By Mohammad Yunus Yawar

KABUL, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Afghanistan will roll out a $100 million food security project, the United Nations said on Thursday, as it contends with a worsening hunger crisis driven by mass deportations of Afghans from neighbouring states, foreign aid cuts and economic crisis.

Afghanistan's humanitarian situation is deteriorating sharply, with millions pushed into hunger by the loss of remittances, limited job opportunities and a sharp reduction in international assistance.

MOSCOW, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Russia is ready to evacuate its staff from Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant if necessary, Alexei Likhachev, the head of Russia's state nuclear corporation, was cited as saying on Thursday by the state news agency TASS.

President Vladimir Putin said last year that hundreds of Russians were working at the facility, Iran's only operating nuclear power plant, which Moscow built for Iran.

More nuclear facilities are currently being built at the Bushehr site by Russia.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which EU ministers agreed on Thursday to designate as a terrorist organisation, is the ideological army of the Islamic republic tasked with preserving the future of the revolution but which activists say played a frontline role in suppressing protests.

Celebrated as a pillar of the theocratic system by the Iranian authorities, it is accused by the West of militant activity abroad and serial rights violations at home.

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he hoped to avoid military action against Iran, which has threatened to strike American bases and aircraft carriers in response to any attack.

Trump said he is speaking with Iran and left open the possibility of avoiding a military operation after earlier warning time was "running out" for Tehran as the United States sends a large naval fleet to the region.

When asked if he would have talks with Iran, Trump told reporters: "I have had and I am planning on it."

CAIRO, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Israeli fire killed at least two Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, health officials said, in the latest incident of violence, as Hamas and Israel braced to implement the second phase of the U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire deal.

Medics said two men were killed by Israeli forces in eastern Khan Younis, in an area adjacent to where the army operates. The Israeli military didn't make an immediate comment.

The Gaza health ministry said Israeli fire has killed at least 490 people since the truce began in October in the war-shattered enclave.

MOSCOW, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday told his UAE counterpart Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan that Russia was closely monitoring the situation in Iran and wanted to discuss it with him in Kremlin talks.

Putin made the comment at the start of talks with the UAE president whose country has recently hosted peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

MOSCOW, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Russia said on Thursday that there was still room for negotiation between Iran and the United States and warned that any use of force against Tehran would have dangerous consequences and cause chaos throughout the Middle East.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was commenting a day after U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iran to come to the table and make a deal on nuclear weapons or face a possible U.S. attack.

BRUSSELS, Jan 29 (Reuters) - European Union foreign ministers adopted new Iran sanctions on Thursday targeting individuals and entities involved in a violent crackdown on protesters and the country's support to Russia.

The ministers are also expected to reach a political agreement to include Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the bloc's list of terrorist organisations, putting the group in a category similar to the Islamic State andal Qaeda and marking a symbolic shift in Europe's approach to Iran's leadership.

Turkey will offer to mediate between Washington and Tehran during a visit by Iran's foreign minister on Friday, officials said, as Ankara considers reinforcing security along its border should the dispute escalate.

Friday's visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi comes after US President Donald Trump threatened a military strike on Iran over its deadly protest crackdown earlier this month.

A US naval strike group arrived in Middle East waters on Monday with Trump warning it was "ready, willing and able" to hit Iran "if necessary".

ANKARA, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will visit Turkey on Friday for talks with his counterpart Hakan Fidan on the recent developments in Iran and tensions with the United States, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said on Thursday.

U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iran on Wednesday to come to the table and make a deal on nuclear weapons or the next U.S. attack would be far worse. Trump has sent an "armada" to the Middle East and warned Tehran against killing anti-government protesters or restarting its nuclear programme.