Islamic Republic of Iran

A missile strike damaged a merchant ship in the Red Sea off Yemen, marine security monitors said Friday, as the country's Iran-backed Huthi rebels threatened to expand their months-long harassment campaign which has disrupted global trade.

The European Commission will recommend the commencement of membership negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, signaling a significant milestone in the country's journey toward EU integration. Speaking during a plenary session in Strasbourg, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen lauded the progress achieved by Bosnia and Herzegovina since being granted candidate status.

Polling stations in Iran opened Friday for voting to select members of parliament and a key clerical body, amid fears of a low turnout and with conservatives expected to tighten their grip on power.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog has voiced growing concern over Iran's ability to build nuclear weapons, fuelled by recent public statements in the country, according to a confidential report seen by AFP on Monday.

Iran said Monday it "will not hesitate" to respond in the event of U.S. attacks on its territory after the White House declined to say whether strikes on Iran were ruled out.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Sunday the U.S. will press on with its retaliation against Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Feb. 2 that his country will not start a war, but it will "respond strongly" to anyone who bullies it amid remarks by U.S. officials on attack plans on Iranian sites in the Middle East.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was set to hold talks with his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Wednesday to discuss the widening conflict in Gaza and energy cooperation between the two neighbors.

Raisi had twice postponed his visit, initially set for November, over scheduling issues and attacks in Iran's southeastern city of Kerman.

Pakistan said Wednesday that Iran carried out an air strike on its territory that killed two children, after Tehran launched attacks in Iraq and Syria against what it called "anti-Iranian terrorist groups".

Pakistan denounced the strike, near the nations' shared border late on Tuesday, as "completely unacceptable", saying it was unprovoked.

Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at positions occupied by "terrorist groups" in Syria and Iraq on late Monday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement.

State media reported that IRGC destroyed a "spy headquarters" and a "gathering of anti-Iran terrorist groups" in Syria with ballistic missiles.

BELGRADE - In a telephone conversation with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic extended his condolences over the terror attack in the Iranian city of Kerman in which two blasts killed more than a hundred people.

"Serbia condemns all forms of terrorism," Vucic said during the conversation.