Middle East & North Africa

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Latest on tensions in the Persian Gulf region between the U.S. and Iran (all times local):

2:00 p.m.

The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog says it has inspectors on the ground in Iran who will be able to look into reports that Tehran began injecting uranium gas into advanced centrifuges in violation of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

The International Atomic Energy Agency told The Associated Press Saturday it was aware of the reports “related to Iran’s centrifuge research and development.”

7 Sep 2019; MEMO: Lebanese President, Michel Aoun, warned on Friday that Israel would bear the consequences of any attack on his country, declaring that “any attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country will be met with legitimate self-defence, and Israel will bear all of its resulting consequences.”

KHARTOUM, Sept 7 (NNN-Xinhua) — Sudan’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the decision by the African Union Peace and Security Council (AU-PSC) to lift suspension of Sudan’s membership at the African Union (AU).

“In the name of Sudan government and people, the foreign ministry warmly welcomes the AU-PSC’s decision to lift suspension of Sudan’s membership at the AU and end freezing its activities,” said the ministry in a statement.

The ministry further reiterated commitment of Sudan, as one the founders of the Organization of African Unity, to the AU’s overall goals.

ANKARA, Sept 7 (NNN-XINHUA) – Turkey and China signed two memorandums of understanding (MoU’s) on Friday, in a joint trade forum to boost bilateral trade.

The agreements were concluded on the China-Turkey Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum, held in Turkey’s Aegean city of Izmir.

The deals were inked between Shanghai International Technology Exchange Centre and the Izmir Chamber of Commerce, on technological and business cooperation, as well as, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) in Turkey and Sichuan Airlines.

ANKARA, Sept 7 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Turkey and the United States planned to start joint land patrols in the safe zone in northern Syria on Sunday (tomorrow), Turkish Defence Minister, Hulusi Akar, said, on Friday.

“In this context, we expect the activities to be determined in a certain order and pace, and we wish to progress in this regard,” Akar said.

“The talks (with the United States), lasted a few months. At the end of Aug, a general agreement was reached on a specific schedule within a certain timetable,” Akar said.

GAZA, Sept 7 (NNN-WAFA) – The Hamas movement hailed on Friday, the decision of a European court to cancel the listing of Hamas and its armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades, from the world’s list of terrorism.

Hazem Qassem, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said that, the decision to remove Hamas and its armed wing from the world’s terrorist list “is positive and a right step in the right direction.”

MANAMA, Sept 7 (NNN-BNA) – Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani, officially inaugurated the largest underwater theme park, Dive Bahrain, which was announced by Personal Representative of the King, Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, President of the Supreme Council for Environment.

The initial phase of the project has been completed recently, by submerging a 70-metre long Boeing 747, 20-22 metres below the water North of Bahrain, to become the first attraction of the 100,000 m2 theme park area.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran’s coast guard has seized a vessel for allegedly smuggling fuel in the Gulf and detained its 12 crew members from the Philippines, the semi-official news agency ISNA reported.

The vessel was carrying nearly 284,000 liters of diesel, the news agency said on Saturday.

Iran, which has some of the world’s cheapest fuel prices due to heavy state subsidies and the fall of its currency, has been fighting rampant fuel smuggling by land to neighboring countries and by sea to Gulf Arab states.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran said on Saturday it was now capable of raising uranium enrichment past the 20% level and, while it had no immediate plans to do, so the clock was ticking toward the point where a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers could not be salvaged.

“We have started lifting limitations on our Research and Development imposed by the deal...It will include development of more rapid and advanced centrifuges,” Iranian nuclear agency spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi told a televised news conference.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Latest on tensions in the Persian Gulf region between the U.S. and Iran (all times local):

10:20 a.m.

Iran’s atomic energy spokesman is issuing new warnings about its nuclear deal with world powers.

Behrouz Kamalvandi of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said Saturday that Iran had the ability to go beyond 20% enrichment of uranium.

Analysts say 20% is just a short technical step away from 90% enrichment, which is weapons-grade level.