Wednesday, May 22nd 2019
Iranian jets fly over occupied zone in northern Qumar as two ships return to Iranian waters
Jabal Nafusah — A pair of Iranian Grumman F-14 Tomcat fighter jets flew over the northern section of Qumar currently occupied by Iranian forces today shortly before two Iranian ships in Qumari waters returned to port in Iran, likely to resupply. The action was taken approximately 1:30 PM local time, with the Iranian fighter jets' route taking a long arc through northern Qumar before returning to Iranian airspace.
The airspace between the internationally-recognized Iran-Qumar border and the "Stop Line" marking the area controlled by "ABC" forces has been a
de facto no-fly-zone since the Iranian invasion and collapse of the previous Qumari government in 2016.
Secretary of Defense Jack Shannon confirmed that American forces in the region were in "high alert" and that US fighter jets were scrambled when it became clear that the Iranian jets would enter airspace in Iranian-occupied Qumar, but that a decision not to engage was made when it became clear that the jets were returning to Iranian airspace.
The fly-by has been interpreted as a show of force and defiance as only three Iranian vessels remain in Qumari waters, but even Russia, which has been a key trading partner and which counts Iran as a strategic partner in the region, has criticized the fly-by as "reckless", as Russian Foreign Minister Konstantin Ustanov did in a statement. Ustanov's statement contained further entreaties for all parties in the dispute to solve the crisis diplomatically and to continue international efforts to destroy Bahji cells within Qumar.
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Wednesday, May 22nd 2019
International aid begins to pour into Nicosia as explosion's toll continues to rise
While investigators in Northern Cyprus continue their work determining what triggered the explosion that led to fires that killed at least 1,000 people in the capital city of Nicosia, the international community has seen an outpouring of support and promises of aid to help the people of Nicosia rebuild. The Twitter hashtag #NicosiaStrong began trending after heart-rending images of entire city blocs burning, with overwhelmed firefighters battling bravely against raging infernos. The image of an ash-covered young girl, identified as eight year-old Büşra Bayındır, crying as she overlooks the remains of her family's home, made headlines around the world as the full ramifications of the event have only now become clear.
While it could be days or even weeks before a final death toll is reached, unofficial estimates put the minimum death toll at 1,000 with at least a thousand more explosion or fire-related injuries being reported. The property damage, Cypriot real estate agents say, could reach as high as US$500 million in total after damage to the city's electrical and transportation systems are assessed.
Donations have been surging in from around the world, with Europe, Turkey and the United States making up a bulk of the pledged donations recorded. But almost none are able to directly go to Northern Cyprus itself, as only Turkey recognizes the state's independence, with almost every other nation recognizing the area occupied by Northern Cyprus as part of the Republic of Cyprus, which makes up the majority of the island. As such, donations have been redirected to organizations like the International Red Crescent or Turkey-based humanitarian groups.
Pope Clement XV has urged those in Europe to "pray for the people of Nicosia" and has asked for "geopolitical disputes [of Northern Cyprus]... to be set aside to help those in need." But national leaders have for now, been wary to do more than offer condolences owing to their government's non-recognition of Northern Cyprus, with the State Department pointedly refusing to include Turkish-based humanitarian aid groups in its list of international organizations Americans should donate to in order to directly help the people of Nicosia.