Washington, March 6 (IANS) Nearly 24,000 American citizens have safely returned to the United States from the Middle East since late February, the US State Department said on Friday, as Washington continues efforts to assist Americans seeking to leave the region amid heightened security concerns.Assistant Secretary Dylan Johnson said the number reflects only those who have already arrived in the United States and does not include Americans who have relocated to other countries or those still tra…
Latest US State Department News & Updates
Washington, March 6 (IANS) The US State Department announced that the United States and Venezuela have agreed to re-establish diplomatic and consular relations.Venezuela severed diplomatic ties with the United States in January 2019 due to the latter’s continued interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs. All diplomatic personnel from the US embassy in Venezuela withdrew in March of the same year, Xinhua news agency reported.On January 3, US military forces launched a large-scale strike agains…
Washington, March 2 (IANS) A conservative activist urged the US State Department to suspend all visas for Pakistanis, including green cards, in the wake of violent protests at the US consulate in Karachi, escalating rhetoric amid tensions following reported US strikes on Iran.“The US State Department @StateDept should suspend all visas for Pakistanis, including green cards for as long as they can,” wrote Laura Loomer in a post on X, tagging Secretary of State Marco Rubio.Her comments came af…
Washington, Feb 28 (IANS) The US-Iran nuclear talks have made “substantial progress” toward a deal which “is within our reach,” Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, a major mediator, told CBS News, hours after US President Donald Trump said he is “not happy” with the way the talks is going.Albusaidi said Iran has agreed that it will “never, ever have … nuclear material that will create a bomb,” calling it a “big achievement,” Xinhua news agency reported.Iran’s existing stockpiles of enriched…
Washington, Feb 27 (IANS) Amidst escalating tension in the Middle East, the U.S. State Department on Friday authorised the departure of non-emergency government personnel and their families from Israel, even as it retained its Level 3 advisory urging Americans to “Reconsider Travel” to Israel and the West Bank. In an updated Travel Advisory, the Department said it had “authorised the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members of U.S. government personnel from M…
Washington, Feb 24 (IANS) The killing of Mexico’s most wanted cartel leader has triggered violent unrest across the country, leaving highways blocked, vehicles torched, and American tourists stranded in resort cities, including Puerto Vallarta.Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was killed Sunday in a Mexican military operation that US officials said was aided by American intelligence.The Washington Post reported that “It was CIA intelligenc…
Washington, Feb 23 (IANS) Mexican security forces have killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, one of the country’s most powerful drug kingpins, triggering violent reprisals across several states and prompting fresh advisories for US citizens.US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said he had been informed that Mexican forces had killed “El Mencho,” describing him as “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins.”“This is a great development for Mexico, th…
Washington, Feb 18 (IANS) The United States and Mauritius will hold bilateral discussions next week in Port Louis focused on security cooperation and the future operation of the military base on Diego Garcia in the Chagos archipelago, the US State Department said.From February 23–25, the talks will be led by the Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs with participation from across the US interagency, according to a media note.“These discussions underscore the continued …
Washington, Feb 12 (IANS) Lawmakers urged the State Department to back the repeal of the Cold War-era Jackson-Vanik amendment for Central Asian nations, arguing that the outdated provision hampers US investment and undercuts strategic competition with Russia and China. During a House subcommittee hearing on South and Central Asia, Democratic Rep. Ami Bera pressed Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Paul Kapur to support legislative efforts to remove the trade restric…
Washington, Feb 10 (IANS) Hindu community members and human rights advocates held a peaceful protest outside the US State Department here, urging the government to take stronger action over what they described as persecution of religious minorities in Bangladesh.The demonstrators gathered in the cold weather, holding banners and placards that called for justice and accountability. Several speakers appealed directly to US officials, international bodies, and global human rights organisations to i…