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TEHRAN, Mar. 19 (MNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Swedish counterpart held a telephone conversation with Maria Malmer Stenergard late on Wednesday to discuss bilateral ties, and issues of mutual interest.

US-Israeli war on Iran 'unjustified and unlawful', French ambassador tells MEE David Hearst on Wed, 03/18/2026 - 15:22 French ambassador to Oman says military operation bypassed UN Security Council, sparking 'disappointment and clear dismay' in Muscat Off France believes the US-Israeli war on Iran is unjustified and unlawful, the French ambassador to Oman has told Middle East Eye in an exclusive interview.  Nabil Hajlaoui was speaking during an episode of The David Hearst Podcast published on Tuesday. “This military operation is outside of international law and we cannot endorse it in any way,” Hajlaoui said. “We don't see any justification, any Security Council resolution, or any situation where it is required to move that quickly to this military operation.” The ambassador said that US-Israeli attacks, launched on 28 February, came at a critical moment when Oman-led talks between Washington and Tehran showed signs of progress. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); “We were briefed by our partners about these discussions, and we did have the impression that several elements were moving in the right direction,” he said.  Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Oman’s foreign minister, said three weeks ago that Iran had agreed during indirect talks with the United States to never stockpile enriched uranium. Busaidi said Iran would degrade its existing stockpiles of nuclear material to “the lowest level possible” converting them into fuel - a process that would be “irreversible”. The US and Israel launched their war a day after his comments. Hajlaoui said he could understand Iran’s anger at being attacked days after talks. “When you discuss and then you are attacked, you are not very happy,” he said. He noted that while Iran had likely made concessions, it was still “very far from the expectations of the Americans”.  The diplomat said that beyond the nuclear file, there were still disagreements about Tehran’s ballistic missile arsenal and its “destabilising role” in the region that remained unresolved. War 'pushed by Israel' Hajlaoui said that Israel “probably pushed” for a military confrontation instead of lengthy negotiations. “I'm really not informed of the way the Israelis and the Americans discussed this preparation and decision to launch military operations, but we can just see that the momentum was pushed by the Israelis,” he stated.  He said that the mood in Muscat was one of “disappointment and clear dismay” when the war began.  'We can just see that the momentum was pushed by the Israelis' - Nabil Hajlaoui, French ambassador to Oman “It was a clear collective failure to prevent a war and to reach a peaceful agreement,” the ambassador noted.  He said Gulf states were being dragged into a conflict they did not seek.  Hajlaoui added that Iran had played a long-standing role in destabilising the region through its allies, but that Gulf states had made efforts to rebuild relations with Tehran in recent years.  Iran's retaliatory attacks on Gulf states, he said, undermined such rapprochement.  “We were collectively mistaken, and we saw how Iran started by striking its neighbours to retaliate.”  US ground invasion 'incredibly risk' Hajlaoui warned that the war was being expanded geographically, with no clear limits to its escalation.  He said that a “huge international economic crisis” was looming if the Strait of Hormuz continued to be closed by Iran.  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow maritime channel, around 33km at its narrowest point, between the Musandam Peninsula in Oman and Iran. By wresting control of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has turned the tables on US Read More » It is described as the most significant oil chokepoint in the world, with around a fifth of global oil output passing through it, and a third of global liquified natural gas (LNG). Hajlaoui said that while France had sent an aircraft carrier to the region as “reassurance” to partners in the region, it did not have any intentions of being involved “in any way in this war”.  Hajlaoui said France was working with allies to come up with a plan to monitor the situation in the strait, but would not actively intervene while military operations were ongoing.   “This administration, from the beginning, said that they won't go to these kinds of lengthy wars, endless wars, that were waged by the previous administration, and they would just reach their goals by very specific interventions,” he said. “So that would be a total shift and in my personal opinion, an incredible political risk from the American administration.” He also said that “multilateralism” was being undermined internationally, driven by the US administration. “We saw it very recently by stopping their contribution to many agencies and organs of the UN, by launching alternative forums in competition with the Security Council and UN,” Hajlaoui said, likely referring to Trump’s so-called Board of Peace.  War on Iran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

TEHRAN, Mar. 18 (MNA) – The foreign minister of Brunei Darussalam has expressed his condolences over the martyrdom of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in the US-Israeli aggression.

Negotiators had reached agreement on key issues despite Trump team’s idiosyncratic approach. Two days later, war began In the many bizarre exchanges that occurred in the run-up to the US-Israeli attack on Iran, perhaps the most unexpected was an invitation by Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff for the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, to join him and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, for a visit to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group. The idea that Araghchi would leave talks in Oman about the future of Iran’s nuclear programme to tour a ship sent to the Gulf in an effort to dislodge his government seemed idiosyncratic at best. Continue reading...

Iran’s foreign minister blames the US for regional escalation and says Washington is responsible for all consequences.

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi says US-Israeli assassinations will not topple Tehran's 'strong political structure'.

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Rockets target US diplomatic facility near Baghdad airport A new wave of rocket attacks targeted a US diplomatic facility near Baghdad airport, with sirens sounding in the area, Reuters news agency reported. Earlier, the US Embassy in Baghdad was also reportedly targeted with rockets and several drones as attacks on American-linked facilities continued across Iraq. In a separate incident, an explosive-laden drone struck the rooftop of the Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, causing material damage but no casualties. The hotel houses several foreign diplomatic missions and oil company staff, and security forces later blocked roads to the area with armoured vehicles.

President Donald Trump continues to offer mixed messages about how long the war, now in its third week, might continue.

ICC governing body set to rule on prosecutor Karim Khan misconduct claims Sondos Asem on Mon, 03/16/2026 - 10:34 The 21-member Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties meets in The Hague to discuss a judicial panel report on allegations of sexual misconduct facing the chief prosecutor ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan has been on leave since May 2024 pending a sexual misconduct probe (AFP/file photo) Off The International Criminal Court’s executive body is meeting on Monday to discuss its response to a judicial report on allegations of sexual misconduct facing the court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan. The report, by an independent panel of three judges, is understood to advise the 21-member Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) whether Khan has committed serious misconduct, less serious misconduct, or no misconduct at all. The judges have followed the standard of "beyond reasonable doubt", the highest standard of proof in criminal law. Khan has strenuously denied all allegations of sexual misconduct. The report, which was sent to the ASP bureau last week, will not be made publicly available, and has not been seen by the prosecutor or the majority of the court's 125 member states. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Only members of the bureau have been handed copies of the highly confidential report, diplomatic sources told Middle East Eye. Since December, the panel has been examining an external report conducted by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) into the allegations against Khan. The OIOS investigation was commissioned by the ASP presidency in November 2024 following media reports that a member of Khan's office had accused him of sexual assault, and after the complainant refused to cooperate with the ICC’s own investigative body. The judges' report provides non-binding advice to the ASP's leadership regarding whether a finding of misconduct has been established. According to an internal ASP document seen by MEE, in the event of a finding of serious misconduct or misconduct of a less serious nature, the bureau may decide to suspend Khan pending a final resolution of the case. Exclusive: UK confirms phone call between Cameron and ICC’s Karim Khan Read More » In either case, Khan would be given 30 days to respond to the report and to attend a hearing. If the bureau approves a finding of serious misconduct, and following the hearing, the 125 members of the court must vote by an absolute majority (63 states) to remove Khan from office. It remains unclear whether bureau members will reach a decision during Monday's meeting. "The bureau will either form a view or agree on a process," a member of the ASP told MEE on condition of anonymity. "The issues are complex. Delegates take instructions from capitals," said the diplomat. "It’s an adjudicative responsibility. We need to compare notes and try to convince each other. It’s a diverse matter. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "Some states parties might come ready to make a decision," added the source. "There will be an attempt to do this today." Khan has been on a voluntary leave of absence since May last year. His deputy prosecutors have been in charge of his office in his absence. The investigation has cast a long shadow over the court’s leadership, with prolonged uncertainty over the future of the prosecutor raising concerns among diplomats and staff about the court’s ability to fulfil its mandate during the transitional state of limbo. Before he was placed on leave, Khan and his deputies had been busy investigating atrocity crimes in a dozen situations, including Palestine, Ukraine, Sudan, Afghanistan, Libya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Philippines.  Sanctions and threats Since Khan's decision to apply for arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then defence minister Yoav Gallant in May 2024, the court has faced a ferocious campaign by Israel and its allies, primarily the US, attempting to pressure him to drop the investigation into alleged war crimes by Israeli leaders. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Since February 2025, US President Donald Trump's administration has imposed financial and visa sanctions on Khan, his two deputy prosecutors, six judges, the UN’s special rapporteur on Palestine, and three Palestinian NGOs in connection with the Israel-Palestine investigation. Exclusive: How Karim Khan’s Israel war crimes probe was derailed by threats, leaks and sex claims Read More » The US has also threatened sanctions against the court itself, which ICC officials consider a "doomsday scenario". ICC judges are currently examining an Israeli challenge to its jurisdiction over the Palestine situation, and a separate Israeli complaint, filed on 17 November, which seeks to disqualify the prosecutor over alleged lack of impartiality. MEE revealed last summer that on 23 April 2024, as Khan was preparing to apply for warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, the then British foreign secretary David Cameron threatened in a phone call with the prosecutor that the UK would defund and withdraw from the ICC if the court issued the warrants. The UK's foreign office in January confirmed the call took place but has declined to comment on Cameron's threats. In his first comment on the matter, Khan in December filed a submission to the ICC's appeal chamber in response to an Israeli request for him to be removed from the investigation and for the warrants to be dropped, corroborating MEE's previous reporting, which uncovered many details of efforts to undermine Khan, including Cameron's explosive phone call. His statement sets out in detail the chronology of events that led his office to apply for warrants against the two Israelis, as well as Hamas leaders, on 20 May 2024, after months of what he described as “a meticulous process” by his office.  The allegations of sexual misconduct were first revealed to Khan in person by members of his team on 2 May 2024, the same day he was planning to announce the Netanyahu and Gallant arrest warrants, according to the timeline of events outlined in the document. Israel alleges that Khan rushed the warrants after he was made aware of sexual misconduct allegations against him. But Khan's statement rejected Israel's case, describing it as being based on “a haze of ends-oriented conjecture and misleading or false assertions”, and “a miasma of speculative reporting”. International law News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

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Iran and US-Israeli war enters third week as leaders on both sides signal push to continue conflict

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Israel not planning to hold direct talks with Lebanon Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Sunday that Israel was not planning to hold direct talks with Lebanon in the coming days and had not told the United States it was running low on missile interceptors. Israel's Haaretz newspaper reported on Saturday that Israel and Lebanon were expected to hold direct talks in the coming days.

TEHRAN, Mar. 15 (MNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has called on its neighbors to expel the foreign aggressors from the region, especially as their only concern is Israel.

By Steve Holland, Humeyra Pamuk, Parisa Hafezi and Alexander Cornwell WASHINGTON/DUBAI/TEL AVIV, March 14 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration has rebuffed efforts by Middle Eastern allies to start diplomatic negotiations aimed at ending the Iran war that started two weeks ago with a massive U.S.-Israeli air assault, according to three sources familiar with the efforts.

TEHRAN, Mar. 14 (MNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a telephone conversation with his Sri Lankan counterpart Vijitha Herath late on Friday to discuss bilateral ties, and latest regional developments.

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TEHRAN, Mar. 13 (MNA) – Friday Prayers leader of Tehran Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Khatami says that the region will not see peace and tranquility until the Zionist regime is annihilated.