Iran warns Trump against ‘threats and unreasonable expectations’ after agreeing to US talks
Iran’s president says he has instructed the country’s foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations” with the United States
middle east
Syrian rapper Al Darwish returns home to perform for first time in 13 years
‘Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could ever return to Syria,’ says the musician who fled his country in 2012
Syria security forces enter strategic al-Hassakeh as part of deal with Kurdish-led SDF
Forces reporting to Syria’s interior ministry on Monday entered the strategic city of al-Hassakeh in the northeast as part of an agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Under the deal, the security forces were given permission t…
Oscar-nominated screenwriter arrested in Iran for criticising brutal crackdown on protesters
Mehdi Mahmoudian signed a letter condemning the ‘mass killings’ by the Iranian government
Israel reopens Rafah crossing as more than 20,000 await treatment in Gaza
Over 20,000 injured and wounded Palestinians are awaiting medical treatment as Israel permits 50 out at a time
Iranian protester Erfan Soltani reportedly released on bail after execution threat
Soltani was most recently being held at the notorious Ghezel Hesar prison
Iraq starts investigations into IS group detainees moved from Syrian camps
Iraq has begun to launch investigations into more than 1,300 suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) group that have been transferred from Syrian detention camps. Some 7,000 suspects were moved from Syria to Iraq after the Syrian army seized terri…
Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt reopens for limited number of Palestinians
Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt has reopened to a limited amount of foot traffic, an Israeli security official said Monday. An Egyptian official said that 50 Palestinians would cross in each direction on the first day of the crossing’s reopeni…
Syrian Kurdish forces announce curfew in northeast cities ahead of deal with Damascus
Syrian Kurdish security forces announced a curfew in two northeastern cities starting early next week, ahead of implementing a deal with Damascus to integrate Kurdish military and civilian institutions into the state. Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi said …
Iran declares European armies ‘terrorist groups’ in retaliation for IRGC designation
Iran on Sunday designated the armies of European countries as “terrorist groups” following the EU decision last week to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the bloc’s list of terrorist organisations. The announcement came as the US an…