A first group of Syrian Kurds were headed for the northeastern border town of Ras al-Ain on Monday following years of displacement, months after an integration deal between the Kurds and Damascus.

The January agreement on merging Kurdish forces and civil institutions into the state included the return of displaced Kurds but residents of Ras al-Ain had still been waiting, prompting appeals to authorities for assistance.

Tehran on Monday said Iranians had shown "they are professional chess players" in response to remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump comparing his dealings with Iran to the board game.

Trump on Sunday signaled he was prepared to let economic pressure mount against Iran, apparently backing away from more military strikes after Tehran issued a list of demands for opening the Strait of Hormuz.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected a U.S.-led Gaza plan endorsed by Hamas, putting distance between himself and President Donald Trump as he tries to shore up his base ahead of close elections.

Iran's foreign ministry said Monday that a defense pact signed last week between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan was "a sign of a change in the perception" of countries in the region towards the United States.

Iran set preconditions on Saturday for a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, including compensation for war damages, complicating a potential deal to open the waterway essential to the world economy.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said on Sunday they had struck an oil facility on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast after the Gulf kingdom said it had extinguished a fire at the site.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Sunday said they would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the United States accepts all of Tehran's demands.

Houthi attacks on a strategic Yemeni province killed at least 10 people, according to a minister and military source, as the rebels escalated strikes on the oil-rich region.

Palestinian Christians call themselves "living stones" and say they have lived continuously in the Holy Land for the last 2,000 years. Maybe not for much longer, believes Reverend Mitri Raheb.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a defense agreement on Friday that would treat an attack on one as an attack on all three, Turkish and Pakistani officials said, solidifying cooperation between the three regional powers at a time of growing security concerns.

The agreement was signed in the Saudi holy city of Mecca during a meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.