By Samia Nakhoul, Parisa Hafezi and John Irish DUBAI, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Iran and the United States are sliding rapidly towards military conflict as hopes fade for a diplomatic solution to their standoff over Tehran’s nuclear programme, officials on both sides and diplomats
Turkey and the United Kingdom are the latest among Washington’s military partners seeking to distance themselves from being tied to any planned strikes against Iran.
By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress could vote as soon as next week on whether to block President Donald Trump's ability to strike Iran without lawmakers' approval, as the U.S. military prepares for a potential serious conflict with Iran if
The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier entered the Mediterranean Sea on Friday, further boosting American firepower in a region that has seen a massive military buildup ahead of potential strikes against Iran. Below, AFP examines key US military assets deployed in or near the
At the board's inaugural session on Thursday, Trump announced that $7 billion had already been raised for Gaza's reconstruction. What followed were futuristic proposals that ranged from ambitious to fanciful, with no mention of Palestinian statehood
Two U.S. officials told Reuters that the military prepared options for targeting individual Iranian leaders as part of a limited attack and even pursuing regime change in Tehran if ordered by Trump
Trump's defining economic policy of his second term has been dealt a key blow, upending a tariff regime that set levies in the Middle East as high as 41% for Syria even as most regional countries were insulated from the fallout.
By Karolos Grohmann MILAN, Feb 20 (Reuters) - International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry said on Friday she was unaware of world soccer body (FIFA) chief Gianni Infantino's presence at the first meeting of The Board of Peace along with U.S. President Donald
US President Donald Trump said he was considering a limited strike on Iran after ordering a major naval buildup in the Middle East aimed at heaping pressure on Tehran to cut a deal to curb its nuclear programme. The latest threat came after Iran's foreign minister said a draft
Like the US, Canada had strained relations with Syria during the civil war but is now showing signs of engagement.
By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - U.S. military planning on Iran has reached an advanced stage with options including targeting individuals as part of an attack and even pursuing regime change in Tehran, if ordered by President Donald Trump, two U.S.
After the brutal suppression of the protests last month, it's not certain that Iranians will show solidarity with the regime if the Americans launch the onslaught that the president is threatening
WASHINGTON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - WU.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he was considering a limited military strike on Iran but gave no other details. Asked if he was considering a limited strike to pressure Iran into a deal on its nuclear program, he told reporters at the
When he sat down to write the first "Scream" film which appeared in cinemas exactly 30 years ago, horror movies were out of fashion and aspiring Hollywood creative Kevin Williamson had low expectations. "I never thought it would be a hit actually. I was just trying to get a
The top Iranian diplomat said the two sides have instead discussed “confidence-building measures" related to its nuclear program.
WASHINGTON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The United States did not seek zero uranium enrichment during nuclear talks in Geneva this week while Iran did not offer to suspend uranium enrichment, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday. "We have not offered any suspension and
FIFA signed a deal on Thursday that marks the global soccer association's most significant postwar intervention in the Middle East yet.
A Turkish journalist with German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) was jailed by an Istanbul court Friday on charges of "insulting the president", an NGO said a day after his arrest by 30 police officers. Alican Uludag was arrested in Ankara on Thursday evening following a
Saudi Arabia will help Turkey build solar plants capable of powering more than two million homes, under a deal the two countries signed Friday that aims to deepen energy cooperation between the key regional players. The signing ceremony at an Ottoman-era palace by the waters of
For 2026 Gaza, the urgent needs are far more prosaic than the smart-city vision Trump proposes: Palestinians require a warm meal to break the fast and personal security for tomorrow, not a futuristic port. Without clear solutions on sovereignty, security and the diplomatic
Feb 20 (Reuters) - Britain's foreign minister Yvette Cooper will meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, after President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of London for ceding sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, which is home to a U.S.-UK air base. Last year
COPENHAGEN, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Norway is relocating some of the around 60 soldiers it has in the Middle East to Norway as well as to other countries in the region on security grounds, a spokesperson for the Norwegian armed forces said on Friday. U.S. President Donald Trump
Experts say that nuclear cooperation can be a positive mechanism, but 'the devil is in the details,' and the Trump administration may not have fully gauged the consequences or the precedent created by its arms deal with Saudi Arabia
Although Israeli advisers warn against appearing to drag the US into war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not hidden his desire to help topple the Islamic Republic.
Feb 20 (Reuters) - FIFA and the Board of Peace signed a partnership agreement on Thursday to attract investment from global leaders and institutions for sustainable development in conflict-affected regions through football. The Board of Peace, established under the U.S.
"I love Israel!" Three little words rarely heard together in the Muslim world, and yet have become a common phrase in Somaliland, the breakaway region of Somalia. Israel became the only country in the world to recognise Somaliland's independence in December -- something the
FRANKFURT, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Turkish authorities have detained a veteran correspondent of German state-backed international broadcaster Deutsche Welle in Ankara, accusing him of "disseminating misleading information" and "insulting the president". Istanbul Chief Public
KYIV, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Ukraine could export several billion dollars of military goods and services this year after authorising its first wartime foreign sales and is considering introducing a tax on those exports, a senior Ukrainian defence official said. Earlier this month,
Seven months after deadly clashes between Syria's Druze minority and government‑backed forces, the spiritual leader of Druze in neighbouring Israel said members of the community across the border remained in peril. "They're still besieged -- completely encircled. They aren't
At a military base in northeast Syria, Roksan Mohammed recalled joining the battle against Islamic State group jihadists. Now her all-woman fighting unit is at risk after a deal with Damascus ended the Kurds' de facto autonomy. "We made many sacrifices," said Mohammed,
By Timothy Gardner and Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON, Feb 19 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump has told Congress he is pursuing a civil nuclear pact with Saudi Arabia that does not include non-proliferation safeguards the U.S. has long said would ensure the kingdom does not
By Bo Erickson, Trevor Hunnicutt and Gram Slattery WASHINGTON, Feb 19 (Reuters) - World leaders who accepted the invitation of President Donald Trump to join his new peace board were greeted in Washington on Thursday with a mix of fanfare and personal flattery. While the U.S.
WASHINGTON, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Iran told U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday that Tehran will consider bases, facilities and assets of the "hostile force" in the region as legitimate targets if it faces military aggression. U.S. President Donald Trump's rhetoric
By Rami Ayyub JERUSALEM, Feb 19 (Reuters) - More than 75,000 Palestinians were killed in the first 15 months of Israel's military assault in Gaza, a figure far higher than the 49,000 deaths local health officials announced at the time, says a new study by The Lancet Global
FIFA will spearhead a $75 million fund to rebuild soccer facilities in Gaza that were destroyed by the war between Israel and Hamas, President Donald Trump and the sport's governing body said Thursday. Trump made the announcement in Washington at the first meeting of his "Board
U.S. preparations for a broad military attack on Iran are ramping up, and Netanyahu has made sure Israel is an active partner in the decision-making ■ The IDF expects Hezbollah to take part this time ■ The socioeconomic misery in the West Bank might be paving the way for
