The Foreign Ministers of Iraq, Iran, and Syria warned on Friday, following a trilateral meeting in Baghdad, that the escalating violence in Syria will not remain within its borders and poses a significant threat to the region, especially to neighbouring countries.
"We discussed the difficult and dangerous circumstances in Syria in detail," Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told a press conference flanked by his Iranian and Syrian counterparts.
"We discussed the critical security situation and its implications on other countries and the neighbours, particularly Iraq," Mr Hussein said, adding that "the security of Syria and Iraq are interconnected, and the security of both countries is tied to that of surrounding states".
Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh echoed the same warnings, saying the escalation "is not only a threat to the security and stability of Syria, but also to the security and stability of the entire region," calling for "mobilising efforts to support the state in combating the terrorism and preserving its sovereignty and the safety of its people".
For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called for the military support of the Syrian government in its fight against rebel forces.
"Terrorism knows no borders," Mr Araghci said. "Therefore, to combat terrorism, we can't stop at our borders; we must go beyond them.
"If Syria becomes a safe heaven for terrorists, they will launch attacks and use it as a base to target other countries such as Turkey, Jordan and Iraq."
In a separate meeting, Mr Hussein and Mr Sabbagh discussed "the situation and security developments in Syria", the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Mr Hussein "voiced Iraq's deep concerns regarding these developments, noting that Iraq closely monitors the situation in Syria due to its direct impact on the security and stability of the region", it added.
Both ministers stressed the importance of continued "consultation and co-ordination between the two countries to avoid repeating past experiences and to work towards protecting regional security, ensuring stability and serving their shared interests", the statement said.
Syrian and Iranian Foreign Minister also held separate meetings with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani and President Abdul Latif Rashid as well as other officials.
During a meeting with the Iranian minister, Mr Al Sudani "emphasised Iraq's official and steadfast position in support of Syria's unity, security, and stability, stressing the importance of respecting Syria's sovereignty," according to a statement.
He affirmed his country's "commitment to exerting intensive diplomatic efforts to help contain the crisis in Syria, given its direct impact on Iraq's security".
For a week, Hayat Tahrir Al Sham and its allies have conducted an offensive against government troops that began in northern Syria. The rebels have captured the cities of Aleppo and Hama, with hundreds of fighters killed on both sides and tens of thousands of people displaced.
Meanwhile, Turkey, Iran and Russia are set to meet in Doha on Saturday to discuss the rebel advance in Syria, a Turkish diplomatic source told Reuters on Friday.
Iraq also called for a regional meeting in Baghdad to discuss the current escalation in violence in Syria.
“Baghdad will try to arrange for a meeting to a number of states to discuss the dangerous situation in Syria,” Mr Hussein. “We will engage in diplomatic communications to reach understandings with the representatives of these countries,” he added. He didn’t name the countries but said some of them are members of Astana format. He also called for an urgent meeting for Arab League at the ministerial level.
Mr Sabbagh said that the country's armed forces remained committed to fighting rebels, despite recent setbacks, including retreats from several areas.
“The armed forces were forced to carry out retreat operations in line with battle tactics, repositioning and deployment,” he said. “The army will continue to carry out its duties,” he added, stressing that this message has been communicated to allies of Damascus.
Baghdad has taken increased security measures by sending more troops to the border with Syria.
Earlier efforts by Iraq to secure its borders came after ISIS took over about a third of Syria and about two-fifths of Iraq in 2014. Iraq, whose border with Syria is more than 600km long, has built a wall and dug a trench in some areas. That has been fortified with an integrated monitoring system, which includes fences, a concrete wall and thermal surveillance cameras.
Iraqi Foreign Minister said his country must guard against attack. "We stress the need to protect Iraqi territory and borders and distance Iraq from any terrorist attacks", adding that "all Iraqi security forces are on high alert".
Tehran-allied Shiite factions have sent reinforcements to Syria to support the government of President Bashar Al Assad, adding to contingents of fighters present since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011. However, there is no clear sign yet if these Iraqi militias have been sent to the front line to support Syrian government forces.
The escalation in Syria has come against the backdrop of the continuing war in Gaza and the announcement of a ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah.
More than 44,500 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive in Gaza, the enclave's health authorities said. This followed a Hamas-led attack on Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 240 abducted. About 100 captives are still in Gaza, one third of whom are believed to be dead.
RESULTS
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1.600m
Winner: Miller’s House, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Kanood, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Gervais, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Important Mission, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Zhou Storm, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
SPECS
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If you go
- The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
- The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
- The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
((Disclaimer))
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
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Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.
There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.
The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
