Trump heads to Israel with unified front on Iran

The Iranian foreign minister has set the release of billions in Iranian assets as a requirement for nuclear deal talks. The new hard-line government has said it wants tangible results in talks with the US.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian says his country does not accept "geopolitical changes" in the Caucasus. Tensions between Iran and neighboring Azerbaijan have been on the rise of late.

Top US diplomat Anthony Blinken has hinted that force could be used if Iran does not return to the negotiating table to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran is accused of violating the deal by enriching uranium.

Icy relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran are thawing — and may lead to renewed bilateral ties. Realistically, diplomatic offices might open soon but it is unlikely that the countries will become close allies.

The initial euphoria in Iran over the US withdrawal from its conflict-stricken eastern neighbor has faded, and the mood is changing.

A widespread cyberattack has hit gas stations and billboards across Iran, halting some fuel sales. Billboards have been altered to anti-regime messages challenging Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iranian officials say they will restart the long-stalled talks over reviving the 2015 nuclear deal. The new government has been slow to resume discussions, prompting international concern.

The protesters are angered by October's election results, which saw pro-Iran groups lose seats in parliament. Security forces have been deployed to disperse the demonstrators.

The Iranian military has launched yearly exercises aimed at "responding to aggression." The war games come as Iranian negotiators are set to meet EU and US representatives at the end of the month for nuclear deal talks.

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, said talks with Iran would continue and that an additional round of negotiations between the regional rivals was expected soon.

The reigning "Miss Universe", Andrea Meza of Mexico, toured Jerusalem's Old City on Wednesday in preparation for Israel hosting the Miss Universe 2021 pageant next month. Meza visited Christianity's most sacred church, the Holy Sepulchre, and Judaism's holiest prayer site, the Western Wall. She told media she hoped for a solution to the conflict in the region. This year's Miss Universe competition will be held in the Israeli port city of Eilat on December 12.

Israeli police said the incident took place near a contested flashpoint shrine known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary.