ROME, 28 March 2022, (TON): Italy has condemned Friday’s attack by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia that targeted a petroleum products distribution station in Jeddah.

Italy’s Foreign Ministry said it “condemned the serious attacks on civilian and energy infrastructures in Saudi Arabia claimed by Houthi rebels.”

He added “they are a violation of international law that puts regional security at risk.”

Rome said “it reiterates its support for UN mediation efforts in Yemen.”

The Italian government’s statement came after European Commission spokesman Peter Stano condemned the attack in Jeddah and called for a stop to “unacceptable attacks against cities and civilian infrastructures.”

ANKARA, 28 March 2022, (TON): Turkey’s presidential spokesman said “Turkey and other nations must still talk to Russia to help end the war in Ukraine.”

He added that Kyiv needed more support to defend itself.

ATO member Turkey has good relations with both Russia and Ukraine and has sought to mediate in the month-long conflict.

Ibrahim Kalin told the Doha international forum “if everybody burns bridges with Russia then who is going to talk to them at the end of the day.”

“Ukrainians need to be supported by every means possible so they can defend themselves but the Russian case must be heard, one way or the other,” so that its grievances could be understood if not justified, Kalin added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the West to give his country tanks, planes and missiles to fend off Russian forces. The West has responded to Russia’s invasion by slapping sweeping economic sanctions on Moscow.

Ankara says Russia’s invasion is unacceptable but opposes the Western sanctions on principle and has not joined them.

WASHINGTON, 28 March 2022, (TON): Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem.

The Secretary and the President affirmed the strong U.S.-Israeli partnership.

They also discussed Iran, the Russian government’s brutal war of aggression in Ukraine, and deepening and expanding the Abraham Accords and normalization agreements.

Secretary Blinken discussed steps to strengthen the Palestinian Authority, improve the lives of Palestinians and Israelis alike.

TEHRAN, 28 March 2022, (TON): The EU’s coordinator for talks to restore the Iran nuclear deal, Enrique Mora, said “he was hoping to close gaps in the negotiations during his talks in Tehran.”

Mora tweeted ahead of his trip “working on closing the remaining gaps in the #ViennaTalks on the JCPOA.”

“We must conclude this negotiation. Much is at stake.”

The EU diplomat, who coordinates talks between Iran and the US, is scheduled to meet Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri.

US officials have been more cautious in their assessment of efforts to revive the accord, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the US was still pursuing talks on Iran’s nuclear program but will work with allies to increase pressure on Iran if diplomacy fails.

MOSCOW, 28 March 2022, (TON): According to the website of the Ministry of Defense “Azerbaijan has withdrawn its troops from a village in Karabakh.”

The military department said “based on the results of the negotiations, the Azerbaijani side carried out the withdrawal of its units from the area of the settlement of Furukh.”

The Defense Ministry added “the peacekeepers provided escort for three Aze-rbaijani columns through the Lachin corridor: two in the north direction and one in the south.”

In addition, the peacekeepers recorded two violations of the ceasefire by Azerbaijan in the Askeran region. Two people on each side were injured.

The Defense Ministry noted “the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, in cooperation with representatives of the parties to the conflict, has stabilized the situation.”

The fact that the Azerbaijani military entered the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh became known the night before. At the same time, they launched four strikes from the Bayraktar drone on units of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed concern about the growing tension in the region.

LONDON, 28 March 2022, (TON): Western countries should not overlook Iran’s growing missile capabilities, a former Israeli representative to the UN has warned.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Dore Gold said the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, has failed to prevent the country from building a stockpile of ballistic missiles.

He added “as a result, Iran’s missile capacity has grown “both in number and quality, including the range and accuracy of its missile force.”

Gold drew a comparison with the UN’s treatment of the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq, where resolutions required that ballistic missiles with a range greater than 150 km be removed or destroyed under international supervision.

He said “that condition has not been applied to Iran, meaning that it “is already altering the balance of power in the region.”

Gold added “this was demonstrated in the 2020 attack on the US-controlled Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq and the activities of Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia.”

MOSCOW, 28 March 2022, (TON): Moscow accused Azerbaijan of violating a ceasefire agreement by entering the Russian peacekeeping mission's zone in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, the first time Russia publicly assigned the blame for violating the 2020 deal.

The Russian defense ministry also accused Azerbaijani troops of using Turkish-made drones to strike Karabakh troops, while the foreign ministry in Moscow expressed extreme concern over the spiralling tensions in the region.

Incidents between the armed forces of arch enemies Azerbaijan and Armenia have been frequent in recent months but announcement was the first time since the end of the hostilities over Karabakh in November, 2020 that Moscow has accused one of the parties of violating the uneasy cease-fire.

Moscow denounced the flare-up on the 31st day of Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, with signs indicating that both sides were digging in for a protracted conflict in the pro-Western country.

WASHINGTON, 28 March 2022, (TON): Joe Biden, the president of the United States, has called Russian leader Vladimir Putin a butcher who cannot remain in power during a visit to Poland, where he met Ukrainian refugees displaced by the fighting in their country.

A White House official said later “Biden’s comments on Saturday marked an escalation of US rhetoric towards Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, but were not a call for regime change in Russia.”

Biden was in Poland on the last leg of a four-day trip to Europe and in addition to meeting refugees and Ukrainian officials, he delivered a fiery speech before Warsaw’s iconic Royal Castle, where he pointedly warned Putin against invading even an inch of a NATO nation’s territory.

Concluding the speech, he said “Ukraine would never be a victory for Russia.”

He added “for God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.”

The Kremlin dismissed the remarks, saying the US had no authority in the matter.

Ukraine restricts reporting on troop movements

KYIV, 28 March 2022, (TON): Ukraine’s president has signed a law restricting the reporting on troop and military equipment movement unless such information has been announced or approved by the military general staff.

Law calls for potential prison terms of three to eight years for violations.

Ukrinform said “the law bans unauthorised dissemination of information about the direction, movement of international military assistance to Ukraine, the movement, movement or deployment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine or other military formations of Ukraine, committed in a state of martial law or a state of emergency.”

DHAKA, 28 March 2022, (TON): United States secretary of state Antony J Blinken said “the United States-Bangladesh partnership was stronger than ever while over last five decades, the two nations’ continued cooperation ensures more prosperous future.”

He said “our defense, developmental, commercial and people-to-people partnership is stronger than ever. We will build upon that foundation for the coming decades.”

The secretary of state made the remark in a statement marking Bangladesh’s Independence and National Day. 

He said “on behalf of the Government of the United States, I warmly congratulate the people of Bangladesh on the celebration of the 51st anniversary of your independence.”

Blinken said “the US is committed to expanding its relationship with Bangladesh, so that both the nations may thrive together.”