BAGHDAD -- Iraq's former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Wednesday rebuffed the "blatant U.S. interference" in Iraq's internal affairs, describing it as "a violation of Iraqi sovereignty," after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened that America would "no longer help Iraq" if al-Maliki returns to power.
"We consider it a violation of Iraqi sovereignty, a breach of the democratic system established in Iraq after 2003, and an infringement upon the decision of the Coordination Framework (CF) for selecting its candidate for the premiership," al-Maliki wrote on his official X account. (Iraq-Former PM-US Interference)
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TEHRAN -- Iran will deliver an "appropriate" response to any military action against it, a senior Iranian diplomat warned here on Wednesday, amid heightened tensions with the United States.
At a meeting with foreign media representatives, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran is determined to create deterrence against U.S. military buildup and threats in West Asia.
"If they take a limited military action, Iran will give an appropriate response, not a proportionate one, to dissuade them from repeating their attacks," he said. (Iran-Military Action-Warning)
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ANKARA -- Attacking Iran would be wrong and would risk reigniting war, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said, adding that diplomacy remains viable and that Tehran is ready to re-engage on its nuclear file.
"Attacking Iran is wrong. Restarting the war is wrong," Fidan said in an interview with Al Jazeera, parts of which were aired on Wednesday. "When you begin negotiations, Iran is ready to renegotiate the nuclear dossier," he said. (Türkiye-Iran-Tension)
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CAIRO -- The Egyptian government signed on Wednesday a 4.2-billion-U.S. dollar deal with British private company Polar Hydro to implement a solid waste management and treatment project in the Giza Free Zone, south of Cairo, read a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Environment.
Under the deal, Polar Hydro will build a large-scale facility in Giza to process and recycle solid household waste, converting it into biofuel and fertilizers, with a daily treatment capacity of at least 5,000 tons, said Egyptian Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment Manal Awad at the signing ceremony. (Egypt-British Firm-Waste Management Deal)
