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Russia's Lavrov Talks Middle East with Iran, Türkiye, Lebanon 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov listens during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Ukraine, at UN headquarters in New York City on January 22, 2024. (AFP)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov listens during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Ukraine, at UN headquarters in New York City on January 22, 2024. (AFP)
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Russia's Lavrov Talks Middle East with Iran, Türkiye, Lebanon 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov listens during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Ukraine, at UN headquarters in New York City on January 22, 2024. (AFP)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov listens during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Ukraine, at UN headquarters in New York City on January 22, 2024. (AFP)

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with his counterparts from Iran, Türkiye and Lebanon ahead of the United Nations Security Council meeting on Tuesday due to discuss the Middle East, the Russian foreign ministry said.

The bilateral meetings focused on the Gaza Strip, Syria and "the tense situation" in the Red Sea, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app on Tuesday. The meetings took place in New York on Monday.

The ministry said Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian agreed on the need for a swift ceasefire in Gaza and conditions for providing humanitarian assistance to civilians.

"General concern was expressed about the tense situation in the Red Sea, which has sharply degraded," it said.

On Monday, the United States and Britain carried out an additional round of strikes against Yemen's Houthis over their targeting of Red Sea shipping, the Pentagon said.

Lavrov and Lebanon's Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib talked about the importance of collective efforts of countries in the region toward an immediate ceasefire, the ministry said.

Israel in recent days carried out reportedly the most intense bombardment in southern Gaza since the war began in October, prompting calls from Washington to protect innocent people in hospitals, medical staff and patients.

According to the UN agenda, the Security Council is to discuss "the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question."

Lavrov said on Thursday he will propose "collective efforts" at the meeting to solve the Middle East crisis.

With his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, Lavrov also discussed energy issues as well as "upcoming bilateral contacts."

In December, the Kremlin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin may visit Türkiye in early 2024.

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Lebanon: Mysterious Evacuation Calls Renew Fears of Israeli Strikes

A Lebanese soldier secures participants during a marathon in Beirut last week (AP)
A Lebanese soldier secures participants during a marathon in Beirut last week (AP)
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Lebanon: Mysterious Evacuation Calls Renew Fears of Israeli Strikes

A Lebanese soldier secures participants during a marathon in Beirut last week (AP)
A Lebanese soldier secures participants during a marathon in Beirut last week (AP)

A wave of anonymous phone calls urging residents to evacuate buildings in southern and eastern Lebanon sparked fresh panic on Saturday over potential Israeli attacks. Though the threats later proved to be unfounded and traced to local sources, the incident unfolded amid heightened tensions and the continued presence of Israeli military aircraft in the skies above South Lebanon.

According to local media reports, Lebanese citizens in the town of Tammine in the Bekaa Valley (eastern Lebanon) received phone calls urging them to evacuate a residential building. Security forces immediately launched an investigation into the origin of the calls, while residents evacuated the building as a precaution.

After coordination with Lebanese security agencies, authorities confirmed the caller was Lebanese and the threat lacked credibility. Legal measures were initiated against the individual responsible for the hoax threat.

Security sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the calls were made from within Lebanese territory, and the numbers are being tracked using technical means. “We are monitoring these calls and pursuing those responsible,” a source said.

This incident is the latest in a series of similar events. Over the past few months, especially during the expanded conflict along the Lebanon-Israel border, hundreds of Lebanese citizens have received anonymous calls warning of imminent strikes, spreading fear across communities.

Lebanese authorities have arrested around 20 individuals linked to these threats. Security officials noted that during periods of active conflict, Lebanon’s military intelligence identified coordinated foreign campaigns - some linked to Israel - aimed at inciting fear among the population.

“These calls were part of organized external efforts, and in some cases, the Lebanese army’s intelligence managed to trace and neutralize them by blocking digital access points used to relay such messages,” a security source explained. “They were indeed causing panic among residents.”

Residents, particularly in southern Lebanon, say they have no choice but to treat such calls seriously. Israel has occasionally issued official warnings ahead of attacks, as seen in two incidents in Beirut’s southern suburbs after a ceasefire agreement took effect. However, in other instances, Israeli aircraft have carried out strikes without warning, further fueling concern among civilians and prompting widespread caution.

Saturday’s panic was further heightened by intensified Israeli aerial activity over southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported low-flying Israeli fighter jets over the villages and towns of Tyre district, as well as over Jezzine and the eastern sector of the south.

Local activists also reported Israeli drones flying at low altitude above the Litani River basin. One drone reportedly dropped two sound bombs over the Wadi al-Asafir area in the town of Khiam.