Iran conducts drills in Sea of Oman, Indian Ocean

Here is a round-up of global news developments:

• Iran’s Navy is conducting the second stage of its naval drills code-named “Velayat 94”. The maneuvers are underway in the Sea of Oman and the northern part of the Indian Ocean. During the drills, Iranian commandos launched attacks on hypothetical enemy’s units using speed boats, combat vessels and rocket-launcher ships.
• President Hassan Rouhani says Iran and France should try to enhance ties to make up for their losses caused by sanctions against Tehran. In a meeting with French Senate President Gerard Larcher, Rouhani said the nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 highlighted the important role of diplomacy and dialog.
• The Iranian city of Qom is hosting an international conference on the threat posed by the Takfiri terror groups against the Muslim world. Addressing the event, Iranian cleric Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi called for unity among Muslim scholars in dealing with the threat.
• A new report shows that racial hate crimes in UK’s railway network have risen by 37 percent in the past five years. The report says some 2,000 racially motivated hate crimes have been recorded in 2015. The majority of the crimes recorded last year were committed by white people.
• Greece has rejected the European Commission accusation that Athens neglects its obligations to control the frontier of Europe’s passport-free Schengen zone. The Greek government instead accused Turkey of failing to clamp down on smugglers’ rings and stem the flow of refugees.
• The Syrian government forces have made fresh gains in their battle against foreign-backed terrorists. The army units, backed by popular defense groups, managed to restore security to several villages near the town of Salam in the northern province of Lattakia. The terrorists are in retreat on many fronts across Syria
• A Japanese news agency, quoting an unnamed Japanese official, says North Korea could be preparing to launch a long-range missile in a week’s time. The official satellite images show signs of possible preparations for a missile launch. The report comes as the UN Security Council is debating to impose new sanctions against Pyongyang.
• Spokesperson for Yemen’s Ansarullah movement, Mohammed Abdulsalam has criticized the UN for quote-remaining silent on Saudi Arabia’s relentless airstrikes on his country. Abdulsalam also slammed the US policies in the Middle East. He said the policies are aimed at paving the way for Washington to pursue its own interest in the region.

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