United States

Undisclosed Lebanon–Israel Talks Under U.S. Sponsorship Advance: Report

Undisclosed negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, sponsored by the United States, have reportedly made substantial progress, a well-informed source told Nidaa al-Watan. According to the source, the talks are being led by a senior Lebanese figure and are based on reciprocal trade-offs. Lebanon is pressing Israel to show flexibility regarding ...

U.S. Official Tells TIB that Iran Talks Still Possible After Geneva, but Major Gaps Remain

In a statement to This is Beirut, a U.S. senior official stated that there is still a diplomatic path with Iran after Tuesday’s dialogue in Geneva, but many key points on the nuclear issue remain unresolved. The official stated that “today’s Geneva talks showed that a diplomatic path still exists, but it will move forward only ...

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 Says U.S. Stance on Nuclear Issue 'More Realistic'

Iran said Monday that the US position on Tehran's nuclear programme "has moved towards a more realistic one" ahead of a second round of talks. "A cautious assessment is that, from the discussions that have taken place in Muscat to date, at least what we have been told is that the US position on the Iranian nuclear issue has ...

German President Urges Swift Hezbollah Disarmament

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday called for the “swift” disarmament of Hezbollah, stressing during talks with President Joseph Aoun that restoring full state authority in Lebanon is essential for long-term stability. In his remarks following their meeting, Steinmeier said Israeli forces must also withdraw from ...

Rubio: U.S. Satisfied With Overall 'Trajectory' in Syria

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that Washington is pleased with the "trajectory" in Syria, which has launched talks with Kurdish minority groups, despite troubles. "There's been some days that have been very concerning, but we like the trajectory," Rubio said on a brief visit to Bratislava. "We have to keep it on that trajectory. ...

U.S. Military Says Struck More Than 30 IS Targets in Syria

The U.S. military said Saturday that its forces had struck more than 30 Islamic State group targets in Syria this month, maintaining pressure on the jihadists after a deadly attack on US troops last year. The strikes also came as the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) in recent weeks transferred thousands of IS detainees from Syria to Iraq, ...

U.S., Syrian Top Diplomats Meet at Munich Conference

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday and they discussed Damascus's recent agreement with the Kurds. A post by the Syrian foreign ministry included pictures showing that the head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum ...

U.S. Completes Transfer of IS Detainees From Syria to Iraq: CENTCOM

The United States Central Command said on Friday it had completed the transfer of thousands of detained Islamic State group suspects held in Syria to Iraq. The detainees had been held in Syria for years in camps overseen by Kurdish-led forces, but the recapture of surrounding territory by Damascus prompted Washington to step in. CENTCOM said it ...

Iran Announces Enquiry Team to Investigate Deadly Protests

The Iranian government announced on Friday the establishment of a commission of enquiry to look into protests against the high cost of living that turned into anti-government rallies that left thousands dead. "A fact-finding committee has been formed with representatives from relevant institutions and is collecting documents and hearing ...