Iran Presidential Election 

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urged voters on Wednesday to turn out in large numbers for the June 18 presidential election. Three out of seven candidates quit the field on Wednesday. Official opinion polls suggest turnout could be as low as 41%, significantly lower than past elections.

Bahrain-Israel Relations 

Bahrain's Foreign Minister, Abdullatif Al Zayani, said on Wednesday the kingdom is communicating with the new Israeli government to learn about its policy on the efforts aiming to bring peace to the region. Bahrain agreed to normalize ties with Israel in September 2020, becoming the second Gulf country to do so after the UAE.

Syria Cross-Border Aid Access 

US President Joe Biden did not secure a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday to renew a United Nations cross-border aid operation into Syria, a senior US official said. The counterparts met for tense talks in Geneva on Wednesday for the first time since Biden took office.

'Green Fungus' Infection in India 

India has recorded the first infection with the "green fungus" in the world in a COVID-19 survivor. The 34-year-old was shifted to a Mumbai hospital through an air ambulance for treatment. Green fungus, whose official name is Aspergillus, is not contagious and cannot spread through human contact.