The situation in the Middle East escalated rapidly on Sunday evening. Iran is stepping up diplomatic contacts amid sharp protests from its neighbors, the news agency reported. Asharq Al-Awsat.
Diplomatic Shuttles Between Baghdad, Tehran and Islamabad
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is planning an official visit to Tehran next week. The visit is aimed at signing memorandums of cooperation and balancing relations after his meeting with US President Donald Trump, reports Middle East Eye (middleeasteye.net). Meanwhile, Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni has arrived in Pakistan for urgent two-day talks with the leadership in Islamabad, confirms Minute Mirror (minutemirror.com.pk).
Kuwait and Jordan Condemn Iranian Aggression
Meanwhile, neighboring countries reacted sharply to Tehran's military actions:
- Kuwait: The country's Foreign Ministry issued a statement strongly condemning yet another Iranian strike on a vital power generation and water desalination facility, calling it a threat to civilians and a violation of international law (Kuwait Times, kuwaittimes.com).
- Jordan: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Amman urgently summoned the Iranian chargé d'affaires to deliver a strong protest. Spokesman Fouad Majali said that the Iranian missile attacks in Jordanian airspace were a “red line” (Petra News Agency, petra.gov.jo).
The region remains on high alert as the United States and Iran continue to trade blows, The Guardian (theguardian.com).