Middle East Experience

In a sudden escalation of anti-Western paranoia, Iran’s supreme leader on Friday banned the import of American, British and French-produced vaccines against COVID-19, saying they were “completely untrustworthy.”..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Khamenei bans US, British and French vaccines despite pandemic’s toll on Iran

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri Friday dismissed claims made by President Michel Aoun on the role of the Constitutional Court in Lebanon, reaffirming that only the Parliament has the power to interpret the Constitution..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Aoun, Berri disagree on role of Constitutional Court

Candidates to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warn that like his close ally the outgoing US president, he's capable of the kind of incitement that led to riots in the US capital.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Netanyahu's rivals liken him to Trump as world reels from Capitol riots

The antiquities that litter the ruins of Gaza are increasingly being trafficked, with the government unable to keep up.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Gaza unable to crack down on antiquities smuggling

Actor shares photo on social media after receiving the vaccine..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Bollywood actor Shilpa Shirodkar gets Covid jab in Dubai

Iran has announced it built a new subterranean missile base as tension between Washington and Tehran escalates.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Tehran reveals underground missile base near Persian Gulf

Footage later released by the police showed one individual threatening to kill a police officer who was trying to enter the synagogue.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Police officers assaulted while dispersing Beitar Illit synagogue - watch

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he had "no confidence" in the American or British-made vaccinations.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Iran's supreme leader bans vaccines made in US, UK

Iran has the capability to enrich uranium from 40 percent to 60 percent, the semi-official Fars News Agency quoted the spokesman for the Atomic Energy Agency of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi as saying on Tuesday.“Yesterday we started 20 percent enrichment at Fordow [nuclear facility] after 6 years,” Kamalvandi said on Tuesday, adding, “We have the capacity in the nuclear industry to produce at higher levels even 40- 60 percent.”For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“Currently, we have 4 tons of substance with 3.5 and 4 percent enrichment and, according to the forecast based on the parliament’s ratification, we will increase our capacity almost to 500 tons per month,” Behrouz told Fars.“This means 6 tons annually and we can say that within a year we will have nearly 10 tons of uranium equal to the capacity prior to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action,” he added.The Iranian government on Monday announced that it had resumed 20 percent uranium enrichment at its underground Fordow nuclear facility.The level of purity – 40 percent lower than what the AEOI spokesman said the facility is capable of – violates Tehran’s 2015 nuclear pact with six major powers.Monday’s announcement is Iran’s latest violation in a series of breaches to the nuclear deal.Tehran had started violating the pact in 2019 following the US’ withdrawal from the agreement and the reimposition of sanctions on Iran.(With Reuters)Read more:Iran says it has resumed 20 percent uranium enrichment at Fordow site: MehrCountries where Iran's oil and gas revenues are blockedUS collects $7 million in Iranian assets for victims of terrorism fund: Justice Dept.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Iran is capable of increasing uranium enrichment to 60 pct: Spokesman

South Korea’s foreign ministry said it was reviewing whether the ship seized by Iran violated international law by polluting the waters, as claimed by Tehran, but also whether Iran violated it during the boarding and seizure process.Seoul’s foreign ministry had called in the Iranian ambassador on Tuesday to call for early release of the tanker and its crew of 20. Iran had said the ship was held over environmental violations.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.A South Korean delegation headed to Iran on Wednesday to seek the release of a chemicals tanker and its 20-member crew seized in Gulf waters by Iranian forces, Yonhap news agency reported.South Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun is scheduled to visit Tehran on Sunday, a visit that was previously scheduled and during which a range of bilateral issues will be discussed, the ministry said on Tuesday.Iran denied on Tuesday it was using the ship and its crew as hostages, a day after it seized the tanker near the Strait of Hormuz while pressing a demand for Seoul to release $7 billion in funds frozen under US sanctions.The seizure of the MT Hankuk Chemi has been seen as an attempt by Tehran to assert its demands, just two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office in the United States.Iran wants Biden to lift sanctions that were imposed by outgoing President Donald Trump.In response to the seizure, meanwhile, Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism warned Japanese shippers to use extra caution in operations in the area, an official at the ministry’s maritime bureau said.Read more:Iran denies seized South Korean ship and crew being used as hostagesIran seizes South Korean tanker in Arabian Gulf, arrests crewSouth Korea making diplomatic efforts to secure tanker seized by Iran: Reports
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: South Korea delegation heads to Iran to seek release of seized tanker