International

Iran, Russia and Turkey will meet to discuss the conflict in Syria

The Foreign Ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey will meet at the end of this week to discuss the conflict in Syria, where rebel factions have launched a major offensive against the Damascus Government.

The meeting between the members of the so-called Astana Process – formed to end the Syrian civil war – will be within the framework of the Doha Forum to be held on December 7 and 8, according to the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchí and reported on Wednesday by the state agency IRNA.

Iran accuses Israel and the United States

Iran and Russia are allies of the Government of Syrian President Bashar al-Asad, while Turkey has supported armed opposition groups in recent years.

Araqchi will discuss with his counterparts from Russia and Turkey, Sergey Lavrov and Hakan Fidan, respectively, the situation in Syria, where Islamist insurgent factions began a broad military offensive in the northwest of the country on November 27.

Since then, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian colleague Masud Pezeshkian have reaffirmed their “unconditional” support for Al Asad.

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Iran has also accused the United States and Israel of reactivating violence in Syria, amid the conflict already existing in the Middle East.

Contacts with Arab countries

The Syrian government has launched a campaign of contacts with Arab countries, as well as with Iran, its main ally, in search of support, after the start of the broad offensive of Islamist factions.

This alliance is led by the Levante Liberation Agency, a former subsidiary of Al Qaeda in Syria.

It is also made up of pro-Turkish factions and together they have since managed to completely control the city of Idlib and most of Aleppo, the second largest after Damascus.

At the moment they continue their advance towards Hama, about 210 kilometers north of the capital.

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”