Gulf

Let Lebanon Debate Peace

The majority of Lebanese oppose peace with Israel, and elected officials who pursue normalization with the Jewish state risk political suicide. Nevertheless, popular rejection of peace does not justify censoring its proponents. The very purpose of open public debate is to allow minority positions to argue their case, sway doubters, alter ...

Iran's Khamenei Warns U.S. Warship in Gulf Can Be Sunk

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Tuesday that a U.S. warship deployed to the Gulf could be sunk, as renewed nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington got underway in Geneva. “We constantly hear that they have sent a warship toward Iran. A warship is certainly a dangerous weapon, but even more dangerous is ...

Iran Rejects Military Pressure as Nuclear Talks Resume Under Shadow of U.S. Naval Buildup

Jalal Dehqani Firouzabadi, secretary of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, said Thursday there is “no military solution” to Iran’s nuclear file, arguing that recent history has already proven the limits of force. Speaking to Iran’s ISNA news agency, Firouzabadi said the current talks differ fundamentally ...

Turkey Says Washington and Tehran Showing New Flexibility as Nuclear Talks Resume

Turkey’s foreign minister said the United States and Iran are displaying rare signs of pragmatism in efforts to revive negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program, suggesting Washington may now be prepared to tolerate limited uranium enrichment under strict conditions. In an interview with the Financial Times published Thursday, Hakan ...

Iran FM: U.S.-Iran Talks Held In a “Very Positive Atmosphere”

Iran and the United States held indirect, high-level talks in Oman on Friday over Tehran’s nuclear program, in their first such encounter since the June Israel-Iran war, amid sharp disagreements over the agenda and growing fears of a wider regional conflict. Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the talks were held in a “very ...

Iran Guards Seize Two Foreign-Crewed Tankers in Gulf: News Agency

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have seized two oil tankers with their foreign crews in Gulf waters for "smuggling fuel," the Tasnim news agency reported Thursday. It was not immediately clear what flags the tankers were carrying nor the nationalities of the crew. The seizures took place amid heightened tension after Washington dispatched a naval ...

Turkey's Erdogan Visits Saudi as Ties Between Former Rivals Warm

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Riyadh on Tuesday in his first visit in more than two years, as ties warm between Saudi Arabia and its rival-turned-ally. Ankara hopes to "finalise negotiations towards a free trade agreement between Turkey and the member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)", the Turkish presidency said. "The two ...

The End of the Middle East’s Oil Bonanza

The Middle East has finally arrived at the grim reckoning long barreling toward it: a ruinous collapse of oil revenues that renders government deficits utterly unsustainable. Among the wealthy Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, four are running persistent annual budget deficits that are eroding their sovereign wealth reserves and plunging ...

Iran's Khamenei Warns of 'Regional War' if U.S. Attacks

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned on Sunday of a "regional war" if the United States attacked following heavy military deployments by Washington in the Gulf. "The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war," Khamenei was quoted as saying by the Tasnim news agency. Khamenei also ...

Explosion Reported at Building in Iran Gulf City, Cause Unknown: State Media

An explosion took place on Saturday at a building in the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas on the Gulf Coast, state media reported, though the cause of the blast was as yet unknown. State television said the explosion occurred at an eight-story building, "destroying two floors, several vehicles, and shops" in the area of Moallem Boulevard in the ...

Turkey Urges U.S.-Iran Disputes Be Resolved ‘One by One’

Turkey's foreign minister on Wednesday urged the U.S. to resolve its disputes with Iran "one by one" instead of through a sweeping deal, saying this would avoid humiliating Iranian officials, and added that Tehran was ready for talks on its nuclear programme. "If you put them as a package all of them, it will be very difficult for our Iranian ...