DUBAI: European Union sanctions announced following Iran’s attack against Israel are “regrettable” because the country was acting in self-defense, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian posted on X on Tuesday.
Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles on Israel in what it said was retaliation against a suspected Israeli bombing of its embassy compound in Damascus.
On Monday, EU foreign ministers agreed in principle to expand sanctions on Iran by agreeing to extend restrictive measures on Tehran’s weapons exports of any drone or missile to Iranian proxies and Russia.
“It is regrettable to see the EU deciding quickly to apply more unlawful restrictions against Iran just because Iran exercised its right to self-defense in the face of Israel’s reckless aggression,” Amirabdollahian said on X, before calling on the EU to apply sanctions on Israel instead.
More work will need to follow in Brussels to approve a legal framework before the expansion of the sanctions can take effect.
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Iran’s foreign minister calls EU sanctions ‘regrettable’
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Iran’s foreign minister calls EU sanctions ‘regrettable’
- EU foreign ministers agreed in principle to expand sanctions on Iran by agreeing to extend restrictive measures on Tehran’s weapons exports
Erdogan postpones UAE visit, saying leader has ‘health problem’
- Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday announced he was postponing a visit to Abu Dhabi because Emirati leader Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had a “health problem” — then deleted the message
ISTANBUL: Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday announced he was postponing a visit to Abu Dhabi because Emirati leader Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had a “health problem” — then deleted the message.
The message, posted by Erdogan’s team on X, said he had talked with Al Nahyan by phone.
“During the course of the call, President Erdogan expressed his sadness over the health problem experienced by (President) Al Nahyan and wished him a prompt recovery,” said the three-paragraph message.
Erdogan would travel to the United Arab Emirates at a later date, still to be determined, the message added.
Although the message — of which AFP has a screen grab — was quickly deleted from the account, it had already been picked up by official Turkish media.
Turkiye’s state broadcaster likewise took down its article on Erdogan that mentioned the Emirati leader’s health problem.
The official Emirati news agency, WAM, reported on the telephone conversation between the two leaders, but did not mention that Erdogan’s visit had been postponed.
Contacted by AFP, neither the Turkish presidency nor the Emirati authorities — who have themselves made no statement on their president’s health — have yet answered.
The Emirati leader’s team on Saturday evening released photos taken the same day showing Al Nahyan, known as MBZ, smiling and apparently in good health, with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the emir of Qatar.
The message, posted by Erdogan’s team on X, said he had talked with Al Nahyan by phone.
“During the course of the call, President Erdogan expressed his sadness over the health problem experienced by (President) Al Nahyan and wished him a prompt recovery,” said the three-paragraph message.
Erdogan would travel to the United Arab Emirates at a later date, still to be determined, the message added.
Although the message — of which AFP has a screen grab — was quickly deleted from the account, it had already been picked up by official Turkish media.
Turkiye’s state broadcaster likewise took down its article on Erdogan that mentioned the Emirati leader’s health problem.
The official Emirati news agency, WAM, reported on the telephone conversation between the two leaders, but did not mention that Erdogan’s visit had been postponed.
Contacted by AFP, neither the Turkish presidency nor the Emirati authorities — who have themselves made no statement on their president’s health — have yet answered.
The Emirati leader’s team on Saturday evening released photos taken the same day showing Al Nahyan, known as MBZ, smiling and apparently in good health, with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the emir of Qatar.
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