United States

Rutte: NATO will 'stay united' whoever wins US election

NATO will stay united no matter who wins the US election, the alliance's Secretary General Mark Rutte said in Berlin Monday, as Washington's allies nervously await the outcome of the vote. "Whoever wins those elections, we will work with Kamala Harris, we will work with Donald Trump, and make sure that the alliance stays united," Rutte said ...

US Presidential Vote Unlikely to Revitalize Ties with Turkey

The outcome of Tuesday's knife-edge US election is unlikely to have much of an impact on the tepid ties between Washington and Ankara, although presidential chemistry might help, experts say. Long gone is the closeness of the 1990s when the United States and Turkey saw each other as indispensable allies. Following an extended period of soul ...

The Seven States That Will Decide the US Presidency

US Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump are hurtling toward their November 5 election showdown, one of the closest contests in modern American history. And in the handful of critical states framing the 2024 race, there is little daylight between the rivals so close before Election Day. Under the US Constitution, ...

Iran Criticises "Destabilizing" Deployment of B-52 Bombers to the Middle East

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday criticized what he called the United States' "destabilizing presence", after the deployment of B-52 bombers in the region. "We have always believed that the presence of America in the region is a destabilizing presence," Baghaei said during a news conference, in response to a question ...

The Lebanese Army and UNIFIL Caught in Friendly Fire

The campaign against Army Chief General Joseph Aoun and the Lebanese Army has intensified, particularly among Hezbollah supporters and some of its political leaders. The recent Israeli raid on Batroun, which led to the abduction of Imad Amhaz, has provided further grounds for these groups to criticize the army, claiming it is unable to protect ...

Iran Holds Rallies to Mark 1979 Hostage Crisis

Iranian demonstrators gathered on Sunday outside the former US embassy in Tehran to mark the anniversary of the 1979 hostage crisis that has for decades shaped relations between Washington and Tehran. The hostage crisis began in November 1979 following the Islamic revolution led by Iran's late supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which ...

Khamenei Pledges "Crushing Response" to Hostile Actions

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed on Saturday to retaliate against attacks by Israel and its ally the United States targeting Tehran and groups it supports in the region. "The enemies, both the USA and the Zionist regime, should know that they will definitely receive a tooth-breaking response to what they are doing ...

How Credible Is Iran-Israel's War of Words?

Listening to the reverberating rhetoric between the key players in the Middle Eastern conflict feels akin to witnessing a trivial quarrel. However, when words become the currency of fools, how can we gauge the credibility of the threats exchanged between Iran and Israel? A Volatile Rhetoric In the aftermath of the attack launched by Israel last ...

Ukraine Watches U.S. Election with Mounting Anxiety

Ukrainians are nervously following the final days of the US presidential election campaign, some fearing a victory for Donald Trump could halt Washington's vital aid. Tuesday's US vote will take place as the war with Russia grinds through its third year, with the outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainian army on the back foot against Russia's advancing ...

US Hiring Drops to Lowest Since Biden Took Office

US job growth slowed drastically in October, hit temporarily by hurricanes and labor strikes, in a final major economic snapshot at the end of a razor-edge presidential election campaign where cost-of-living worries dominated voter concerns. The world's biggest economy added 12,000 jobs last month, far below expectations and down from a ...

Qatar’s Diplomacy: Strengths and Limitations

For over a year now, Qatar has been acting as the principal mediator, alongside the United States and Egypt, in negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza. The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023. However, this is not the first time this oil-rich Gulf emirate has emerged on the international stage. Qatar has established itself ...

US Claim Thousands of North Koreans Preparing to Fight in Ukraine

The United States revealed Thursday that up to 8,000 North Korean soldiers are preparing to fight in Ukraine, as Pyongyang heightens tensions with the launch of an intercontinental missile just days before the U.S. elections. Citing U.S. intelligence services, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that of the 10,000 North Korean soldiers, ...