live Ceasefire strains as Israel intensifies attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon killing hundreds - Thursday 9 April
Iran suggested it would be "unreasonable" to proceed with talks to forge a permanent peace d...
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein has proposed a "6+2" format meeting bringing together Iran, Iraq, and the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states to address regional developments on the side lines of the United Nations General Assembly.
The proposal to hold a meeting in the (6+2) format was put forward during Hussein’s meeting with Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, on Monday.
According to a statement from the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two parties emphasized the importance of establishing joint regional security mechanisms and discussed the UN Secretary-General’s initiative on regional security.
Iranian and Iraqi senior officials discussed regional and security developments, including the situation in Gaza, highlighting "the threat posed by the Zionist entity’s occupation of the Strip and its efforts to forcibly displace residents to Egyptian territory."
They also addressed ongoing developments in Syria and their implications for regional stability.
In addition, the two sides discussed bilateral relations, including the Shalamcheh-Basra railway project and the challenges hindering its completion—such as mine removal and other logistical obstacles. It was agreed that relevant authorities from both countries would follow-up to find practical solutions.
The statement also noted that the idea of extending a strategic railway line from Iran’s Khosravi area to Khanaqin and Baghdad was discussed. Both parties emphasized the importance of initiating studies on the project, highlighting its potential to strengthen economic ties, boost religious tourism, and possibly connect to the Development Road project in the future.
During Ali Larijani’s visit to Baghdad, Iran and Iraq signed a security agreement, which he described as a model for regional security cooperation—one that could potentially be expanded to include other countries in the region.
The Iran's top security official stressed that the deal aims to safeguard mutual security by fostering closer coordination between Iran and Iraq.
Ali Larijani will continue his first regional trip by visiting Lebanon.
China and Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Tuesday aimed at coordinating defensive efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving no agreed international framework for securing the vital route.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had stopped firing on northern Israel and Israeli forces on Wednesday as part of a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East brokered between the United States and Iran. However, a Hezbollah lawmaker warned that the pause could collapse if Tel Aviv does not adhere to it.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate two-week ceasefire covering all areas, but Israel says the deal excludes Lebanon. Tel Aviv says the U.S. is committed to achieving shared goals in upcoming negotiations.
Recent U.S. complaints about NATO allies and threats to quit the alliance are pushing European countries to seek alternative security arrangements, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Tuesday.
Construction has begun on a major new solar power project in Xizang, as China continues to expand its renewable energy capacity and push towards a greener future.
Israel launched its heaviest strikes on Lebanon since hostilities escalated last month, killing over 100 people, even as Hezbollah halted attacks under a disputed U.S.-Iran ceasefire.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said Türkiye aims to rank among the world’s top ten exporters of defence technology within the next two years.
As global attention centres on the conflict between Iran and the U.S., violence in Lebanon is intensifying, with Israeli strikes hitting residential areas, causing mounting civilian casualties and deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis.
Uzbekistan and the U.S. are preparing to launch a joint investment platform by the end of the year, alongside the creation of a new bilateral business council aimed at strengthening economic cooperation.
More than 94,000 people have been displaced in Afghanistan since late February due to cross-border fighting, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said, while nearly 100,000 in Nuristan remain cut off from aid due to insecurity.
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