Iran slated to begin work on advanced centrifuges as damage control for nuclear deal fails
Iran will begin work on advanced centrifuges that allow for faster enrichment of uranium, AP reported Thursday.
Europe
Putin: Russia To Produce Previously Banned Missiles, Deploy Them Only If U.S. Does
President Vladimir Putin says Russia will produce missiles banned until last month when a treaty forbidding them ended but would deploy them only if the United States did.
US adds new sanctions and reward to further pressure Iran
The Trump administration stepped up pressure on Iran on Wednesday, imposing sanctions on an oil shipping network with ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and offering a reward of up to $15 million for anyone with information that could disrupt its faltering economy even further.
Secretary of State Pompeo Declines to Sign Risky Afghan Peace Deal
The U.S. is closing in on a deal with the Taliban that is designed to wind down America’s 18-year war in Afghanistan, but the best indication of how risky the pact maybe is this: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is declining to sign it, according to senior U.S., Afghan and European officials.
Major defeat for British PM as lawmakers seize Brexit agenda
On a day of humiliating setbacks, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered a major defeat in Parliament on Tuesday night as rebellious lawmakers voted to seize control of the Brexit agenda, prompting the embattled prime minister to say he would call for a new general election.
UN Atomic Agency Confirms Iran Breach of Nuclear Deal, Could Enrich Up to 20% by Friday
The UN nuclear watchdog announced Friday that Iran had made good on its threat to enrich uranium above the prescribed limits of the 2015 nuclear accord.
Iran warns EU over nuclear commitments as deadline for further steps looms
Iran said on Monday it would further reduce its commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal if European parties failed to shield Tehran’s economy from sanctions reimposed by the United States after Washington quit the accord last year.
UK PM Johnson threatens election ahead of Brexit battle in parliament
Prime Minister Boris Johnson implicitly warned lawmakers on Monday that he would seek an election if they tied his hands on Brexit, ruling out ever countenancing a further delay to Britain’s departure from the European Union.
IAEA report raises suspicion Iran is hiding ‘undeclared nuclear material’
A forthcoming report from the International Atomic Energy Agency has stoked concerns that Iran is hiding illicit nuclear activity, according to government officials familiar with the agency’s still-unpublished assessment.
Iranian Oil Tanker Held for Six Weeks Now Under US Sanctions and Stranded at Sea
An Iranian oil tanker detained by the British in July and since released has been blacklisted by the US Treasury Department.
Trump Says U.S. To Retain Military Presence In Afghanistan, Even With Peace Deal
President Donald Trump says the United States will continue to maintain a military presence in Afghanistan even after a peace deal with the Taliban is reached.
U.S. Sanctions Two Networks ‘Supporting Iran’s WMD Program’
The United States has imposed sanctions on two networks it says are engaged in ‘covert procurement activities’ benefiting Iranian military organizations and supporting Iran’s ‘missile proliferation programs,’ the Treasury Department has said.
Final Touches Being Put on Deal As Taliban Reviews Proposal On U.S. Withdrawal
As U.S. and Taliban officials look to apparently seal a historic deal to end the 18-year Afghan conflict, leaders of the extremist militant group are reviewing the proposed agreement at an undisclosed location along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
EU insists Iran nuclear deal must be part of any future pact
The European Union’s top diplomat says the Iran nuclear agreement must not be sacrificed as part of any U.S. moves to build a new and broader security deal with Tehran.
Russia’s Putin, Turkey’s Erdogan To Hold Talks In Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the Moscow regional town of Zhukovsky on August 27 for talks expected to focus on the situation in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib.
Trump dangles ‘very big’ trade deal in front of Brexit Britain
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday said he and President Donald Trump were ‘gung-ho’ about a post-Brexit trade deal but cautioned the United States would be tough negotiators and that he would not rush talks.
Satellite data shows Amazon rainforest burning at record rates
Brazil’s Amazon rainforest is burning at a record rate, data from international space agencies indicate.
U.K., EU only harden their positions on Brexit as G-7 nears
The European Union and Britain, which are hurtling toward a costly, damaging no-deal split in a little over two months, kicked off a high-wire week of diplomacy Tuesday by entrenching themselves deeper in their irreconcilable positions.
U.S. Peace Envoy Heads To Qatar, Afghanistan For New Talks
U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad is heading to Qatar to resume talks with Taliban negotiators and to Kabul to meet with Afghan leaders, amid reports indicating a deal could be close to end the near 18-year war in Afghanistan.
US says anyone who ‘touches’ Iran tanker risks US sanctions
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says anyone who ‘touches,’ supports or allows an Iranian tanker carrying crude oil to dock risks U.S. sanctions.