TEHRAN, Iran — Iran has appointed veteran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohsen Rezaei as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, placing a prominent hardliner and close ally of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei in a key position overseeing the country’s security and foreign-policy coordination.
टैग: Middle East
Houthis Target Saudi Refinery Days After New Defence Pact
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement said it attacked Saudi Aramco’s Jazan refinery with a drone on Sunday, August 9, two days after Saudi Arabia signed a defence pact with Turkey and Pakistan amid heightened regional tensions linked to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Netanyahu Rejects Gaza Withdrawal Before Hamas Disarms as Trump Plan Faces New Hurdle
JERUSALEM/CAIRO — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel will not withdraw its forces from Gaza until Hamas gives up its weapons, rejecting key elements of U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest 15-point plan even as Israeli military operations in the territory have been scaled back under U.S. pressure.
Iran Says Hormuz Deal Is Near, But US Must Meet Key Conditions
DUBAI/WASHINGTON/CAIRO — Iran said on Sunday that an agreement with Oman to establish new shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz had reached its “final stages”, but stressed that the strategically important waterway would not reopen until the United States met additional conditions set by Tehran.
Israel Accused of Using Archaeology to Seize West Bank Land
SEBASTIA, Occupied West Bank — Palestinian residents of Sebastia say Israeli plans to expand and develop an archaeological site threaten their land, livelihoods and access to a historic area surrounding the ancient ruins. The dispute has intensified after UNESCO added Sebastia to its World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger, citing planned land expropriation and the proposed creation of a new national park.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Sign Mutual Defence Pact
MECCA, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a joint defence agreement in Mecca on August 7, 2026, committing to treat an armed attack on any one of the three countries as an attack on all. The pact comes as escalating conflict across the Middle East has increased security concerns for Gulf states and raised questions over the reliability of existing regional security arrangements.