Americas

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Saudi Arabia next week, his first trip to the kingdom since Tehran and Riyadh agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has met with his Israeli counterpart to discuss matters concerning Iran, Palestine as well as the Russia-Ukraine war, the White House has announced.

The CIA installed malware on thousands of Apple phones used by Russian diplomats and citizens, Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed on Thursday.

US Federal prosecutors have obtained a 2021 audio recording of former President Donald Trump showing he kept a classified Pentagon document about a possible attack on Iran after leaving the White House, according to a CNN report.

US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby says the White House supports a diplomatic solution in dealing with Iran's nuclear program. Tehran says the revitalization of the nuclear deal, JCPOA, is contingent upon a Washington's decision.

Russia dismissed criticism from US President Joe Biden over Moscow’s deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, stressing that Washington for decades has done the same  throughout Europe.

Senior Israeli officials are set to travel to Washington next week as the United States reportedly looks to enhance efforts on the Iranian nuclear deal and a normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The Lefortovsky District Court of Moscow has extended the pre-trial detention of American journalist Evan Gershkovich for three months to August 30, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported citing the court.

Oil prices continued to climb on Tuesday with investors expecting a tighter market led by a seasonal rise in gasoline demand and supply cuts from OPEC+ producers, though concerns over the risk of a US debt default capped gains.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dodged giving a direct response when pressed by CNN on whether he genuinely believed Washington was trying to unseat him. Instead, he criticized US President Joe Biden for viewing him as a “dictator".

The United States has issued new sanctions targeting the “logistics network” between Iran and Russia as the two countries move to boost their relations.

A man killed in a US strike in northwestern Syria earlier this month may not have been a senior Al-Qaeda leader as the Pentagon previously claimed, the Washington Post reported, citing US officials.

A new report has revealed that the wars initiated by the United States in the Middle East and North Africa following the September 11 attacks have directly or indirectly killed at least 4.5 million people and displaced millions of others worldwide.

The White House wants to make a diplomatic push for a Saudi-Israeli peace deal in the next six to seven months before the US presidential election campaign consumes President Joe Biden’s agenda, two US officials with knowledge of the issue told Axios.

US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel voiced Washington's concern over cooperation between Tehran and Moscow in a major railroad project, known as the Rasht-Astara railway.

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers have unveiled a bill intended to bar the American government from recognizing Bashar al-Assad as Syria's president and to enhance Washington's ability to impose sanctions, a warning to other countries normalizing relations with Damascus.

The Biden administration won't let authorities seize tankers carrying Iranian oil, according to a report. Several European and Asian countries imported oil from Iran in 2022 despite US sanctions that impose penalties on governments and entities involved in energy trade with Tehran.

The United States has criticized the Arab League move to restore relation with Syria, claiming that President Bashar Assad does not deserve normalization.

The US national security adviser Jake Sullivan has met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh and reviewed what the White House called “significant progress” in Yemen peace efforts, the White House has announced.

A US congresswoman has renewed a push to ensure that Washington’s aid to Israel does not contribute to abuses of Palestinians, particularly children. It comes as progressive legislators continue to call for conditions to be placed on the assistance.

The United States will recognize Israel’s right for "freedom of action" if Iran tries to obtain nuclear weapons, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has stated. Tehran denies claims that it is seeking a nuclear weapon.

US President Joe Biden is dispatching one of his top advisers to Saudi Arabia to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto leader of the kingdom, later this week.

Washington is extensively engaged on the case of an American journalist who disappeared a decade ago in Damascus, including with Syria and other countries, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.

The United States has expressed concern over Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to Syria. State Department Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel said on Wednesday that the deepening ties between Tehran and Damascus should be a source of worry for the international community.

President Joe Biden’s global agenda faces significant challenges as major developing nations seek to evade the intensifying standoff between the United States, Russia and China and, in some cases, exploit that rivalry for their own gain, classified American intelligence assessments show.