Geopolitical tensions flare every spring on the Korean peninsula, but analysts say the anxiety of recent weeks has been magnified by the unpredictable new player in the annual drama: Donald Trump. North Korea always intensifies its rhetoric when Seoul and Washington stage annual large-scale joint military drills that it condemns as rehearsals for a potential … Read more
Iran is “not living up to the spirit” of the nuclear deal struck with world powers in 2015, US President Donald Trump said Thursday, warning America would set out its position on that soon. Trump’s administration has been publicly tightening the noose on Iran over the deal, which was negotiated by the five permanent UN … Read more
The United States on Thursday urged the UN Security Council to devote less attention to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and make Iran’s “incredibly destructive” activities a priority in the Middle East. US Ambassador Nikki Haley branded Iran the “chief culprit” of conflicts in the Middle East and vowed to work with Washington’s partners to demand Iran … Read more
Citgo, the US affiliate of Venezuela’s state-run oil company, donated half a million dollars to Donald Trump’s inauguration fund, documents released here show. The Houston, Texas-based Citgo is among 20 companies and individuals who made the largest donations to the committee organizing the president’s events, according to documents released by the Federal Election Commission on … Read more
The US secretary of state has accused Iran of “alarming ongoing provocations” aimed at destabilising the Middle East and undermining America’s interests. “An unchecked Iran has the potential to travel the same path as North Korea and to take the world along with it,” Rex Tillerson said. The US has ordered a review of the … Read more
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Thursday criticised “worn-out” US accusations that it was seeking a nuclear weapon to threaten the region and the world. “Worn-out US accusations can’t mask its admission of Iran’s compliance” with a 2015 nuclear deal, Zarif wrote on Twitter. Iran says its nuclear programme is purely for peaceful purposes … Read more
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has accused Iran of “alarming ongoing provocations” aimed at destabilising the Middle East and undermining America’s interests in the region. “An unchecked Iran has the potential to travel the same path as North Korea and to take the world along with it,” Mr Tillerson said. However, the US admits … Read more
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has accused Iran of “alarming ongoing provocations” aimed at destabilising the Middle East and undermining America’s interests in the region. “An unchecked Iran has the potential to travel the same path as North Korea and to take the world along with it,” Mr Tillerson said. President Donald Trump earlier … Read more
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson branded the Iran nuclear deal a failure Wednesday as President Donald Trump ordered a review of how Washington is countering the threat from Tehran. The State Department admits that Iran has so far maintained its side of the bargain it struck with world powers in 2015 to curtail its … Read more
Republicans faced a sobering reminder of Donald Trump’s unpopularity Wednesday after a young Democrat forced a run-off election in a conservative congressional district, highlighting the vulnerability of the president’s party as opponents draw inspiration for fierce battles ahead. Harnessing clear frustration and dissatisfaction with the new president, 30-year-old Jon Ossoff came in first by a … Read more
US President Donald Trump will host Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas at the White House May 3 for talks on efforts to revive the Middle East peace process, the White House said Wednesday. ‘They will use the visit to reaffirm the commitment of both the United States and Palestinian leadership to pursuing and ultimately concluding a … Read more
US President Donald Trump will host Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas at the White House May 3 for talks on efforts to revive the Middle East peace process, the White House said Wednesday. “They will use the visit to reaffirm the commitment of both the United States and Palestinian leadership to pursuing and ultimately concluding a … Read more
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he has told Congress of plans to review whether sanctions relief given to Iran as part of the 2015 nuclear deal was in US national security interests. The notification came as the White House certified that Iran was complying with its commitments under the nuclear deal negotiated by … Read more
A suspected chemical attack on a rebel-held town in Syria’s Idlib province on April 4 killed dozens of people. Western powers blamed the incident on President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, and days later, the United States responded by firing cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase. Here is a recap of developments: On April 4, 2017, an … Read more
US President Donald Trump expressed confidence Thursday that US-Russian relations will “work out fine” after icy bilateral talks in Moscow, as he looked to China to “deal properly” with North Korea. Trump faces crucial tests in the Middle East and the Korean peninsula, with tensions building on both fronts over a suspected chemical weapons attack … Read more
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has denied ordering last week’s suspected chemical attack on a rebel-held town, believes his victory is inevitable in the six-year-old war ravaging his country. Bolstered by the steady support of Russia and Iran, Assad has appeared unfazed by Western threats to his regime — even after one of his airbases … Read more
Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, who faces international calls to be tried as a war criminal, has branded claims his regime launched a chemical attack on his own citizens ‘100 per cent fabrication’. He made the comment in an interview released today, less than 24 hours after world leaders clashed over a UN resolution condemning a … Read more
North Korea is ready to launch a nuclear test at its Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site, the 38 North monitoring group reported on Wednesday. The 38 North analysis group described the test site as “primed and ready.” “Commercial satellite imagery of North Korea´s Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site from April 12 shows continued activity around the North … Read more
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin hosted US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the Kremlin on Wednesday but the rival powers failed to bridge a deep gap of trust. In the wake of the meeting Russia then vetoed a US-backed resolution at the UN demanding the Syrian government cooperate with an investigation of a suspected chemical … Read more
President Donald Trump is raising pressure on North Korea, touting the US naval “armada” he ordered to the troubled peninsula and promising America will “solve the problem” if China won’t help. He wants to stop Pyongyang from developing a long-range nuclear missile, but North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sees such a weapon as key to … Read more