A long-time Washington insider and Iranian expert hopes the Biden administration will improve U.S.-Iran relations. He is also optimistic about Secretary of State nominee Anthony Blinken. Trita Parsi, executive director of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, is one of Washington's go-to voices on Iranian relations. GV Wire℠ interviewed Parsi...
Fresno State Professor Emeritus Weaves Swashbuckling Tale of Iran Tanker Conflict
U.S. officials were determined to keep a tanker that they thought was full of Iranian oil from reaching war-torn Syria, putting cash into the hands of Iran's government and fuel into Syria's, and violating European Union sanctions on Syria. What transpired was a story of modern-day attempted piracy, author and...
US Official: Trump’s Special Envoy to Ukraine Has Resigned
WASHINGTON — Kurt Volker, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO caught in the middle of a whistleblower complaint over the President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine, resigned Friday from his post as special envoy to the Eastern European nation, according to a U.S. official. The official said Volker told Secretary...
GOP Senators Line up Against Trump's 5% Mexico Tariff Plan
WASHINGTON — In a rare confrontation, Republican senators are declaring deep opposition to President Donald Trump's threatened tariffs on all goods coming into the U.S. from Mexico. But it's unclear they have the votes to stop him, and Trump said they'd be "foolish" to try. All sides, including officials from Mexico meeting...
North Korea Says It Tested New Weapon, Wants Pompeo Out of Talks
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Thursday that it had test-fired a new type of "tactical guided weapon," its first such test in nearly half a year, and demanded that Washington remove Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from nuclear negotiations. The test, which didn't appear to be of a...
US: Alabama Woman Who Joined Islamic State Is not a Citizen
WASHINGTON — An Alabama woman who joined the Islamic State group in Syria won't be allowed to return to the United States with her toddler son because she is not an American citizen, the U.S. said Wednesday. Her lawyer is challenging that claim. In a brief statement, Secretary of State...
Pompeo Repudiates Obama Mideast Policy, Takes Aim at Iran
CAIRO — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a scathing rebuke of the Obama administration's Mideast policies on Thursday, accusing the former president of "misguided" and "wishful" thinking that diminished America's role in the region, harmed its longtime friends and emboldened its main foe: Iran. In a speech to...
Pompeo Starts Middle East Visit to Ramp Up Pressure on Iran
AMMAN, Jordan — The Trump administration is doubling down on commercial and diplomatic efforts in the coming weeks to "put real pressure on Iran," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at the start of a Mideast tour Tuesday. Pompeo is meeting with U.S. allies in the region, including stops...
Trump Call With Turkish Leader Led to US Pullout From Syria
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw American troops from Syria was made hastily, without consulting his national security team or allies, and over strong objections from virtually everyone involved in the fight against the Islamic State group, according to U.S. and Turkish officials. Trump stunned his Cabinet, lawmakers...
Senate Votes to Curtail Support for Saudi-Led Military Effort in Yemen, Condemn Prince
WASHINGTON - The Senate cast a historic vote Thursday afternoon to end U.S. participation in a Saudi-led war effort in Yemen , delivering a clear political rebuke of President Donald Trump's continued embrace of the kingdom, and setting the stage for more strategic challenges to Saudi policy when Congress regroups...