Factbox: Flights to Tehran canceled after Canada says Iranian missile brought down Ukraine jet
Flights to Tehran were canceled on Thursday and Friday after Canada and others said an Iranian missile brought down a Ukrainian airliner, probably by mistake. Tehran denied a missile took down the plane.
Cleric fears worse bloodshed in Iraq as U.S.-Iran conflict persists
Iraq’s top Shi’ite Muslim cleric on Friday condemned the U.S.-Iranian confrontation taking place on Iraqi soil, saying it risked plunging the war-ravaged country and the wider Middle East into deeper conflict.
Lufthansa cancels flights to and from Tehran due to uncertain security
Germany’s flagship carrier Lufthansa said on Friday that its group airlines were cancelling flights to and from Tehran until Jan. 20 inclusive due to the uncertain security situation of the airspace around the Iranian capital.
Explainer: What is McConnell’s proposed impeachment trial format?
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he has enough support from his fellow Republicans to begin the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump even though lawmakers have yet to agree whether to call witnesses.
Iraq’s top cleric condemns U.S., Iran confrontation on Iraqi soil
Iraq’s top Shi’ite Muslim cleric on Friday condemned mutual U.S. and Iranian attacks on Iraqi soil and warned of deteriorating security in the country and wider region as a result of Washington’s standoff with Tehran.
Japan PM heading to Middle East as planned, warship dispatch ordered
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will go ahead with a planned trip to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman from the weekend despite heightened tensions in the Middle East, while Tokyo also dispatched a warship and patrol planes to the regi…
German exports to Iran roughly halved in January-November 2019 due to U.S. sanctions
German exports to Iran roughly halved in the first 11 months of 2019 compared with the same period in the previous year due to U.S. sanctions, preliminary data from the Statistics Office showed on Friday.
Britain advises against all travel to Iran
Britain on Friday said it was advising against all travel to Iran as information suggested a Ukrainian airliner that crashed on Wednesday had probably been shot down by Iran.
U.S. military eyes adjustments after Iran surprises with attack in Iraq: official
The U.S. military is weighing adjustments to its defensive posture in the Middle East after Iran upended assumptions by staging a missile attack in Iraq, a country where it wields influence, a U.S. defense official said on Thursday.
Iraq summons Iranian ambassador over missile attack on Iraqi lands: state TV
Iraq’s ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement on Thursday that it has summoned the Iranian ambassador to inform him of Iraq’s objection to attacks on military bases on Iraqi territories and that Iraq considers this action as a violation of sov…
