Middle East

Iran vows US ships barred from Gulf 'under any circumstances'

Iran's armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi said US military vessels would never be permitted to enter the Persian Gulf "under any circumstances," warning that President Donald Trump will "take that dream to his grave" as Washington threatens renewed strikes against the Islamic Republic possibly as soon as this weekend.

Fidan: Türkiye will continue resolving regional issues

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday that Ankara will maintain its central role in addressing security challenges affecting the Middle East and Europe, following a meeting of eight foreign ministers in Istanbul focused on regional ownership and diplomatic solutions.

Netanyahu warns end to US military aid ‘only matter of time’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Friday that Israel must prepare for the termination of US military assistance worth tens of billions of dollars, calling the prospect inevitable as relations with Washington shift amid growing opposition to the war in Gaza.

Pakistan ratifies Mecca defense pact with Türkiye, Saudi Arabia

Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan announced on Friday that Islamabad has completed ratification of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement with Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, adding that Riyadh has also finalized its procedures for the defensive pact aimed at strengthening regional security.

Iran intensifies plots to target US officials in Middle East: Report

US intelligence has found that Iran has sharply escalated efforts to target American officials in the Middle East and other regions, with lethal plots against diplomatic personnel reaching advanced stages, according to a newly disclosed memo that has prompted the reduction of embassy staff across the Gulf and Saudi Arabia.

Saudi coalition intercepts Houthi missile over Riyadh

The Saudi-led coalition announced on Friday that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by Yemen's Houthi group toward Riyadh, marking the latest in a series of escalating cross-border attacks targeting the kingdom's capital and critical infrastructure.

Netanyahu orders West Bank lockdown after attack wounds five Israelis

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a full lockdown of the occupied West Bank on Friday after suspected Palestinian militants wounded five Israelis in a checkpoint shootout near Hebron, with the incident coming just days before tightly contested national elections scheduled for Tuesday.

Netanyahu aides secretly cooperated with German CDU on Israel law

Close advisors to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly cooperated with Germany's Christian Democrats on a public relations campaign to promote a controversial bill criminalizing the denial of Israel's right to exist, according to a German media report citing leaked emails and WhatsApp messages.

Comedian Sammy Obeid says Japan held him 24 hours over visa

Comedian Sammy Obeid said Japanese authorities held him in solitary confinement for 24 hours after denying him entry over visa restrictions for stand-up shows in Tokyo.

Türkiye's Fidan meets British, Pakistani ministers in Istanbul

Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday held separate diplomatic engagements with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and Pakistani Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Istanbul, the Foreign Ministry announced on the NSosyal platform without providing specific details about the discussions.

Netanyahu fights for survival in Tuesday's Israeli elections

Israel's longest-serving prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting to retain power in Tuesday's elections as he faces a strong challenge from former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, seeking to overcome public anger over the October 2023 security failures and multiple ongoing legal challenges while touting his military record against regional foes.

Israeli forces wound Palestinian inside vehicle in occupied West Bank

The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed on Friday that a man sustained a live-fire wound to the chest after Israeli soldiers opened fire on his vehicle in Dura, south of Hebron, as occupation authorities imposed a full closure on the city following an earlier deadly shootout that left two Palestinians dead.

Fidan to host R4 and E3 foreign ministers in Istanbul Friday

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will convene top diplomats from the R4 and E3 mechanisms in a combined format for the first time on Friday to discuss regional security, the Palestinian issue, and the Strait of Hormuz crisis, stressing Ankara's push for regional ownership of Middle East stability, according to Foreign Ministry sources.

Jordanian, Syrian FMs hold expanded talks in Aqaba

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani met in Aqaba on Thursday to discuss bilateral relations, regional developments and joint cooperation projects.

Gaza hospitals risk generator shutdown as oil runs out

Gaza's Health Ministry warned Thursday that hospital electricity generators are on the verge of permanent mechanical failure after stocks of operating oil were completely exhausted, saying that engineering teams are struggling to maintain power supplies to critical medical departments amid Israel's continued blockade of the enclave.

Opposition accuses Netanyahu of clinging to power at Israel’s expense

Yair Lapid and Gadi Eisenkot said Benjamin Netanyahu is prioritizing his political survival over national interests, accusing the prime minister of turning Israel’s security into a “farce” and criticizing Defense Minister Israel Katz for threatening to hold opposition figures responsible for future attacks ahead of Tuesday's elections.

Israel turned West Bank into 'prisons', 'battlefield': Barghouti

Mustafa Barghouti said Israeli forces have transformed the occupied West Bank into 'fragmented prisons' through a network of more than 1,300 military checkpoints, warning that ongoing occupier violence has turned the territory into a battlefield aimed at driving Palestinians from their land.

Istanbul to host ninth Mediation Conference

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will inaugurate the ninth Istanbul Mediation Conference on Oct. 23-24 with video messages from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, bringing together ministerial-level representatives from the OSCE, OIC and GCC to discuss partnerships for peace.

Death toll rises to 2 in attack on Saudi Arabia’s Dammam airport

Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority confirmed Thursday that an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam killed two people and injured eight others from multiple nationalities, as operations resumed amid ongoing regional tensions with Yemen's Houthi group.

Trump denies US negotiating with Iran, warns of action 'fairly soon'

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday ruled out ongoing negotiations with Tehran over the war in Iran, telling reporters that "something one way or the other" would happen "fairly soon" while suggesting any major military move would likely be delayed until after the November midterm elections, according to press pool reports.