Americas

Iran president to visit Latin America within days

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi plans to make a visit to Latin America, including Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba, next week to strengthen Tehran's relations with the three states in economic and political fields.

White House says remains “firm” on Iran’s missile program

US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby reacted to the Iran's unveiling its first hypersonic “defense missile”, stressing that Washington has been very clear and very firm on pushing back on Tehran’s "destabilizing activities" in West Asia and the development of its ballistic missile program. Iran has made it clear its missile program is totally defensive.

Blinken meets with MbS in Jeddah, Saudi-Israel normalization on agenda

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, a State Department spokesperson has confirmed, the latest step toward “rapprochement between the Biden administration and Saudi’s de facto leader.”

US sanctions Iranian, Chinese Individuals, entities over Tehran’s defense program

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on over a dozen people and organizations in Iran, China and Hong Kong, including Iran's defense attache in Beijing, for "running a procurement network" for Iran's missile program. Tehran says the missile program is totally for peaceful purposes and no measure can strip Iran of its legitimate and legal right to boost its defensive capabilities.

US says Iran reopening Saudi embassy unsurprising step

Responding to the exchange of envoys between Tehran and Riyadh, US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel expressed hope that dialogue will contribute to the de-escalation of tensions in West Asia and more regional stability and security.

Top US diplomat Blinken due in Saudi Arabia within days

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.

WH says senior US, Israeli diplomats discussed Iran, Palestine

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.

Moscow says CIA hacked iPhones of Russian diplomats, citizens

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

Tape recording reveals Trump kept classified Pentagon document on Iran: Report

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 says Biden prefers diplomacy with Iran over JCPOA

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 to US: Lectures on nuclear weapon deployments “hypocritical”

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.

Top Israeli officials to discuss Iran and Saudi Arabia with Biden’s aide

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.

Russian court extends WSJ reporter’s detention by 3 months

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 continue to rise, tighter market expected

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.

Erdogan criticizes Biden for calling him “dictator”

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".

US imposes fresh sanctions against Iran, Russia

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

US walks back claim Syria attack killed senior al-Qaeda leader

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.

Post-9/11 wars contributed to 4.5 million deaths: Report

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.

US says working on normalization of relations between S. Arabia and Israel

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 expresses concern over Iran-Russia cooperation on building railway line

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.

US lawmakers introduce bill targeting normalization with Syria

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.

White House blocking authorities from confiscating Iranian oil ships

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.

US furious at Arab League decision to readmit Syria

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

Biden aide in Riyadh discusses Yemen with MbS

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.

Congresswoman introduces bill to restrict US aid to Israel

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.

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