WASHINGTON — The United States appears to be heading toward a full military withdrawal from Syria amid growing chaos, cries of betrayal and threats Monday by President Donald Trump to hit Turkey with "big sanctions." Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Sunday that Trump had directed U.S. troops in northern Syria to begin pulling...
Iran’s Supreme Leader: No Talks With the US at Any Level
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran's supreme leader said Tuesday "there will be no talks with the U.S. at any level"— remarks apparently meant to end all speculation about a possible U.S.-Iran meeting between the two countries' presidents at the U.N. later this month. Iranian state TV quoted Ayatollah Ali...
Iranian President: First Lift Sanctions, Then Let's Talk
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's president back-pedaled Tuesday on possible talks with Donald Trump, saying the U.S. president must first lift sanctions imposed on Tehran, otherwise a meeting between the two would be a mere photo op. Hassan Rouhani's change of heart came a day after Trump said Monday that there's...
Markets Tumble on Growing Tariffs Rift Between US, China
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump declared Friday that he had "hereby ordered" American companies "to immediately start looking" for alternatives to operating in China, hours after Beijing announced new trade sanctions on U.S. products. But as markets in the U.S., Asia and Europe tumbled, the White House offered no further...
Markets Tumble on Growing Tariffs Rift Between US, China
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump declared Friday that he had "hereby ordered" American companies "to immediately start looking" for alternatives to operating in China, hours after Beijing announced new trade sanctions on U.S. products. But as markets in the U.S., Asia and Europe tumbled, the White House offered no further...
Iran Moves to Strike 4 Zeroes From Its Battered Currency
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's president sent a bill to parliament Wednesday that would cut four zeroes from the value of the Islamic Republic's sanctions-battered currency, the rial, as tensions remain high between Tehran and Washington. By sending the bill to lawmakers, President Hassan Rouhani's government shows it is serious about...
Iran Breaches Key Uranium Enrichment Limit in Nuclear Deal
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran on Monday began enriching uranium to 4.5%, just breaking the limit set by its nuclear deal with world powers, while it is still seeking a way for Europe to help it bypass U.S. sanctions amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington. The acknowledgment by the spokesman...
Iranians Say US Sanctions Hurt the People, Not Government
TEHRAN, Iran — While opinions differ across Tehran's Grand Bazaar about the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran over its unraveling nuclear deal, there's one thing those in the beating heart of Iran's capital city agree on: American sanctions hurt the average person, not those in charge. From an...
Supreme Leader Says Iranians Won't Budge Over US Sanctions
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's supreme leader said Wednesday that Iranians will not budge or change their stand following new U.S. sanctions targeting Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his associates, the latest in a torrent of sharp verbal responses from Tehran in the wake of the measures. President Donald Trump enacted the...
Iranians Say Their 'Bones Breaking' Under US Sanctions
TEHRAN, Iran — As the U.S. piles sanction after sanction on Iran, it’s the average person who feels it the most. From a subway performer’s battered leather hat devoid of tips, to a bride-to-be’s empty purse, the lack of cash from the economic pressure facing Iran’s 80 million people can...