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)
TT
20

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.



ISIS Kills Five Kurdish Fighters in Eastern Syria

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters sit on a vehicle in the north of Raqqa city, Syria. (Reuters file)
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters sit on a vehicle in the north of Raqqa city, Syria. (Reuters file)
TT
20

ISIS Kills Five Kurdish Fighters in Eastern Syria

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters sit on a vehicle in the north of Raqqa city, Syria. (Reuters file)
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters sit on a vehicle in the north of Raqqa city, Syria. (Reuters file)

The ISIS militant group said on Monday it killed five Kurdish fighters in an attack in eastern Syria's Deir Ezzor, according to the group's news agency.

The spokesperson for Syria's Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces Farhad Shami confirmed to Reuters that five members were killed in the attack which he described as "one of deadliest" against the group in a while.

Deir Ezzor city was captured by the ISIS group in 2014, but the Syrian army retook it in 2017.

Former ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a so-called “caliphate” over a quarter of Syria and Iraq in 2014 before he was killed in a raid by US special forces in northwest Syria in 2019 as the group collapsed.

It has been recently trying to stage a comeback in the Middle East, the West and Asia.