Middle East

The Syrian army is moving into areas east of Aleppo city, after Kurdish forces started a withdrawal. Syrian troops have been spotted entering Deir Hafer, a town about 50km (30 miles) from Aleppo. On Friday, the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia announced it would redeploy east of the Euphrates …

Lucy WilliamsonBashmaq border crossing, Iraqi Kurdistan BBC People and traffic still regularly cross the Iran-Iraq border At the border crossing from Iran into Iraqi Kurdistan, the stern face of Iran’s former supreme leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, peers down at the trickle of Iranians leaving the territory. Thick snowflakes confetti the lorries …

More than 2,000 people have been killed during the violent crackdown by security forces on protests in Iran, a human rights group has said. BBC News

Iran’s judiciary has denied it scheduled the execution of a man arrested in connection with the country’s recent protests. Norway-based Kurdish human rights organisation Hengaw said earlier this week that the family of Erfan Soltani, 26, had been told he faced execution on Wednesday, only days after he was detained. …

On the face of it, the announcement of phase two of President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza would seem like progress. But there remains a huge lack of clarity and detail about the future of the strip and the 2.1 million Palestinians who live there. Furthermore, there are many …

Sarah Namjoo and Roja AssadiBBC Persian User generated content Protesters march through Kashani, Tehran, on 8 January Warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of death and injury Heading home after joining a protest in Tehran on 8 January, Reza put his arms around his wife Maryam to protect her. “Suddenly, …

US envoy Steve Witkoff has announced the start of phase two of President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza, with a technocratic Palestinian government established in the territory. He said the second phase would also see the reconstruction and full demilitarisation of Gaza, including the disarmament of …

Hengaw Organization for Human Rights A man arrested in connection with the current wave of protests in Iran has been sentenced to death and told he faces imminent execution, his family and a human rights group say. Erfan Soltani, 26, was arrested last Thursday in the city of Fardis, just …

The US is reducing the number of personnel at its Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, according to the BBC’s US partner CBS News, which officials have called a “precautionary measure”. A statement by the Qatar government said the step was being taken “in response to the current regional tensions”. This …

Watch: Trump vows ‘very strong action’ if Iran executes protesters President Donald Trump has said the US will take “very strong action” against Iran if it executes protesters, as rights groups say more than 2,400 anti-government demonstrators have been killed in a violent crackdown by Iranian authorities. Relatives of 26-year-old …

Reuters Armed security forces were deployed at a pro-government rally in Tehran on Monday More than 2,000 people have been killed during the violent crackdown by security forces on protests in Iran, a human rights group has said, as President Trump promised Iranians that help was “on its way”. The …

Paul AdamsDiplomatic correspondent, Washington Watch: How could Trump respond to Iran crackdown? For President Trump, it’s decision time. Ten days ago, he said the US was prepared to go to the “rescue” of Iranian protesters if their government used violence against them. The US was, the president said, “locked and …

Raffi Berg, David Gritten, Tom McArthurand Shayan Sardarizadeh What we know about Iran’s protests and the crackdown Hundreds of people are believed to have been killed in Iran as days of large protests threaten the future of the ruling regime. Thousands more have reportedly been arrested. Donald Trump has also …

Anti-government protests have been rocking Iran for the past two weeks, with hundreds though to have been killed as the regime cracks down on its opponents. The demonstrations which began in Tehran on 28 December, were sparked by economic turmoil, and fuelled by long-running discontent with the country’s leaders. On …

Ghoncheh Habibiazad, Sarah Namjoo,BBC Persianand Harry Sekulich Watch: Trump says US military are looking at ‘very strong options’ in Iran President Donald Trump says the US military is considering “very strong options” in Iran, as anti-government protests which have reportedly killed hundreds enter a third week. The US-based Human Rights …

Tehran has witnessed its largest anti-government demonstrations in decades, as protests swept through dozens of districts across the capital and its wider metropolitan area of nearly 16 million people. For several hours there on Thursday night, security forces appeared unusually restrained. In areas where crowds were especially large, police and …

Vast crowds of Iranians have taken to the streets of the capital, Tehran, and several other cities, calling for an end to the Islamic Republic and in many places for the restoration of the monarchy. Young and old, rich and poor, Iranians across the country and from all walks of …

AFP Many demonstrators in Iran have been calling for the return of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah (king). Pahlavi himself has called for people to take to the streets. So who is the former crown prince and how much support does he have? Groomed from birth …

A major protest has taken place in the Iranian capital city of Tehran as part of a nationwide movement amid an economic crisis facing the country. Crowds of people, as well as vehicles honking in support, filled a part of the vast Ayatollah Kashani Boulevard, images from Tehran showed. The …

At least eight people, including four children, have been killed by Israeli air strikes in Gaza in the last 24 hours, the territory’s civil defence agency has said. Four people, including three children, were killed when a drone struck a tent sheltering displaced people in southern Gaza, the agency’s spokesman …