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Iran, Pakistan must boost level of sports cooperation

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SHAFAQNA - IRNA : Former Pakistani volleyball star says that Iran and Pakistan being two neighboring and friendly states must enhance their cooperation in sports sector which will benefit both countries. In an interview with the Islamic…

Trump Wants to end Persian Gulf crisis because it Only Benefits Iran

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SHAFAQNA - U.S Foreign Minister during the meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatari counterpart, emphasised that President Donald Trump wants dispute between Qatar and Persian Gulf nations to be ended because it only benefits…

Trump claims a lot of progress has been made in Middle East

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SHAFAQNA - US President Donald Trump claimed that a lot of progress had been made in the Middle East during a meeting with King Abdullah of Jordan on Monday in their third summit since Mr Trump took office and the first since US pulled out…

Which country is the most reputable one in the Middle East?

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SHAFAQNA - The UAE was ranked 36th in the ranking of world's most reputable countries while outperforms countries such as Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The UAE continues to enjoy the status of the most reputable country in the Middle…

A power struggle between Persian Gulf states

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Shafaqnq- A power struggle has grown more intense among the Persian Gulf States. A case in point is the current conflict between Saudi Arabia (and the UAE) and Qatar.  "The European Union (EU) supports Kuwait efforts to mediate between…

How tensions in the Middle East overshadow 2018 World Cup

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SHAFAQNA- Political tensions in this soccer-crazy part of the world overshadow the current World Cup. From the sanction of Nike against Iranian players to Saudi-UAE moves to gain the control of global soccer governance, 2018 World Cup is maybe…

Qatar takes UAE to International Court of Justice

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SHAFAQNA - Middle East Monitor : Qatar has taken the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the UN International Court of Justice over human rights violations off the back of the Gulf Crisis, Al Jazeera reported today. Just over a year after the…

Haaretz: Qatar Crisis Weakened the U.S. in the Middle East

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SHAFAQNA - Haaretz : At a time when the United States hopes to exert maximum pressure on Iran, a regional bloc created by Persian Gulf Arab countries to counter Tehran looks increasingly more divided ahead of the anniversary of the diplomatic…

Saudi Arabia to dig canal along Qatar border turning it into an island

SHAFAQNA - A Saudi official has confirmed reports of plans to dig a maritime channel along the kingdom’s border with Qatar — a move that would effectively turn the Qatari peninsula into an island. Saoud al-Qahtani, a counselor at the…

Erdogan pledges military support for Qatar

SHAFAQNA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged his country's continued military support for Qatar during a visit to Doha on Wednesday, according to state media, amid an ongoing political crisis. Erdogan also signalled the "readiness"…

Bahrain calls for freezing of Qatar’s PGCC membership

SHAFAQNA- Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifah has warned that his country will not attend an upcoming Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) if Qatar doesn't alter its stance on regional issues. "If Qatar thinks…

Military intervention in Qatar will cause regional chaos: Sheikh Tamim

SHAFAQNA - Qatar's emir has warned against any military confrontation over the ongoing diplomatic dispute between his country and four other Arab nations, saying it would only plunge the region into chaos. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani…

Tehran welcomes return of Qatar's ambassador

SHAFAQNA- Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said on Thursday that Tehran welcomes Doha decision for returning its ambassador to Iran. Speaking to IRNA, Qasemi said that Foreign Minister of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin…

Qatar ambassador to return to Iran: FM

SHAFAQNA - Qatar said on Wednesday it decided to return its ambassador to Tehran, more than 20 months after he was recalled in protest over following demonstrations held in front of Saudi embassy in Tehran at Riyadh's execution of a Shi'ite…

Qatar restores diplomatic ties to Iran amid Persian Gulf crisis

SHAFAQNA- Qatar had pulled its ambassador in early 2016 after Saudi Arabia’s execution of a prominent Shiite cleric sparked attacks on two Saudi diplomatic posts in Iran. Qatar restored full diplomatic relations with Iran early Thursday, disregarding…

Qatar files complaint to WTO against siege nations

SHAFQNA- Qatar is reported to have filed an official complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO), aimed at challenging an ongoing trade boycott by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and United Arab Emirates. The formal step would mark the first…

Saudi Arabia Politicizing Hajj: Qatar

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SHAFAQNA- Qatar's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said on Saturday that Qatari citizens have been told they can only enter Saudi Arabia through two airports, and that they must travel via Doha to be allowed in. This would be challenging…

Qatar FM: Saudi-led bloc of states undermining mediation efforts

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SHAFAQNA- Qatar’s foreign minister, who is on a visit to the US, said that the negative behavior of the Saudi-led bloc of blockaders is undermining the mediation efforts aimed at settling the unprecedented diplomatic crisis gripping the…

Erdogan ends in Persian Gulf without results

SHAFAQNA- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has wrapped up a tour of Arab countries involved in a dispute but has failed to help bring the feuding sides closer to one another. Erdogan arrived in Qatar on Monday on the last leg of…

Arabia’s Third Block - The case of Qatar and political independence

SHAFAQNA - The wild child of the GCC countries - Gulf Cooperation Council, Qatar’s taste for independence and one might add propensity to rebel against the asserted geopolitical might of Saudi Arabia has run for decades. Long before Doha…

US Secretary of State talks with Saudi, allies end without any breakthrough

SHAFAQNA- Talks between US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and several Persian Gulf Arab states aimed at ending a rift with Qatar have come to an end without any breakthrough. On Wednesday, Tillerson returned to Kuwait from Saudi Arabia…

Very Few Sunni States in the So-Called Sunni Alliance against Iran: An Interview with Prof. Emile Nakhleh

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SHAFAQNA, Exclusive Interview- The Saudi kingdom, seemingly emboldened by the peculiar U.S. president’s recent visit to its land, now feels and seeks to act as the new “gendarme of the Persian Gulf.” Hastily climbing up the ladder of authority,…

Iran-Qatar Relations will not Go Beyond Good Neighborly Exchanges: An Interview with Dr. Eckart Woertz

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SHAFAQNA, Exclusive Interview- More than a month into the Qatar-Saudi rift, there still is no way out in sight. The U.S. adventures in the region under its new president and deep-rooted regional rivalries have just complicated the affairs. To…

Saudi, allies threaten more measures against Qatar; Qatar: we’re too rich to be threatened

SHAFAQNA- Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain say they are ready to adopt more punitive measures against Qatar, following Doha’s rejection of their demands to end an ongoing feud. In their statement, which was released…

Erdogan: Saudi list of demands from Qatar not acceptable

SHAFAQNA- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stressed that his country will remain loyal to Qatar and that a list of demands by Saudi Arabia and its allies from the Persian Gulf country are under no circumstances acceptable. "When…

Qatar to join new Middle-East coalition says senior analyst

SHAFAQNA - Abdel Bari Atwan, the editor-in-chief of Rai al-Youm newspaper, said the developments in the Middle-East have increased the possibility of the formation of new coalitions among Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Russia and even Qatar. Atwan…

Saudi led-bloc extends Qatar demands deadline by 48 hours

SHAFAQNA- Saudi Arabia says, “It has decided along with its allies to extend a deadline for Qatar to accept a list of its demands by 48 hours.” According to the Saudi Arabia’s official news agency SPA early on Monday, Saudi Arabia,…

"Saudis Try Hostage-Taking as Diplomacy" by William Boardman

SHAFAQNA- The Persian Gulf nation of Qatar has been held in a weird kind of hostage situation since June 5. That’s when Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and a few other countries decided to try to isolate and manipulate Qatar…