German Christmas Market Attacker Asked about Whereabouts of Saudi Ambassador

People mourn at the mourning site in front of St. John's Church following a vehicle-ramming attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, 22 December 2024.  EPA/FILIP SINGER
People mourn at the mourning site in front of St. John's Church following a vehicle-ramming attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, 22 December 2024. EPA/FILIP SINGER
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German Christmas Market Attacker Asked about Whereabouts of Saudi Ambassador

People mourn at the mourning site in front of St. John's Church following a vehicle-ramming attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, 22 December 2024.  EPA/FILIP SINGER
People mourn at the mourning site in front of St. John's Church following a vehicle-ramming attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, 22 December 2024. EPA/FILIP SINGER

The perpetrator who drove a car at speed through a Christmas market in the city of Magdeburg, Germany, has reportedly offered a reward in return for information about the whereabouts of the Saudi ambassador to Germany, a source told Independent Arabia on Sunday.
The source said that the attacker, Taleb al-Abd al-Mohsen, had offered a SAR 10,000 (equivalent to 2662 euros) in reward for anyone who provides information pertaining to the residence of the Saudi ambassador to Germany, and the timing of his presence.
The Saudi embassy had informed the German authorities about the threat, said the source but the latter “did not take the matter seriously”, he stated.
On Friday, Taleb al-Abd al-Mohsen drove a car at speed through a Christmas market in Germany, killing four women ranging in age from 45 to 75, as well as a 9-year-old boy and injuring 200, including 41 in serious condition.
The police apprehended the perpetrator at the scene of the attack. He is a doctor who had fled Saudi Arabia, where he was wanted on criminal charges. He had been residing in Germany for two decades.
Saudi Arabia condemned the ramming attack and expressed solidarity with the people of Germany.
A Saudi source told Reuters that Saudi Arabia had warned the German authorities about the suspect who appears to have been an active user of the social media platform X, sharing extremist tweets and retweets daily.
In 2023 and 2024, Germany received warnings about the man from Saudi authorities, a German source affirmed.



Russian Delegation Visits Iran for Meeting with President

FILE PHOTO: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a plenary session in the outreach/BRICS Plus format at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia October 24, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/Pool/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a plenary session in the outreach/BRICS Plus format at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia October 24, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/Pool/File Photo
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Russian Delegation Visits Iran for Meeting with President

FILE PHOTO: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a plenary session in the outreach/BRICS Plus format at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia October 24, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/Pool/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a plenary session in the outreach/BRICS Plus format at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia October 24, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/Pool/File Photo

A Russian delegation arrived in Tehran for a visit that includes a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Monday, as the two countries prepare to sign a comprehensive cooperation agreement.
Iran and Russia have been working on setting a date to complete an agreement, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday, adding that the deal is set to be signed during a bilateral visit in January.
Russia has cultivated closer ties with Iran and other countries hostile towards the United States, such as North Korea, since the start of the Ukraine war, Reuters said.
The country's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in October that Moscow and Tehran intended to sign a deal which would include closer defense cooperation.
The Russian delegation to Iran is headed by deputy prime ministers Alexei Overchuk and Vitaly Savelev, according to Russia's Interfax news agency.
"The parties are expected to discuss the joint work of Iran and the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) within the framework of a full-fledged agreement on a free trade zone," Interfax said on Monday.
The United States accused Tehran in September of delivering close-range ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine, and imposed sanctions on ships and companies it said were involved in delivering Iranian weapons. Tehran denies providing Moscow with the missiles.