Iran’s death toll from the coronavirus outbreak jumped to 1,284 on Thursday, a health ministry official told state TV, as the total number of infected people increased to 18,407 in the Islamic Republic, the worst-affected country in the Middle East. “With 149 new deaths in the past 24...

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will pardon 10,000 prisoners including political ones in honor of the Iranian new year on Friday, state TV reported. “Those who will be pardoned will not return to jail ... almost half of those security-related prisoners will be pardoned as...

Between plummeting oil prices, political deadlock and reduced global appetite for a bail-out, Iraq is on the cusp of financial calamity that could force austerity measures and renew anti-government protests. But officials appear remarkably optimistic, a view experts described as being "in...

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday lockdown orders would be issued unless people stepped up compliance with guidelines urging them to stay at home to help halt the spread of the coronavirus. “Yesterday we gave clear instructions ... asking people to stay at home as much as...

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday the coronavirus was hitting Turkey just as it was recovering from a 2018 lira crisis but that there would be big opportunities if it could bring the outbreak under control in the coming weeks. Turkey confirmed its first death related to the...

Iran said its novel coronavirus death toll surpassed 1,000 on Wednesday as President Hassan Rouhani defended the response of his administration, which has yet to impose a lockdown. The COVID-19 outbreak in sanctions-hit Iran is one of the deadliest outside China, where the disease...

Iraq's typically divided Shiite political parties lined up on Wednesday to signal their opposition to premier-designate Adnan al-Zurfi, less than 24 hours after his nomination. The 54-year-old lawmaker and former Najaf governor was nominated Tuesday to be Iraq's new prime minister, the...

Confirmed coronavirus cases in Israel have jumped by 40 percent to 427 in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday, predicting a steeper rise as mass-testing is implemented. Having urged Israelis to stay home and approved cyber-monitoring of their movements to reduce...

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday that Middle East states need to offer more information about coronavirus cases to help bolster the fight against the disease across the region. Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said the regional...

 President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday Iran has responded, and will respond, to America’s assassination of Major-General Qassem Soleimani, the Revolutionary Guards commander killed in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq in January. Rouhani was speaking following a Cabinet meeting that was...

"Dear world, how is the lockdown? Gaza." A sly dig at the international community, this is just one among a torrent of social media posts that has emerged from the blockaded Gaza Strip in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The sight of a world locking itself down seems to have...

Iran is considering releasing some Americans it has detained, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday, as he urged the Islamic Republic to free them as a humanitarian gesture because of the coronavirus pandemic. “We are aware that they are thinking about whether to release them...

Iran’s death toll from the new coronavirus has increased to 988, with 135 new deaths in the past 24 hours, a health ministry spokesman told state TV on Tuesday. “The death toll is 988 ... with 1,178 new infected people in the past 24 hours, now the total number of infected cases is 16,169...

Turkey has identified 93 suspects who have made “unfounded and provocative” postings on social media about the coronavirus outbreak and has detained 19 of them, the Turkish Interior Ministry said. The move came as Turkey closed cafes, entertainment and sports venues, suspended mass prayers...

The Israeli government began deploying cellphone-monitoring technology against the coronavirus on Tuesday, and issued directives urging people not to leave home. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet approved emergency regulations that will enable the Shin Bet internal security...

The Jordanian army said on Tuesday it will deploy at entrances and exits of main cities in the kingdom in a move officials said was ahead of an imminent announcement of a state of emergency to combat the spread of coronavirus. The country, which has already announced a tight lockdown after...

Iraqi president Barham Saleh named Adnan Zurfi, the former governor of the Shiite holy city of Najaf, as the new prime minister Tuesday, the second attempt to find a head of government in recent months. Zurfi, a 54-year-old lawmaker, has 30 days to form his cabinet which he must then put to...

Hard-line Shiite faithful in Iran pushed their way into the courtyards of two major shrines just closed over fears of the new coronavirus, Iranian state media reported Tuesday, as the Islamic Republic pressed on with its struggle to control the Mideast's worst outbreak. Roughly nine out of...

Iran has temporarily freed about 85,000 prisoners, including political prisoners, a spokesman for its judiciary said Tuesday, in response to the coronavirus epidemic. "Some 50 percent of those released are security-related prisoners ... Also in the jails we have taken precautionary measures...

Two rockets struck a training base south of Baghdad where U.S.-led coalition troops and NATO trainers are present, Iraq's military said Tuesday, the third such attack in the span of a week. The rockets hit the Basmaya base near the Iraqi capital on Monday evening, the army statement said....