An Israeli military official said Tuesday the army had carried out some 200 strikes in Syria over the past 18 months against mainly Iranian targets, a rare confirmation of such action.

The U.N. urged Russia and Turkey Tuesday to help avert a "bloodbath" in Idlib, as renewed Russian airstrikes on the Syria's last major rebel stronghold killed least nine civilians, according to a monitor.

The U.N. mission in Libya said on Tuesday a ceasefire agreement has been reached to end deadly clashes that have rocked the capital Tripoli for the past week.

Israeli missile strikes targeted Iranian military positions in the Syrian provinces of Hama and Tartus on Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

Spain said Tuesday it has cancelled a 2015 deal to sell 400 laser-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia, which is leading a coalition fighting rebels in Yemen.

The Kremlin said Tuesday the Syrian army is getting ready to solve the problem of "terrorism" in the rebel stronghold of Idlib, apparently referring to a looming regime offensive. 

Iran's foreign minister said at the start of a visit to Damascus on Monday that "terrorists must be purged" from Syria's Idlib and the entire northwestern province returned to government control.

Mohammad Javad Zarif's comments in Damascus were reported by Iran's semi-official Fars news agency and came as Syrian forces and their allies are preparing for an assault on Idlib, the last opposition stronghold in the country.

US President Donald Trump on Monday warned Syria against launching an attack on the country's last rebel stronghold with the help of Russia and Iran, saying the offensive could trigger a "human tragedy."

Yemen's warring parties meet in Geneva Thursday for a new round of peace talks with little hope of a breakthrough in an "ugly war" between the Saudi-backed government and rebels linked to Iran.

Suspected Islamic State group jihadists shot dead a man as he emerged from prayers at a mosque north of Baghdad and wounded three others, police said on Monday.