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Belgium Launches Syria Violations Probe, Detains War Crimes Suspect

The trial of former Syrian intelligence officers Iyad al-Ghareeb and Anwar Raslan in Koblenz, Germany. AFP file photo
The trial of former Syrian intelligence officers Iyad al-Ghareeb and Anwar Raslan in Koblenz, Germany. AFP file photo
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Belgium Launches Syria Violations Probe, Detains War Crimes Suspect

The trial of former Syrian intelligence officers Iyad al-Ghareeb and Anwar Raslan in Koblenz, Germany. AFP file photo
The trial of former Syrian intelligence officers Iyad al-Ghareeb and Anwar Raslan in Koblenz, Germany. AFP file photo

Belgium has joined other European nations in pursuing perpetrators of war crimes in Syria since 2011.

Belgian police arrested Hussein A. based on a warrant charging him with committing crimes against humanity.

He has been remanded in custody awaiting the issuance of formal charges, a process that may take several months.

Hussein A. served as a commander in a militia affiliated with the “National Defense Committees” in the Syrian Salamiyah region near Hama.

He was responsible for the arrest and handover of detainees to branches of the military security apparatus of the Syrian army in Hama.

Syrian lawyer Anwar Al-Bunni has prepared the case against Hussein A. and submitted it to the Belgian prosecutor general.

Al-Bunni stated that the accused delivered detainees to centers, knowing that they would be subjected to torture.

Moreover, Al-Bunni added that the case of Hussein A. is linked to another case involving an individual arrested two months ago in the Netherlands.

This individual was also a commander in a militia affiliated with the National Defense Committees and remains in custody awaiting formal charges and trial.

Al-Bunni clarified that the Syrian Center for Legal Studies and Research has managed to gather more than 10 witnesses in the case of Hussein A., all of whom are victims who have experienced arrest and torture.

In 2015, Hussein A. came to Belgium for a family reunion and applied for Belgian citizenship, but the decision is still pending.

This case is Belgium’s first against individuals accused of war crimes in Syria. It’s part of a broader effort led by al-Bunni, who is compiling cases against those fleeing Syria for Europe.

Al-Bunni relies on the principle of universal jurisdiction, allowing Western countries to prosecute criminals for crimes committed abroad.

Germany, followed by France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and now Belgium, all have initiated legal proceedings against former Syrian officers.

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World

UN Watchdog Says No Damage to Iran Sites Housing Nuclear Material

A satellite image shows a closer view of the Natanz Nuclear Facility with new building damage, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, near Natanz, Iran, March 2, 2026. (Vantor/Handout via Reuters)
A satellite image shows a closer view of the Natanz Nuclear Facility with new building damage, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, near Natanz, Iran, March 2, 2026. (Vantor/Handout via Reuters)
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UN Watchdog Says No Damage to Iran Sites Housing Nuclear Material

A satellite image shows a closer view of the Natanz Nuclear Facility with new building damage, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, near Natanz, Iran, March 2, 2026. (Vantor/Handout via Reuters)
A satellite image shows a closer view of the Natanz Nuclear Facility with new building damage, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, near Natanz, Iran, March 2, 2026. (Vantor/Handout via Reuters)

The UN nuclear watchdog IAEA said Wednesday facilities housing nuclear material in Iran suffered no damage in the recent US-Israeli strikes and there was no risk of a radiation leak.

"Based on analysis of latest available satellite imagery, IAEA sees no damage to facilities containing nuclear material in Iran and therefore no radiological release risk at this time," the agency said on X.

Near the Natanz site near the central city of Isfahan, "damage is visible at two buildings" and there was "no additional impact detected" after "damage at entrances" reported on Tuesday, it said.

IAEA inspectors have had no access to the key Natanz site since it was targeted by bombings in June during the 12?day war triggered by an Israeli attack.

The IAEA reported "no impact at other nuclear sites, including Bushehr" in the southeast.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi repeated his call for "utmost restraint" in the conflict to avoid a radiation threat.

World

Iranian Govt Making Case for Demise with Indiscriminate Attacks, EU’s Kallas Says

European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas attends a press conference after an informal meeting of Council of the Baltic Sea States in Warsaw, Poland, 04 March 2026. (EPA)
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas attends a press conference after an informal meeting of Council of the Baltic Sea States in Warsaw, Poland, 04 March 2026. (EPA)
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Iranian Govt Making Case for Demise with Indiscriminate Attacks, EU’s Kallas Says

European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas attends a press conference after an informal meeting of Council of the Baltic Sea States in Warsaw, Poland, 04 March 2026. (EPA)
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas attends a press conference after an informal meeting of Council of the Baltic Sea States in Warsaw, Poland, 04 March 2026. (EPA)

Iran's government is making a strong case for its demise by indiscriminately attacking its neighbors, EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas told reporters on Wednesday.

"Iran's strategy is to sow chaos and set the region on fire," ‌Kallas said.

Türkiye ‌said earlier on ‌Wednesday that ⁠NATO air defenses destroyed ⁠an Iranian ballistic missile headed into Turkish airspace.

Asked about the incident, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said: "Iran is broadening the war ⁠to countries that did not ‌attack ‌it ... there is a well-known ‌saying it's worse than ‌a crime, it's a mistake."

Kallas said the war in the Middle East is diverting attention from ‌Ukraine, but it was important not to let ⁠the ⁠war in Ukraine recede into the background.

She added that the conflict in Iran has cost Russia an ally, but cautioned that Russia could benefit from a spike in oil prices stemming from the crisis.

World

Israel Initially Planned to Strike Iran in Mid-2026, Reveals Minister

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz makes statements with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias after their meeting in Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP)
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz makes statements with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias after their meeting in Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP)
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Israel Initially Planned to Strike Iran in Mid-2026, Reveals Minister

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz makes statements with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias after their meeting in Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP)
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz makes statements with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias after their meeting in Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP)

Israel had initially planned to strike Iran in mid-2026, but developments inside the country and shifting regional dynamics brought the timetable forward to February, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday.

"An operation was planned for the middle of the year with the same target set," Katz said in an address to military intelligence officials, according to a statement issued by his office.

"But due to developments and circumstances -- mainly what happened inside Iran, the position of the US president and the possibility of creating a combined operation -- it became necessary to move everything up to February."

During mass anti-government protests in Iran in January, which were suppressed in a violent crackdown by security forces, Trump pledged support for demonstrators, declaring that the United States stood with the people of Iran.

Top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, made similar remarks, urging Iranians to rise up against the country's clerical leadership.

The United States and Israel jointly launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, and in the initial wave of attacks, they killed supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran retaliated swiftly with missile fire targeting Israel and also launched strikes against several countries in the region, saying it was aiming at US assets.

Iran's official IRNA news agency said Wednesday that US-Israeli strikes had killed 1,045 military personnel and civilians since the start of the war. AFP was not in a position to independently verify the toll.

Iranian strikes on Israel have killed 10 people and injured scores more, according to Israeli authorities.