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Iran Diplomat Says Open to Talks if US Rules Out Military Action

This is Beirut, 03/07 20:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

USA Israel Middle East Tehran United States

A senior Iranian diplomat said Thursday his country remains open to diplomacy provided the United States offers guarantees it will not resort to military action against the Islamic republic. The remarks came as US news website Axios, citing two unidentified sources, reported that White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff was planning to meet ...

Iran Says Remains Committed to Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

This is Beirut, 03/07 17:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Iran on Thursday affirmed its commitment to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty as it accused Germany of "malice" over its criticism of Tehran's decision to suspend cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog. "Iran remains committed to the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) and its Safeguards Agreement," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post ...

US House sets Make-or-Break Final Vote on Trump Tax Bill

This is Beirut, 03/07 11:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States Politics Donald Trump

US lawmakers teed up a final vote on Donald Trump's marquee tax and spending bill for early Thursday after a bruising day of Republican infighting that threatened to derail the centerpiece of the president's domestic agenda. Trump is seeking a green light in the House of Representatives for his Senate-passed "One Big Beautiful ...

The Final Red Line: Can Lebanon Avoid the Consequences?

Salam El Zaatari, 03/07 10:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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As the dust settles from the most consequential Israel–Iran confrontation in decades, attention is shifting sharply to a more familiar, but no less volatile, battleground: Lebanon. The war may have moved west, but its logic remains the same. Deter, dismantle, destroy. The question no longer is whether Hezbollah will disarm, it’s what Israel ...

U.S. Labels Iran’s Halt of IAEA Cooperation as "Unacceptable"

This is Beirut, 02/07 23:31 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

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Iran's suspension of cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is unacceptable, US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Wednesday. Tehran officially suspended its cooperation with the IAEA, a move triggered by the unprecedented Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear facilities over 12 ...

US Strikes Set Back Iran Nuclear Program by Up to Two Years

This is Beirut, 02/07 23:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

United States Pentagon Iran Iran Nuclear Program

US intelligence assessments indicate that strikes on Iranian nuclear sites set the country's atomic program back by up to two years, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. "We have degraded their program by one to two years at least; intelligence assessments inside the (Defense) Department assess that," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told journalists, ...

Ukraine Left Scrambling after US Says Halting Some Arms Shipments

This is Beirut, 02/07 22:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Ukraine appealed to the United States for clarity on Wednesday after it was caught off guard by a White House announcement that Washington was halting some arms shipments to the war-battered country. The Ukrainian defense ministry, which is deeply dependent on US arms, said it had not been prior notified about the reduction in aid announced one ...

Trump Says Vietnam to Face 20% Tariff under 'Great' Deal

This is Beirut, 02/07 19:51 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United States Donald Trump Vietnam Tariffs

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he had struck a trade deal with Vietnam under which the country would face a minimum 20 percent tariff and open its market to US products. The deal comes less than a week before Trump's self-imposed July 9 deadline for steeper tariffs on US trade partners to take effect if agreements are not ...

Iran: What Are the Chances for a Popular Uprising?

Natasha Metni Torbey, 02/07 14:35 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Iran Israel United States

The recent regional war that has shaken the Middle East has reignited a persistent question: Is Iran now on the brink of a large-scale popular uprising capable of shaking, or even overthrowing, the current regime? Could the current circumstances truly lead to a profound political transformation, or should we instead expect a tightening of ...

With Tariffs Looming, US Trade Partners Scramble for Last-Minute Deals

This is Beirut, 02/07 09:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump United States Tariffs

A week before US President Donald Trump reimposes steep tariffs on dozens of economies, including the EU and Japan, many are still scrambling to reach a deal that would protect them from the worst. The tariffs taking effect July 9 are part of a package Trump imposed in April, citing a lack of "reciprocity" in trading ties. He slapped a 10 ...

US Halting Some Key Military Aid Shipments to Ukraine

This is Beirut, 02/07 09:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States Ukraine Russia Military aid

The White House said Tuesday it is halting some key weapons shipments to Ukraine that were promised under the Biden administration for Kyiv's battle against the Russian invasion. Stopping the delivery of munitions and other military aid, including air defense systems, likely would be a blow to Ukraine as it contends with some of Russia's largest ...

Children Dying in South Sudan after US Aid Cuts

This is Beirut, 01/07 16:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The impact of US aid cuts has already taken a toll in South Sudan and children are dying, Action Against Hunger told AFP on Tuesday. The east African nation has remained deeply poor and unstable since independence in 2011 and is massively dependent on international aid despite its oil wealth. It is among the countries facing shortfalls following ...

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