WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said that Kuwait will likely be the next Arab-majority country in the Middle East to normalize ties with the Zionist entity. Trump made the prediction at a White House press briefing hours after meeting with Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, the son of Kuwait’s ...
Read More »Emirates airline to cut up to 9,000 jobs amid virus pandemic
DUBAI: Emirates airlines has cut a tenth of its workforce during the novel coronavirus pandemic in layoffs that could rise to 15 percent, or 9,000 jobs. This was announced by the airline’s president Tim Clark, according to a report. The Middle East’s largest carrier, which operates a fleet of 270 ...
Read More »US Allies Glad al-Baghdadi is Dead, but Say ISIS Still a Threat
WASHINGTON: U.S. allies around the world are calling the killing of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi a major blow, but say ISIS is still a terrorist threat. French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that al-Baghdadi’s death is “just a stage.” “With our partners in the international coalition, the fight continues ...
Read More »Japanese defence forces plan MidEast mission
TOKYO: Japan plans to send its military to help protect waterways in the Middle East but will not join a US-led maritime coalition in the region, Kyodo news agency reported Wednesday. The move comes after attacks on tankers in the Gulf, as well as on Saudi Arabian oil installations. Washington, ...
Read More »Australia to send warship and Defence Force to Middle East to support US
MELBOURNE: Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the move this morning, saying it was in support of US-led efforts to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for shipping. Mr Morrison said recent disruption to shipping in the region was a threat to Australia’s national interests. Australia has been considering joining the ...
Read More »Iran calls on Britain to release seized oil tanker immediately
DUBAI: Iran called on Britain on Friday to immediately release an oil tanker that British Royal Marines seized last week on suspicion it was breaking European sanctions by taking oil to Syria, a foreign ministry spokesman told state news agency IRNA. “This is a dangerous game and has consequences … ...
Read More »Pentagon approves deployment of additional 1,000 troops to Middle East
US Acting Secretary of Defence Patrick Shanahan said in a statement that the Pentagon has authorized the deployment of an additional 1,000 troops for defensive purposes “to address air, naval, and ground-based threats in the Middle East “. According to Shanahan, “the recent Iranian attacks validate the reliable, credible intelligence ...
Read More »Abe flexes diplomatic muscle as he seeks to mend Iran-US standoff
TEHRAN: The purpose of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Iran is twofold: to deliver a message aimed at easing US-Iran tensions, and also to ensure stability in Japan’s crude oil imports. Abe hopes his close relationship with US President Donald Trump and Japan’s diplomatic ties crafted with nations in ...
Read More »United States orders new troops to Middle East
WASHINGTON: The United States said it was deploying 1,500 additional troops to the Middle East to counter “credible threats” from Iran in a move denounced by Tehran on Saturday as “a threat to international peace”. “Increased US presence in our region is very dangerous and a threat to international peace ...
Read More »Pakistan offers to be mediator between US and Iran
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has said it is ready to mediate between Washington and Tehran as Iran’s foreign minister arrived for talks in Islamabad amid growing tensions in the Middle East. Islamabad is worried about the situation in the region as the US builds up its military presence in the Persian Gulf, ...
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