Azerbaijani military officer Ramil Safarov lays flowers at Martyrs’ Alley national memorial in the capital Baku on August 31, 2012. Armenia has expressed readiness for a war with its arch-foe, the Republic of Azerbaijan, after Baku pardoned and promoted an Azerbaijani officer who axed an Armenian soldier to death. “We don’t want a war, but if we have to, we will fight and win. We are... 

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (R) and Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi shake hands during their meeting in the Iranian capital city, Tehran, on August 30, 2012. Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Egyptian counterpart, Mohamed Morsi, have described the two key Middle Eastern countries as “strategic allies.” At a Thursday meeting with Morsi in the Iranian capital, Tehran,... 

Mohammad-Mehdi Akhounzadeh, secretary of NAM expert-level meeting, addresses journalists and reporters in Tehran on Monday, Aug 27, 2012. After the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is the most important world body. Hopefully its 16th summit will infuse it with new life. As host, Iran has a historic opportunity. At the same time, it can enhance its own prestige and enlist support against hostile Washington/Israeli... 

USS Enterprise nuclear-powered aircraft carrier The US Navy has cut short home leave for crew of aircraft carrier USS Stennis by four months to send the warship back to the Middle East and Persian Gulf next week. US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta notified the USS Stennis crew in Seattle on Wednesday that they are needed in the Middle East region, following the requests forwarded by the US Central Command. The... 

Thirty-six universities in Iran have announced that 77 courses in their curriculum will be “single-sex,” prompting an outcry at home and worldwide over women’s rights in the Islamic state. ­The subjects now only available for men include accounting, engineering, pure chemistry, English literature and translation, hotel management, and many others, Iranian news website Rooz Online reports. For... 

Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi Iran’s defense minister says the country’s Defence Ministry plans to produce a variety of fighter aircraft, missiles, drones, submarines and military vehicles by the end of the Iranian calendar year (started March 20, 2012). Referring to the 190 defense achievements that were unveiled during the last Iranian calendar year, Brigadier... 

Israeli President Shimon Peres Israeli president has ruled out a unilateral attack on Iran’s nuclear energy facilities, saying Tel Aviv will need Washington’s help for a military operation against Tehran. “Now, it’s clear to us that we can’t do it alone… It’s clear to us we have to proceed together with America,” Reuters quoted Shimon Peres as saying on Thursday. He... 

Saudi Arabia is to build a new city exclusively for women. The Gulf kingdom is working on the narrow junction between strict Sharia law and the aspirations of active females who wish to pursue their own careers. ­The new plan is to combine women’s desire to work in the modern age and provide a job environment that would go hand-in-hand with the country’s Sharia law. The Saudi Industrial Property... 

Iran’s Health Minister Marzieh Vahid-Dastjerdi says the death toll from the two powerful earthquakes in the Eastern Azerbaijan Province has risen to 306. Vahid-Dastjerdi said on Monday that 3037 people have been injured as a result of Saturday’s temblors. On Saturday, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the city of Ahar, near the provincial capital Tabriz, 60 kilometers (37 miles) northeast... 

An Israeli anti-war protester holds a sign asking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to bomb Iran during a demonstration in Tel Aviv on March 24, 2012. Hundreds of Israelis have demonstrated in Tel Aviv to protest against a possible military strike on Iran and demand the resignation of Israeli premier and minister for military affairs. Carrying signs condemning any strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities,... 

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu are considering implementing no-fly zones for Syria after holding Saturday talks in Istanbul. ­According to Reuters, Clinton said that Ankara and Washington need to plan ways to assist the rebels fighting to topple President Bashar... 

Two strong quakes have shaken Iran’s northwest, leaving 180 people dead and 1300 injured, state-run Press TV reports. The quakes have also disrupted communications, complicating rescue efforts. The quakes, measuring 6.4 and 6.3 on the Richter scale, struck near the towns of Tabriz and Ahar. However, most of the dead are thought to be in the surrounding villages. “Our access to villages... 

French soldiers board an A310 airliner on August 9, 2012 at the Istres military airbase in southern France to be sent to the Syrian-Jordanian border. France has sent troops to the Syrian border with Jordan amid reports of escalating foreign support for the insurgents fighting the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. France said its soldiers have been deployed to ‘help refugees’... 

The interim authorities in Libya have handed over power to a nationally-elected assembly. But as numerous rival armed groups control most of Libya, the escalation of violence continues against a background of an increasingly divided nation. During a ceremony late on Wednesday in Tripoli, NTC chief Mustafa Abdul Jalil passed the reins to the oldest member of the assembly, Mohammed Ali Salim. Once it... 

Israelis try to extinguish flames from a protester who set himself on fire during a demonstration in Tel Aviv on July 14, 2012. An elderly Israeli woman has set herself on fire, becoming the fourth person to self-immolate in the country over the past month. The woman, believed to be around 80, set herself on fire on Wednesday afternoon at her home in the city of Jerusalem, Xinhua reported. The elderly...