Merz heads to China to boost dialogue on global challenges
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is heading to Beijing on for his first official visit as chancellor, aiming to strengthen political and economic dial...
Iran has summoned the ambassador of Republic of Cyprus Petros Nacouzis over remarks made by his country regarding Iran’s territorial integrity.
This comes as Cypriot officials issued a joint statement with the United Arab Emirates regarding the disputed Persian Gulf islands.
The joint statement repeated UAE’s claim on three Iranian islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb in the Persian Gulf.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Director General of Persian Gulf Mohammad Alibek protested to the “interventionist remarks” concerning Iran’s territorial integrity.
“He emphasised the three islands are inseparable parts of Iranian territory, and Tehran’s historical, undisputed, and effective sovereignty over the islands is beyond question,” read the statement issued on Tuesday.
Alibek also conveyed Iran’s protest via a note of objection which was delivered to Nacouzis during the meeting.
The three islands were under British colonial rule since 1921, but one day after London’s forces left the region and days before the UAE became independent and established on December 2, 1971, Iran’s sovereignty over the islands was restored.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei had earlier in the week rejected claims on the three islands made in a joint China–UAE statement as “false and unfounded”.
The statement had been issued at the conclusion of the Chinese foreign minister’s visit to Abu Dhabi.
“Any territorial claim over the Iranian islands is in clear violation of the principle of respect for the territorial integrity of states and the norms of good neighbourliness,” he said.
Baghaei expressed regret over UAE's insistence on exploiting the visit of any diplomatic delegation by trying to raise territorial claims against Iran.
Tehran has categorically rejected Abu Dhabi’s proposal to take its claim to the arbitration of Internation Court of Justice arguing that it will not discuss its sovereign rights.
Earlier this month, Iran also slammed the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)’s decision to support the UAE’s claim over Iranian islands as well as Kuwait’s claim over Arash (also known as Al-Durrah) offshore natural gas field in the Persian Gulf.
Following the GCC summit in Bahrain, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy launched a two-day military exercise in the Persian Gulf, Oman Sea and the Strait of Hormuz which is strategic waterway for transit of oil and gas.
Further Iran-U.S. nuclear talks are scheduled in Geneva on Thursday (26 February) as diplomacy resumes over Tehran’s nuclear programme following earlier mediation efforts. But will the talks move Iran-U.S. negotiations closer to a deal, and what should be expected from the meeting?
The European Parliament’s trade chief has urged a temporary suspension of the EU–U.S. trade agreement approval, citing “tariff chaos” following President Donald Trump’s new 15% tariffs and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling invalidating his previous global tariff programme.
Syria has secured a $50 million financing package from the World Bank to support transport infrastructure projects as the country advances its economic recovery efforts, Syrian media reported on Sunday.
Iran has signed a secret €500 million arms deal with Russia to rebuild air defences, weakened during last year’s war with Israel, the Financial Times has reported. The agreement, signed in December in Moscow, will see Russia deliver 500 Verba launch units and 2,500 9M336 missiles over three years.
A British national was among at least 19 people killed when a passenger bus plunged off a mountain highway into the Trishuli river in Nepal before dawn on Monday (23 February), authorities said. A New Zealander and a Chinese national were among those injured.
Iran is prepared to take any necessary steps to secure a deal with the United States, Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said on Tuesday (24 February), as the two countries prepare for a fresh round of negotiations in Geneva.
Expanding cross-border commerce and strengthening regional trade corridors topped the agenda in Baku on Tuesday (24 February), as senior lawmakers from Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia met to discuss deeper economic integration across the South Caucasus.
The European Union has formally declared that Russia must withdraw its troops from occupied territories - including those inside Georgia - as part of the conditions for achieving lasting peace in Europe.
The Taliban in Kabul has rejected Russian claims that more than 23,000 militants from around 20 international terror groups are currently operating within Afghanistan.
Kazakhstan says it has allocated $2.2 million to strengthen scientific monitoring of the Caspian Sea amid growing concern over falling water levels, biodiversity loss and rising industrial pressure on the world’s largest inland body of water.
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