News

Iran ready to boost natural gas exports to Armenia

Dubai — Iran is ready to increase natural gas exports to Armenia, and is willing to start talks about shipping the fuel to Georgia, Mehr news agency reported, citing President Hassan Rouhani. “We are prepared to negotiate for the export of gas through Armenia to Georgia, as well as the connection of the Persian Gulf to […]

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A Clash Is Coming Over America’s Place in the World

In the past several months, a meaningful debate has finally started to emerge over America’s role in the world. Politicians and analysts — left, right and center — are conceding that longstanding mistakes have brought the United States to an uncertain moment. Provoked by President Trump, they are concluding that the bipartisan consensus forged in […]

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Afghanistan Launches New Export route to India through Iran

KABUL (Reuters) – Afghanistan began exports to India through an Iranian port on Sunday, official said, as the landlocked, war-torn nation turns to overseas markets to improve its economy. Officials said 23 trucks carrying 57 tonnes of dried fruits, textiles, carpets and mineral products were dispatched from western Afghan city of Zaranj to Iran’s Chabahar […]

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Ahead of Saudi visit, China seeks ‘deeper trust’ with Iran

BEIJING (Reuters) – China wants to deepen “strategic trust” with Iran, the Chinese government’s top diplomat told Iran’s foreign minister on Tuesday, days before Saudi Arabia’s crown prince visits Beijing, underscoring China’s difficult Middle East balancing act. Saudi Arabia’s King Salman visited Beijing in 2017, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives in China […]

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Despite sanctions, Iran’s oil exports rise in early 2019

LONDON (Reuters) – Iran’s exports of crude oil were higher than expected in January and are at least holding steady this month, according to tanker data and industry sources, as some customers have increased purchases due to waivers from U.S. sanctions. Shipments are averaging 1.25 million barrels per day (bpd) in February, Refinitiv Eikon data […]

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Rift Between Trump and Europe Is Now Open and Angry

MUNICH — European leaders have long been alarmed that President Trump’s words and Twitter messages could undo a trans-Atlantic alliance that had grown stronger over seven decades. They had clung to the hope that those ties would bear up under the strain. But in the last few days of a prestigious annual security conference in […]

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Germany Rejects US Call to Leave Iran Nuclear Deal

Germany on Friday rejected an appeal by US Vice President Mike Pence for Europeans to withdraw from the Iranian nuclear deal and isolate Tehran. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas defended the 2015 agreement under which Iran drastically scaled back its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief. “Together with the Brits, French and the entire EU we have found […]

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Iran, Russia move closer to organizing finance for wheat deal

MOSCOW, Feb 14 (Reuters) – Iran, Russia and Kazakhstan are making progress on organizing finance for a long-planned wheat deal that could double or triple supplies to Iran, the secretary general of Iran’s Federation of Food Industry Associations said. Talks started a year ago, but stalled due to a lack of financing. The deal involves […]

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Turkey ‘ready’ to launch SPV with Iran to bypass US sanctions

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that Ankara is “ready” to establish its own trade mechanism with Iran, allowing companies from the two neighbouring countries to continue doing “legitimate” business amid punishing US sanctions. Erdogan made the statement on Thursday during a bilateral meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the three-party talks on Syria in the Russian […]

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US Fails to Halt Iran Bid to Free Frozen Billions

An international court Wednesday ruled Iran can proceed with a bid to unfreeze assets in the United States, rejecting Washington’s claims the case must be halted because of Tehran’s alleged support for international terrorism. Washington had argued that Iran’s “unclean hands”—a reference to Tehran’s suspected backing of terror groups—should disqualify its lawsuit to recover USD 2 billion in assets frozen […]

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The road to peace runs through Tehran

Even if an American military pullout from Afghanistan is on the cards, the U.S. will want to leave behind a stable country. And any peace settlement in Afghanistan will stand a better chance of staying on the rails if it is supported by regional powers. In other words, ties between Afghanistan and its neighbours, including […]

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Trading with Iran via the special purpose vehicle: How it can work

Following weeks of speculation, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany (the E3) have formally registered a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to help facilitate trade with Iran – trade that the return of US sanctions has significantly hampered. This comes after months of technical coordination between member states led by the European External Action Service. While […]

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Rouhani Says Iran Ready to Accept Friendly US Ties if it ‘Repents’

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday his country would be ready to establish “friendly relations” with the United States if it apologized for past wrongs. “Our slogan is friendly relations with the whole world,” he said. That would even include “America, if it repents… and apologizes for its previous interferences in Iran, and is prepared to accept the […]

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How US sanctions could be boosting Iran’s presence in Iraq

Geopolitical power projection could be, at first sight, the logic underlying Iran’s policy of expanding ties with and playing a role in Iraq. But in recent years, and with the growing necessity arising from the reimposition of US sanctions, Tehran has chosen to also focus on geo-economic interests in Iraq. It has tried, therefore, to augment its share […]

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Europe Tests the Boundaries on Iran

On January 31, 2019, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom announced their most substantive move yet to save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, to which they are signatories, from collapse. With the European Union’s blessing, the three states established a special channel that shields trade with Iran from U.S. sanctions. The Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges, […]

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