Breaking | Last Updated: May 13, 2025, 2:19 pm Trump to lift Syria sanctions, meet with Sharaa in Saudi Arabia President Donald Trump said his administration would take steps to normalize relations with Syria’s fledgling government. Saudi Arabia
Exclusive Syria's Sharaa pledges to form task force for missing Americans Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has promised the daughter of a missing American to take action as Damascus seeks relief from crippling US sanctions. By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
Venezuela’s VP meets emir in Qatar, looks to expand energy ties: What to know Qatar has demonstrated interest in Venezuela’s recovering oil industry as well as mediation between the US and the South American country. Qatar
US sanctions China-Iran network aiding Tehran missile program The Trump administration is stepping up sanctions on Iran as it conducts talks over its rapidly expanding nuclear program. Iran
Democrats slam ‘massive failure’ of Trump policy after Iran restarts nuclear activity Democrats are blaming the Donald Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign for Tehran’s decision to resume some enrichment activity constrained by the 2015 nuclear deal. Congress
Intel: How Trump's 'maximum pressure' campaign is bringing Iran and Russia closer together Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif's long-planned visit to Moscow today quickly turned into a grievance-sharing session with his counterpart Sergey Lavrov about the Donald Trump administration. Russia
How US sanctions facilitate Turkish-Iranian understanding on Syria Faced with US pressures on multiple fronts, Iran and Turkey are likely to step up cooperation — including in Syria, where the two neighbors remain at odds over multiple issues. Turkey
Russia consolidating its position in Iraq amid anti-Iran sanctions Russian and Iraqi officials convened in Baghdad for another bilateral commission session to discuss energy and security cooperation amid US anti-Iran sanctions. Iraq
Turkey seeks alternate oil sources as US ends Iran sanctions waivers Ankara vowed to defy US sanctions on Iran, but figures show Turkey heeding US restrictions and curtailing oil imports from Iran. Turkey
Forget oil sanctions, end of nuclear cooperation waivers could quietly kill Iran deal While the United States' stepping up of oil sanctions has gotten more attention lately, a greater threat to the nuclear deal involves the waivers allowing cooperation with Iran on nonproliferation. United States
Iran leadership shrugs off US oil sanctions, pledges response Iran's supreme leader says the US plan to cap the flow of his country's oil will lead nowhere, pledging a "response to the US hostility." Saudi Arabia
Tehran’s biggest annual cultural event held amid ‘paper crisis’ The biggest annual cultural event in the Iranian capital kicks off amid a paper crisis and a controversy over rentierism tarnishing the publishing industry. Iran
US cuts Iran oil waivers in move to force Tehran out of nuclear deal Washington is letting sanctions waivers for countries that import Iranian oil expire as it tries to make Iran quit the 2015 nuclear deal before a UN arms embargo is lifted next year as part of the agreement. United States
Iran sets up trade vehicle with Turkey as Saudi, UAE send flood aid Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said relations with Turkey are the best they’ve been in decades, while Rouhani struck a conciliatory tone amid Saudi and Emirati flood aid. Saudi Arabia
US sticks Iraq in middle by calling Iran's IRGC terrorists Iraqis are divided on the recent US action against Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as some back Iran while others fear that a US-Iran conflict will engulf Iraq. Iraq
Iraq struggles to distance itself from US-Iran tensions As the conflict between the United States and Iran intensifies, Iraq insists on remaining impartial in the conflict. Iraq
