Iran

Saudi intercepts five drones in new airport attack

Saudi forces on Friday intercepted five drones launched by Iran-aligned Yemeni rebels in the second assault on an airport in the kingdom. The drones targeted Abha airport, where a rebel…

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Iran calls US accusation it is behind attacks on two oil tankers ‘unfounded’

Iran says it "categorically rejects" US claims that it is behind attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had earlier…

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UPDATED: Two tankers struck in suspected attacks in Gulf of Oman

UPDATED: Two tankers were hit in suspected attacks in the Gulf of Oman and the crew have been evacuated, shipping sources said on Thursday, a month after a similar incident…

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Photo Story: The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group in the Arabian Sea

Handout photos made available by the US Navy shows the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress, assigned to the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron…

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US ready to talk with Iran ‘with no preconditions’

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Washington was willing to hold talks with Iran to lower tensions in the Persian Gulf "with no preconditions." "We are prepared to…

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John Bolton warns Iran of 'very strong response'

John Bolton, President Donald Trump's national security adviser, warned Iran on that any attacks in the Persian Gulf will draw a "very strong response" from the U.S. Bolton's comments came…

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US to send 1,500 extra troops to Middle East

The US is to send 1,500 troops to the Middle East to counter the "ongoing threat posed by Iranian forces", the acting defence secretary says. Congress has been notified about…

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Pentagon doesn’t exclude sending troops to the Middle East

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan confirmed that the Pentagon was considering sending additional U.S. troops to the Middle East. The troops will serve as one of the ways…

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Germany to mediate in Iranian crisis

Germany is going to attempt to mediate in the current crisis between the United States and Iran. According to report in German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), the policy director…

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Trump warns Iran: It will be your end

After that in the past few days President Donald Trump tried to reach out to Iran to deescalate the ever rising tension, he now issued a very stern warning. In…

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Fears of a miscalculation in ongoing Iran-US tension

Amid the ongoing tension in the Middle East, with both the US and Iran strengthening their military presence Eurasia Group’s Henry Rome, the risk of miscalculation by Washington and…

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Gulf nations approve US request to deploy troops

The United States is planning to deploy military forces in the waters of the Arabian Gulf and in a number of Gulf Cooperation Council countries, according to media reports in…

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US warns airliners of flying risks in Gulf

As the tension in the Gulf shows no signs of abating, U.S. diplomats warned that commercial airliners flying over the wider Arabian Gulf faced a risk of being “misidentified” amid…

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USS Abraham Lincoln ready for every eventuality

Fox News is reporting that the USS Abraham Lincoln is now on station in the northern Arabian Sea amid rising tension with Iran. The USS Abraham Lincoln is accompanied…

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Houthi rebels in Yemen take responsibility for drone attack in Saudi

Houthi rebels in Yemen have taken responsibility for the drone attacks that shut down one of Saudi Arabia's major oil pipelines further ratcheting up Gulf tensions after the mysterious sabotage…

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Trump insists he doesn’t want war with Iran

President Donald Trump insisted that the United States is not preparing for war with Iran despite recent escalating tensions. Whilst emphasising that a report that the White House is considering…

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Emergency talks in Brussels about Iranian situation

Foreign ministers from France, Germany and the UK were to meet the EU in Brussels later on Monday to discuss Iran’s recent threat to breach commitments of the 2015 nuclear…

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Israel doesn’t exclude possibility of Iranian attack

An Israeli cabinet minister warned on Sunday of possible direct or proxy Iranian attacks on Israel should the stand-off between Tehran and Washington escalate. The United States has increased economic…

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UPDATED: Four commercial vessels sabotaged in UAE… reports of explosions at Fujairah port denied

Four commercial vessels have been targeted by "sabotage operations" near territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates. The UAE foreign ministry said the sabotage attempt occurred in the Gulf of…

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Iranian commander says US military in Gulf a target

A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said the U.S. military presence in the Gulf used to be a serious threat but now represented a target, the Iranian Students' News Agency…

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U.S. warns merchant ships of possible Iranian attacks

Iran could target U.S. commercial ships including oil tankers, the U.S. Maritime Administration said on Friday, as a senior Iranian cleric said a U.S. Navy fleet could be “destroyed with…

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US increases military presence in the Middle East as Iran tensions escalate

The US is sending a Patriot air defence missile system and a warship to the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran. The USS Arlington, which transports amphibious vehicles and…

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EU rejects ‘ultimatums’ from Iran over nuclear deal

The EU has rejected any "ultimatums" from Iran, according to a joint statement released by the EU, France, Germany, and the UK. Iran said Wednesday that it planned to cease…

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B-52 bombers being deployed to Middle East amid rising tension with Iran

The U.S. military announced that B-52 bombers will be part of additional forces being sent to the Middle East to counter what the Trump administration says are "clear indications" of…

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As tension mounts between Washington and Tehran… Iran says it will stop complying with parts of nuclear deal

Iran’s president declared on Wednesday that the country would stop complying with two of its commitments under the Iranian nuclear deal, pushing the growing confrontation between Washington and Tehran into…

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The US to send “unmistakable message” to Iran

John Bolton, President Donald Trump's national security adviser, announced the United States is sending a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East to send a…

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US to end exemptions from sanctions for countries buying oil from Iran

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the State Department will not renew sanction waivers for countries importing Iranian oil. The increased pressure on Iran comes nearly one year after…

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U.S. declares Iran’s Revolutionary Guard As A Foreign Terrorist Organization

As expected, the Trump administration designated the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a foreign terrorist organization, taking an unprecedented step as it seems to increase pressure on Iran's regime. The…

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Key British infrastructure was the target of ‘major cyber assault’ by Iran

Sky News reported that the UK Post Office and local government networks were both hit in coordinated attacks on 23 December. Cyber attacks for which Iran is being blamed in…

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Iranian President meets Austrian Chancellor

DW: Hassan Rouhani has met with Austrian Chancellor Kurz and President Van der Bellen in a bid to save the Iran nuclear deal. But his trip has been overshadowed by an…

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Iran’s Khamenei urges judiciary to confront those who harm the economy

Al Jazeera: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned against those "who disrupt economic security", threatening legal action in response to economic protests that began on Monday over the rial's…

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World Cup: Trump’s sanctions means Nike can’t supply shoes for Iranian football team

ESPN : Iran's national team was always going to face a difficult challenge in trying to compete with more established nations at the World Cup, but suddenly there is a…

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The world should stand up to US bullying behaviour – Iranian Foreign Minister

The world should stand up to Washington’s bullying behaviour, Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted as saying on Sunday by state media in a letter to counterparts, as…

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JCPOA remaining partners convene after US withdrawal from Iranian Nuclear deal. They welcome the fact that the (IAEA) has again confirmed the continued adherence by Iran to its nuclear-related commitments

China, Russia, France, the UK and Germany have expressed their commitment to maintain the Iranian nuclear deal, but a solution has not yet been found on how to diffuse and…

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New York Times : Iran established a secret missile research facility

The New York Times reports that Iran has established a secret missile research facility in the desert where it may be developing technology for long-range missiles. California-based experts came to this conclusion…

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Israel’s High-Level security cabinet to meet in special bunker

The Times of Israel reports that Israel’s high-level security cabinet will meet in a new, specially built underground bunker in Jerusalem for the foreseeable future. The change of venue — meetings of…

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Strongest sanctions ever will be imposed against Iran if it doesn’t change its course – Us Sec. of State Pompeo

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has threatened to place "the strongest sanctions in history" on Iran if its government does not change course. While presenting the strategy following the…

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EU committed to Iranian nuclear deal; wants the US to exempt the bloc from steel tariffs

The EU remains firmly committed to the Iranian nuclear deal, and it wants the US to permanently exempt the bloc from steel tariffs. Donald Tusk, the European Council president said…

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TOTAL warns that it will stop its operations in Iran

French company TOTAL announced that in view of the sanctions Total will not be able to operate its project SP 11, unless it will get special waivers. The company said…

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The clash of the Donalds – With friends like this, who needs enemies? Donald Tusk on Donald Trump

“Looking at the latest decisions of Trump, someone could even think: With friends like that, who needs enemies?” Donald Tusk, President of the European Council didn't leave much to anyone's imagination to…

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‘Constructive meeting’ between Iran and and the EU

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has hailed as "very good and constructive" the meeting he had in Brussels with the European Union's foreign-policy chief, Federica Mogherini. Zarif was in…

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Iran Nuclear Deal – US doesn’t exclude sanctions on European companies that do business with Iran

The US administration is prepared to impose sanctions on European companies that do business in Iran following his withdrawal of the US from the international nuclear deal. Trump’s most senior foreign policy aides…

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There is no willingness from the US to take the position of its allies seriously

Transatlantic relations have "already been damaged for some time", and Germany, although ready for dialogue, is "ready for a fight" for its positions . German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told…

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Trump approaches geopolitics like The Apprentice – but this is not his show – Julian Borger (The Guardian’s World Affairs Editor)

The big lesson of Trump’s big week in geopolitics – in which he ditched the Iran nuclear deal while pivoting optimistically toward his summit with Kim Jong-un – is clear enough:…

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