Americas

Biden and Erdogan discuss economic and defense priorities

US President Joe Biden congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the agreement reached with the Swedish prime minister over Sweden's NATO membership, according to the White House. They discussed defence priorities and regional stability and security at the NATO Summit.

Moscow to use similar weapons if US supplies cluster bombs to Ukraine: Russian DM

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has warned that Moscow would be forced to use "similar" weapons if the United States supplied cluster bombs to Ukraine, Russian news agencies reported.

US intelligence assessment says Iran not developing nuclear bombs

A US intelligence assessment has refuted claims by the US government and some of its allies that Iran is pursing atomic bombs in its nuclear program, reaffirming its peaceful nature.

Israel “no longer a star” on the American flag: Minister

A hardline Israeli minister has hit out at US President Joe Biden for his recent remarks calling Israel's current government the "most extreme" he's seen in its history, stressing that Israel is "no longer a star" on the American flag.

Pentagon chief discusses support for Turkey military modernization with peer

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has discussed support for Turkey's military modernization during a call with his Turkish counterpart, according to a US read-out released late Monday. It comes after Ankara announced it would back Sweden's NATO accession.

Biden: Netanyahu’s coalition has some of ‘most extreme’ members in Israel

US President Joe Biden says Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government has some “of the most extreme” cabinet members he’s ever seen in Israel, saying ministers who back settling “anywhere they want” in the West Bank are “part of the problem” in the conflict.

US and Iran in indirect talks on prisoner swap deal: White House

The United States and Iran are in indirect negotiations to secure a possible prisoner exchange, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday.

Biden’s Iran envoy put on leave over ‘security clearance’ issue

US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley has been placed on leave as his security clearance is being reviewed allegedly over his handling of classified materials.

Pakistan vows to counter Indo-US defense cooperation

Islamabad has conveyed its strong reservations to Washington for its deepening defence ties with New Delhi, viewing the development as a direct threat to the country’s security interests.

US says Saudi Arabia-Israel normalisation difficult but possible

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated that establishing diplomatic relations between Riyadh and Tel Aviv is difficult but possible, reasserting that Washington is pushing to normalise ties between the two sides.

Trump heard discussing sensitive Iran document in audio recording: Report

Media outlets have released an audio recording in which former US President Donald Trump purportedly boasts about having a classified document during a 2021 meeting. The ex-president was seemingly talking about holding a secret Pentagon document with plans to attack Iran, citing then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley.

US says expected “a lot more bloodshed” in Russia following Wagner insurrection

As the picture became more clear to US intelligence analysts that Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was about to mobilize his troops inside Russia, the expectation was that his march toward Moscow would encounter much more resistance and be “a great deal more violent and bloody.”

Blinken defends Biden on labeling China’s Xi a “dictator”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has backed President Joe Biden’s remarks calling Chinese President Xi Jinping a dictator, saying the American leader “speaks for all of us.”

US suspected Wagner preparing to take military action against Russia: Report

US intelligence agencies strongly suspected that Evgeny Prigozhin was planning a major move against the Russian government, days before the leader of the mercenary Wagner Group ordered his troops to march on Moscow, The New York Times reported, citing sources. Washington kept silent because it “had little interest” in helping Russia out, the report revealed.

China summons U.S. envoy following Biden’s derogatory remarks

Beijing has reportedly summoned the U.S. ambassador to China as a diplomatic rebuke, escalating its anger against US President Joe Biden after he referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a “dictator”.

Wall Street Journal reporter detention appeal denied by Moscow court

An appeal by Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich against his detention has been denied by Moscow City Court on Thursday.

US House moving to make Iran sanctions permanent

The US House Foreign Affairs Committee has advanced a bipartisan bill to make the 1996 sanctions against Tehran permanent.

Biden labels China’s president a ‘dictator’

US President Joe Biden has called his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, a “dictator”. The American leader claims Beijing was humiliated after one of its weather balloons accidentally strayed into American airspace earlier this year.

Moscow: Washington plotting to interfere in Russian elections

The United States has openly embraced the goal of destabilizing Russia, with an eye on the 2024 presidential election, Russia's  Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated. The remarks came after US President Joe Biden publicly declared that President Vladimir Putin of Russia “cannot remain in power."

Xi tells Blinken: World needs stable China-U.S. relations

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday ended a high-stakes visit to Beijing with an unexpected meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. During the meeting, the china's leader stressed the world needs steady relations between Beijing and Washington after a period of simmering tensions.

Beijing-Washington relations hit all-time lowest: China’s FM

Beijing-Washington relations have hit the lowest level since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang said at a meeting with visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Biden’s senior ME adviser visits S. Arabia to discuss possible normalization with Israel

Brett McGurk, US President Joe Biden’s senior Middle East adviser, has reportedly traveled to Saudi Arabia for talks with Saudi officials that will focus on the administration's efforts to reach a normalization agreement between the kingdom and Tel Aviv, two US officials told Axios.

Blinken meets Chinese FM on high-stakes mission to cool China-US tensions

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and top diplomat Wang Yi on a high-stakes diplomatic mission to cool Washington-Beijing tensions.

US sends fighter jets to Middle East, citing Russia ‘increasingly unsafe’ activity

The United States has sent F-22 jets to the Middle East in response to the “increasingly unsafe” activity by Russian aircraft in the region.

Oman says Iran, US ‘close’ on prisoner swap

Iran and the United States are close to finalizing a deal on the release of American inmates held in Tehran, Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi told Al-Monitor.

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