Tehran: The relations between Iran and Gulf Arab states have seen a "breakthrough" since President Ebrahim Raisi assumed office in 2021, an Iranian diplomat said Sunday. Iran and Saudi Arabia have taken "positive and constructive steps" toward resolving their differences, said Iranian Foreign Ministry's Undersecretary for Diplomatic Affairs Ali Reza Enayati in an interview with official news agency IRNA.He also mentioned the earlier dispatch of Iranian representatives to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) headquartered in Saudi Arabia where their cooperation with the OIC was facilitated by Saudi officials. The Iranian official hoped that further negotiations between the two major regional Muslim states would pave the way for the participation of Iranian pilgrims in the annual Hajj in Saudi Arabia.Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties with Iran in early 2016 in protest against the attacks on its diplomatic missions in Iran following the kingdom's execution of a Shiite cleric. The relations further soured during the Yemeni civil war between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and the internationally-recognized government supported by the Saudi-led coalition.Enayati said Raisi's February visit to Qatar, during which 15 memoranda of understanding were signed, and the president's upcoming trip to Oman are also signs of improvement of Iran's relations with Gulf Arab states.—IANS

 The relations between Iran and Gulf Arab states have seen a "breakthrough" since President Ebrahim Raisi assumed office in 2021, an Iranian diplomat said Sunday.

Iran sees breakthrough in ties with Gulf Arab states: official

Middle East

Sanaa: A senior official of Yemeni armed forces survived a car bombing in the country's southern port city of Aden, a security source said. "The convoy of General Ali Saleh Hassan, chief of the Joint Military Operations Authority, was struck by a car bomb while passing through the main road in Aden's district of Al-Mualla," the source told Xinhua news agency.Based on initial information, the attack occurred around Sunday noon when a parked booby-trapped car exploded and targeted Saleh's convoy, he said. He confirmed that Saleh survived the car bombing attack unharmed, and no casualties were reported among his bodyguards. Local residents confirmed to Xinhua that the blast sent a column of thick smoke into the sky and caused panic and damage to nearby vehicles. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far, but local security sources blamed terror groups for being behind the incident.Considered Yemen's temporary capital city, Aden is where the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has based itself since 2015. Local authorities are trying to maintain security and stability in Aden. However, sporadic bombing incidents and drive-by shooting attacks still occur in the strategic Yemeni port city. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014, when the Houthi rebels seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally-recognized government out of the capital Sanaa.—IANS

A senior official of Yemeni armed forces survived a car bombing in the country's southern port city of Aden, a security source said.

Yemeni military official survives car bombing

Jerusalem: &nbsp;Israeli police decided on Saturday to investigate the conduct of their officers who attacked the funeral of a slain Al Jazeera journalist, causing mourners to briefly drop the casket during the ceremony in Jerusalem.Police forces beat pallbearers with batons at the start of the funeral procession on Friday of Shireen Abu Akleh, who witnesses say was killed by Israeli troops Wednesday during a raid in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli military says Palestinian gunmen were in the area and it's not clear who fired the fatal bullet.The shocking scenes at the funeral, and the death of the 51-year-old Palestinian-American journalist, drew worldwide condemnation and calls for investigations, including from the United States and the United Nations. In a statement Saturday, the Israeli police said their commissioner has instructed an investigation that would be concluded in the coming days. “The Israel Police supports its police officers, but as a professional organisation that seeks to learn and improve, it will also draw lessons from the incident,” the statement said.The police say they used force as hundreds of “rioters tried to sabotage the ceremony and harm the police.” The attack on the funeral added to a sense of grief and outrage that has followed the death of Abu Akleh, a veteran journalist and a household name across the Arab world. They also illustrated the deep sensitivities over east Jerusalem — which is claimed by both Israel and the Palestinians and has sparked repeated rounds of violence.Ahead of the burial, a large crowd gathered to escort her casket from an east Jerusalem hospital to a Catholic church in the nearby Old City. Many of the mourners held Palestinian flags, and the crowd began shouting: “We sacrifice our soul and blood for you, Shireen.” Shortly after, Israel police moved in, pushing and clubbing mourners. As helmeted riot police approached, they hit pallbearers, causing one man to lose control of the casket as it dropped toward the ground. Police ripped Palestinian flags out of people's hands and fired stun grenades to disperse the crowd. On Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US administration was “troubled by the images of Israeli police intruding into the funeral procession” of Abu Akleh, who was also an American citizen. “Every family deserves to lay their loved ones to rest in a dignified and unimpeded manner,” he tweeted.A unanimous condemnation came Friday from the UN Security Council, which called in a rare statement for “an immediate, thorough, transparent and impartial investigation into her killing.” Late Friday, the Palestinian public prosecutor said preliminary findings show Abu Akleh was killed by deliberate fire from Israeli troops. The prosecutor said the investigation would continue. Israel's military said earlier Friday that she was killed during an exchange of fire with Palestinian militants, and that it couldn't determine the source of the shot that killed her. Israel has called for a joint investigation with the Palestinian Authority, and urged it to hand over the bullet for forensic analysis to determine who fired the fatal round. The PA has refused, saying it will conduct its own investigation and send the results to the International Criminal Court, which is already investigating possible Israeli war crimes.The PA and Al Jazeera, which has long had a strained relationship with Israel, have accused Israel of deliberately killing Abu Akleh. Israel denies the accusations.Abu Akleh was a member of the small Palestinian Christian community in the Holy Land. Palestinian Christians and Muslims marched alongside one another Friday in a show of unity. She was shot in the head Wednesday morning during an Israeli military raid in the West Bank town of Jenin.—PTI

 Israeli police decided on Saturday to investigate the conduct of their officers who attacked the funeral of a slain Al Jazeera journalist, causing mourners to briefly drop the casket during the ceremony in Jerusalem.

Israel police to investigate conduct at journalist funeral

&nbsp;Abu Dhabi: United Arab Emirates' long-ailing President and ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan passed away on Friday, the Ministry of Presidential Affairs said. He was 73.The ministry announced a 40-day period of mourning and suspension of work in all ministries and the private sector for three days beginning on Friday, including flags to be flown at half-staff."The Ministry of Presidential Affairs condoles the people of the UAE, the Arab and Islamic nation and the world over the demise of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the UAE,” the official&nbsp;WAM&nbsp;news agency said in a statement.Sheikh Khalifa was the eldest son of UAE's founder President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. He served as the President of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi from November 3, 2004.He was elected to succeed his father who served as the UAE's first president from 1971 until he passed away on November 2, 2004.India declared one-day national mourning on May 14 over the demise of Sheikh Khalifa."The government of India has declared one-day national mourning tomorrow, May 14, as a mark of respect to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi who passed away today," the Ministry of External Affairs said.It said the national flag will be flown at half-mast on Saturday throughout India on all buildings where it is flown regularly and there will be no official entertainment on the day.President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences at the demise of Sheikh Khalifa.In their messages, they noted that he was a statesman and a visionary leader and recalled his contribution to the strengthening of India-UAE bilateral relations and the welfare of the Indian community in the Gulf nation."I am deeply saddened to know about the passing away of HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed. He was a great statesman and visionary leader under whom India-UAE relations prospered," Modi said on Twitter."The heartfelt condolences of the people of India are with the people of UAE. May his soul rest in peace," he said.Sheikh Khalifa's role had been largely ceremonial since he suffered a stroke and underwent surgery in 2014. His brother and Abu Dhabi's crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, has been widely seen as the de-facto leader of the UAE, handling day-to-day affairs for the Gulf state.The death of the president has shocked the UAE's Indian community. Many members fondly remembered the leader's contributions to the country and to the community."It is very sad to hear about the passing away of HH Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan who knew our family very well over the years,” said Deepak Bhatia, Managing Director of Uncle's Shop, building materials supplier."He will always be remembered as a visionary leader and his major development initiatives created profound social impact," he said.He counted the establishment of various social services and commercial buildings department, commonly known as ‘Sheikh Khalifa Committee', among Sheikh Khalifa's notable achievements.Shamsheer Vayalil, Chairman and Managing Director of VPS Healthcare, said Sheikh Khalifa will be remembered as a great statesman and a noble leader who made lasting contributions to nation-building."He was a visionary leader who made pioneering contributions to the nation, to the world and to his beloved people,” Vayalil said. “He built on the legacy and teachings of the Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and dedicated his life promoting the values of coexistence, tolerance, justice and peace for all humanity,” said Vayalil.He said the president's vision helped transform the UAE into a world-class business, cultural and technology centre."A great humanitarian, he was committed to bettering the lives of others. His generosity of heart and spirit was evident as the UAE was named world's largest humanitarian donor during his leadership,” he said.Kamal Vachani, Group Director and Partner at Al Maya Group, said Sheikh Khalifa was known for being a good listener, modest, and deeply interested in the affairs of his people.“The President was a much-loved figure in the UAE and the region,” he said.Born in 1948, Sheikh Khalifa was the second President of the UAE and the 16th Ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. He was the eldest son of Sheikh Zayed.Since becoming the president of the UAE, Sheikh Khalifa has presided over a major restructuring of both the Federal Government and the government of Abu Dhabi.Under his reign, the UAE witnessed an accelerated development that ensured decent living for the people calling the country home, the&nbsp;Khaleej Times&nbsp;reported.Sheikh Khalifa steered the development of the oil and gas sector and the downstream industries that have contributed successfully to the country's economic diversification.He undertook extensive tours throughout the UAE to study the needs of the Northern Emirates, during which he gave instructions for the building of a number of projects related to housing, education and social services.Sheikh Khalifa oversaw much of UAE's economic growth and his name was immortalised on the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, after bailing out debt-crippled Dubai during its financial crisis over a decade ago.He held several positions and became the Deputy Commander of the UAE Armed Forces in 1976. In November 2004, Sheikh Khalifa succeeded his father Sheikh Zayed as the ruler of Abu Dhabi and as the President of the UAE.—PTI

United Arab Emirates' long-ailing President and ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan passed away on Friday, the Ministry of Presidential Affairs said. He was 73.

UAE Prez Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed dies, India declares state mourning

Jerusalem: A veteran journalist working for Al Jazeera was killed on Wednesday during an Israeli operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, prompting the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Qatar-based network to blame the Israeli army for the death, while Israel denied the accusation and called for a ''joint pathological analysis and investigation'' to establish the truth.The Palestinian Health Ministry said that Shireen Abu Aqua, a Jerusalem-based journalist for Al Jazeera, was hit in the head by live fire.A second reporter, Ali Samedi, sustained a gunshot wound to the back and is in stable condition, the ministry said.Israeli forces were operating in the Jenin refugee camp and several other areas of the West Bank to apprehend '', terror suspects,'' the military said.According to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), the militants opened fire at the Israeli forces and hurled explosives at them during the raid, before the soldiers returned fire.The IDF was looking into ''a possibility, now being looked into, that reporters were hit – possibly by shots fired by Palestinian gunmen'', the Israeli army said.Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he holds Israeli forces ''fully responsible'' for Abu Aqla's death.Al Jazeera said that she was killed ''in cold blood,'' in what the network called a ''horrifying crime that breaches international norms''.''We condemn this heinous crime, intended to prevent the media from carrying out its message, and we hold the Israeli government and the occupation forces responsible for her death," the channel wrote on Twitter."We call on the international community to condemn and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for the deliberate killing of our colleague Shireen Abu Aqua," it said.In footage from the scene, the 51-year-old was seen wearing a PRESS vest and a helmet and was hit below the ear in an area not covered by her helmet.Samedi, working for the Jerusalem-based Al-Quds newspaper, told the local media that he and Abu Aqua were identified as reporters, wearing their press vests, when they were shot at.Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has called for a joint investigation.''According to the information we have gathered, it appears likely that armed Palestinians — who were firing indiscriminately at the time — were responsible for the unfortunate death of the journalist,'' he said in a statement.''Palestinians in Jenin were even filmed boasting 'We hit a soldier; he's lying on the ground'. However, no IDF (Israel Defence Forces) soldier was injured, which increases the possibility that Palestinian terrorists were the ones who shot the journalist,'' Bennett was quoted as saying in a statement.''Israel has called on the Palestinians to conduct a joint pathological analysis and investigation, which would be based on all of the existing documentation and findings, to get to the truth. So far, the Palestinians have refused this offer,'' he said.He also asserted that the IDF forces will continue their counterterrorism operations to end the "deadly wave of terror" and restore security to the citizens of Israel.Born in East Jerusalem, Abu Aqua had worked for several agencies such as UNRWA, Radio Voice of Palestine, Amman satellite channel, the Moftah Foundation, and Radio Monte Carlo before joining Al Jazeera in 1997.Human rights group Yesh Din called for an international investigation into her death, saying that the Israeli defense establishment "has proven in several cases that it is unable to investigate such incidents on its own." Abu Aqla's death "requires urgent international intervention to get to the truth, we call for the establishment of an independent international commission of inquiry to investigate this case in-depth," it said.The IDF has been operating in Jenin and across the West Bank in an attempt to stop a series of recent attacks that have killed 19 people in a month and a half.Close to 30 Palestinians have also been killed in Israeli operations during this time—PTI

 A veteran journalist working for Al Jazeera was killed on Wednesday during an Israeli operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, prompting the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Qatar-based network to blame the Israeli army for the death, while Israel denied the accusation and called for a ''joint pathological analysis and investigation'' to establish the truth.