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Disney+ content to make exclusive Middle East debut on OSN

DUBAI (Reuters) – Walt Disney Co’s (DIS.N) Disney+ content will be available for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa on regional pay television and online streaming service provider OSN from April 9. Dubai-headquartered OSN has signed a “long-te... More »

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Trump suggestion of taking Syrian oil draws rebukes

(Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion on Sunday that Exxon Mobil or another U.S. oil company operate Syrian oil fields drew rebukes from legal and energy experts. “What I intend to do, perhaps, is make a deal with an ExxonMobil or one of our gre... More »

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Factbox: Islamic State still dangerous despite Baghdadi’s death

(Reuters) – The killing of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a U.S. raid is a further blow to a jihadist group that once held a swathe of territory in Iraq and Syria, experts said, but the organization and its ideology remain dangerous. Where once t... More »

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Merkel: We’ll keep trying to find solutions with Iran to avoid…

BERLIN (Reuters) – Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday that Europe had decided to uphold the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and would keep trying to find solutions that averted escalation. “Step by step we will keep trying to find solutions with Iran that preve... More »

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Iran tanker heads to Greece after release, Iran warns U.S against…

DUBAI (Reuters) – An Iranian tanker sailed through the Mediterranean toward Greece on Monday after it was released from detention off Gibraltar, and Tehran said that any at U.S. move to seize the vessel again would have “heavy consequences”. The Grace 1, renam... More »

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Iran warns U.S. against seizing released Iranian oil tanker

DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran has warned the United States against any new attempt to seize an Iranian oil tanker in open seas after it left Gibraltar, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on state television on Monday. The Iranian tanker caught in a standoff ... More »

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Iran says meeting with parties to nuclear deal ‘constructive’

VIENNA (Reuters) – An emergency meeting with parties to Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal was constructive but there are unresolved issues and Tehran will continue to reduce its nuclear commitments if Europeans fail to salvage the pact, Iranian official Abbas Araqchi s... More »

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Britain’s Hunt says ‘small window’ to save Iran nuclear deal

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Monday that there was still time to save the Iran nuclear deal and that despite the United States being Britain’s closest ally it disagreed on how to handle the Iran crisis. “Iran is still a go... More »

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France’s Le Drian says Europeans must stay united on Iran issue

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Monday that Europe had to remain united in trying to preserve the Iran nuclear deal, and said Tehran should reverse its decision not to comply with parts of the accord. “The Europeans ha... More »

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Iran’s Zarif says U.S. should respect Iran if it wants to…

DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran will never succumb to U.S. pressure and if Washington wants talks with Tehran it should show respect, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Monday. Tension between Tehran and Washington have risen sharply in recent weeks, a year ... More »

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Iran says downing of U.S. drone was a ‘firm response’, can be…

LONDON (Reuters) – Iran on Monday described its shooting down of a U.S. drone in the Gulf last week as a “firm response” to the United States and warned it could be repeated. “Everyone saw the downing of the unmanned drone,” navy commander Rear Admiral Hossein... More »

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Iran says it welcomes any defusion of tensions in region: ISNA

LONDON (Reuters) – Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday Tehran welcomes any defusion of tensions in the GUlf region following weeks of deteriorating relations with Washington. “We welcome defusion of tensions in the region. We do not want rise of t... More »

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U.S. sanctions on Iran are biting: Bolton

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Iran is feeling the effects of existing U.S. sanctions as President Donald Trump prepares to impose more of them from Monday, his National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Sunday during a visit to Israel. While flagging further sancti... More »

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U.S. military releases new images from oil tanker attacks

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. military on Monday released new images it says showed Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) removing an unexploded limpet mine from a Japanese-owned tanker that was attacked on June 13 in the Gulf of Oman, as Washington blames Tehra... More »

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Kushner in Gulf region to seek support for Mideast peace plan

ABU DHABI (Reuters) – White House adviser Jared Kushner is visiting U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states to seek support for a long-awaited peace proposal for the Middle East that he said would require concessions from both Israelis and Palestinians. Kushner, who is U... More »

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Archaeologists restore ancient Palmyra artifacts in Damascus museum

DAMASCUS (Reuters) – In the National Museum of Damascus, archaeologist Muntajab Youssef works on an ancient stone bust from Palmyra, one of hundreds of artifacts his team is painstakingly restoring after they were damaged by Islamic State. Centuries-old statue... More »

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Syrian army enters Manbij after Kurdish calls to deter Turkey

BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian army said it entered Manbij on Friday for the first time in years, after the Kurdish YPG militia urged Damascus to protect the town from the threat of Turkish attacks. It was unclear whether the government forces had spread out in... More »

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Syrian army enters town of Manbij and raises flag – statement

BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian army entered Manbij on Friday for the first time in years, it said in a statement, after the Kurdish YPG militia urged the government of President Bashar al-Assad to protect the town from Turkish attacks. The army said it would gu... More »

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Iraqi PM discusses U.S. withdrawal from Syria with Pompeo

CAIRO (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo assured Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi that the U.S. is still committed to fighting Islamic State in Iraq and other areas despite its planned troop withdrawal from Syria, Abdul Mahdi’s office said on... More »

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Turkey says nearly 300,000 Syrians return home after military…

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Nearly 300,000 Syrians have returned to their country after Turkey’s two cross-border operations in northern Syria, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu was quoted as saying on Saturday. Turkey has carried out two operations, dubbed “Euphrates... More »

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Syria’s last shadow puppeteer hopes to save his art

DAMASCUS (Reuters) – The last shadow puppeteer in Damascus lost most of his equipment to war and endured life as a refugee in Lebanon, but he now believes the old Syrian art form might survive after the United Nations said it needed to be saved. Traditional sh... More »

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Israel launches U.S.-backed missile shield on Syria frontier,…

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel launched its newest air defense system on Monday on the Syrian frontier, where Damascus’s Russian-backed forces have been routing rebels, as Moscow sent envoys for what it called “urgent” talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin ... More »

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Artist captures war as seen by children – toys included

BEIRUT/DEBAGA CAMP, Iraq (Reuters) – U.S. photographer Brian McCarty wants you to see the horrors of war, but through the eyes of a child. There is no blood or mangled bodies. Instead there are pink dolls and blue tanks. A bird from a video game represents bom... More »

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With Assad on march, Syria rebels say cease fire agreed

AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) – South Syrian rebels said on Friday they had agreed to cease fire and start handing over heavy weapons in a deal mediated by Russia that will restore state sovereignty over areas they hold in Deraa province after a fierce government off... More »

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Syrian army advances in southwest: monitor, state media

BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian army has seized a chunk of territory from rebels in the southwest, Syrian state media and a war monitor said on Tuesday, the first major government advance in an offensive near the Jordanian border. Meanwhile two Israeli missiles ... More »

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Syrian army resumes offensive in south Damascus: state TV

BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian army resumed its offensive against Islamic State militants in south Damascus on Monday after a short ceasefire to allow women, children and old people leave, state television said. The Syrian army and its allies have been battling... More »

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Pompeo says U.S. open to ‘two-party solution’ for…

AMMAN (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested on Monday he was open to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, saying a “two-party solution” was likely in his first extensive comments on peace efforts since taking the job las... More »

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Syrian army renews push on besieged areas

BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian army began an intense bombardment of a rebel enclave near Homs on Monday, a war monitor said, as President Bashar al-Assad pushed to recapture all the remaining areas his forces have besieged. The attack comes as Syrian state tele... More »

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Pompeo starts Mideast tour with call for new Iran sanctions

RIYADH (Reuters) – Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday on a hastily-arranged visit to the Middle East as the United States aims to muster support for new sanctions against Iran. The visit to Riyadh, Jerusalem and Amman just two d... More »

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Syrian army targets south Damascus insurgent enclave

BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian army bombarded a jihadist enclave in south Damascus on Monday, state television and a war monitor said, as President Bashar al-Assad seeks to regain all ground near the capital. The military focus on the area, where Islamic State ... More »

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Syrian opposition says U.S. cannot afford to leave Syria yet

RIYADH (Reuters) – Syria’s chief opposition negotiator said the United States cannot afford to leave Syria as it has yet to achieve any of its goals in the region, even though President Donald Trump said recently Washington would withdraw its troops. “I person... More »

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Inspectors’ visit to suspected Syria gas attack site delayed

DAMASCUS (Reuters) – A visit by chemical weapons inspectors to the site of a suspected gas attack in Syria was delayed on Monday, British and Russian officials said, as Western powers and Russia traded accusations in the aftermath of retaliatory U.S.-led missi... More »

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Russia may have tampered with chemical attack site, U.S. envoy says

THE HAGUE (Reuters) – Western countries accused Moscow on Monday of preventing inspectors from reaching the site of a suspected poison gas attack in Syria and said Russians or Syrians may have tampered with evidence on the ground. The United States, Britain an... More »

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Threat of U.S.-Russia clash hangs over Syria

BEIRUT (Reuters) – The prospect of Western military action in Syria that could lead to confrontation with Russia hung over the Middle East on Friday but there was no clear sign that a U.S.-led attack was imminent. International chemical weapons experts were tr... More »

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Russia’s Lavrov: God forbid any Libya style adventure in Syria

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday he hoped that there would be no repeat of the experience of Libya and Iraq in the Syria conflict. “God forbid anything adventurous will be done in Syria following the Libyan and Iraqi exp... More »

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Germany vows to keep pressure on Russia over Syria

BERLIN (Reuters) – The German government on Friday said it would do all it could to maintain political pressure on Russia over the suspected use of chemical weapons in Syria, government spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Friday. Seibert said there was “serious ... More »

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First buses with fighters from last Ghouta rebel bastion head…

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Two buses carrying the first group of Jeish al-Islam fighters and their families on Monday left the city of Douma, the last rebel bastion in eastern Ghouta, en route for northern Syria, Syrian state TV said. The two buses were due to head to... More »

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Syria’s Douma faces catastrophe, says council, as assault grinds on

FILE PHOTO: A boy is seen in the besieged town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta, in Damascus, Syria March 8, 2018. REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh/File Photo AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syria’s rebel-held city of Douma faces a “catastrophic” situation after becoming the main have... More »

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In Ghouta’s shelters, terrified Syrians await the next bomb

People hold a warning leaflet dropped by plane entitled “Keep yourself and your family aware” in the besieged town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta, in Damascus, Syria March 11, 2018. REUTERS/ Bassam Khabieh BEIRUT (Reuters) – As the Syrian army pushes deeper into eas... More »

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France’s Macron tells Erdogan Syria truce also applies to Afrin

French President Emmanuel Macron addresses a news conference during European Union leaders informal summit in Brussels, Belgium, February 23, 2018. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir PARIS (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday told his Turkish counterpar... More »

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Paris atelier provides safe haven for exiled artists

Syrian artist Lina Aljijakli poses with her paintings in the Atelier for Artists in Exile in Paris, France, January 31, 2018. Aljijakli is one of around 150 artists from 20 countries supported by the atelier, an association in Paris that provides work space, s... More »

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Putin has no plans so far to attend Syria peace congress: Kremlin

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech while attending the Forum of Small Towns and Historical Settlements in the town of Kolomna, south of Moscow, Russia January 17, 2018. REUTERS/Alexander Nemenov/Pool MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian Presi... More »

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Turkey says campaign against Kurdish YPG in Afrin will be swift

Turkish soldiers stand on tanks in a village on the Turkish-Syrian border in Gaziantep province, Turkey January 22, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal HASSA, Turkey (Reuters) – Turkey shelled targets in northern Syria on Monday and said its three-day-old operation agai... More »

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Erdogan says Turkey will crush ‘terror army’ in northern Syria

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, January 10, 2018. Yasin Bulbul/Presidential Palace/Handout via REUTERS ISTANBUL (Reuters) – President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday the United States was try... More »

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Turkey says Russia, Iran must stop Syrian government violations

FILE PHOTO: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu attends a news conference in Ankara, Turkey, October 24, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday Russia and Iran need to fulfill their duties... More »

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Syrian, Iranian backed forces advance in border area near Israel

A view of Mount Hermon as seen from Jubata al-Khashab in Quneitra province, Syria, November 3, 2017. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Faqir AMMAN (Reuters) – Syrian army forces backed by Iranian-backed militias pushed deeper into the last rebel-held enclave near a strategic bo... More »

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Syrian negotiator threatens to pull out of Geneva talks

United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura (2R) sits opposite to Syria’s U.N. ambassador and chief negotiator Bashar al-Ja’afari during a meeting of the Intra Syria talks in Geneva, Switzerland December 1, 2017. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse GENEVA (R... More »

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Iraqi Federal Court rules Kurdish referendum unconstitutional

Kurdish policemen look on towards banners supporting the referendum for independence of Kurdistan in Erbil, Iraq September 24, 2017. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq’s Supreme Federal Court ruled on Monday that a referendum held on Kurdish inde... More »

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Exhibit at Berlin`s Brandenburg Gate evokes Syrian war

Three upended buses, a reminder of a barricade erected in Aleppo in 2015 at the height of the Syrian civil war, appeared in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on Friday as part of an installation by Syrian-German artist Manaf Halbouni. More »

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Exhibit at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate evokes Syrian war

An installation “Monument” by German-Syrian artist Manaf Halbouni stands in front the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, November 10, 2017. The installation, previously displayed in Dresden, displays three upended buses to mimic a defensive barricade erected... More »

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No role for Assad in Syria`s future: Tillerson

President Bashar al-Assad and his family have no role in the future of Syria, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Thursday ahead of peace talks aiming at a political transition scheduled to resume next month. More »

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Islamic State in Raqqa mounts last stand

U.S.-backed militias will capture Islamic State's last foothold in the jihadists' former Syrian capital of Raqqa within hours, a militia spokesman said on Tuesday. More »

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Turkish forces set up positions in Syria`s Idlib

Turkey's military has begun setting up observation posts in northwest Syria's Idlib province, its General Staff said on Friday, part of a deployment that appears partly aimed at containing a Kurdish militia. More »

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Iraq strikes Islamic State in Mosul days after declaring victory

Destroyed buildings from clashes are seen in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq July 10, 2017. Iraqi forces clashed with Islamic State militants holding out in Mosul’s Old City on Wednesday, more than 36 hours after Baghdad declared victory over the jihadists in what... More »

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Baghdadi death near 100 percent certain: Ifax quotes Russian senator

It was from this medieval mosque that the militants’ leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a self-styled ”caliphate” spanning parts of Syria and Iraq three years ago. Al-Baghdadi proclaimed himself ”caliph,” or ruler of all Muslims, from the pulpit of the mosqu... More »