Iran’s top military official has voiced scepticism about Israel’s commitment to the recently brokered ceasefire that ended a 12-day conflict between the two nations earlier this month, Times of India reported. Speaking on Sunday, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, said Iran remains prepared to retaliate if hostilities resume, citing ‘serious doubts’ over Israel’s …

The proper thing to do when readers respond to a newspaper article is to respect their right of reply. There were two irate responses to my article last week, Not the Iran We Thought It Was: What Has Changed in the Persian Gulf. One, entitled, Not the Azu We Thought He Was, by Yakubu Musa, a guest author for 21st …

Foreign Minister of Iran, Abbas Araghchi says there’s no agreement on a ceasefire, but Tehran will halt attacks if Israel stops its ‘illegal aggression’. Araghchi made a post on his verified X handle after US President Donald Trump said Israel and Iran have agreed to a truce to bring an end to what he called the ’12-day war’. Israel is …

The Federal Government has announced that it is finalising emergency evacuation plans for Nigerian citizens stranded in Israel and Iran following the recent escalation of hostilities between the two nations. According to a statement released by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, on Tuesday night, Nigerian embassies in Tel Aviv and Tehran are actively reaching out …

In a dramatic turn of events yesterday, the Islamic Republic of Iran signalled its willingness to pursue a ceasefire in its ongoing war with Israel, even as heavy Israeli air raids continued to pound critical targets in and around Tehran, including the headquarters of Iran’s state television. Witnesses described a deafening explosion followed by chaos in surrounding neighborhoods. ‘All we …

World leaders on Friday raised the alarm over a looming regional crisis after Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on Iran, killing top military commanders. The attacks have escalated long-standing hostilities between the two countries. Among those killed in the early morning strikes were Iran’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Mohammad Bagheri, and the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein …

Israel Prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has said he has instructed Israel’s military to intensify pressure on Hamas after the Palestinian militant group rejected a temporary truce proposal. In a televised address, the Israeli prime minister said that while war came with a heavy price, Israel had ‘no choice but to continue fighting for our very existence, until victory’. On Thursday, …

Israeli Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen signed an order on Sunday instructing the Israel Electric Corporation to immediately halt the supply of electricity to the Gaza Strip. ‘I have signed an order to immediately cut off electricity to the Gaza Strip. Enough talk, it’s time for action!’ Cohen wrote in a post on X. The move follows Israel’s announcement …

Israel will free 602 inmates from jails on Saturday as part of a hostage-prisoner swap with Hamas under an ongoing Gaza ceasefire deal, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club advocacy group. Among those released, 445 are people from Gaza who were arrested after Hamas’ October 7 attack that sparked the war, 60 are serving long sentences, 50 are serving life …

Hamas yesterday released three more Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip in the sixth such exchange following days of tense negotiations that threatened to undo the precarious ceasefire. In return, Israel began returning 369 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, most without any charges or convictions. It is the largest number of Palestinians to be freed since the beginning of …