Middle East & North Africa

TEHRAN, May 18 (NNN-IRNA) – Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Sunday that, the United States will no longer remain in Syria and Iraq, according to the leader’s official website.

“For sure, Americans will not remain in Iraq and Syria, and they will be expelled” from those countries, as the Americans “have supported terrorism” and “are abhorred” by the regional nations, he said.

Khamenei made the remarks in a video-conference meeting, with Iranian students on Sunday.

ADEN, May 18 (NNN-SABA) – Yemen’s pro-government coast guard forces, confirmed on Sunday that, a British vessel came under an attempted piracy attack in the Gulf of Aden.

Captain Nasser Awlaki, with the Yemeni Coast Guard forces, confirmed that, “a British vessel was subjected to an attempt of piracy attack (80 miles) from the nearest land point, off the country’s southern coast.”

He said, “The ship was subjected to an attempted piracy attack in the Gulf of Aden, offshore of Yemen’s port of Mukalla, east of the country.”

BEIRUT, May 18 (NNN-NNA) – An Israeli patrol opened fire, on Sunday, in southeastern Lebanon, along the border line, injuring a Syrian shepherd, and then kidnapped him to one of its locations, in the occupied Shebaa Farms.

A Lebanese military source and citizens from the border town of Kfarchouba, said that, Israeli soldiers opened fire towards Mohamed Nour El-Din Abdel-Azim, while he was grazing a herd of cattle near the Shebaa Farms.

DAMASCUS, May 18 (NNN-SANA) – A U.S. aircraft dropped thermal balloons over agricultural lands in Syria’s northeastern province of Hasakah on Sunday, setting fire to wheat crops.

The targeted area was in agricultural lands, in the countryside of Shaddadi city, in the southern countryside of Hasakah.

The fire gutted 200 dunums (0.2 square km) of wheat fields.

TEHERAN, May 17. /TASS/: Russian Ambassador to Iran Levan Dzhagaryan has refuted allegations that the Russian side is dissatisfied with Syrian President Bashar Assad.

"You know, there are some speculations as if Russia isn’t happy with President Assad. There are some rumors. Maybe, some people who have no political position have declared such views. But such views are their personal views which don’t reflect any official positions as a Russian government," he said in an interview with Mehr News Agency.

TRIPOLI, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Sunday said it started a 3-day distribution of emergency supplies to 2,500 displaced Libyans in the capital Tripoli.

"The assistance includes hygiene items, blankets, mattresses, kitchen sets, and other needed items to help families cope with the challenges of displacement amid the COVID-19 pandemic," the IOM tweeted.

17 May 2020; MEMO: The premier of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Saturday slammed the EU declaration urging Turkey to “respect EU countries’ maritime jurisdiction and sovereignty in territorial waters.”, Anadolu reports.

“It is a violation of law and lack of vision that the EU still adopts a pro-Greek Cyprus attitude and ignore the rights of Turkish Cypriot and Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean,” said Prime Minister Ersin Tatar.

17 May 2020; MEMO: The Turkish presidential spokesman today voiced solidarity with Palestinian people as they observed the 72nd anniversary of the Day of Nakba, reported by Anadolu Agency.

In a statement marking the day, Ibrahim Kalin said Nakba, which defines the “great catastrophe” that the Palestinian nation was exposed to, signifies the 72-year-long occupation, unlawfulness, oppression and injustice.

17 May 2020; MEMO: China’s ambassador to Israel was found dead in his home in a Tel Aviv suburb on Sunday, an Israeli police spokesman said, Reuters reports.

He did not comment on the cause of death of ambassador Du Wei, who was 57 years old and became ambassador to Israel in February, according to the embassy’s website.

“As part of the regular procedure, police units are at the scene,” the spokesman said.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented his new unity government to parliament on Sunday, ending more than a year of political deadlock as he prepares to go on trial in a week for alleged corruption.

His power-sharing agreement with former election rival, centrist Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, opens the way for the right-wing Netanyahu to proceed towards a pledged de facto annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank, land Palestinians seek for a state.