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Trump Says US-Iran Talks Will Be Behind Closed Doors

World US President Donald Trump, flanked by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, speaks during a press conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC, US, April 6, 2026. (Reuters)

Trump Says US-Iran Talks Will Be Behind Closed Doors

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said talks on the Iran crisis would be held behind closed doors, and that "only one group of meaningful 'POINTS'" were…

World  France's Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin speaks during the press conference following the weekly cabinet meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on April 8, 2026. (AFP)

France Unveils Rearmament Boost to Face Russia Threat

France is to ramp up explosive drone stocks by up to 400 percent by 2030, draft legislation showed Wednesday, as the country seeks to accelerate rearmament to…

World A general view of Kabul, Afghanistan, 06 April 2026. (EPA)

China Says Afghanistan and Pakistan Agree to Explore a ‘Comprehensive Solution’

China's government said that Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed not to escalate their conflict and to "explore a comprehensive solution” after several weeks…

World People wave Iranian national flags as they gather at Enghelab Square following the US-Iran ceasefire announcement, in Tehran, Iran, 08 April 2026. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

Pakistan PM Says US-Iran Ceasefire Violations Reported, Urges Restraint

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that violations of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran "have been reported" and pressed…

Asharq Al Awsat
World FILED - 03 March 2026, US, Washington: US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with German Chancellor Merz at the White House. Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Germany's Merz Speaks with Trump after Iran Ceasefire, Sources Says

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke with US President Donald Trump by telephone on Wednesday afternoon after the latter's ceasefire with Iran, two German…

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World US President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a televised address on the conflict in the Middle East from the Cross Hall of the White House in Washington, DC on April 1, 2026. (Photo by Alex Brandon / POOL / AFP)

Iran Fires Missiles at Israel after Trump Threatens Weeks of Strikes

Israel said it came under Iranian missile fire on Thursday after US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb the Iranian republic into the "Stone Ages" with…

Asharq Al Awsat
World 03 March 2026, US, Washington: US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting in the White House. Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa

US to Leave Iran 'Pretty Quickly' and Return if Needed, Trump Tells Reuters

The United States will be "out of Iran pretty quickly" and could return for "spot hits" if needed, President Donald Trump told Reuters on Wednesday, hours…

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World Hellenic coast guard performs SAR operation, following migrant's boat collision with coast guard off the Aegean island of Chios, near Mersinidi, Greece, February 4, 2026. REUTERS

19 Migrants Found Dead by Italian Coastguard off Lampedusa

The bodies of 19 migrants were recovered from a boat off the coast of Lampedusa on Wednesday by the Italian coastguard, the island's mayor told AFP. Mayor…

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World British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during a press conference to update on the latest situation in the Middle East and how the government is supporting families at home at 10 Downing Street in London, on April 1, 2026. (Photo by Frank Augstein / POOL / AFP)

Starmer Says UK to Host Multi-nation Meeting on Hormuz Shipping

Britain will this week hold a meeting of about 35 countries to discuss how to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz which has been crippled by the Middle East…

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World France's junior Minister for Veterans affairs Alice Rufo delivers remarks during the Paris Defense Strategy Forum at the Ecole Militaire (military school) in Paris on March 24, 2026. (Photo by STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP)

France: NATO is Not Designed to Carry Out Operations in Strait of Hormuz

NATO is a military alliance that ensures the security of the Euro-atlantic area and is not designed to carry out operations in the Strait of Hormuz that would…

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World King Charles greets the public outside Clitheroe Station (AP)

King Charles to Address US Congress on April 28

Britain's King Charles will address the US Congress on April 28 during his visit to Washington, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement on Wednesday. …

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World US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Iranian Authorities Warned Bulgaria Not to Let US Use Airports

Iranian authorities warned NATO member Bulgaria last month not to let the US use its airports for planes participating in military operations in Iran, the…

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World FILE - An ice cream street vendor shows his Cuban pesos in Havana, Cuba, April 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Ley, File)

EU Announces a Further $2.3 Million in Humanitarian Aid for Cuba

The European Commission has released a further 2 million euros ($2.3 million) in aid for Cuba, it said on Wednesday, to tackle what it described as worsening…

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World In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, right, poses for photos with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Beijing on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Xinhua via AP)

Pakistan Says Holding Talks with Afghan Govt in China

Pakistan and Afghanistan are holding talks in China to end months of conflict, two officials from Islamabad told AFP on Wednesday. The meeting in the…

World FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump signs documents at the White House in Washington, US, January 20, 2025.  REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo

Trump Says US Strongly Considering NATO Exit

President Donald Trump said he was strongly considering pulling the United States out of NATO after allies failed to back US military action against Iran,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
World 09 September 2025, Egypt, Cairo: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a joint press conference in Cairo. (dpa)

Iran FM Says Not Responded to US Plan, ‘No Negotiations’

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there were no negotiations with the United States and that Tehran had not responded to a reported 15-point proposal…

World US President Donald Trump and Britain's King Charles inspect the Guard of Honor as they attend a welcome ceremony during Trump's state visit, at Windsor Castle, in Windsor, Britain, September 17, 2025. (Reuters)

King Charles III to Make a State Visit to the US Despite Calls to Cancel Due to the Iran War

King Charles III is going ahead with a state visit to the United States despite calls for the ceremonial event to be called off due to US President Donald…

World A man walks on Konyaalti beach during a sunny day in Antalya, southern Türkiye, on March 30, 2026. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP)

Boat Capsizes Off Turkish Coast after High-speed Chase, 19 Migrants Dead

Nineteen Afghan migrants, including a baby, died on Wednesday when a rubber boat carrying them capsized in the Aegean Sea following a high-speed chase by the…

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World  French President Emmanuel Macron poses with the Governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike, Mouvement des Entreprises de France (MEDEF) President Patrick Martin and other attendees, at an economic forum on cooperation between France and Japan in strategic fields, in Tokyo, Japan, April 1, 2026. (Reuters)

Macron Lauds Europe’s ‘Predictability’ in Seeming Contrast to Trump

French President Emmanuel Macron praised Europe's "predictability" during a visit to Japan on Wednesday, contrasting it with countries that "could hurt you…

World Ultra-Orthodox Jews look at the damage in a residential building, after Iran launched missiles towards Israel, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Bnei Brak, Israel April 1, 2026. (Reuters)

Israel Medics Say 14 Wounded After Iranian Missile Fire

Israel's emergency medical service said 14 people including an 11-year-old girl were wounded during a missile attack that the military blamed on Iran and…

World US President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn of the White House upon his return to Washington, DC, USA, 29 March 2026. EPA

Trump Lashes Out at France, UK Over their Stance on Iran War

US President Donald Trump has attacked America's allies, particularly France and the UK, over their reluctance to get involved in the Iran war. In a post on…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
World Members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in Syria (file photo)

Argentina Designates Iran's IRGC a Terrorist Organization

Argentina has designated Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, its presidential office said in a statement on Tuesday, following…

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World A Russian military transport plane, Antonov-26 (file photo)

Russian Military Transport Plane Crashes in Crimea, Killing 29

A Russian An-26 military transport plane crashed into a cliff in Crimea, killing 29 people on board, due to a possible technical malfunction, Russia's defense…

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World Technologists with the Israeli military’s Matzpen operational data and applications unit work at their stations, at an Israeli Army base in Ramat Gan, Israel. (Reuters)

Israel Deploys AI Agents Across Multiple Fronts

The Israeli Army has begun deploying “AI agents” to detect missile launchers, generate real-time aerial intelligence and sharpen strike speed and precision…

Kifah Zboun (Ramallah)
World A member of the Iranian security forces stands guard next to a banner honoring former Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, 30 March 2026. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

Iran’s Fractured Leadership is Struggling to Coordinate, Officials Say

Washington: Ronen Bergman, Adam Goldman, Julian Barnes The US-Israeli war against Iran has fractured the Iranian government, complicating its ability to…

World FILE - Rescue workers search for survivors in the rubble after a strike in southern Tehran, Iran, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Sajjad Safari, File)

Trump Says Military Could End Iran Offensive in 2 to 3 Weeks

US President Donald Trump has said the military could end its Iran offensive in two to three weeks and will shift responsibility for the Strait of Hormuz to…

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World In this US Air Force handout photo released by US Central Command public affairs, a US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bomber aircraft prepares to refuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft during Operation Epic Fury over the US Central Command area of responsibility on March 20, 2026. (Photo by US Airforce / AFP)

Italy Reportedly Refuses US Aircraft Use of Sicily Base for Middle East Operations

Italy has denied permission for US military aircraft to land at the Sigonella air base in Sicily before flying to the Middle East, a source close to the matter…

Asharq Al Awsat (Rome)
World An aerial view of the island of Qeshm, separated from the Iranian mainland by the Clarence Strait, December 10, 2023. (Reuters file)

Iran Media Says Strikes Put Desalination Plant on Gulf Island Out of Service

Iranian media said Tuesday airstrikes have put a desalination plant on Iran's Qeshm island in the strategic Strait of Hormuz out of service, though the report…