Tag Archives: Trump

Iran, emboldened by the messy U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, is betting that its new hardline cabinet — including Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani — can force concessions in talks on Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Bagheri, a hardline senior diplomat, was named on Tuesday to replace Abbas …

The U.N. nuclear watchdog on Tuesday described as “unacceptable” incidents in Iran involving its inspectors, in which diplomats say security staff subjected female inspectors to inappropriate searches that the United States is calling harassment. In a first case this year at the Natanz nuclear site, a female inspector was subjected …

The Biden administration will withhold $130 million worth of military aid to Egypt until Cairo takes specific steps related to human rights, a State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s move is a break with his predecessors’ policy of overriding a congressional check on military aid …

Qatar’s foreign minister said on Monday the Gulf state has urged Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers to respect women’s rights and that it was still too early to consider recognising their government. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani was speaking in a joint news conference with French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian …

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will have no access to footage captured by surveillance cameras at Iranian nuclear sites, Iran’s state-run Press TV channel said on Twitter on Saturday. The channel added that an “informed source rejects reports suggesting that Iran may reconsider (its) decision on IAEA access restrictions.” …

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt called for a “rapid and comprehensive inspection” of all Iranian nuclear sites on Thursday. Gathering on the sidelines of an Arab League session in Cairo, ministers from the four countries also discussed stopping Tehran’s destabilizing policies that threaten global security and stability. The …

The UN nuclear watchdog on Tuesday criticized Iran for obstructing investigations into past activities and jeopardizing vital surveillance work, potentially complicating efforts to restart talks on the Iran nuclear deal. Of. The International Atomic Energy Agency said in two reports to member states reviewed by Reuters that no progress had …

A convoy of US military vehicles has been filmed being directed toward Tehran after the Taliban handed it over to Iranian authorities. “The loss of these vehicles is another embarrassment for the US, and could be damaging in the future if these vehicles are used to either extract valuable technical …

Iran is determined to increase its oil exports despite sanctions imposed by the United States on sales of crude from Tehran, Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji said on Wednesday, adding that the use of oil sanctions as a “political tool” would hurt the market. “There is a strong will in …

In the last call between U.S. President Joe Biden and his Afghanistan counterpart before the Taliban seized control of the country, the leaders discussed military aid, political strategy and messaging tactics, but neither Biden nor Ashraf Ghani appeared aware of or prepared for the immediate danger of the entire country falling to …

Celebratory gunfire echoed across Kabul as Taliban fighters took control of the airport before dawn on Tuesday following the withdrawal of the last U.S. troops, ending 20 years of war that left the Islamic militia stronger than it was in 2001. Shaky video footage distributed by the Taliban showed fighters …

A US drone strike blew up a vehicle carrying “multiple suicide bombers” from Afghanistan’s Islamic State affiliate on Sunday before they could attack the ongoing military evacuation at Kabul’s international airport, American officials said. An Afghan official said three children were killed in the strike. The strike came just two …

President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday that France was holding preliminary talks with the Taliban on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and the possible evacuation of more people from the country. Macron, who spoke in Baghdad where he was attending a summit with several Middle East leaders, said France was …

 The United States and allies urged people to move away from Kabul airport on Thursday due to the threat of a terror attack by Islamic State militants as Western troops hurry to evacuate as many people as possible before an Aug. 31 deadline. Pressure to complete the evacuations of thousands …

The leader of a resistance movement to the Taliban has vowed to never surrender but is open to negotiations with the new rulers of Afghanistan, according to an interview published by Paris Match on Wednesday. Ahmad Massoud, the son of legendary Afghan rebel commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, has retreated to …

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will push U.S. President Joe Biden to harden his approach to Iran during his first White House visit, with few prospects their talks will lead to renewed movement on Israeli-Palestinian peace. Yet both Israel and the United States have expressed hope the meeting on Thursday …

Western countries worked at a war-footing pace” on Tuesday to get people out of Afghanistan, a NATO country diplomat said, as U.S. President Joe Biden looked set to come under pressure from other G7 leaders to seek more time to complete the airlift. Widespread chaos punctuated by sporadic violence has …

A firefight broke out between Afghan security forces and unknown assailants at the North Gate of Kabul airport on Monday, the German Bundeswehr said on Twitter. One Afghan security force member was killed and three others were injured in the battle, which also involved U.S. and German forces, the Bundeswehr …

The United Arab Emirates has agreed to host 5,000 Afghan nationals to be evacuated from their country for 10 days on their way to a third country at the request of the United States, the Gulf Arab state’s foreign ministry said on Friday. “The evacuees will travel to the UAE …

Former President Donald Trump launched on Saturday a sustained attack on President Joe Biden’s handling of the retreat of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, which he called “the greatest foreign policy humiliation” in U.S. history. Trump, a Republican who has dangled the possibility of running again for president in 2024, has …

US President Joe Biden said Friday he could not guarantee the outcome of emergency evacuations from Kabul, calling it one of the most difficult airlift operations ever, but added he would mobilize “every resource” to repatriate Americans. “This is one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history,” Biden said …

About a month ago, Afghanistan’s ministry of defense posted on social media photographs of seven brand new helicopters arriving in Kabul delivered by the United States. “They’ll continue to see a steady drumbeat of that kind of support, going forward,” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters a few days …

As Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled Kabul for an undisclosed destination, armed Taliban fighters entered official buildings nationwide, including the presidential palace. Senior commanders in black turbans sat down and gave statements while young fighters took selfies. In the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, fighters were seen shooting at a billboard …

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey still aims to maintain security at Kabul airport, after Taliban fighters took control of Afghanistan’s capital. NATO member Turkey, which has hundreds of troops in Afghanistan, had been discussing with the United States a proposal to keep those forces in the country …

The Taliban have agreed to allow “safe passage” from Afghanistan for civilians struggling to join a US-directed airlift from the capital, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser said, although a timetable for completing the evacuation of Americans, Afghan allies and others has yet to be worked out with the country’s …

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Monday the United States’ “military failure” in Afghanistan offered an opportunity to establish lasting peace in the country. Taliban insurgents took control of the Afghan capital nL1N2PL01V Kabul on Sunday following a rout of the U.S.-backed Afghan army as foreign forces withdrew from Afghanistan. …

US President Joe Biden warned the Taliban Monday not to disrupt or threaten the evacuation of thousands of American diplomats and Afghan translators at the Kabul airport. The response to any attack would be “swift and forceful,” Biden said in a televised address from the White House. “We will defend …

Iran has made progress in its work on enriched uranium metal, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said in a report to member states on Monday seen by Reuters, despite Western warnings that such work threatens talks on reviving the Iran nuclear deal. “On 14 August 2021, the Agency verified … that …

Military flights evacuating diplomats and civilians from Afghanistan restarted early on Tuesday after the runway at Kabul airport was cleared of thousands of people desperate to flee after the Taliban seized the capital. The number of civilians at the airport had thinned out, a Western security official at the facility …

The Taliban declared the war in Afghanistan over after taking control of the presidential palace in Kabul while Western nations scrambled on Monday to evacuate their citizens amid chaos at the airport as frantic Afghans searched for a way out. President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on Sunday as the …

Taliban insurgents captured the key eastern Afghanistan city of Jalalabad without a fight on Sunday, leaving the territory controlled by the crumbling government to little more than the capital Kabul. The United States started evacuating its diplomats and was sending more troops to help secure Kabul airport and the embassy …

A series of photos published last month by Chinese state media of Foreign Minister Wang Yi standing shoulder to shoulder with visiting Taliban official decked out in traditional tunic and turban raised eyebrows on the country’s social media. Since then, China’s propaganda machinery has quietly begun preparing its people to …

Iran is developing a so-called “kamikaze drone” program in the wake of heightened maritime warfare, analysts have warned. Experts from the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) have warned that the new exploding drone tactics are a “core element” of Tehran’s efforts to influence the region. The warning comes as the West …

Afghan government forces battled Taliban fighters in and around several cities on Thursday, officials said, as the militants pressed on with their offensive that U.S. intelligence believes could see them take over the capital, Kabul, within 90 days. The speed of the Taliban advance – they have captured eight provincial …

New President Ebrahim Raisi named an anti-Western diplomat as foreign minister on Wednesday as Iran and six world powers seek to restore their 2015 nuclear deal. Raisi, a hardliner under Western sanctions over allegations of human rights abuses when he was a judge, was sworn into office on Aug. 5 …

UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has accused NATO allies of refusing to join a British-led military coalition to support Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US forces this year. Wallace told the Daily Mail that he believed Washington’s deal to end the conflict with the Afghan Taliban was “rotten.” Since the …

Israel said on Friday it had appointed its president’s brother, former general Michael Herzog, as its next ambassador to the United States, highlighting his experience on Iran and its nuclear programme. Tehran is currently negotiating with Washington and other world powers on reviving a 2015 deal that curbed the Islamic …

Family members of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks are opposing U.S. President Joe Biden’s participation in memorial e Family members of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks are opposing U.S. President Joe Biden’s participation in memorial events unless he declassifies government documents that they contend will show Saudi Arabian …

The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee backed legislation on Wednesday that would repeal congressional authorizations for past wars with Iraq, a significant step in lawmakers’ effort to wrest back the power to declare war from the White House. The vote was 14-8. The “no” votes came from Republicans, although three …

Journal Entry July 29, 2021“Great Rest in Great Hope.” Silvio Gesell It is a beautiful summer day.There is a light breeze in the air.The Air Magic *is stirring up some movementand giving more lifeto this important Missionto declare demurrage on the US dollar.* Conversation Today I hand-delivered,(it is the surest …

Iran’s supreme leader on Wednesday declared Tehran would not accept Washington’s “stubborn” demands in talks to revive a 2015 nuclear deal and said the United States had failed to guarantee that it would never abandon the pact again. “The Americans acted completely cowardly and maliciously,” state TV quoted Ayatollah Ali …

The US Treasury Department on Wednesday announced a new list of sanctions targeting individuals and organizations linked to human rights abuses and the killing of civilians during the civil war in Syria. They include Syrian nationals, parts of the country’s military intelligence services, and two armed rebel groups. US government …

Several powerful pro-Iran groups in Iraq on Tuesday welcomed an announcement by Washington that US combat operations in the country will end this year, an outcome they have long demanded. US President Joe Biden declared on Monday that “we’re not going to be, at the end of the year, in …

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is set on Tuesday to recommend fully vaccinated Americans wear masks indoors in at least some instances, as the more highly transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus has led to a surge in infections, sources said. That would mark a reversal …