Tunisia -- which has seen the world's worst Covid-19 death toll -- may be over the peak of the latest wave but the government must still speed up inoculations, the WHO said.

Israel's foreign ministry has said a European Union decision to send diplomat Enrique Mora to this week's inauguration of Iran's new president Ebrahim Raisi showed "poor judgment."

Ultraconservative Ebrahim Raisi was Tuesday inaugurated as president of Iran, a country whose hopes of shaking off a dire economic crisis hinges on reviving a nuclear deal with world powers.

"Following the people's choice, I task the wise, indefatigable, experienced and popular Hojatoleslam Ebrahim Raisi as president of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wrote in a decree read out by his chief of staff.

Saudi Arabia has intensified a crackdown on dissidents and rights activists after a respite that coincided with the country's G20 presidency last year, Amnesty International said Tuesday.

Saudi authorities "have brazenly intensified the persecution of human rights defenders and dissidents and stepped up executions over the past six months, following a lull... during Saudi Arabia's G20 presidency," the rights group said in a statement.

Since February this year, Iran and its arch-enemy Israel have been engaged in a "shadow war" in which vessels linked to each nation have come under attack in waters around the Gulf in tit-for-tat exchanges.

A recap:

Tunisian security forces have arrested two MPs from an Islamist party opposed to a power grab by President Kais Saied, their party said.

Maher Zid and Mohamed Affes of Al-Karama have been placed in provisional detention in connection with a military investigation, party head Seifeddine Makhlouf wrote on Facebook.

Israel's supreme court was holding a hearing Monday on the case of Palestinian families facing expulsion by Israeli settlers in annexed east Jerusalem, an issue that sparked conflict in May.

Iran on Monday vowed to respond to any "adventurism", its foreign ministry said, after the U.S. and Britain joined Israel in blaming Tehran for a deadly tanker attack, claims it denies.

The MT Mercer Street, managed by prominent Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer, was attacked on Thursday off Oman.

Israel's key allies the United States and Britain joined it Sunday in blaming Iran for a deadly tanker attack off Oman, despite Tehran's denials, and Washington vowed an "appropriate response".

The U.S. and British statements came after Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said there was "evidence" linking Iran to the attack after the Islamic republic rejected its arch-foe's "baseless accusations".

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has been re-elected unopposed, officials confirmed Monday, furthering his grip over the Palestinian Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip after recent clashes with Israel.

In a statement, Hamas said that its electoral process had concluded with his reappointment as political chief after "tens of thousands" of members took part in the internal poll.