Dozens of Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem under heavy police protection on Wednesday as tensions continue to simmer across the occupied West Bank, Palestinian authorities said. The Jerusalem Governorate said the settlers moved through the compound’s courtyards and carried out provocative religious rituals, including what is referred to as “epic prostration”, near Bab al-Rahma gate and the Dome of the Rock inside the complex. Groups affiliated with the so-called Temple movement circulated calls encouraging more settlers to storm the flashpoint site and raise Israeli flags inside its courtyards, the governorate added in a statement carried by the official news agency Wafa. Also Read: Pakistan condemns Israeli minister's Al-Aqsa raid The incursion came as Israeli police continued to tighten restrictions across East Jerusalem by setting up checkpoints, closing roads and limiting access for worshippers to the mosque. Since early April, the...
Iran has accused the United States of carrying out an unlawful attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Sea of Oman on April 19, warning the United Nations Security Council that the incident amounts to piracy and a serious breach of international law. In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Security Council President Jamal Fares Alrowaiei on April 21, Saeed Iravani said US action against the vessel “Touska” requires UN action and accountability, Iranian media reported. Iravani said US forces targeted the vessel “Toska”, alleging the use of "coercion, intimidation, and the reckless endangerment of the vessel’s crew and their families," describing it as a “grave violation” of international law, including the prohibition on aggression. Read: Iran says no talks with US until blockade lifted despite ceasefire extension He said it constituted a breach of a ceasefire agreement reached earlier this month. Tehran also argued the attack qualifies as an act of aggr...