Hopes of an International Peace Conference to end the conflict in Syria anytime soon is dimming after Syria's President Bashar al-Assad announced in Damascus that no political solution will be sought until after the "terrorists" are crushed.
The United States reopened some of its diplomatic missions in the Middle East and Africa on Monday, while 19 embassies and consulates in the region remain closed due to security concerns.
During a video footage broadcast by Press TV, Iran's President-Elect spoke towards journalists on Friday. The remarks made by Hassan Rouhani were misquoted by an Iranian student news agency and picked up by news outlets around the world.