US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday that the Trump administration is ready for unconditional discussions with Iran in an effort to ease rising tensions that have sparked fears of conflict. But the United States will not relent in trying to pressure Iran to change its behavior in the Middle East, America’s top diplomat […]
mike pompeo
Maduro rallies military as Venezuela opposition appeals to troops
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro urged his troops Saturday to be “ready” for potential US military action, as a limited number of opposition supporters marched on military barracks in a bid to win the armed forces’ support. The small turnout for the Saturday marches — with participants in the hundreds, not the thousands — is another […]
US puts up $10m reward for Hezbollah information
The US on Monday offered a $10 million reward for information that would disrupt the finances of Lebanon’s Shiite militant movement Hezbollah. The State Department said it would give the money to anyone who provides intelligence that allows the US to disrupt Hezbollah in key ways. The areas include information on Hezbollah’s donors, on financial […]
Pompeo says US won’t quit fight in Venezuela, defends sanctions
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday defended sanctions on Venezuela and said the United States would not “quit the fight” in the socialist-run Latin American nation which is spiralling into deepening economic and political crisis. Pompeo is on a three-day trip to Chile, Paraguay and Peru, a clutch of fast-growing countries in a […]
US names Iran’s Revolutionary Guards a ‘terrorist organisation’
US President Donald Trump on Monday designated Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a ‘foreign terrorist organisation’, an unprecedented step that raises tension in the Middle East. Iran has warned it will take reciprocal action against Washington for its move against the Guards, the country’s most powerful security organisation. It is the first time the […]
US designates Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization
President Donald Trump on Monday said that the United States is declaring Iran’s elite military unit, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a fear-based oppressor organization. Trump said that the “remarkable” move “perceives the truth that Iran isn’t just a State Sponsor of Terrorism, but that IRGC effectively takes part in, finances, and advances fear […]
US to designate elite Iranian force as terrorist organization
The United States is expected to designate Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards Corps a foreign terrorist organization, three US officials told Reuters, marking the first time Washington has formally labeled another country’s military a terrorist group. The decision, which critics warn could open US military and intelligence officials to similar actions by unfriendly governments abroad, is […]
Under Trump, agreeing to disagree becomes the norm at G7 meetings
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven nations meet on Friday in France to prepare for the leaders’ summit in August, but the absence of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo underscores how tough agreeing common ground between allies has become. Ten months after US President Donald Trump threw the efforts of other leaders to […]
Pompeo eyes progress over Trump-Kim summit on Asia trip
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hoped to accelerate a second summit between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump as he kicked off an Asian trip Saturday featuring a meeting with North Korea’s leader. Pompeo arrived in Tokyo on the first leg of a tour that will take him to Pyongyang for a […]
Pompeo ‘hopeful’ after meeting with PM Imran Khan
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he was “hopeful” Wednesday of resetting the troubled relationship with Pakistan, a key player in the Afghan conflict, after he met new premier Imran Khan and other senior officials in Islamabad. The shift in tone comes days after Washington confirmed plans to cancel $300 million in military aid. […]