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Italy hopes that the new president Iran is set to elect within 50 days after the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on Sunday will seek to forge stability, peace and dialogue in the Middle East.

Italy has voiced regret to Iran over the deaths of its president Ebrahim Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter crash at weekend, calling the incident "a tragic accident".

The chance to save millions from starving to death in Sudan is rapidly slipping away as famine looms in its war-torn regions, the Rome-based UN World Food Programme has warned, urging nations to take "immediate" action.

The attempted assassination of Slovakia's prime minister Roberto Fico "in such a complex international context" is "extremely worrying" and raises alarm levels, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Thursday in an interview with Italy's Libero newspaper.

Anti-fascist Illaria Salis will be transferred from prison to house arrest pending her trial in Hungary for assault at a neo-Nazi rally in Budapest last year after an appeals court accepted her lawyer's request, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Wednesday, welcoming the move.

Foreign minister Antonio Tajani on Tuesday called for a levy on multinational giants which "invade" commerce in Italy and "pay less tax that our businesses".

A cessation of hostilities, the release of hostages and the unhindered entry of humanitarian aid to war-devastated Gaza is key to ending the "cycle of violence" and re-starting dialogue on a two-state solution to the long-running Israel-Palestinian conflict, according to Italy.

Italy and Israel "are united by a deep bond" based on "common values", president Sergio Mattarella wrote in a message to counterpart Isaac Herzog to the Jewish State's Independence Day.

Italy and the Czech Republic enjoy "a very solid friendship" and "excellent relations" and want to strengthen ties in many sectors, premier Giorgia Meloni said after talks in Rome with her Czech counterpart Petr Fiala.

Rome has moved swiftly to protect Italian companies from the crisis triggered by Yemen-based Houthi attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea and "stands alongside companies operating abroad", foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Monday.

Foreign minister Antonio Tajani will address a workshop in Rome this week in a demonstration of Italy's "all-round support" for war-ravaged Ukraine's reconstruction, according to a foreign ministry statement.

Italy abstained in a United Nations General Assembly vote on Friday urging the Security Council to reconsider and support Palestine's request to join the world body because as G7 president "it has a duty to take an extremely balanced position", according to foreign minister Antonio Tajani.

The embassy in Beirut has paid tribute to the work of Italian civil society organisations in crisis-hit Lebanon after the head of Italy's development cooperation agency (AICs) held talks there with local Italian NGOs.

Over 600 Italian companies currently operate in the United Arab Emirates, which is the main market for Italy's exports in the Middle East, foreign minister Antonio Tajani told an investment summit in Milan.

Russia will not extend its aggression beyond Ukraine and won't launch a military attack on any Nato country, Italy's foreign minister Antonio Tajani has claimed, warning that cyber-attacks are the real threat.

The fate of over a million people sheltering in Rafah - where Israel has shut two key border crossings and began a "limited" military operation against Hamas in the southern Gaza city this week - will determine events in the Middle East and the Red Sea, according to Italy

Russia should accept by "mid-June" diplomat Cecilia Piccioni's credentials as Italy's new ambassador to the country, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Friday.