Middle East

Iran-backed militias in Iraq have roots stretching back to the 1980's and are the product of decades of Iranian policy aimed at cultivating armed proxies beyond its borders.

Egypt not Arab country using diplomacy to lower Israel's guard • IDF carries out first preemptive Hamas strike since late July • US officials say Israel not doing enough against settler violence

Spanish media have already described the move as a "diplomatic crisis with Arab countries," while Colombian media have reported extensively on the wave of condemnations.

Months after diplomats and families were ordered to leave, US embassies across the Middle East are preparing for continued reduced operations amid the ongoing Iran conflict.

Officials told the Post that IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir told ministers: “The blockade of Iran is highly effective. The economic crisis there is getting worse.”

Ali Abdollahi was appointed as chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces, with Kioumars Heydari named as his deputy.

BoP Director-General Nikolay Mladenov disputed the report, saying that "such a proposal has not been discussed, negotiated, considered, and will not be on the agenda in the future."

Riyadh faces a dilemma: how to deter attacks and protect the ambitious economic vision it is pursuing without becoming entangled in a broader conflict in the region.

In the agreement, the 60-day period refers to an extendable timeframe within which Iran and the US were expected to reach a final deal limiting Tehran's nuclear program and lifting US sanctions.

Hamas employs physical violence, blackmail, psychological threats and harm, prolonged isolation, and a range of other forms of mistreatment, the IDF said.