National Security Advisor Susan Rice arrived in Israel for consultations with top Israeli security and political figures on Wednesday. The White House had clarified that the planned discussions would focus significantly on negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 global powers over the former’s atomic program, but also that – per...

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When Pope Francis arrives in Jerusalem at the end of May, among those to greet him will be the Lebanese-based Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, unless Lebanese politicians prevent his trip to an “enemy state.” In responding to threats and criticism, al-Rahi said: “I am the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and...

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An American delegation headed by National Security Adviser Susan Rice is heading to Israel later this week to discuss the upcoming P5+1 negotiations with Iran, scheduled to take place next week in Vienna. Lead American negotiator Wendy Sherman and other high-ranking administration officials will accompany Rice. They will primarily be meeting with Israel’s National Security...

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Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth on Wednesday reported on what the outlet described as a “massive show of force” by Hamas in the Ramallah stronghold of the rival Palestinian Fatah faction, a development likely to deepen emerging analyst concerns that a recently announced unity agreement between the two organizations may end...

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Reuters on Tuesday described the emergence and effects of a “golden loophole” in what had been Western efforts to impose sanctions on Iran, with the outlet conveying the contents of a Turkish police report outlining how Turkish channels were used to implement ‘an audacious, multi-billion-dollar scheme involving bribery and suspect food...

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Iran is reportedly set to bust through oil sale caps set by the interim Joint Plan of Action (JPA) for the sixth straight month, according to a report published late Tuesday by Reuters assessing that the Islamic republic will have managed to send abroad an average of 1.1 million barrels...

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The United States is reportedly ready to provide an anti-missile shield to its allies in the Gulf, raising questions about American confidence in its ability to rein in Iran’s expanding conventional and non-conventional capabilities. According to the Global Security Newswire: The planned antimissile deployments would be an answer to Iran’s...

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Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari is of the opinion that his warships’ missions on the high seas are playing “a vital role” in affecting Tehran’s nuclear talks with the P5+1. “The presence of our Navy (in international waters) is even important for the nuclear talks,” Rear Admiral Sayyari...

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Analysts through the weekend and into Monday continued to trace signs that – per a headline published at the top of one Agence France-Presse (AFP) story – Rouhani’s “honeymoon” with the Iranian public was over amid evidence that he was either unable or unwilling to implement promised social reforms and...

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Iran’s ground forces unveiled “a new solid-fuel missile with high destructive power” on April 27. The military and government in Tehran maintain their significant array of weapons is only there to protect the country. Tehran has repeatedly assured other nations that its military might poses no threat to other countries,...

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