Coronavirus

Alarm in Iran as pandemic numbers shoot back up

Iranian officials are talking about a fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic with infections more than doubling since last week and hospitals in Tehran near capacity.

Iraqi Kurdistan reinstates travel ban

Daily coronavirus cases are approaching historical highs in the autonomous part of northern Iraq as vaccination efforts proceed at a crawl.

Russia steps up vaccine diplomacy in Maghreb, North Africa

Russia expands its area of influence in the Maghreb as Tunisia and Algeria receive batches of the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, raising questions about Moscow's motives.

Yemen gets first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines

The AstraZeneca doses arrived in Yemen as Doctors Without Borders warned of a dramatic increase in coronavirus cases.

Palestinian Authority receives more vaccine doses from China

The Palestinian territories as a whole have received more than 100,000 coronavirus vaccine doses from a variety of sources so far.

Israel endorses international plan to vaccinate 7,000 Gaza traders

Israel has greenlighted an international operation to vaccinate against the coronavirus 7,000 Palestinian traders from the Gaza Strip who regularly travel through Israel and the West Bank.

Turkey, China assert rapprochement despite Uyghur protests, vaccine delay

The Chinese foreign minister’s visit to Turkey reflects the desire of both sides to further develop bilateral ties despite hitches stemming primarily from the widespread public support Uyghurs enjoy in Turkey.

Turkey to reimpose curfews after new COVID-19 cases double

Putting normalization efforts on hold, Turkish officials will reimpose weekend curfews after the rate of new COVID-19 cases doubled in recent weeks.

Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq receives AstraZeneca vaccine

Some countries have suspended the British-Swedish vaccine due to its association with blood clots, though the European Union still recommends its use. The KRG previously received a small amount of Chinese vaccine doses.

Intel: US announces $15 million in aid to West Bank, Gaza