Iraq

A Bulgarian citizen is among the 10 men arrested on Monday in Spain for allegedly recruiting juhadist fighters for Iraq and Syria, reports AP. 

Eight of the arrested are Moroccan, one is Bulgarian and one – Argentinian. Their names are not divulged by the authorities.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague says that ‘circumstances are right’ to reopen Britain’s embassy in Iran, which was closed in 2011 after hard-liners overran the building and ransacked it Britain plans to reopen its embassy in Iran, Foreign Secretary William Hague announced June 17, as the West steps up its engagement with Tehran amid rapid jihadist advances in neighboring Ir

Political instability and violence will have a negative impact on Turkey’s current account deficit, Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek has said, fueling worries on the country’s overreliance for external energy resources.

The Netherlands has given Turkey a list of 100 possible militants who might travel to Syria to fight against regime forces, according to a report by Dutch daily Volkskrant.

The United Kingdom's Embassy in Tehran is to reopen after a three-year pause, the British Foreign Secretary William Hague has announced.

Britain's Embassy will be open again "as soon as practical arrangements are made", the BBC quotes Hague as saying in a written statement.

An Islamic charity organization based in an Istanbul suburb is using an insignia adopted by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), daily HaberTürk has reported.

The report comes amid claims that some Turkish associations were recruiting militants for the jihadist group who have recently launched a wide-scale offensive in Iraq.

Sunni Muslim militants of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) attacked a northern Iraqi village inhabited by Shiite ethnic Turkmens but were repelled, police said on June 17, highlighting an upsurge of sectarian violence after stunning advances by jihadi fighters.

US forces are ready on standby in the Gulf, as the situation in Iraq continues to deteriorate.

An aircraft carrier and five warships are already in the Persian Gulf, according to CNN. Dozens of helicopters are also prepared to patrol the area.

The violence in Iraq is part of a broader Sunni Arab revolt that could lead to a holy war in the country, and is not just a rampage by Islamist militants from an al-Qaeda splinter group, fugitive vice president Tarek al-Hashemi told Reuters on June 16.

About 275 U.S. military personnel are being deployed to Iraq to help American personnel and protect the embassy in Baghdad, President Barack Obama said June 16 in a letter to Congressional leaders.

The force, which began deploying on June 14, has been sent "for the purpose of protecting U.S. citizens and property, if necessary, and is equipped for combat," Obama wrote.