Iran

US Secretary of State accuses Iran of perpetrating an “act of war” on Saudi’s oil facilities – Saudi presents evidence of Iran’s involvement

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday accused Iran of perpetrating an "act of war" after weekend strikes on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, saying the attack had the "fingerprints…

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Trump announces US will increase sanctions against Iran

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he is hitting Iran with new economic sanctions over an attack on Saudi Arabia oil facilities. The president tweeted: "I have just instructed the Secretary…

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Iran’s Rouhani may cancel U.N. visit if U.S. visa not issued soon

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani may cancel his appearance at the U.N. General Assembly meeting this month if the United States fails to issue visas for him and the foreign minister…

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Saudi Arabia joins US maritime operation in Persian Gulf

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday announced its decision to join a US-led maritime security operation in the Persian Gulf days after two of its oil production facilities were targeted in an…

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Iran will never hold talks with USA – Khamenei

Iran will never hold talks with America, the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on state television Tuesday morning, effectively killing chances for a rapprochement some had anticipated between…

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Is there time to lower the tension following Saudi’s oil facilities attack?

The attack on Saudi oil facilities is the latest, most violent, example of an escalating series of gambits rival powers in the Gulf aimed at achieving their objectives by all…

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Saudi says that Iranian weapons were used in aerial strikes

Saudi Arabia said Monday that Iranian weapons had been used in the aerial strikes over the weekend that interrupted much of the kingdom’s oil production. It also said the attacks…

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Iran seize fuel tanker in Gulf

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have seized a vessel in the Gulf for allegedly smuggling 250,000 litres of diesel fuel to the United Arab Emirates, Iran's semi-official Students News agency ISNA reported…

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Trump says US ‘locked and loaded’ after attack on Saudi oil

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said the United States was “locked and loaded” following a drone attack on a major Saudi Arabian oil facility, which the Trump administration is…

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Iran dismisses accusations linking it to Saudi’s oil plants attacks – says it is ready for full-fledged conflict

Iran has dismissed US accusations it was behind drone attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil plants, and warned it is ready for a "full-fledged" war. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi…

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John Bolton’s departure changes the Iran game – Tonio Galea

John Bolton’s departure from the post of National Security Advisor was welcomed with a sigh of relief by some, if not many, especially Iran. Bolton was known as a hawk…

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Two British-Australian women detained in Iran

Two British-Australian women have been arrested and detained in Iran. One of the women is a blogger who had been travelling through Asia with her Australian boyfriend and the second…

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Britain summons Iranian ambassador, claiming assurances on oil tanker were breached

Britain summoned the Iranian ambassador on Tuesday to condemn what it said was a clear breach of the assurances it was given over the oil cargo of the tanker Adrian…

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Trump says he has no problem to meet Iranian President

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he could meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and that he had no problem with such an encounter. Trump made the remarks to reporters…

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Iran injects Uranium gas in advanced centrifuges, in violation of 2015 nuclear deal commitments

Iran has begun injecting uranium gas into advanced centrifuges in violation of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, a spokesman said Saturday. Behrouz Kamalvandi of the Atomic Energy Organization…

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Satellite images show Iranian tanker Adrian Darya-1 heading to Syria

The Iranian oil tanker pursued by the US has arrived at the Syrian port of Tartus, US National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Friday. The appearance of the Adrian…

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US warns anyone fuelling Iran tanker risks being blacklisted

The U.S. Treasury Department warned that anyone around the world who helps fuel Iranian vessels blacklisted by Washington runs the risk of being designated as well. The Treasury Department blacklisted…

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Iran takes a further step away from nuclear deal

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced that the country would soon begin researching and developing improved centrifuges to speed up the process of enriching uranium. "I, as of now, announce the…

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Iran to free crew of seized British tanker

Iran says it will free on humanitarian grounds seven of the 23 crew members of a British-flagged oil tanker, Stena Impero, that it seized in the Strait of Hormuz in…

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Iran warns about taking strong step away from Nuclear deal if Europe will not offer new terms

Iran will “take a strong step” away from its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers if Europe cannot offer the country new terms by a deadline at the end of…

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The UK is considering deploying drones to Gulf

The United Kingdom is considering deploying British drones to the Gulf amid tensions with Iran, Sky News reported early on Monday. The RAF still has a number of Reaper drones…

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Trump taunts Iran Releasing what is Thought to Be Classified Material

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday posted on Twitter a photo of what appeared to be the site of a failed Iranian satellite launch, raising questions about whether he had…

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US blacklists Iranian cargo ship Adrian Darya

The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday blacklisted the Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya, which is at the centre of a confrontation between Washington and Tehran, and sanctioned its captain. Turkey’s…

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Japan commits itself to ease tension in the Middle East

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday he plans to do everything he can to ease tension in the Middle East and wants to talk with Iranian President Hassan…

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Adrian Darya Tanker changes course away from Turkey

Iranian tanker Adrian Darya, at the center of a dispute between Washington and Tehran, has changed course away from the Turkish coast, Refinitiv ship tracking data showed on Thursday. The…

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Russia and Iran Foreign Ministers to meet in Moscow next week

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif will meet in Moscow on Sept. 2 for talks on the situation in the Gulf region, RIA news agency…

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Hezbollah says will respond with a surprise strike against Israel, but will avoid new war

Hezbollah will respond with a "surprise" strike against Israel after drones crashed in Lebanon, but a new war remains unlikely, the Iran-backed movement said, amid heightened fears of a full-scale…

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US – Iran summit possible within few weeks – Macron

Emmanuel Macron has said that a French diplomatic initiative could lead to a summit between the US and Iranian presidents “within a few weeks”. Macron made the announcement at a…

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Iranian tanker no longer heading for Turkey, claims it has been sold

An Iranian tanker at the centre of a confrontation between Washington and Tehran is no longer recorded as heading for Turkey, Refinitiv Eikon shipping data showed on Monday, having switched…

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Trump says he does not want regime change in Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he wanted to see a strong Iran and was not seeking a change of leadership in Tehran, adding that the standard of living…

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Iranian foreign Minister in surprise visit to G7 meeting

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived Sunday in the French city of Biarritz, where a G7 summit of world leaders is taking place, for talks with his French counterpart…

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Intense Israeli air strike in Syria

Israel's military has said it thwarted an "imminent" Iranian attack involving killer drones after its fighter jets had attacked targets in Syria. The announcement came unusually quickly after the attack.…

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Iranian tanker Adrian Darya switches destination to Turkey, data shows

The Iranian tanker at the centre of a confrontation between the US and Iran has switched destination. According to date from the ship tracking website Marine Traffic, the ship is…

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G7 summit begins in shadow of trade friction, climate change, Iran and Brexit

The G7 summit has begun in the shadow of friction over trade, climate change and Iran likely which are likely to dominate the talks, not to mention protests planned around…

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Photo story: Iran unveils new air missile defense system

A handout picture made available by Iran's Presidential Office shows Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (2-L) delivering a speech next to Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami (2-R) during the inauguration ceremony…

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Urgent need for ‘restraint and genuine dialogue’ in Middle East to avoid major confrontation

Briefing the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, the Chef de Cabinet of the Secretary-General, Maria Luiza Viotti, said that “restraint and genuine dialogue are urgently needed”,…

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US warns Greece not to assist Iranian tanker

The US has warned that any assistance given to the Iranian-flagged oil tanker recently released by Gibraltar would be considered as support for terrorism. The tanker is thought to be…

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New tensions between Russia, Iran and Turkey over Syria

Turkey has defied warnings from Russia, Iran and their local allies in Syria by seeking a deal with the United States and continuing to support insurgents as they clashed with…

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Analysis – The Iranian Flagged Tanker’s saga geopolitical implications on post Brexit Britain

The Iran-flagged Adrian Darya 1, previously named Grace 1, set course for Kalamata, Greece, with an estimated arrival on Aug. 25, according to ship tracking service MarineTraffic. It wasn't immediately…

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Ukraine high on agenda as Macron meets Putin

French President Emmanuel Macron will host his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a rare meeting on Monday before the start of the G7 summit in Biarritz. Macron is hoping to…

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Iranian tanker leaves Gibraltar, Iran ready to give it naval escort

An Iranian ship held by Gibraltar since July on suspicion of transporting oil to Syria has left port. The tanker is moving east into the Mediterranean and lists Kalamata in…

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US issues warrant for Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar

The US Justice Department has issued a federal warrant for the seizure of Grace 1, the Iranian oil tanker that was detained in Gibraltar. The US has said the vessel…

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U.S. Threatens Visa Bans For Crew Of Freed Iranian Oil Supertanker

The United States says the crew of an Iranian supertanker whose departure Washington apparently was unable to block from Gibraltar could be subject to a U.S. visa ban. State Department…

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Gibraltar to release Iranian vessel (Updated)

Update: Gibraltar has said it will allow a detained Iranian oil tanker to be released after Tehran gave the territory’s government an assurance that it would not allow its cargo…

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Iran unveils upgraded missile defence system

Iran unveiled on Saturday what authorities said was a locally upgraded missile defence system with a range of 400 km (250 miles) and able to defend against cruise and ballistic…

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Iran warns Israel against aiding US mission in Strait of Hormuz

Iran has warned Israel against aiding a United States-led maritime mission in the Gulf, saying it reserved the right to confront such a "clear threat". The comments on Friday by…

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U.S. tells commercial vessels to send Gulf transit plans in advance

The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), the U.S. maritime agency, has issued an advisory telling U.S.-flagged commercial vessel they must send transit plans in advance to American and British naval authorities…

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Developing Story: Iran seizes another foreign oil tanker ‘for smuggling fuel to Arab states’ – reports

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) seized a foreign oil tanker they say was smuggling fuel to some Arab states, Iranian news outlets reported on Sunday. A commander with Iran’s Islamic…

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UN chief warns “these extreme weather events are just the tip of the iceberg. And that iceberg is also rapidly melting.”

Global warming and rising political tensions are dangerous and avoidable, Secretary-General António Guterres told reporters on Thursday, previewing the UN’s upcoming Climate Action Summit, and spotlighting geopolitical hotspots. Briefing the press…

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Iran slashes four zeroes from currency

Iran is to remove four zeroes from its national currency, the rial, as the country struggles with soaring inflation. The oil-rich nation's economy has been hit hard by unilateral sanctions…

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U.S. imposes sanctions against Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif

The US Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions against Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, a highly unusual action of penalising the top diplomat of another country. The sanctions…

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Reports that Israel attacked Iranian targets in Iraq

The London-based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat citing unnamed western diplomatic sources reported that Israel used F-35 stealth fighter jets on late Sunday night to attack “Iranian advisers” and a shipment of ballistic…

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Britain rejects idea of tanker swap with Iran

Britain on Monday rejected the idea that it could release a Iranian tanker in exchange for a British-flagged vessel seized by the Islamic Republic in the Gulf. Tensions have spiked…

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HMS Duncan arrives in the Gulf

British Royal Navy vessel HMS Duncan has arrived in the Gulf, where she will support the safe passage of British-flagged ships through the Strait of Hormuz along with HMS Montrose.…

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Oman tries to negotiate solution in Iranian tanker crisis

A top Omani diplomat was in Iran on Saturday for bilateral talks after weeks of volatility over the Strait of Hormuz, the passageway for a fifth of all globally traded…

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UK warship escorting British ships through Strait of Hormuz

Sky News reports that the Royal Navy has been tasked with accompanying British-flagged vessels through the Strait of Hormuz to protect them from Iranian attack. HMS Montrose, a Type 23…

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Reports of an Israeli attack in southern Syria

Syrian state television said on Wednesday that Israel struck a strategic area in southern Syria overlooking the Golan Heights where Western intelligence sources previously said Iranian-backed militias are known to…

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