Crushing heatwave setting records in the Middle East

An exceptionally hot air mass is breaking maximum temperature records in the Middle East this week, with the hottest weather yet to come for some areas.

Iran cuts power supply to Iraq amid rising domestic demand

Iran's Energy Minister Reza Ardekanian said Tuesday that Iran has cut power export to the neighboring Iraq amid rising domestic energy consumption.

5.1-magnitude earthquake strikes Iran region hit by deadly quake in Nov (local time: 18:52, Depth 40 km)

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake rocked western Iran on Saturday in the same area as a deadly November quake which left more than 600 people dead.

Magnitude 6.0 earthquake hits western Iran: state media

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit western Iran Monday, state media reported.

Over 500 people killed in Iran earthquake : state media

At least 530 people were killed in the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that shook parts of western Iran, according to state media.

Le bilan s’alourdit: plus de 400 morts et 6.700 blessés dans le séisme en Iran

Le nombre de personnes tuées dans le puissant tremblement de terre, qui a touché 14 provinces iraniennes, atteint désormais 407, a déclaré Behnam Sayedi, chef adjoint du service iranien de crise.

Powerful quake strikes border area of Iraq and Iran, killing at least 133

Powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck the border area between Iran and Iraq on Sunday night, causing at least 133 deaths and hundreds of injured in both countries.

7.2 magnitude earthquake strikes Iran-Iraq border region (local time: 21:18, Depth 19 km)

Powerful 7.2 Magnitude Quake Occurs on Iran-Iraqi Border.

Iran Calls on Neighbors to Comply With Water Deals

A senior Iranian official urged the neighboring countries to respect the agreements they have signed with Iran on using the shared water resources.

Oxfam Calls on Iraqi Government to Seek Help to Extinguish Mosul Oil Well Fires

The Iraqi government needs to explain why it has failed to extinguish a series of oil well fires that are contaminating water supplies and causing health problems for thousands of families in Mosul, a spokesman for the charity organization Oxfam told Sputnik on Saturday.

Temperature in Kuwait hits 54 Celsius, sets possible record amid Middle East heatwave – UN

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a United Nations specialized agency, will set up a committee to examine whether a 54 degrees Celsius temperature recently recorded in Kuwait, has set the new highest temperature for Asia, as well as for the entire Eastern hemisphere.

72°C in Iran, 51°C in Iraq but rain in KSA (Saudi Arabia) and UAE (United Arab Emirates)

A heat wave is pushing temperature, to soar to 72°C in Iran and 51°C in Iraq, 52 in Jordan, 48 in Tunisia.

UNESCO chief, Sisi discuss looting, destruction of region's antiquities

 The head of UNESCO told Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Friday that she was ready to cooperate with the Egyptian authorities, a presidential spokesman said.

UN culture agency says Hatra destruction shows 'contempt' for history, heritage of Arab people

UN, 7 March 2015 – Official sources in Iraq reported today the destruction by Islamic State forces of the United Nations World Heritage property of Hatra, the capital of the first Arab kingdom, ‎and a city that bears the roots of Islamic Arab cities, according to a statement released by the UN body charged with protecting cultural sites.

Pétrole: Téhéran prêt à compenser la baisse de la production en Irak

Téhéran est prêt à compenser la baisse de la production pétrolière en Irak due à l'aggravation de la situation dans ce pays, rapporte samedi l'agence IRNA, citant le ministre iranien du pétrole Bijan Namdar-Zangheneh.

D'après le ministre, suite aux opérations armées lancées par le groupe djihadiste Etat islamique en Irak et au Levant (EIIL), les prix du pétrole ont augmenté de 5%. Selon des informations publiées la semaine dernière, les islamistes ont attaqué une grande raffinerie de pétrole dans la ville de Baïdji (nord de l'Irak). Ils ont pénétré sur le territoire de l'entreprise et détruit plusieurs réservoirs de pétrole. 

Iraqi Kurds slam Baghdad legal action over oil shipment

Iraq's Kurdish region slammed legal action filed by the central government against Turkey, saying Sunday it was illegitimate and likely to fail, the latest in worsening ties between Baghdad and Kurdistan.
 
The Kurdish Ministry of Natural Resources statement came just days after Baghdad's Oil Ministry filed a request for arbitration against Ankara at the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce after crude from Kurdistan was exported to international markets via a Turkish port.

Relations between Iraq and its Kurdish region, and between Baghdad and Ankara, were already fragile and are likely to chill further over the row, with the latest shipments flying in the face of the Iraqi government's insistence that it has the sole right to sell its prized natural resources.