Middle East & North Africa

ISTANBUL, Apr 21 (NNN-TRT) – Turkish and Egyptian foreign ministers, emphasised that, the military confrontation and crises in the Middle East could potentially widen to a larger area, underscoring the necessity for urgent action.

Hakan Fidan and Sameh Shoukry met in Istanbul yesterday, to discuss current regional challenges and bilateral relations.

TEHRAN, Apr 21 (NNN-IRNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, yesterday, discussed Tehran’s recent retaliatory military operation against Israel.

In a phone call, the two sides also discussed bilateral ties and the latest developments in West Asia, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

ISTANBUL, Apr 21 (NNN-TRT) – Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, met yesterday, with Head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, in Türkiye’s largest city, Istanbul.

The meeting, which commenced at 2:30 p.m. local time (1130 GMT), was held behind closed doors at the Dolmabahce presidential working office, as reported by NTV broadcaster.

Both leaders were anticipated to discuss the ongoing Israeli attacks and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, as well as, ceasefire efforts, NTV added.

RAMALLAH, Apr 21 (NNN-WAFA) – Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, said that, the Palestinian Authority will reconsider bilateral relations with the United States “in light of its unyielding support for Israel.”

He made the remarks in an interview, after the U.S. vetoed a draft United Nations resolution advocating for full membership for Palestine in the organisation.

DAMASCUS, April 19 (Xinhua) -- In the early hours of Friday, the Israeli military launched a series of airstrikes targeting Syrian air defense sites in the southern region, the Syrian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The airstrikes started at approximately 2:55 a.m. local time on Friday (2355 GMT Thursday) from northern Israel and aimed at air defense installations in southern Syria, it said.

The strikes caused material losses, but no casualties were reported, it added.

ANKARA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye on Friday expressed its concern that tensions between Iran and Israel could turn into a wider conflict, calling on both countries to refrain from any steps that could escalate the conflict after an alleged Israeli attack against Iranian targets.

"In light of the latest developments, it is becoming increasingly evident that the tensions that were initially caused by Israel's illegal attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus risk turning into a permanent conflict," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Tehran, IRNA - Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Emirati counterpart have stressed the need to put an end to the crimes being committed by the Zionist regime against the people in the besieged Gaza Strip.

During a phone conversation late on Thursday, Amirabdollahian and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates called for expediting humanitarian aid delivery into Gaza.

MOSCOW, April 19. /TASS/. Iran suspended flights above some of its cities, such as Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran, the IRNA news agency reported.

Besides, air defense systems were activated in Isfahan, Reuters said citing an Iranian source. Presumably, the systems reacted to a drone.

IRNA said air defenses were in action in several Iranian provinces.

LONDON, April 19. /TASS/. Tehran does not plan to immediately retaliate amid reports of an attack on Iranian soil, Reuters reported, citing an unidentified senior Iranian official.

"The foreign source of the incident has not been confirmed. We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack," the news agency quoted him as saying.