BRUSSELS, Jan 27 (Reuters) - The EU is expected to sanction some 20 Iranian individuals and entities under its human rights rules this week but is not expected to add Iran's Revolutionary Guards to its terrorist list due to opposition from France, officials said on Tuesday.

European Union foreign ministers will discuss the situation in Iran when they gather in Brussels on Thursday, and are expected to sign off on the new sanctions.

Jan 27 (Reuters) - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a phone call that Tehran always welcomes any process, within the framework of international law, that prevents war, Iranian media reported on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Jaidaa Taha, Menna Alaa El-Din and Parisa HafeziEditing by Gareth Jones)

QAMISHLI, Syria, Jan 27 (Reuters) - With Syria's Islamist-led government bearing down on Kurdish forces, residents of their last major enclave are on alert, mindful of last year's violence against other minority groups and determined to preserve their self-rule.

In the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in the northeast, a mechanic, a storekeeper, and a student were among those taking part in a nighttime volunteer patrol this week, vowing to defend their area and putting little faith in a shaky ceasefire.

With Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing expected to soon reopen, residents of the war-shattered territory are hoping to reunite with family members, or are looking to leave themselves.

The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt is the Palestinian territory's only gateway to the outside world that does not lead to Israel and is a key entry point for both people and goods.

It has been closed since Israeli forces took control of it in May 2024, except for a limited reopening in early 2025, and other bids to reopen failed to materialise.

Jan 27 (Reuters) - The Syrian government hopes to hold new round of integration talks with Kurdish forces as early as today, a Syrian government official told Reuters on Tuesday.

The talks would focus on practical ways to implement an agreement mediated by the United States this month, the official said. On Saturday, a four-day ceasefire between the Syrian government and Kurdish forces was extended by 15 days.

(Reporting by Maya Gebeily)

DUBAI, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Iran's foreign ministry summoned Italy's ambassador over Rome's efforts to place the Revolutionary Guards on the European Union's terrorist register, state media reported on Tuesday.

Iran's foreign ministry warned of the "destructive consequences" of any labelling against the Revolutionary Guards and called upon the Italian foreign minister to "correct his ill-considered approaches toward Iran," the media report said.

(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

LONDON, Jan 27 - Britain, the United States, France and Germany on Tuesday welcomed the 15-day extension of the ceasefire between the Syrian government and Kurdish forces, and urged all parties to strictly adhere to the agreement.

"We call upon all parties to strictly adhere to the ceasefire and to exercise their utmost restraint. We urge all external parties to join us in pursuit of peace and de-escalation of violence," the four nations said in a joint statement.

They also urged all parties to swiftly agree to a permanent ceasefire.

DUBAI, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Three French tourists were killed when a boat capsized off the coast of Oman, the Omani police said on Tuesday in a post on X.

The boat, carrying 25 people including a group of French tourists, a tour guide and the captain, was 2.5 nautical miles from Sultan Qaboos Port in the Gulf of Oman when it tipped over. In addition to those killed, two tourists sustained minor injuries.

France's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

By Olivia Le Poidevin

GENEVA, Jan 27 (Reuters) - The U.N. children’s agency said on Tuesday it had for the first time in two-and-a-half years been able to deliver school kits with learning materials into Gaza after they were previously blocked by Israeli authorities.

Thousands of kits, including pencils, exercise books and wooden cubes to play with, have now entered the enclave, UNICEF said.

Iran's president on Tuesday warned US "threats" against the Islamic republic would only cause instability, as a US naval strike group led by an aircraft carrier took up position in Middle Eastern waters.

Washington has not ruled out military intervention against Tehran over its crackdown on protests -- which rights groups say left thousands of people dead -- and President Donald Trump has dispatched the USS Abraham Lincoln to the area "just in case".