DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Two oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz came under a suspected attack Thursday, setting one of them ablaze in the latest mysterious assault targeting vessels in a region crucial to global energy supplies amid heightened tension between Iran and the U.S. The U.S....
US Commander Says He Believes Iranian Threat 'Is Very Real'
BAGHDAD — Iran has chosen to "step back and recalculate" after making preparations for an apparent attack against U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf region, but it is too early to conclude the threat is gone, the top commander of American forces in the Mideast said. In an interview with...
Saudi Arabia Asks Nations to Respond to Iran With ‘Firmness’
JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Thursday urged Muslim nations to confront with "all means of force and firmness" recent attacks in the Persian Gulf that U.S. and some Arab officials have blamed on Iran. Ibrahim al-Assaf made the comments at a preparatory meeting of foreign ministers of...
Protesters in Iran, Iraq Burn Israel, US Flags on ‘Quds Day’
TEHRAN, Iran — Iranians in the capital Tehran set fire to effigies of U.S. President Donald Trump, while in the Iraqi capital, Iran-backed militiamen marched over a large Israeli flag as part of rallies Friday marking Quds, or Jerusalem Day. The annual protests come as the Trump administration tries to...
In UAE, Bolton Warns Iran of ‘Very Strong Response’
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — President Donald Trump's national security adviser warned Iran on Wednesday that any attacks in the Persian Gulf will draw a "very strong response" from the U.S., taking a hard-line approach with Tehran after his boss only two days earlier said America wasn't "looking to...
Iran’s Guard Talks Tough, Says It Has No Fear of War With US
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's influential Revolutionary Guard said Tuesday it doesn't fear a possible war with the United States and claimed America hasn't grown in power in recent years — the latest tough talk from Tehran amid escalating regional tensions and a crisis with Washington. "The enemy is not more...
US Beefing up Forces in Middle East to Counter Iran
WASHINGTON — The U.S. will send hundreds of additional troops and a dozen fighter jets to the Middle East in the coming weeks to counter what the Pentagon said is an escalating campaign by Iran to plan attacks against the U.S. and its interests in the region. And for the...
Pentagon Proposing Troop Buildup in Mideast, Sources Say
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon on Thursday will present plans to the White House to send up to 10,000 more troops to the Middle East, in a move to beef up defenses against potential Iranian threats, U.S. officials said. The officials said no final decision has been made, and it's not clear...
Iranian Lawmaker Says His Country Doesn’t Want War With US
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran will "under no circumstances" enter a war either directly or indirectly with the United States, a prominent reformist Iranian lawmaker said Wednesday, as both Washington and Tehran try to ease heightened tensions in the region. The reported comments by Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh come after the White House...
Bomb-Carrying Drone From Yemen Rebels Targets Saudi Airport
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Yemen's Iranian-allied Houthi rebels said Tuesday they attacked a Saudi airport and military base with a bomb-laden drone, an assault acknowledged by the kingdom as Mideast tensions remain high between Tehran and the United States. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The...