Mena Today

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan ordered officials on Sunday to resume talks on reopening an Orthodox Christian seminary near Istanbul, an issue raised by U.S. President Donald Trump, who is expected to visit Ankara next month for a NATO summit.

Israeli soldiers are free to act without restriction to eliminate threats in Lebanon, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday, adding troops remained in position in what Israel refers to as a security zone.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to restart war with Iran even as Vice President JD Vance met Iranian officials for the first talks under an interim peace deal, overshadowed by Tehran's announcement it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz.

President Donald Trump on Sunday posted that the U.S. will resume attacks on Iran unless the Iranians can keep their Hezbollah allies in Lebanon from causing violence. 

Peace talks led by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf were set to begin on Sunday morning at a Swiss mountaintop resort as both nations seek a durable end to their war while disagreeing over Iran's claim that it had closed the vital Strait of Hormuz.  

Islamic State claimed responsibility on Saturday for an attack near the city of Manbij in Syria's northeastern Aleppo province that the Syrian Defence Ministry said killed two soldiers.

A high-level Iranian team departed for Switzerland on Saturday for talks with the United States, Iranian state media reported, while U.S. Vice President JD Vance indicated he would set off soon for meetings that Pakistan said will begin on Sunday.

There are mistakes, and then there are betrayals dressed up as diplomacy. Donald Trump's memorandum of understanding with Iran - one that folds Lebanon into a ceasefire framework between Israel and Hezbollah - belongs firmly in the second category.

The wife of Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez must stand trial on corruption charges and has been banned from leaving the country, a judge ruled on Saturday.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Saturday he expects to go to Switzerland soon for talks with Iran, even as Tehran's high command was reported as saying it would shut the Strait of Hormuz due to what it called U.S. and Israeli truce violations.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is planning a trip to the Middle East next week and is expected to visit Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain, Axios reported on Friday, citing two sources.

President Donald Trump on Friday got a look at his upgraded Boeing 747, a plane gifted by Qatar, at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland as the aircraft neared delivery to join the Air Force One fleet.