India will use escrow accounts of five Iranian banks held with UCO Bank Ltd. to deposit money for oil purchases from the Middle East producer to overcome U.S. sanctions, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Iran will use part of the deposits for purchasing essential goods from India and to meet expenditure incurred […]

Iran and Turkey issued a joint statement on Thursday criticizing the U.S. move in leaving the 2015 nuclear deal and ordering sanctions on Iran. They said Washington’s decision will negatively influence economic relations between regional countries. The statement was issued at the end of the High Council for Iran-Turkey Strategic Cooperation in Ankara chaired by […]

The abrupt resignation of US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis sparked concern among Asia-Pacific allies who credit the retired general with building trust and tempering isolationist impulses, regional officials and analysts said on Friday. The region – which includes strong US allies Japan, South Korea and Australia – hosts some of the world’s most volatile flashpoints, […]

Ankara welcomes the US decision to withdraw its troops from Syria, Turkish foreign minister said on Friday. “With regards to withdrawal decision of the US … from Syria, we welcome the decision,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said at a joint news conference with his Maltese counterpart Carmelo Abela in the capital Valletta. Turkey fully supports the territorial […]

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned Thursday after clashing with President Trump over the withdrawal of US troops from Syria and Afghanistan, saying in a parting letter that the president deserves someone atop the Pentagon “better aligned” with his views. The retired Marine general’s surprise resignation came a day after Trump shocked American allies and […]

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom praised Iran’s support for the recent Yemen peace talks in her country, calling for continued consultations with Tehran on regional and internal issues. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who is Sweden for the fourth round of Iran-Sweden political consultations, held meetings with senior Swedish officials in Stockholm on Wednesday. […]

Flights at London’s Gatwick airport remained suspended early on Thursday, five hours after the UK’s second-busiest airport halted them to investigate reports of two drones flying over its airfield, inconveniencing passengers days before the Christmas holiday period. Planes were unable to depart, while a number of flights scheduled to land were diverted to other airports, […]

Explosions rocked Yemen’s Red Sea city of Hudaydah for a second day on Wednesday despite a UN-mediated ceasefire meant to pave the way for peace negotiations to end Saudi war on the impoverished Arab country. Residents said six blasts near the 7 July eastern suburb broke the calm, but it was not clear who was […]

The White House criticized the decision of a Washington Court to block some of US President Donald Trump’s administration’s migration policies restricting conditions for granting asylum to migrants. “Today, a court has, once again, overridden and undermined United States immigration law. Under the law, asylum is a discretionary benefit for aliens who have a well-founded […]

Britain can still hold a second Brexit referendum, France’s European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau said on Thursday. “The door remains open, but it will be up to them to choose, not us,” Loiseau told French TV station CNews. Former prime minister Tony Blair is among those leading calls for a second Brexit referendum as Prime […]