Latest news with #OrganisationofIslamicCo-operation
The Advertiser
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Diplomatic efforts stall as Israel-Iran war drags on
Talks aimed at de-escalating fighting between Israel and Iran have failed to produce a diplomatic breakthrough as the war enters its second week with a fresh round of strikes between the two adversaries. European ministers and Iran's top diplomat met on Friday in Geneva, as President Donald Trump continued to weigh US military involvement and worries rose over potential strikes on nuclear reactors. European officials expressed hope for future negotiations, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue while emphasising that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the US while Israel continued attacking. "Iran is ready to consider diplomacy if aggression ceases and the aggressor is held accountable for its committed crimes," he told reporters. At a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation in Istanbul on Saturday, Araghchi told the AP "it would be very, very dangerous for everyone" if the US became actively engaged militarily in the war. No date is set for the next round of talks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's military operation in Iran would continue "for as long as it takes" to eliminate what he called the existential threat of Iran's nuclear program and arsenal of ballistic missiles. But Netanyahu's goal could be out of reach without US help. Iran's underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility is considered to be out of reach to all but America's "bunker-buster" bombs. Trump said he would put off deciding whether to join Israel's air campaign against Iran for up to two weeks. The war between Israel and Iran erupted on June 13, with Israeli air strikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 430 people have been killed and 3500 wounded in Iran, Iranian state-run Nour News reported on Saturday, citing the country's health ministry. Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded. Israel's defence minister said on Saturday it killed a commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guard who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the 20-month long war in Gaza. Israel said Saeed Izadi was commander of the Palestine Corps for the elite Iranian Quds Force, and he was killed in an apartment in the city of Qom. The Israeli military later said it killed a second commander of the Guards' overseas arm, Benham Shariyari, during a strike on his vehicle overnight in Tehran. Addressing the UN Security Council, Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, warned against attacks on Iran's nuclear reactors, particularly its only commercial nuclear power plant in the southern city of Bushehr. Israel has not targeted Iran's nuclear reactors, instead focusing its strikes on the main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, centrifuge workshops near Tehran, laboratories in Isfahan and the country's Arak heavy water reactor southwest of the capital. Iran previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors access to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with the US, France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief. But after Trump pulled the US out of the deal during his first term, Iran began enriching uranium closer to weapons-grade levels and restricting access to its nuclear facilities. Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Israel said its warplanes hit dozens of military targets across Iran on Friday, including missile-manufacturing facilities, while an Iranian missile hit Israel's northern city of Haifa, wounding at least 31 people. The Israeli military believes it has destroyed most of Iran's ballistic missile launchers, contributing to the steady decline in Iranian attacks. But several of the three dozen missiles that Iran fired on Friday slipped through the country's aerial defences, sending shrapnel flying into a residential area in the southern city of Beersheba, where a hospital was hit on Thursday. Reuters Talks aimed at de-escalating fighting between Israel and Iran have failed to produce a diplomatic breakthrough as the war enters its second week with a fresh round of strikes between the two adversaries. European ministers and Iran's top diplomat met on Friday in Geneva, as President Donald Trump continued to weigh US military involvement and worries rose over potential strikes on nuclear reactors. European officials expressed hope for future negotiations, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue while emphasising that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the US while Israel continued attacking. "Iran is ready to consider diplomacy if aggression ceases and the aggressor is held accountable for its committed crimes," he told reporters. At a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation in Istanbul on Saturday, Araghchi told the AP "it would be very, very dangerous for everyone" if the US became actively engaged militarily in the war. No date is set for the next round of talks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's military operation in Iran would continue "for as long as it takes" to eliminate what he called the existential threat of Iran's nuclear program and arsenal of ballistic missiles. But Netanyahu's goal could be out of reach without US help. Iran's underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility is considered to be out of reach to all but America's "bunker-buster" bombs. Trump said he would put off deciding whether to join Israel's air campaign against Iran for up to two weeks. The war between Israel and Iran erupted on June 13, with Israeli air strikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 430 people have been killed and 3500 wounded in Iran, Iranian state-run Nour News reported on Saturday, citing the country's health ministry. Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded. Israel's defence minister said on Saturday it killed a commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guard who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the 20-month long war in Gaza. Israel said Saeed Izadi was commander of the Palestine Corps for the elite Iranian Quds Force, and he was killed in an apartment in the city of Qom. The Israeli military later said it killed a second commander of the Guards' overseas arm, Benham Shariyari, during a strike on his vehicle overnight in Tehran. Addressing the UN Security Council, Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, warned against attacks on Iran's nuclear reactors, particularly its only commercial nuclear power plant in the southern city of Bushehr. Israel has not targeted Iran's nuclear reactors, instead focusing its strikes on the main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, centrifuge workshops near Tehran, laboratories in Isfahan and the country's Arak heavy water reactor southwest of the capital. Iran previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors access to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with the US, France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief. But after Trump pulled the US out of the deal during his first term, Iran began enriching uranium closer to weapons-grade levels and restricting access to its nuclear facilities. Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Israel said its warplanes hit dozens of military targets across Iran on Friday, including missile-manufacturing facilities, while an Iranian missile hit Israel's northern city of Haifa, wounding at least 31 people. The Israeli military believes it has destroyed most of Iran's ballistic missile launchers, contributing to the steady decline in Iranian attacks. But several of the three dozen missiles that Iran fired on Friday slipped through the country's aerial defences, sending shrapnel flying into a residential area in the southern city of Beersheba, where a hospital was hit on Thursday. Reuters Talks aimed at de-escalating fighting between Israel and Iran have failed to produce a diplomatic breakthrough as the war enters its second week with a fresh round of strikes between the two adversaries. European ministers and Iran's top diplomat met on Friday in Geneva, as President Donald Trump continued to weigh US military involvement and worries rose over potential strikes on nuclear reactors. European officials expressed hope for future negotiations, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue while emphasising that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the US while Israel continued attacking. "Iran is ready to consider diplomacy if aggression ceases and the aggressor is held accountable for its committed crimes," he told reporters. At a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation in Istanbul on Saturday, Araghchi told the AP "it would be very, very dangerous for everyone" if the US became actively engaged militarily in the war. No date is set for the next round of talks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's military operation in Iran would continue "for as long as it takes" to eliminate what he called the existential threat of Iran's nuclear program and arsenal of ballistic missiles. But Netanyahu's goal could be out of reach without US help. Iran's underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility is considered to be out of reach to all but America's "bunker-buster" bombs. Trump said he would put off deciding whether to join Israel's air campaign against Iran for up to two weeks. The war between Israel and Iran erupted on June 13, with Israeli air strikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 430 people have been killed and 3500 wounded in Iran, Iranian state-run Nour News reported on Saturday, citing the country's health ministry. Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded. Israel's defence minister said on Saturday it killed a commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guard who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the 20-month long war in Gaza. Israel said Saeed Izadi was commander of the Palestine Corps for the elite Iranian Quds Force, and he was killed in an apartment in the city of Qom. The Israeli military later said it killed a second commander of the Guards' overseas arm, Benham Shariyari, during a strike on his vehicle overnight in Tehran. Addressing the UN Security Council, Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, warned against attacks on Iran's nuclear reactors, particularly its only commercial nuclear power plant in the southern city of Bushehr. Israel has not targeted Iran's nuclear reactors, instead focusing its strikes on the main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, centrifuge workshops near Tehran, laboratories in Isfahan and the country's Arak heavy water reactor southwest of the capital. Iran previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors access to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with the US, France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief. But after Trump pulled the US out of the deal during his first term, Iran began enriching uranium closer to weapons-grade levels and restricting access to its nuclear facilities. Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Israel said its warplanes hit dozens of military targets across Iran on Friday, including missile-manufacturing facilities, while an Iranian missile hit Israel's northern city of Haifa, wounding at least 31 people. The Israeli military believes it has destroyed most of Iran's ballistic missile launchers, contributing to the steady decline in Iranian attacks. But several of the three dozen missiles that Iran fired on Friday slipped through the country's aerial defences, sending shrapnel flying into a residential area in the southern city of Beersheba, where a hospital was hit on Thursday. Reuters Talks aimed at de-escalating fighting between Israel and Iran have failed to produce a diplomatic breakthrough as the war enters its second week with a fresh round of strikes between the two adversaries. European ministers and Iran's top diplomat met on Friday in Geneva, as President Donald Trump continued to weigh US military involvement and worries rose over potential strikes on nuclear reactors. European officials expressed hope for future negotiations, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue while emphasising that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the US while Israel continued attacking. "Iran is ready to consider diplomacy if aggression ceases and the aggressor is held accountable for its committed crimes," he told reporters. At a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation in Istanbul on Saturday, Araghchi told the AP "it would be very, very dangerous for everyone" if the US became actively engaged militarily in the war. No date is set for the next round of talks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's military operation in Iran would continue "for as long as it takes" to eliminate what he called the existential threat of Iran's nuclear program and arsenal of ballistic missiles. But Netanyahu's goal could be out of reach without US help. Iran's underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility is considered to be out of reach to all but America's "bunker-buster" bombs. Trump said he would put off deciding whether to join Israel's air campaign against Iran for up to two weeks. The war between Israel and Iran erupted on June 13, with Israeli air strikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 430 people have been killed and 3500 wounded in Iran, Iranian state-run Nour News reported on Saturday, citing the country's health ministry. Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded. Israel's defence minister said on Saturday it killed a commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guard who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the 20-month long war in Gaza. Israel said Saeed Izadi was commander of the Palestine Corps for the elite Iranian Quds Force, and he was killed in an apartment in the city of Qom. The Israeli military later said it killed a second commander of the Guards' overseas arm, Benham Shariyari, during a strike on his vehicle overnight in Tehran. Addressing the UN Security Council, Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, warned against attacks on Iran's nuclear reactors, particularly its only commercial nuclear power plant in the southern city of Bushehr. Israel has not targeted Iran's nuclear reactors, instead focusing its strikes on the main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, centrifuge workshops near Tehran, laboratories in Isfahan and the country's Arak heavy water reactor southwest of the capital. Iran previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors access to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with the US, France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief. But after Trump pulled the US out of the deal during his first term, Iran began enriching uranium closer to weapons-grade levels and restricting access to its nuclear facilities. Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Israel said its warplanes hit dozens of military targets across Iran on Friday, including missile-manufacturing facilities, while an Iranian missile hit Israel's northern city of Haifa, wounding at least 31 people. The Israeli military believes it has destroyed most of Iran's ballistic missile launchers, contributing to the steady decline in Iranian attacks. But several of the three dozen missiles that Iran fired on Friday slipped through the country's aerial defences, sending shrapnel flying into a residential area in the southern city of Beersheba, where a hospital was hit on Thursday. Reuters
TimesLIVE
05-06-2025
- TimesLIVE
What is the Muslim hajj pilgrimage?
Here is a look at the hajj, one of the largest mass gatherings in the world, which starts in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. Some key facts about the event: The hajj is an annual pilgrimage millions of Muslims make to Mecca with the intention of performing religious rites as taught by the prophet Mohammad to his followers 14 centuries ago. The fifth pillar of Islam, the hajj is mandatory once in a lifetime for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it and is the most significant manifestation of Islamic faith and unity. The hajj begins in the 12th month of the Islamic year, which is lunar, not solar, meaning the hajj and the fasting month of Ramadan fall at different times of the solar calendar each year. A quota system for visitors to Mecca was introduced in 1987, agreed by member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, to limit the number allowed by each country to 0.1% of its population. Stampedes, tent fires and other accidents have caused hundreds of deaths over the past 30 years, forcing the Saudi government to build new infrastructure. In 2011, Saudi Arabia began the biggest expansion yet of the Grand Mosque of Mecca to increase its capacity to two-million. A new railway will link the holy sites around Mecca. Eid al-Adha, one of Islam's two main festivals, marks the climax of the annual hajj pilgrimage, when Muslims slaughter animals — to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim, or Abraham, to sacrifice his son on God's command — often distributing meat to the poor.
The National
01-05-2025
- The National
Pilgrims begin arriving in Saudi Arabia as Hajj preparations gather pace
Pilgrims have begun arriving in Saudi Arabia for this year's Hajj as preparations pick up for one of the largest mass gatherings in the world next month. The first flights landed this week from countries including Pakistan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Turkey and India, Saudi state news agency SPA reported. Millions of Muslims will make their way to Makkah in early June with the intention of performing religious rites as taught by the Prophet Mohammed to his followers 14 centuries ago. Six airports across Saudi Arabia have been designated by the government to serve Hajj pilgrims – Jeddah, Madinah, Yanbu, Taif, Riyadh and Dammam, according to Saudi Transport Minister Saleh Al Jasser. Mr Al Jasser was at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah on Tuesday to receive the first batch of pilgrims – a flight carrying 396 people from Dhaka. Many pilgrims are travelling under the Makkah Route Initiative, a scheme started seven years ago by Saudi Arabia that requires them to carry out travel procedures in their home country including visa issuance, health checks and capturing biometric data. The initiative aims to help streamline processes, ensure an orderly Hajj and prevent any safety issues. Stampedes, tent fires and other accidents have caused hundreds of deaths over the past 30 years during Hajj. The Saudi government has responded by building new infrastructure. A quota system for visitors to Makkah was introduced in 1987, agreed by member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, to limit the number of pilgrims allowed by each country to 0.1 per cent of its population. On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia said anyone caught performing the Hajj without a permit would face a fine of up to 20,000 riyals ($5,300) as part of a range of penalties for people violating regulations. Fines of up to 100,000 riyals will be imposed on anyone who applies for a general Saudi visit visa to perform the Hajj without the required special permit. Foreigners breaking the rules will be deported and banned from entering Saudi Arabia for 10 years, the Ministry of Interior added. This year's Hajj is expected to take place between June 4 and June 9. The fifth pillar of Islam, the Hajj is mandatory once in a lifetime for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it and is the most significant manifestation of Islamic faith and unity.
The National
29-04-2025
- The National
Hajj pilgrims without permit to face large fines, says Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has said anyone caught performing the Hajj without a permit will face a fine of up to 20,000 riyals ($5,300), as authorities intensify efforts to protect worshippers ahead of the annual pilgrimage. The kingdom on Monday announced a range of penalties for people violating regulations during the event, one of the largest mass gatherings in the world. Millions of Muslims will make their way to Makkah in early June with the intention of performing religious rites as taught by the Prophet Mohammed to his followers 14 centuries ago. Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Interior said foreigners in the country holding visit visas who attempt to enter Makkah city or the holy sites during the Hajj will face a fine of up 20,000 riyals, according to a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency. Foreigners are required to obtain a special permit to perform the pilgrimage. Fines of up to 100,000 riyals will be imposed on anyone who applies for a visit visa for someone attempting to perform the Hajj without a permit. People caught providing transport and accommodation to unauthorised pilgrims will also face fines of up to 100,000 riyals, the ministry said. Foreigners breaking the rules will be deported and banned from entering Saudi Arabia for 10 years, it added. This year's Hajj is expected to take place between June 4 and 9. The fifth pillar of Islam, the Hajj is mandatory once in a lifetime for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it and is the most significant manifestation of Islamic faith and unity. A quota system for visitors to Makkah was introduced in 1987, agreed by member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, to limit the number allowed by each country to 0.1 per cent of its population. Stampedes, tent fires and other accidents have caused hundreds of deaths over the past 30 years, forcing the Saudi government to build new infrastructure.
The National
18-04-2025
- Politics
- The National
Rare Saudi ministerial visit to Iran discusses defence co-operation
Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman discussed prospects for defence co-operation with the Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces during a rare visit to Tehran. The visit, which saw meetings with senior Iranian officials, including supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, comes at a critical time in the Middle East. The US and Iran are preparing for a second round of talks in Rome on Saturday, as Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations express concern over the potential consequences if the negotiations fail. 'In my meeting with the Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri, we reviewed the bilateral relations between our countries and explored prospects for defence co-operation,' Prince Khalid posted on X. Iranian state media said defence officials stressed to the Saudi official Tehran's readiness to expand military relations. Prince Khalid, a fighter pilot, is probably the first Saudi defence minister to visit Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. He is also the highest-ranking Saudi royal to visit in decades. The last was King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who visited in 1997 as crown prince, during an Organisation of Islamic Co-operation meeting held in Tehran. The visit is significant, particularly given the decades of enmity between the countries. Relations have thawed since a 2023 agreement mediated by China, amid efforts to secure peace in Yemen, where Houthi rebels have threatened both Saudi Arabia and the UAE despite US air strikes. During his visit, Prince Khalid delivered a message from Saudi King Salman. He also met with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian and the country's Supreme National Security Council head, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, to discuss 'efforts to promote security and stability'. Last month, Qatar's Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, warned that an attack on Iran's Gulf coast nuclear facilities would leave countries across the region without water. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he is 'not in a rush to strike Iran, because I think Iran has a chance to have a great country'.
