VIENNA: Britain, France and Germany urged Iran on Friday “not to make unrealistic demands” in the talks to salvage a 2015 deal aimed at reining in Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Officials from world powers and Iran were meeting in the Austrian capital for the first time since March, when negotiations — which began in 2021 to reintegrate the United States into the agreement — stalled.
“Today’s talks in Vienna do not mark a new round of negotiations. These are technical discussions,” the three countries — known as the E3 group — said in a statement.

GAZA CITY: Israel unleashed a wave of airstrikes in Gaza on Friday, killing more than 15 people, including a senior militant, and wounding another 40, according to Palestinian officials.
Israel said it was targeting the Islamic Jihad militant group in response to an “imminent threat” following the arrest of a senior militant in the occupied West Bank earlier this week.
The strikes risk igniting yet another war in the territory, which is ruled by the militant group Hamas and is home to about 2 million Palestinians.

BAGHDAD: Tens of thousands attended mass prayers Friday in Baghdad’s Green Zone in a new power play by Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr after his adversaries conditionally backed his call for early elections.
Sadr, a longtime political and religious force in the oil-rich but war-scarred country, has for months been in a political standoff with a rival Shiite alliance backed by Iran.

KHARTOUM: Five Sudanese security forces were killed in an ambush by an “outlawed” armed group in the restive Darfur region, police said in a statement Friday.
“A joint security force comprising the armed forces, police and the Rapid Support Forces came under treacherous attack yesterday evening by an outlawed group in Central Darfur state,” the statement said, without identifying the group.
The attack “left five security forces killed including a police lieutenant,” it said, adding that an unspecified number of others were wounded.

UN, New York: The UN Security Council on Thursday welcomed the Aug. 2 renewal of the truce in Yemen for two additional months, and called on parties in the country to intensify negotiations toward expanding it into a durable ceasefire.

The UNSC also urged the Houthis to be more flexible and open roads in and around Taiz governorate, which has been under siege for over seven years.

Council members commended “regional partners” for backing the truce, and asked for their continued support.