Region

Saudi Arabia, Syria sign four pacts on roads, rail, postal services, aviation

Saudi Arabia and Syria have signed four agreements covering roads, railways, postal services and aviation, the Saudi transport minister told Al Arabiya on Thursday, in a move aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries in the transport and logistics sectors. The minister said the visit also included participation from Saudi Arabia’s private sector, which has extensive expertise in the…

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220,000 Syrian Refugees Voluntarily Return from Jordan to Syria

Altaj News – The number of Syrian refugees who have voluntarily returned from Jordan to Syria between December 8, 2024, and August 24, 2026, has reached around 220,000 refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UNHCR spokesperson Youssef Taha said. Taha said that around 45,000 Syrian refugees have returned to Syria since the beginning of this…

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‘Point of no return’ if Israel-Hamas truce fails: US envoy to Gaza Board

The high representative for Gaza in US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace warned Wednesday of a “point of no return” if the Israel-Hamas ceasefire breaks down. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing a tough re-election fight, earlier this month publicly rejected the latest part of a US plan aimed at ending the devastating Gaza war. A resumption of fighting…

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Iran and Oman still working on Strait of Hormuz accord, says senior Iranian source

Iran and Oman are still working on the details of an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian source said on Wednesday, after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the two countries had agreed how to share the waterway and its revenues. An IRGC spokesperson, echoing Tehran’s official stance, also said the strait would not open unless the…

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Qatari PM to visit Tehran on Thursday

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani will visit Tehran on Thursday where he will meet a number of Iranian officials to discuss ways to de-escalate tensions, foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said on Wednesday on X.

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Iran says Persian-language media outlets abroad in ‘military target bank’

Iran’s armed forces said Wednesday that several Persian-language media outlets operating abroad were included in its “military target bank,” accusing them of working for US and Israeli intelligence agencies. In remarks published on state television, armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi named BBC Persian, Iran International and Radio Farda among the outlets. “These hostile media outlets are the soldiers of Zionism…

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West Bank settlers attack journalists

Israeli settlers in the West Bank on Tuesday attacked AFP journalists reporting on tension with Palestinians, in violence that left at least five people injured, the reporters and medics said. A three-person team from the international news agency had travelled to the village of Jannatah near Bethlehem to report on Israeli activists who conduct solidarity visits with Palestinians facing harassment…

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SDF chief Abdi announces dissolution of Kurdish-led group

Syrian Democratic Forces chief Mazloum Abdi on Tuesday announced the dissolution of the Kurdish-led group during a visit to Damascus. Abdi, speaking in a televised address after sitting down with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, announced the end of the SDF as an independent, armed group. “We announce today the end of the mission of the Syrian Democratic Forces and declare,…

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US Navy tells Trump that all mines in Strait of Hormuz have been removed

All Iranian mines have been removed in the Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, asserting that the American military was monitoring “every square inch” of the waterway. “I have just been informed by the United States Navy that all mines have been removed and/or detonated from within the International Waters of the Strait of Hormuz,” he…

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Israel defense minister vows to keep troops in Syria during visit

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz made a rare visit to troops in southern Syria on Tuesday, reiterating a pledge to keep forces in the area as long as there were “threats” to his country’s security. The visit comes a week after Israel bombed the disused Abu Duhur base in northwestern Syria, claiming it wanted to prevent Turkish troops deploying to…

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