Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2230 GMT, Feb. 4

CAIRO -- Iran and the United States are set to hold talks in Oman's capital Muscat on Friday, officials confirmed on Wednesday, capping days of public disagreement over the venue and agenda that laid bare the profound discord between the two sides.

On social media platform X, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi announced that the talks will take place in Muscat at around 10:00 a.m. local time (0600 GMT), thanking the Omani side for "making all necessary arrangements." (Iran-US-Nuclear Talks)

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ABU DHABI -- The second round of U.S.-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine started in Abu Dhabi, a member of the Ukrainian delegation said on Wednesday.

"The next stage of negotiations in Abu Dhabi has begun," Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said in a post on social media platform Telegram. (UAE-Russia-Ukraine-Negotiations)

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TEHRAN -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday unveiled a new underground missile base amid tensions with the United States, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

The base was unveiled during a visit by Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Abdolrahim Mousavi and, Seyed Majid Mousavi, commander of the IRGC's Aerospace Division, the report said. (Iran-US-Missile Base)

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JERUSALEM -- Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed Wednesday to dismantle Hamas if it refuses to disarm, threatening renewed military action in Gaza.

"After we complete the goal of returning all our hostages, we are determined to complete the disarmament of Hamas and the full demilitarization of Gaza," Katz said at a handover ceremony for the coordinator of government activities in the territories. (Israel-Hamas-Disarmament)

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