Category: Middle East
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Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran will rebuild its damaged nuclear facilities “with greater strength”, following US strikes earlier this year. He reiterated that Iran does not seek nuclear weapons. Speaking during a visit to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Pezeshkian said the facilities targeted in June would be restored and strengthened. “Destroying buildings…
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Iraq will hold parliamentary elections on 11 November, but despite years of relative stability and infrastructure growth, voter enthusiasm remains low. • Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, in power since 2022, is credited for improved public services and investment. Yet analysts warn elections remain dominated by political elites rather than voter choice. • Gallup data…
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Iraq and Türkiye have signed a new accord that will see water infrastructure projects in Iraq financed through revenue from Iraqi oil sales to Türkiye, officials confirmed on Sunday (Nov. 2). • The deal implements a 2024 water cooperation framework signed during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Baghdad. • A joint committee will manage…
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Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has instructed the Lebanese Armed Forces to confront any Israeli incursions into southern Lebanon after an overnight cross-border raid killed a municipal employee in Blida, despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. The order marks the first direct engagement directive by Aoun since taking office in January, as tensions rise over alleged Israeli ceasefire…
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed the military to launch “powerful” strikes on Gaza, following renewed tensions with Hamas over the handling of a hostage handover. Israel’s government said a coffin delivered by Hamas on Monday (Oct. 27) did not contain the body of a deceased hostage, calling it a “clear violation” of the…
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The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has announced the withdrawal of its fighters from Türkiye to northern Iraq, marking a major step in the ongoing peace process with Ankara. The group formally ended its 40-year armed campaign in May, which claimed around 50,000 lives. In a statement read in the Qandil Mountains, the PKK confirmed that…
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Iran is fast-tracking solar power projects to ease nationwide electricity shortages worsened by ageing infrastructure and US sanctions. Despite holding vast oil and gas reserves, the country has faced rolling blackouts and fuel shortages in recent years. Deputy Energy Minister Mohsen Tarztalab described renewable energy as a “strategic necessity,” emphasising its role in achieving energy…
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Israel’s parliament has given preliminary approval to a bill extending Israeli law to the occupied West Bank — a move widely viewed as de facto annexation of land sought by Palestinians for a future state. The vote, held as U.S. Vice President JD Vance visited Israel, passed narrowly by 25–24. A separate bill proposing annexation…
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Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, has urged the complete implementation of the Iran–Iraq security agreement signed in 2023, emphasising stronger cooperation in defence, politics, and economics to bolster regional stability. The statement follows renewed regional tensions and what Tehran describes as continued US and Israeli provocations. Iran considers its…
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US Vice President JD Vance met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem as the United States works to maintain the fragile ceasefire in Gaza. The visit came amid growing debate in Israel over Washington’s influence on its military decisions. The meeting follows a series of high-level US visits, including Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff,…
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