Experts say Paris sees Iran as the only stable power in the Middle East strategically, but the relationship with Tehran is complex. In 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran from exile in France. Paris had hoped that Khomeini would bring democracy to Iran in 1979, but relations have soured. Still, French President Emmanuel Macron supports […]

Zarif addresses Israeli actions in the region, the US ‘obsession’ with Iran and EU efforts to save the nuclear deal. Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has accused Israel of “looking for war” and warned that its behaviour and that of the United States were increasing the chances of a clash in the Middle East. “The […]

President Erdogan in talks with Hassan Rouhani in Russia vows to strengthen trade ties with Iran. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that Ankara is “ready” to establish its own trade mechanism with Iran, allowing companies from the two neighbouring countries to continue doing “legitimate” business amid punishing US sanctions. Erdogan made the statement […]

Doha has significantly boosted defence spending after being diplomatically isolated by its Gulf neighbours in 2017. Qatar took delivery of the first of 36 Rafale multi-purpose fighter jets it ordered from French manufacturer Dassault. The hand-over ceremony on Wednesday in Merignac, in southwestern France, where the planes are built, was attended by Qatar Defence Minister […]

NATO nations view Turkey’s purchase of the Russian defence system with suspicion but Ankara is pressing ahead. Istanbul, Turkey – Amid an ongoing rift between the United States and Turkey over its decision to buy a sophisticated Russian air defence system, Ankara says it is determined to complete the $3.5bn acquisition and activate the S-400s […]

US reporter David Kirkpatrick held for seven hours without food or water before being sent back on a flight to London. Egyptian authorities denied entry to a veteran New York Times reporter without explanation, the latest move in the country’s crackdown on free speech and the media. David Kirkpatrick, a citizen of the United States, […]

Struggling Beirut businesses are hopeful that Saudi tourists will return after Riyadh lifted travel warning for Lebanon. Beirut, Lebanon – Tucked in a market square in downtown Beirut, the Paname Cafe caters to those with a taste for luxury. A large modern art sculpture sits in the centre of the square, with benches around the […]

Officials say at least four people killed in cross-border firing between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control. Four people, including two children, have been killed and seven others wounded in an exchange of fire between Indian and Pakistani troops in Pakistan-administered Kashmir’s district of Kotli, officials said. “So far, four people have been […]

A look at the events, reactions and expectations as nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours come to the brink of war. India and Pakistan have carried out air raids inside each other’s countries for the first time since the 1971 war, raising fears of a major military escalation between the two nuclear-armed nations. Pakistan claimed it carried […]

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner said Washington wants Israel to wait until after its March 2 election before making any moves toward settlement annexation in the West Bank following the announcement of a US peace plan. Mr Kushner, an architect of the peace proposal hailed by Israel and rejected by the Palestinians, raised the […]