Citizens of Arabian Gulf have been urged to leave Syria

The Saudi Kingdom urged its citizens on Tuesday to leave Syria as soon as possible to avoid getting caught in a government crackdown on popular protests, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The Saudi foreign ministry Tuesday urged its citizens to leave Syria and not to travel to the Arab nation (more…)

Arabian Gulf states call for end to Syrian bloodshed

Gulf Arab states have broken their silence on the bloodshed in Syria, as activists say at least 26 more people were killed Friday in the government’s crackdown on opposition protesters.

The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council issued a statement Saturday calling for an immediate end to the violence and for the implementation of reforms. (more…)

Syria promises free election, but opposition lost confidence in Assad

The Syrian military tightened its suffocating siege on the city of Hama on Saturday in its drive to crush the main center of the anti-regime uprising in the country, even as the foreign minister promised that free parliamentary elections would be held by the end of the year in a gesture of reform. (more…)

Yemeni president refuses to sign GCC plan

An accord reached through the Gulf Cooperation Council that would have paved the way for the resignation of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh fell through after he insisted opposition parties attend a public signing ceremony at the presidential palace. (more…)

GCC to consider Jordan, Morocco member requests

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is considering requests from Morocco and Jordan to join the Gulf Arab political bloc, the secretary general said in a news conference on Tuesday in the Saudi capital Riyadh. (more…)

Yemen deal in limbo. Mediator abruptly leaves presidential meeting

The head of the Gulf Cooperation Council abruptly left a meeting Saturday with Yemen’s president, departing Sanaa without comment and leaving a hard-fought political deal aimed at ending months of turmoil on the verge of collapse, said a senior Yemeni ruling party official. (more…)

Top Iranian military officer: Gulf ‘belongs to Iran’

A top Iranian military officer on Saturday denounced what he called an “Arab dictatorial front” and claimed that the “Persian Gulf has belonged to Iran for ever”, media reports said. (more…)

GCC ministers urged UN to end Iranian ‘interference’

Gulf Arab states have accused Iran of interfering in their regional affairs with the alleged aim of “sowing discord and destruction.” (more…)

MTV: Bahrain ordered many Lebanese to leave within 48 hours

MTV reported on Thursday that the Bahraini authorities have ordered many Lebanese to leave Bahraini territory within 48 hours.

MTV quoted an anonymous Lebanese worker in Bahrain as saying that “the departure order was given to tens of Lebanese working there.” (more…)

Hezbollah linked to violence in Bahrain

Bahrain interior minister Sheikh Rashed bin Abdullah al-Khalifa told parliament on Tuesday that 24 people were killed in Bahrain in a month of unrest and anti-regime protests allegedly linked to Lebanon’s Hezbollah. (more…)