Turkey says Israel has relaxed restrictions on imports to Palestinian areas

Published on March 22, 2013

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his Turkish counterpart on Friday that Israel had "substantially" lifted restrictions on the entry of civilian goods into the Palestinian territories, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's office said.

Khamenei dismisses sanctions, says Iran stronger than ever

Published on July 11, 2012

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday dismissed harsher sanctions imposed on Iran this month over its disputed nuclear activity, saying the country was "100 times stronger" than before.

Iran says sanctions to fail, repeats Hormuz threat

Published on January 24, 2012

Iranian politicians said on Tuesday they expected the European Union to backtrack on its oil embargo and repeated a threat to close the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane if the West succeeds in preventing Tehran from exporting crude.

Iran slams EU oil embargo, warns could U.S. targets worldwide

Published on January 23, 2012

Iran accused Europeans on Monday of waging "psychological warfare" after the EU banned imports of Iranian oil, and President Barack Obama said Washington would impose more sanctions to address the "serious threat presented by Iran's nuclear program."

Mideast

By Eric Silver
Published on July 2, 1998

Richard Strauss's opera "Salome" had its Israelipremière in Tel Aviv this month. Strauss, who died in 1949,served, however briefly, as a cultural official in Adolf Hitler's Nazi administration. The season, by the visiting Kirov Opera from St.Petersburg, was an unchallenged hit. Strauss has been forgiven,perhaps because he had a Jewish daughter-in-law and soon learned thefolly of his ways.