ANKARA: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was expected to fly to Turkiye on Wednesday for twice-delayed talks aimed at ironing out past differences and trying to halt the spread of the Israel-Hamas war.
Raisi’s visit to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan comes with the war in Gaza starting to enflame tensions and escalate fighting across the Middle East.
The United States and Britain have stepped up joint air strikes against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen in response to their attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes.
WASHINGTON: The U.S. military carried out two more strikes in Yemen early on Wednesday, destroying two Houthi anti-ship missiles that were aimed at the Red Sea and were preparing to launch, the U.S. military said in a statement.
The U.S. strikes, which took place at roughly 2:30 a.m. (2330 GMT), are the latest against the Iran-backed group over its targeting of Red Sea shipping, and followed a larger round of strikes a day earlier.
GAZA/JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON: Intense international mediation efforts are working toward exchanging Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners during a proposed month-long ceasefire in Gaza, Reuters reported on Tuesday, as the White House said its envoy was having active discussions on the issue. Qatar, the US and Egypt have held shuttle diplomacy since Dec. 28 and Israel and Hamas broadly agree in principle to the framework plan, sources said. It is being held up by the two sides’ differences over how to bring a permanent end to the Gaza war, sources said.