Beirut, June 27 (IANS) Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that the Lebanon-Israel framework agreement signed earlier in the day in Washington marked the beginning of the path toward restoring Lebanon’s full sovereignty, vowing to continue working until the process is completed. In a statement issued by the Lebanese Presidency on Friday (local time), Aoun said the agreement represents the first step toward enabling displaced Lebanese to return to their land, stressing that Lebanon would no longe…
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Washington, June 27 (IANS) The United States, Israel and Lebanon on Friday signed a trilateral framework agreement that Washington described as the first step towards ending decades of conflict along Israel’s northern border, restoring Lebanese sovereignty and creating a pathway for the disarmament of Hezbollah.The agreement, signed in Washington with US mediation, establishes what Secretary of State Marco Rubio called “a framework for lasting peace and security” and creates a US-facilitated Mil…
Washington, June 25, (IANS) The United States and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Thursday reaffirmed their strategic partnership, backed the June 17 memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Washington and Tehran, and declared that no tolls or fees should ever be imposed on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The joint declaration followed a ministerial meeting in Manama, co-chaired by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, with…
Washington, June 25 (IANS) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said America’s Gulf partners remain confident in Washington’s security commitments and pledged that the United States would not pursue any agreement with Iran that undermines the security of its longstanding regional allies. Speaking to reporters at Kuwait International Airport after meetings in the Gulf on Wednesday (local time), Rubio said the US security relationship with Gulf states was built on decades of cooperation and a permane…
Aden (Yemen), June 23 (IANS) Fierce clashes erupted Tuesday between Houthi militants and troops affiliated with the pro-secession Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC) in the southern province of Al-Dhalea.The fighting began after Houthi militants launched coordinated attacks on STC positions in the Battar and Tabat Othman areas northwest of Al-Dhalea, prompting STC troops to respond with medium and heavy weapons, a military official told Xinhua news agency on condition of anonymity.The at…
Tehran, June 23 (IANS) Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that the success of ongoing negotiations with the US depends on full commitment to the agreed obligations and their precise implementation. He stressed that the statements made outside the agreed framework do not help advance the talks.”The effectiveness of the talks depends on full commitment to the agreed obligations and their precise implementation. Progress on this path will be measured by practical adherence to accep…
Washington, June 23 (IANS) The United States this week is hosting Israeli and Lebanese officials in Washington for a new round of talks aimed at consolidating the ceasefire and advancing what American officials described as a broader effort to secure lasting peace and security between the two countries.The discussions are being led on the US side by State Department Counsellor Dan Holler and Assistant Secretary of Defence for International Security Affairs Dan Zimmerman, the State Department sai…
Washington, June 22 (IANS) The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on two Hezbollah-aligned Lebanese officials and a network of business associates accused of supporting the Iran-backed group, saying the move is aimed at weakening what Washington described as the biggest obstacle to Lebanon’s recovery and stability.In a statement, the US State Department said the action targets “two Hezbollah-aligned Lebanese officials, as well as members of a Hezbollah business network overseen by US-…
Jerusalem, June 22 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said that the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) fighters in southern Lebanon have full freedom of action to thwart any direct or emerging threat against them or against the residents of the north.He said that the directives from him, along with that of the Minister of Defence, to the IDF are clear and have not changed.“Our fighters in southern Lebanon have full freedom of action to thwart any direct or emerging threat aga…
Burgenstock (Switzerland), June 22 (IANS) US Vice President JD Vance said on Monday that Iran has agreed to allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) back into the country, describing the move as a major breakthrough in negotiations aimed at permanently ending Tehran’s nuclear weapons programme and reducing tensions across the Middle East.After a fresh round of talks in Burgenstock, Vance told reporters that the development was among the most significant achievements of…