Summoning French envoy
Iran has summoned France’s ambassador to Tehran over a French magazine’s insult to Islamic sanctities and the country’s religious and national values. Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani told Nicolas Rosh that Iran will never tolerate insult to its Islamic, religious and national values. He added that France has no right to justify insult to sanctities of Muslim nations under the pretext of freedom of expression. Kan’ani then referred to the French magazine’s infamous track records in insulting the Prophet of Islam. He said Iran considers the French government responsible for the consequences of such sacrilegious and unjustifiable measures. Kan'ani added that Iran reserves the right to show a proportionate reaction to this move. He then handed Tehran’s letter of protest to the French envoy, who promised to relay it to the French authorities as soon as possible.
Syria-UAE relations
The foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates has met with the Syrian president in Damascus, as the two countries take further steps to normalize their ties. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad received Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan on Wednesday. According to the Syrian media, Assad described his country’s relations with the UAE as historical. He added that further expansion of bilateral ties between Damascus and Abu Dhabi would benefit both countries and the entire region. The Emirati minister, for his part, said his country seeks all-out expansion of ties with Syria, especially in the fields of trade and economy. He also declared the UAE’s full support for Syria’s territorial integrity and its sovereignty over the entire country. During recent years, the UAE has been taking steps to mend fences with Syria following several years of tension in the two countries’ relations. The Emirati minister first visited Syria in November 2021, which was followed by Assad’s visit to the UAE in March 2022.
French tanks in Ukraine
The West’s military support for Ukraine goes on unabated. Now, France says it is delivering tanks to Ukraine, representing a significant shift in Paris’ military support for Kiev. An aide to the French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris will send light tanks to Ukraine, making it the first Western state to make such a move. France has already supplied Ukraine with state-of-the-art artillery, armored personnel carriers, anti-aircraft missiles and air defense systems. Since February last year, NATO allies have gradually ramped up their military support for Ukraine, delivering increasingly sophisticated weapons systems. The United States, the UK, France and Germany have already provided Ukraine with military aid packages worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Russia says such military support to Ukraine will only prolong the war and increase the suffering of its people.
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