Thwarting Iran sanctions
Iran’s president has highlighted the country’s remarkable progress in the fields of science, technology, industry and production despite Western threats. Ebrahim Raeisi says Iran has taken huge steps to neutralize sanctions by focusing on trade and production growth. Raeisi was speaking in a meeting with Vietnam’s National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue in Tehran. He said the visit can be a turning point for the two countries to expand economic and trade cooperation. He said Iran and Vietnam are both independence-seeking nations. The Vietnamese official, for his part, hailed Iran’s achievements despite hardships. He said Vietnam seeks to promote all-out cooperation with Iran to the international level. On Tuesday, Iran and Vietnam signed a memorandum of understanding for parliamentary cooperation.
Crimes of Israel
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has slammed an Israeli court ruling over the release of a settler accused of killing a young Palestinian. The ministry said the court has placed the settler under house arrest and ignored his public incitement to kill Palestinians while "bragging about it". It said the release of Elisha Yarda will encourage other settlers to attack Palestinians. The ministry also noted it is not surprised by the court ruling. The settler was one of the two suspects in the killing of 19-year-old Gesa Jamal Metan. The Palestinian teenager was shot dead on the fourth of August, when Israeli settlers raided the village of Barqa near Ramallah and opened fire on Palestinians and their property.
Niger coup aftermath
Nigeria has not ruled out military intervention in Niger in the wake of the recent coup in the country. A spokesman for President Bola Tinubu says he and other Western African leaders favor a diplomatic solution but no options have been taken off the table. Tinubu has also slapped Niger with new sanctions in an effort to squeeze those involved in the coup. The sanctions were imposed after the junta in Niger denied a joint delegation from the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations to enter the capital Niamey for negotiations. Junta leaders have cited security concerns as the reason behind their decision. President Bazoum was removed from power on July 26. ECOWAS has pledged to deploy all measures in order to restore constitutional order in Niger.