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Supporting Palestine

Iran’s foreign minister says the apartheid Zionist regime is the biggest threat to the West Asia region and the entire Muslim Ummah. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was speaking on the phone with his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, on the eve of Eid al-Fitr. The Iranian top diplomat also stressed the necessity of stronger unity among Muslims to stop Zionists’ aggression against the al-Aqsa Mosque compound and help Palestinians restore their full rights. The Jordanian minister said his country will continue to support peace and stability in the region and defend the holy sites in al-Quds in the face of Zionists’ aggression. Amir-Abdollahian also talked to his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan on the phone. He expressed hope that Tehran and Riyadh would reopen their diplomatic missions on each other’s soils before this year’s Hajj pilgrimage. Farhan, for his part, said Riyadh will provide Iran with necessary facilities to reopen its diplomatic missions in Riyadh and Jeddah.

Sudan political crisis

The United Nations has called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan, as intense fighting continues in the African country. Guterres said the cessation of hostilities must be followed by serious dialog allowing for the successful transition, starting with the appointment of a civilian government. Leader of the Rapid Support Forces General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo has welcomed the proposed ceasefire. Sudan's army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, for his part, said he would support a truce on condition that the RSF would allow citizens to move freely. Burhan also rejected the idea of having direct negotiations with the paramilitary group. Explosions and gunfire were heard around Khartoum International Airport, the army headquarters, and the neighboring cities of Omdurman and Bahri as rival forces battled for a sixth day. Over 300 people have been killed so far. The fighting broke out on Saturday after weeks of tensions over the planned integration of the paramilitary group into the regular army.

Slamming US foreign policy

The Russian foreign minister has strongly condemned the United States’ foreign policy approach to other countries. Sergei Lavrov says the only method that the US uses in its international relations is "blackmail, threats, and sanctions." Lavrov made the remarks in a joint press conference with his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodríguez, in Havana, during his tour of Latin America. He added that Washington has declared a crusade against Russia, using Ukraine as the spearhead of the attack. Lavrov said during his tour, he has discussed the necessity to oppose the US and West's attempts to dominate the world with his counterparts. He said Russia, along with Cuba and other countries, takes part in collective efforts to counter US policies. Lavrov’s tour of Latin America has already taken him to Brazil, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

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