ killed in missile strikes

Iranian state television said on Wednesday that at least 80 "American terrorists" were killed in attacks involving 15 missiles Tehran launched on U.S. targets in Iraq, adding that none of…

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Philippines orders citizens in Iraq to leave

The Philippines has ordered its citizens to leave Iraq, the Philippine foreign ministry said on Wednesday, after Iran attacked U.S. forces there in response to a U.S. strike that killed…

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Pentagon statement on Iranian Ballistic Missile Attacks in Iraq

Statement from Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Jonathan Hoffman: "At approximately 5:30 p.m. (EST) on January 7, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against…

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FAA issues emergency restrictions after Iranian missile attack

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it was closely monitoring events in the Middle East and coordinating with U.S. airlines and foreign authorities about aviation safety after Iran launched…

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President Donald Trump says “All is well!” after Iranian missile attack

President Donald Trump said "All is well!" after more than a dozen Iranian missiles were fired at two bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq. Trump tweets that casualty and damage…

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Oil prices jump after Iraq missile attacks

Oil prices have jumped after at least two airbases hosting US troops in Iraq were hit by ballistic missiles. There was also another tragic development hours after a Ukrainian Boeing…

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Iran launches missile attack on US bases in Iraq

Iran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles from Iranian territory against at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S.-led coalition personnel at about 1.30 a.m. local time, the U.S.…

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56 killed and 200 injured in stampede erupting at Iranian general funeral procession (UPDATED)

Iranian state TV says at least 56 people have been killed and more than 200 injured in a stampede at the funeral procession for General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed…

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NATO Secretary General distances himself from Trump

Nato's secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said it was imperative Iran did not require a nuclear weapon, in a reaction to Iran's statement that it would pull out of a nuclear…

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US Defense Secretary denies reports of US withdrawing from Iraq

The United States Defense Secretary Mark Esper, said that the US no plans to pull its troops out of Iraq, following reports of a leaked American military letter informing Iraqi…

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Merkel and Putin to discuss US – Iran crisis on January 11th

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will travel to Russia on Jan. 11 for talks with President Vladimir Putin on the crisis triggered by the killing of top Iranian military commander Qassem…

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How European leaders reacted to Trump’s decision to kill an Iran general

EU foreign ministers will hold an extraordinary meeting in Brussels on Friday to discuss the situation in the Middle East after earlier this week, the world woke up to the…

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Pentagon Rules Out Striking Iranian Cultural Sites

US Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper sought to douse an international outcry on Monday by ruling out military attacks on cultural sites in Iran if the conflict with Tehran escalates…

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NATO to meet over Iran crisis amid ‘menacing escalation’

NATO ambassadors will meet in Brussels on Monday amid ongoing Middle East tensions, three days after the US killing of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani. "The North Atlantic Council will…

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Huge crowds pack Tehran for Soleimani’s funeral

Mourners packed the streets of the Iranian capital Tehran for the funeral of the slain Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani. Soleimani was assassinated in a US drone strike in Iraq…

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Germany seeks crisis meeting of EU foreign ministers

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called on Sunday for a crisis meeting of his European Union counterparts this week to discuss escalating tension in the Middle East following the killing…

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Joint statement from President Macron, Chancellor Merkel and Prime Minister Johnson on the situation in Iraq and the surrounding region

A statement from the heads of state and government of France, Germany and the United Kingdom on the recent development in Iraq and the region. "We have condemned the…

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Democrats to introduce resolution to limit Trump’s military actions on Iran

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House will introduce and vote on a war powers resolution this week to limit U.S. President Donald Trump’s military actions regarding Iran. “This…

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Netanyahu, in apparent stumble, calls Israel ‘nuclear power’

In an apparent slip of the tongue on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Israel as a nuclear power before correcting himself with a bashful nod and an embarrassed smile.…

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Soleimani’s daughter warns: US, Israel face ‘dark day’ for his death

The daughter of the slain commander of Iran's Quds Force told a huge crowd on Monday at his funeral ceremony in Tehran that the United States and its ally Israel…

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Trump warns Iraq of sanctions ‘like they’ve never seen before’

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened sanctions against Iraq and said that if U.S. troops were required to leave the country, Iraq's government would have to pay Washington for the cost…

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Iran warns response to US attack will be military

The military adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader said Sunday in an exclusive interview with CNN that Tehran's response to the killing by the United States of its most most…

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Iraqi parliament votes to expel US troops

The Iraqi parliament has voted to remove US troops from Iraq. In an extraordinary session, lawmakers backed a resolution to ask the government to end an agreement with Washington to station 5,200…

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Iran will no longer abide by limits imposed by nuclear deal

Iran has announced that it will no longer abide by any of the limits imposed by the unravelling 2015 nuclear deal, and Iraq’s parliament urged its leaders to expel troops…

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Italian politicians request government to clarify whether US drone which killed Iranian general departed from Sicily’s base in Sigonella

Questions about the use of Sigonella base for the operation which killed the Iranian general in Iraq became more pertinent as concerns were raised following the government's silence on the…

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