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China Supports Iran in Defending Security, Says FM

The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
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China Supports Iran in Defending Security, Says FM

The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

China supports Iran in defending its "sovereignty, security and national dignity", Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi told Iran's acting foreign minister in a phone call on Sunday, according to a statement by China's foreign ministry.

In the phone call, Wang repeated Beijing's denunciation of the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31, saying the strike had violated Iran's sovereignty and threatened regional stability, Reuters reported.

Iran and the Palestinian group Hamas have accused Israel of carrying out strike that killed Haniyeh.

Israel has not claimed or denied responsibility for the killing, which has fueled concern that the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip was turning into a wider Middle East war.

Iran has vowed to "harshly punish" Israel over the assassination.

Wang told Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran's Acting Foreign Minister, that the killing of Haniyeh had "directly undermined the Gaza ceasefire negotiation process and undermined regional peace and stability," China's foreign ministry said, Reuters reported.

"China supports Iran in defending its sovereignty, security and national dignity in accordance with the law, and in its efforts to maintain regional peace and stability, and stands ready to maintain close communication with Iran," Wang was quoted as saying.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday nominated Abbas Araqchi as the country's foreign minister. Araqchi had been Iran's chief negotiator in nuclear talks from 2013 to 2021.

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Residents Flee as Wildfire Rages Uncontrolled Near Athens

The Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis hill as smoke from a wildfire is seen in the village of Varnava blankets Athens, Greece, August 11, 2024. REUTERS/Elias Marcou
The Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis hill as smoke from a wildfire is seen in the village of Varnava blankets Athens, Greece, August 11, 2024. REUTERS/Elias Marcou
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Residents Flee as Wildfire Rages Uncontrolled Near Athens

The Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis hill as smoke from a wildfire is seen in the village of Varnava blankets Athens, Greece, August 11, 2024. REUTERS/Elias Marcou
The Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis hill as smoke from a wildfire is seen in the village of Varnava blankets Athens, Greece, August 11, 2024. REUTERS/Elias Marcou

Residents fled their homes in the village of Varnava near Greece's capital Athens on Sunday as fire crews struggled to contain a fast-moving wildfire fueled by hot, windy weather.
More than 250 firefighters backed by 12 water-bombing planes and seven helicopters battled the blaze that broke out at 3 p.m and quickly reached the village some 35 km north of Athens.
By late afternoon, a thick cloud of brown smoke hovered over parts of the capital.
Authorities sent evacuation alerts for five nearby areas.
"The fire entered the village within 10 minutes. The winds were very strong," a Varnava resident who fled with her children and dog told Skai TV.
Fire brigade spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said the blaze took on very large dimensions due to gale force winds in the area, Reuters reported.
Flames as high as 25 m swallowed up trees and shrubland.
Hundreds of wildfires have broken out across Greece this summer, which just recorded its hottest June and July on record after its warmest winter. Like elsewhere in the Mediterranean, scientists have linked their spread to increasingly hot, dry weather driven by global climate change.
Another blaze in a forested area near the town of Megara, west of Athens, had been contained by Sunday afternoon, the fire brigade said.
Several other regions across Greece were on high alert for fire risk on Sunday and Monday.
"We are expecting a very difficult week," said Kostas Lagouvardos, research director of the Athens Observatory. "If the Varnava blaze is not contained during the night, we will have a problem tomorrow," he said.
Fire-fighting aircraft cease operations at dusk.
On Saturday, Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias said he had called for emergency measures involving the army, police and volunteers to deal with forest fires until Aug. 15.
"Extremely high and dangerous weather conditions will prevail," he said.
"Half of Greece will be in the red."
In June and July, above-normal temperatures were registered in 57 out of 61 days, Lagouvardos said. Greece is forecast to record its hottest ever summer.