Iran plans to start offering oil-backed securities to its citizens, President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday, as part of the government's efforts to boost state coffers hit by US sanctions and the coronavirus crisis. Iran's economy, further strained by low oil prices, has been suffering...

French President Emmanuel Macron Wednesday warned Iran against any interference in Lebanon after the gigantic blast last week that has prompted a political crisis in the country. In telephone talks with President Hassan Rouhani, Macron emphasized the "necessity for all the powers...

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, pledged help Wednesday to Lebanon following last week's devastating blast in Beirut port, the Russian foreign ministry said. The two men also agreed during a telephone conversation on the...

 Syrian President Bashar al Assad said Wednesday that sweeping new US sanctions amounted to a new stage of economic warfare against his government and were part of Washington's long- standing efforts to "choke" Syrians' living standards. In a statement, Assad also blamed the sanctions,...

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday urged Turkey to show "sense" in a naval showdown in the Eastern Mediterranean over energy exploration which he warned could lead to a military accident. Tensions were stoked Monday when Ankara dispatched the research ship Oruc Reis...

Jordan will close for a week its only land trade border crossing with Syria after a spike in COVID-19 cases coming from its northern neighbor, officials said Wednesday. They said the interior minister's decision to close the main Jaber border crossing would come into effect Thursday...

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani expressed "great hopes" Wednesday that a US bid to extend an arms embargo on his country will fail, warning of consequences if the UN Security Council backs it. Rouhani's remarks came after Iran's ambassador to the United Nations said the US would have to...

Flash floods triggered by torrential rains have killed at least 172 people across Yemen over the past month, damaging homes and UNESCO-listed world heritage sites, officials said. The destruction has dealt a new blow to a country already in the grips of what the United Nations describes as...

The United Arab Emirates Wednesday lifted entry restrictions that required foreign residents who are overseas to seek approval before returning to the Gulf state. The UAE in March suspended the entry of non-citizens as part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease. It...

The UN Security Council remains at odds over the way the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon operates on the ground, with the United States backing Israel’s demands for major changes. At a closed council meeting Tuesday on the mission known as UNIFIL, whose mandate is up for renewal...

The Turkish lira resumed its sharp fall Wednesday on investor worries of a full-blown currency crisis and as a firm dollar made it more vulnerable to a squeeze, while emerging market stocks fell on doubts over coronavirus aid in the United States. The lira weakened 1.7 percent to 7.32...

Iranian hard-liners in parliament Wednesday voted against President Hassan Rouhani's nominee for trade minister in the first showdown between the rival camps since the house resumed work in May despite the struggles to curb the spread of the coronavirus. According to the parliament's...

Iraq cancelled a ministerial visit and summoned Turkey's ambassador as it blamed Ankara for a drone strike that killed two high-ranking Iraqi officers Tuesday. Iraqi officials labelled the strike a "blatant Turkish drone attack" in the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq, where...

The Israeli military said Wednesday it carried out overnight strikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip after incendiary balloons were launched across the border from the Palestinian enclave. The army said the strikes were "retaliation" for the launching of multiple balloons from the...

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has said it is a "lie" that fires are ravaging the Amazon rainforest, despite data from his own government showing the number of blazes is rising. The far-right leader has faced international condemnation for presiding over huge fires and rising...

China has eased entry restrictions for nationals from 36 European countries, months after thousands were left stranded when the country closed its borders and slashed flights to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Almost all foreign nationals were forbidden from entering the country when...

Tanya can't be alone in a room. Carla, for days, thought a war was starting. Survivors of Beirut's August 4 blast are still in shock over a disaster that disfigured their city. The earth-shaking explosion killed 171 people and wounded more than 6,000, a sickening blow to a country already...

Yemen's President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi will leave Saudi Arabia and head to the United States for medical treatment early Wednesday, two sources close to the matter told Reuters Tuesday. The head of the country's internationally-recognized government, who has lived in exile in Riyadh since...

Twitter Inc Tuesday rolled out a moderation feature that would allow its users to limit how many people can reply to their tweets, giving account-holders more control over conversations on their page. All accounts, including those of elected officials, can now select the people who will be...

A team of United Nations experts arrived on the island nation of Mauritius on Tuesday to aid efforts to prevent an oil spill from further damaging its pristine environment. Salvage crews were in a race against the clock as they pumped fuel from the stricken Japanese-owned bulk carrier MV...