TEHRAN -- Iran's confirmed novel coronavirus cases rose to 243,051 on Monday after an overnight registration of 2,613 new infections, official IRNA news agency reported.

At her daily briefing, Sima Sadat Lari, the spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said out of the new cases in the past 24 hours, 1,468 have been hospitalized. (Iran-COVID-19)

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JERUSALEM -- Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said on Monday that the annexation of the occupied West Bank is currently not on the government's agenda.

"It is not on the agenda for today or tomorrow," Ashkenazi told Kan Bet Radio days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's target-date on July 1 for the beginning of controversial plan had slipped by. (Israel-Palestine-Annexation Plan)

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ANKARA -- Turkey on Monday vowed to retaliate the European Union if the bloc decides to impose new sanctions on Turkey due to disagreement over the Eastern Mediterranean.

"Taking decisions against Turkey will not resolve the existing problems, on the contrary, it will deepen them. If the EU takes additional measures against Turkey, we'll have to respond," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters at a joint press conference with Josep Borrell, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. (Turkey-EU-Sanctions)

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BAGHDAD -- Hisham al-Hashimi, a well-known Iraqi political and security expert, was shot dead on Monday by unknown gunmen in the capital Baghdad, an interior ministry source said.

The incident took place in Zaiyouna district in eastern Baghdad when gunmen on two motorcycles opened fire at al-Hashimi's car near his house, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. (Iraq-Assassination-Political Expert)