US Secretary of State

US Asked France to Speak to Iran Before Israel Truce

France conveyed to Iran the terms of a US-proposed ceasefire with Israel at the request of Washington in the hours leading up to the truce, a French diplomatic source said Wednesday. On Monday night, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot to "inform him of the US wish for a ceasefire provided there ...

Could the Artesh Take the Helm After Khamenei?

“Two forces that are both complementary and in competition, a duality embedded in every aspect of Iranian political and social life, opposing Islamic ideology to republican equality.” (Bernard Hourcade) For only the second time since its founding in 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran is engaged in direct military confrontation. Traditionally ...

Day 11 of The Iran-Israel War: Latest Developments

As the eleventh day of the Iran-Israel conflict unfolds, the situation remains fraught with military escalation, diplomatic tension, and worldwide market and political ramifications. Missile exchanges continued Monday between Iran and Israel, which is persisting in targeting specific objectives within the Islamic Republic. In the morning, Tel ...

Fordow: Deep Inside Iran’s Nuclear Core

Deep in the Iranian mountains, near the holy city of Qom, lies one of the most heavily guarded nuclear facilities in the world: the Fordow uranium enrichment site, a pivotal hub of Iran’s nuclear program. Shielded by the Mountain Buried nearly 90 meters beneath solid rock, the Fordow facility symbolizes Tehran’s nuclear determination and ...

Aoun Arrives in Rome for Official Visit to the Vatican

President Joseph Aoun and First Lady Nehmat Aoun arrived in Rome on Thursday afternoon, marking the beginning of an official and familial visit to the Vatican. The presidential couple landed at Ciampino Military Airbase, where they were greeted by Vatican and Lebanese diplomatic officials. Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to receive President Aoun in a ...

Colombian Presidential Contender Has Successful Surgery after Shooting

A prominent Colombian right-wing presidential candidate who was shot during a campaign event in Bogota has successfully undergone initial surgery, the city's mayor said Sunday. Thirty-nine-year-old Senator Miguel Uribe was speaking to supporters in the capital when a gunman shot him twice in the head and once in the knee before being ...

Rubio's Warning About a Potential Syrian Civil War Puts Lebanon on the Edge

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's recent warning about Syria's potential descent into a "full-scale civil war of epic proportions" has not gone unnoticed. This cautionary note has raised alarm bells not only within Syria's borders but also in neighboring Lebanon, which remains precariously balanced on a fragile socio-political ...

Pope Leo XIV Receives US VP Vance, Rubio

Pope Leo XIV received US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican Monday, a day after the new US pontiff's inauguration mass. The Vatican released photographs of Vance and Rubio smiling as they met with the Chicago-born pope, who was elected as head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics on May 8. Vance then met ...

Pope Francis: "Providence Will Never Forsake Lebanon"

Pope Francis has always kept Lebanon close to his heart. According to those close to him and many of his visitors, the Holy Father has remained closely informed about developments in the country. While he has not visited Lebanon—due to both health concerns and the political vacuum created by the absence of a president and a fully functioning ...

Rubio in Paris to Meet Macron on Ukraine War

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in Paris on Thursday to meet French President Emmanuel Macron about crafting an Ukraine ceasefire, as Washington and Europe seek common ground on ending the fighting. Top Ukrainian officials were also in the French capital on Thursday to meet EU and US delegations, President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of ...

Macron to Meet Rubio, Witkoff amid Transatlantic Tensions

French President Emmanuel Macron will on Thursday meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US envoy Steve Witkoff, the Elysee Palace said, as transatlantic tensions soar over the war in Ukraine. Witkoff, who recently met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Rubio are heading to Paris for talks on ending the war in Ukraine, the State ...

Russia, US Swap Prisoners in Push for Closer Ties 

A Los Angeles-based ballet dancer released by Russia as part of a prisoner swap landed safely in the United States Thursday night, the second swap under President Donald Trump as Moscow and Washington push to rebuild ties. Ksenia Karelina, a US-Russian dual national convicted in Russia of "treason" over a one-time donation worth around ...