United States

Turkey Urges U.S. to Resist Israeli Pressure to Strike Iran

In a joint press conference held on Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated their commitment to diplomacy and warned against any military intervention in Iran, as tensions in the region continue to rise. Fidan emphasized Turkey’s opposition to military action, stating that Ankara ...

Trump Declares Emergency Over Cuba, Targets Oil Exports, Cites Hamas, Hezbollah Ties

President Trump issued an executive order on Thursday declaring a national emergency over Cuba and detailing a policy of implementing secondary sanctions on countries exporting oil to Cuba.  In the executive order, the Trump administration claims that Cuba hosts and cooperates with “dangerous adversaries” on its territory: ...

Qatari Emir, Iran's President Discuss Regional Deescalation Efforts

Qatar's emir and the Iranian president discussed regional deescalation efforts in a phone call on Thursday, as Tehran faced off with Washington. "During the call, they also discussed the latest regional and international developments, particularly the current situation and the efforts being made to de-escalate tensions and establish stability," ...

Iran Warns Shipping Ahead of Live-Fire Naval Drills Near Strait of Hormuz

Iran has sent out warnings to passing ships of live-fire naval exercises expected to be conducted next week near the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Associated Press. The Strait of Hormuz is a significant bottleneck in global energy supply chains, seeing 20% of global oil shipments, and would be vulnerable in the event of a conflict with ...

World Food Program Terminates All Staff Contracts in Rebel-Held Yemen: UN Official

The World Food Programme is ending the contracts of all 365 staff in Houthi-controlled Yemen, a UN official told AFP on Thursday, effectively ending operations in a zone gravely afflicted by hunger. The United Nations agency suspended work in rebel-held areas in late August after the Iran-backed Houthis detained 38 employees in a series of raids, ...

What Are the U.S. Demands for Iran?

As a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group “armada” approaches the Gulf and rhetoric intensifies between the Trump administration and Iranian officials, U.S. and European officials outline three demands to Iran, according to a New York Times report on Wednesday. The Nuclear Issue One demand is to reach an agreement on the nuclear issue; ...

Iran Warns of Strong Response as U.S. Pressure Mounts

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi announced that Iran would respond strongly to any U.S. attack on the country on Wednesday in a post on X as the U.S. “armada” arrives in the Gulf. “Our brave armed forces are prepared—with their fingers on the trigger—to immediately and powerfully respond to any ...

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 ...

Trump Says U.S. Will Stop Helping Iraq if al-Maliki Returns to Premiership

President Trump expressed on Truth Social on Tuesday that the U.S. will cease helping Iraq if former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki returns to power.  Trump asserted that “because of [Nouri al-Maliki’s] insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer help Iraq.”  Al-Maliki was ...

2026 NDS: America First Ushers in a New Era of Selective Engagement in the Middle East

The newly released 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS) marks a dramatic pivot in American foreign policy, embracing what officials call “pragmatic realism” while fundamentally redefining U.S. engagement in the Middle East. Under an “America First” framework, the strategy moves away from large-scale military interventions in favor of ...