Iranian FM: The Region will Enter New Phase through 'Resistance Forces'

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian receives his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi at the Iranian Foreign Ministry headquarters in central Tehran (IRNA)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian receives his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi at the Iranian Foreign Ministry headquarters in central Tehran (IRNA)
TT

Iranian FM: The Region will Enter New Phase through 'Resistance Forces'

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian receives his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi at the Iranian Foreign Ministry headquarters in central Tehran (IRNA)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian receives his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi at the Iranian Foreign Ministry headquarters in central Tehran (IRNA)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian warned of the expansion of the war amid the renewed Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, saying that the region will enter a new phase "through resistance forces."

On Sunday, the foreign minister made the remarks during a press conferen with his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi in Tehran.

The two ministers discussed the recent developments in Gaza amid reports about a possible Oman mediation in the Iranian nuclear program.

Amirabdollahian said that the new phase of the Israeli attacks on Gaza began with the presence of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken at the ministerial meeting of the Zionist entity.

He added that the US must bear the consequences of this hypocritical behavior in supporting Israel, saying Washington claims it recommends Israel does not kill civilians while granting it the green light for genocide.

For more than 50 days, "we have been following the developments in Palestine to return stability and security in the region and stop the killing and genocide of the Zionist regime in Gaza," he said.

The leaders of the resistance warned that if the Israeli attacks continue, the region will enter a new phase, he indicated, warning that the killing of children and women must stop before it is too late.

He asserted that Iran never wanted the war to expand, but the warmongers in the region were strongly warned to stop their support for Israeli crimes.

He said that there is documented evidence that the Zionist regime is seeking to displace people in the Gaza Strip forcibly.

"In a part of the documents that were seized by the Resistance forces during the al-Aqsa Storm operation and in a part of the laptops that were captured, this hypothesis has been proven that the Israeli regime seeks to relocate all the residents of Gaza to a part of the territory and land of Egypt, and it seeks to transfer the residents of the West Bank to parts of Jordan," he noted.

"We hope that our brothers in Egypt will take immediate and serious action to reopen the Rafah border crossing and prevent this Israeli conspiracy against the territorial integrity of Jordan and Egypt."

- Discussing nuclear power

Earlier, the official IRNA agency reported that the two ministers were scheduled to discuss developing cooperation, achieving a ceasefire in the Strip, and delivering humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.

Ahead of his visit to Tehran, Busaidi and his Iranian counterpart discussed over the phone Israel's resumption of war crimes in Gaza without any regard to the international community and global public opinion.

Busaidi warned against the outbreak of war and its expansion in the region, stressing the necessity of establishing a sustainable truce, sending humanitarian aid on a large scale, and establishing an effective international action.

Iranian media expected Busaidi's visit to Tehran to be within the context of exchanging messages between Tehran and Washington to prevent the expansion of tension in the region.

During the past two months, Iranian officials welcomed an Omani initiative proposed by Sultan Haitham bin Tariq.

However, they noted it was not a new agreement or a new plan but rather a practical initiative to converge views between Washington and Tehran and the return of all parties to the 2015 agreement.

Last week, the Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said in press statements that talks with Iran might require a new framework rather than an attempt to revive the 2015 accord.

- Borrell urges Tehran to cooperate constructively

The nuclear agreement was part of the telephone conversation between Amirabdollahian and EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell.

The Foreign Ministry reported on Saturday that Amirabdollahian called on Borrell to stop the Israeli military attacks on the Strip and allow the entry of humanitarian aid.

The Iranian diplomat repeated previous warnings against displacing Palestinians and warned of the possibility of expanding the war in the region.

The two officials also addressed Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency's cooperation, and Amirabdollahian noted that the "cooperation will continue within a technical and legal framework."

Borrell expressed hope that constructive cooperation between Iran and the IAEA will continue.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi defended his country's positions in the Gaza war.

Speaking on Sunday at the "Second National Conference on Responsibility for the Implementation of the Constitution," Raisi said Iran's support for Gaza and Palestine is wholly based on the constitution's principles, which considers the protection of the oppressed as one of its duties.

"Since the beginning of the victory of the Islamic Revolution, one of the basic principles and approaches of the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been to support the rights of the Palestinian people and to recognize this issue as the first issue of the Islamic world."

He asserted that the principle is still standing and that global political developments will not change the primary direction of foreign policy.

Raisi reiterated that 6,000 children killed by the "Zionist usurpers will bring down this fake, cruel and usurping regime."



Iran Appeals to UN Over 'Tightening Restrictions' on Its Diplomats in New York

The United Nations logo adorns a window at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 18, 2025. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
The United Nations logo adorns a window at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 18, 2025. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
TT

Iran Appeals to UN Over 'Tightening Restrictions' on Its Diplomats in New York

The United Nations logo adorns a window at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 18, 2025. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
The United Nations logo adorns a window at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 18, 2025. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon

Tehran called on the United Nations to intervene in what it called the "tightening of restrictions on Iran's diplomatic mission to the United Nations in New York", according to a foreign ministry statement published on Thursday.

The statement also condemned a decision by the US State Department "to prevent the continuation of the activities" of three employees of Iran's mission in New York, Reuters reported.

The statement did not specify when the restrictions had been tightened, but in September, the United States imposed strict limits on the Iranian delegation attending the UN General Assembly in New York, curbing their movement and banning access to wholesale stores and luxury goods.

"The imposition of extensive restrictions on the residence and movement of Iranian diplomats, tightening restrictions on bank accounts, and imposing restrictions on daily purchases are among the pressures and harassment ... to disrupt the normal and legal duties of Iranian diplomats," the statement said.

Prior to the September restrictions, Iranian delegation members were allowed to travel between the United Nations, the Iranian UN mission, the Iranian UN ambassador's residence and John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington heightened after the two countries engaged in five rounds of indirect nuclear negotiations that ended with a 12-day air war in June in which Israel and the US bombed Iranian nuclear sites.


Somali Defense Minister Rejects Latest Trump Insults 

A demonstrator waves a flag of Somalia as a vehicle passes by a rally in protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), amid a reported federal immigration operation targeting the Somali community, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US December 8, 2025. REUTERS/Tim Evans/File Photo
A demonstrator waves a flag of Somalia as a vehicle passes by a rally in protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), amid a reported federal immigration operation targeting the Somali community, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US December 8, 2025. REUTERS/Tim Evans/File Photo
TT

Somali Defense Minister Rejects Latest Trump Insults 

A demonstrator waves a flag of Somalia as a vehicle passes by a rally in protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), amid a reported federal immigration operation targeting the Somali community, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US December 8, 2025. REUTERS/Tim Evans/File Photo
A demonstrator waves a flag of Somalia as a vehicle passes by a rally in protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), amid a reported federal immigration operation targeting the Somali community, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US December 8, 2025. REUTERS/Tim Evans/File Photo

Somalia's defense minister said Somalis would not accept being demeaned after US President Donald Trump again insulted people from the East African country.

Speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania on Tuesday that was meant to focus on his economic record, Trump denounced migration from "Third World" countries.

"We always take people from Somalia, places that are a disaster, right?" he said. "Filthy, dirty, disgusting, ridden with crime."

"The only thing they're good at is going after ships," he added, referring to piracy off the Somali coast, Reuters reported.

Last week, Trump described Somalis as "garbage" at a cabinet meeting, saying "they just run around killing each other".

In a text message to Reuters, Somali defense minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi said Trump should focus on fulfilling his pledges to American voters "rather than busying himself with Somalia".

While expressing gratitude to the US for its military support in the fight against al Qaeda-linked militants in the country, he rejected Trump's characterisation of Somalis.

"The Somali people are known around the world for their hard work," he said. "They are known for their resilience in the face of adversity. They have faced hardships and many enemies including those who deny their existence, kill them, humiliate and insult them."

"They have overcome all of them and have survived."

Trump stepped up attacks on Somalis after the shooting last month of two National Guard troops in Washington, which led him to promise to freeze migration from poorer countries.


Zelenskyy Will Hold Urgent Talks with 30 Countries as Trump Pushes for Swift Peace Deal with Russia

United States President Donald J Trump participates in a Multilateral Meeting with European Leaders: (foreground L-R) NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, Finland's President Alexander Stubb and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen with (background L-R) British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 18 August 2025. EPA/AARON SCHWARTZ / POOL
United States President Donald J Trump participates in a Multilateral Meeting with European Leaders: (foreground L-R) NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, Finland's President Alexander Stubb and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen with (background L-R) British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 18 August 2025. EPA/AARON SCHWARTZ / POOL
TT

Zelenskyy Will Hold Urgent Talks with 30 Countries as Trump Pushes for Swift Peace Deal with Russia

United States President Donald J Trump participates in a Multilateral Meeting with European Leaders: (foreground L-R) NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, Finland's President Alexander Stubb and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen with (background L-R) British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 18 August 2025. EPA/AARON SCHWARTZ / POOL
United States President Donald J Trump participates in a Multilateral Meeting with European Leaders: (foreground L-R) NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, Finland's President Alexander Stubb and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen with (background L-R) British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 18 August 2025. EPA/AARON SCHWARTZ / POOL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was due to hold urgent talks Thursday with leaders and officials from about 30 countries that are supporting Kyiv’s effort to obtain fair terms for an end to the war with Russia.

The leaders of Germany, Britain and France were among those expected to take part in the meeting of Ukraine's allies, dubbed the Coalition of the Willing, via video link.

Zelenskyy indicated the talks were hastily arranged as Kyiv officials scramble to avoid getting boxed in by US President Donald Trump's demands for a swift settlement. European governments are trying to help steer the peace negotiations because they say their own security is at stake.

Trump said Wednesday that he and European leaders discussed proposals by phone in “pretty strong terms,” adding that Zelenskyy “has to be realistic” about his country’s position on a peace plan that would cede Ukrainian territory to Russia. He didn't elaborate.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Thursday that he, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron suggested to Trump that they finalize the peace proposals together with US officials over the weekend. There may also be talks in Berlin early next week, with or without American officials, he said.

The main issue to be resolved is “what territories and concessions Ukraine is prepared to make,” Merz added.

“The work we are doing together remains extremely difficult. There is a very simple reason for this. President Putin is relentlessly continuing his brutal war against the Ukrainian civilian population, and at the same time he is clearly playing for time in the negotiations,” Merz said.

There are signs that the negotiations are coming to a crossroads. The talks are at “a critical moment,” European leaders said in a statement Wednesday.

Next week, Ukraine will coordinate with European countries on a bilateral level, Zelenskyy said late Wednesday, and European Union countries are due to hold a regular summit in Brussels at the end of next week.

Russia has new proposals on security Trump’s latest effort to broker a settlement is taking longer than he wanted. He initially set a hard deadline for Kyiv to accept his peace plan before Thanksgiving. Previous Washington deadlines for reaching a peace deal have also passed without making a breakthrough.

Russia is also keen to show Trump it is engaging with his peace efforts, hoping to avoid any further US sanctions. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that Russia has relayed to Washington “additional proposals ... concerning collective security guarantees” that Ukraine and Europe say are needed to deter future aggression.

“We understand that when discussing security guarantees, we cannot limit ourselves to Ukraine alone,” Lavrov said. He didn’t offer details of the Kremlin's proposals.

Putin has framed Europe as an obstacle to a peace settlement, and Lavrov again accused Europe of seeking to prolong the war.

He charged that Western Europe “is only thinking about a ceasefire, catching its breath, and once again preparing Zelenskyy” for war.

Ukrainian drones hit Russian oil rig, disrupt Moscow flights Meanwhile, Ukrainian long-range drones hit a Russian oil rig in the Caspian Sea for the first time, according to an official in the Security Service of Ukraine who was not authorized to speak publicly about the attack and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The oil rig is located in the northern part of the Caspian Sea, about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from Ukraine, and belongs to Russia’s second biggest oil company, Lukoil, the official told The Associated Press. The rig took four hits, halting the extraction of oil and gas from over 20 wells, he said.

Also, Ukraine launched one of its biggest drone attacks of the nearly four-year war overnight, forcing flights in and out of all four Moscow airports to be halted for seven hours. Airports in eight other cities across Russia also faced restrictions, Russian civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia said Thursday.

The Russian Defense Ministry said air defenses intercepted 287 Ukrainian drones over multiple Russian regions.

The display of Ukraine’s military capability to strike deep inside Russia appeared as a counter to the Kremlin’s argument that its invasion is overwhelming for its smaller neighbor.

Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to portray himself as negotiating from a position of strength, analysts say. But since launching the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russia has captured only around 20% of Ukraine.