Iran Denies Any Meeting with US Next Week, Foreign Minister Says

 Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia June 23, 2025. (Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via Reuters)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia June 23, 2025. (Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via Reuters)
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Iran Denies Any Meeting with US Next Week, Foreign Minister Says

 Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia June 23, 2025. (Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via Reuters)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia June 23, 2025. (Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via Reuters)

Iran currently has no plan to meet with the United States, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday in an interview on state TV, contradicting US President Donald Trump's statement that Washington planned to have talks with Iran next week.

The Iranian foreign minister said Tehran was assessing whether talks with the US were in its interest, following five previous rounds of negotiations that were cut short by Israel and the US attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The US and Israel said the strikes were meant to curb Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons, while Iran says its nuclear program is solely geared toward civilian use.

Araqchi said the damages to nuclear sites “were not little” and that relevant authorities were figuring out the new realities of Iran’s nuclear program, which he said would inform Iran’s future diplomatic stance.



France's Navy Intercepts an Oil Tanker in the Mediterranean Sailing from Russia

FILE PHOTO: Tugboat escorts French Navy frigate Vendemiaire on arrival for a 5-day goodwill visit at a port in Metro Manila, Philippines March 12, 2018. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco/File Photo P
FILE PHOTO: Tugboat escorts French Navy frigate Vendemiaire on arrival for a 5-day goodwill visit at a port in Metro Manila, Philippines March 12, 2018. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco/File Photo P
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France's Navy Intercepts an Oil Tanker in the Mediterranean Sailing from Russia

FILE PHOTO: Tugboat escorts French Navy frigate Vendemiaire on arrival for a 5-day goodwill visit at a port in Metro Manila, Philippines March 12, 2018. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco/File Photo P
FILE PHOTO: Tugboat escorts French Navy frigate Vendemiaire on arrival for a 5-day goodwill visit at a port in Metro Manila, Philippines March 12, 2018. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco/File Photo P

France’s Navy, working with intelligence provided by the United Kingdom, on Thursday intercepted an oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea that traveled from Russia, in a mission targeting the sanctioned Russian shadow fleet, officials said, Reuters reported.

French maritime authorities for the Mediterranean said the ship, the Grinch, is suspected of operating with a false flag.

The French Navy is escorting the ship to port for more checks, the statement said.


Zelensky Says Meeting with Trump in Davos was 'Very Good'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to wounded Ukrainian soldiers during a visit at Staten Island University Hospital, in New York, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to wounded Ukrainian soldiers during a visit at Staten Island University Hospital, in New York, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (AP)
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Zelensky Says Meeting with Trump in Davos was 'Very Good'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to wounded Ukrainian soldiers during a visit at Staten Island University Hospital, in New York, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to wounded Ukrainian soldiers during a visit at Staten Island University Hospital, in New York, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had a "very good" meeting with US President Donald Trump in Davos on Thursday.

"We spoke about documents and about air defense," Zelensky told reporters briefly without elaborating before addressing the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort.

Zelenskiy also said he ​discussed progress on peace talks.

"We discussed the work of our teams, and practically every there are meetings ⁠or communication," Zelenskiy ‌wrote on X, adding ‍that ‍the documents ‍being negotiated by Kyiv and Washington were "now even better prepared".

"Our ​previous meeting with President Trump helped ⁠strengthen the protection of our skies, and I hope that this time we will reinforce it further as well."


France Says Won't Join Peace Board for Now, Partly Contrary to UN Charter

France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a ministerial meeting on the implementation of the Middle East peace plan at the Quai d'Orsay, in Paris, France October 9, 2025. Thomas Samson/Pool via REUTERS
France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a ministerial meeting on the implementation of the Middle East peace plan at the Quai d'Orsay, in Paris, France October 9, 2025. Thomas Samson/Pool via REUTERS
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France Says Won't Join Peace Board for Now, Partly Contrary to UN Charter

France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a ministerial meeting on the implementation of the Middle East peace plan at the Quai d'Orsay, in Paris, France October 9, 2025. Thomas Samson/Pool via REUTERS
France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a ministerial meeting on the implementation of the Middle East peace plan at the Quai d'Orsay, in Paris, France October 9, 2025. Thomas Samson/Pool via REUTERS

France will not join US President ​Donald Trump's Board of Peace for now because its charter does not correspond with ‌a UN ‌resolution ‌to ⁠resolve the ​war ‌in Gaza, and some of the charter's elements were contrary to the UN charter, ⁠its foreign ministry ‌spokesman said on ‍Thursday, Reuters reported.

"It ‍was not corresponding ‍on the one hand with the pure Gaza mandate, which ​is not even mentioned, and ⁠on the other hand, there are elements of this charter which are contrary to the United Nations charter," Pascal Confavreux told reporters.

According to The AP news, the new peace board was initially envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the ceasefire, but it has morphed into something far more ambitious — and skepticism about its membership and mandate has led some countries usually closest to Washington to take a pass.