US Secretary of State

Trump Issues Rare Rebuke to Netanyahu Over Qatar Strikes

US President Donald Trump gave Benjamin Netanyahu a rare slap on the wrist Tuesday over Israel's strikes against Hamas in Qatar, as he insisted he played no role in the attack by one close US ally against another. Trump said he was not notified in advance of the Israeli attack on the Gulf state, a crucial broker in the negotiations between Israel ...

Trump Administration Moves to Phase Out UNIFIL

The future of U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon has become a point of tension between the United States and its European allies, raising implications for regional security. UNIFIL’s mandate, which expires at the end of August, requires renewal by the U.N. Security Council. According to an ABC News article published on August 17, Secretary of State ...

Iraq Divided Over Future of Pro-Iran Armed Alliance

A bill in Iraq that would further formalise the role -- and perhaps, the autonomy -- of a powerful coalition of pro-Iran former paramilitaries has sparked a heated debate, fanned in part by US pressure. Few details of the bill that could decide the future of the Hashed al-Shaabi alliance have been made public. Formed in 2014 when Iraqis were ...

Syria: Balancing State Authority and Plural Sensitivities

In the wake of the Soviet Union’s collapse in the early 1990s, French author and political analyst Alain Minc published a book with a strikingly evocative title that captured the spirit of the moment: The Revenge of Nations. He argued that decades of highly centralized communist rule had failed to erase the national sentiments of populations ...

Rubio Meets China's Wang on Sidelines of ASEAN Talks

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Friday in Malaysia on the sidelines of ASEAN talks, where Washington's tariffs are in sharp focus. Rubio and Wang's first face-to-face meeting since US President Donald Trump returned to office comes as Washington and Beijing are locked in disputes ranging from ...

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 ...