Email Updated June 15, 2019 22:53:45 Photo: Iran says it is being made into a scapegoat for the oil tanker explosions. (AP: Tasnim News Agency) Related Story: US says Iran was behind attacks on Oman Gulf tankers, sends destroyer to scene Related Story: Japanese operator rejects US claim sailors saw limpet mine on stricken ship Related Story: US deploys more troops to Middle East to 'defend' against Iran Map: Iran, Islamic Republic Of US President Donald Trump has blamed Iran for attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and said the US wanted international consensus about the threat to shipping, despite Tehran denying involvement. Key points:The US says it is always planning contingencies but is not interested in starting a warChina and the EU have called for restraint while Germany says there was not sufficient evidence of Iran's involvementOil prices and shipping insurance costs have risen after the attacks The attacks have raised fears of a confrontation in … [Read more...] about Donald Trump blames Iran for Gulf of Oman oil tanker attacks but Tehran denies involvement
How much gulf countries in the world
In our federal election bubble, we’ve been ignoring world affairs even as tensions boil over
Email By chief foreign correspondent Philip Williams Updated May 15, 2019 12:07:27 Photo: The United States is threatening Iran with military action and there could be global economic consequences. (AP: Ebrahim Noroozi) Related Story: Whoever wins on Saturday, we're facing a three-way threat from China Related Story: Saudi oil tankers targeted in 'sabotage attack' Related Story: US to send B-52 bombers to Middle East to counter Iran 'threat' Related Story: 'You will be bankrolling terrorism': Trump labels Iran's revolutionary guard as terrorists Related Story: North Korea says it has tested a new tactical guided weapon Map: Iran, Islamic Republic Of Prime Minister Scott Morrison loves to decry the so-called "Canberra bubble". We're told it's a land inhabited by the disconnected, the faceless, the uncaring. But there is another bubble right now and it's shuttering out the realities of an increasingly dangerous world. It's the "election bubble", created by campaigns … [Read more...] about In our federal election bubble, we’ve been ignoring world affairs even as tensions boil over
‘Highly gratified’ by cooperation from ‘great friend’ India on Iranian sanctions: US
WASHINGTON: The US is "highly gratified" by the cooperation from a "great friend" like India in enforcing the oil sanctions on Tehran, the White House said on Wednesday as the Trump administration slapped sanctions on Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. Tensions between the US and Iran have heightened after Washington last year withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal that aimed to curb Iranian nuclear activities. Washington has since reimposed crippling sanctions affecting the Iranian economy. The US slapped sanctions on Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif on Wednesday which will curtail his international travel and freeze his assets in America. "We have been highly gratified by cooperation from a great friend and partner like India, and even less well-aligned countries such as China, in making the rather obvious choice that the United States would be the business partner of choice, not Iran," a senior official told reporters during a conference call. India, which has galloping energy … [Read more...] about ‘Highly gratified’ by cooperation from ‘great friend’ India on Iranian sanctions: US
Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s rise to power turns him into a billionaire boss
It was an unprecedented move against once-inviolable power figures in the kingdom, framed as a crackdown on corruption.To pull it off, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman turned the marble-floored Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh into a prison in November 2017 for hundreds of men. Many of the captives—some of them his relatives and princes in their own rights—were released only after agreeing to sign over to the government assets including land, cash and business stakes. The total recovered, Saudi authorities said, was some $107 billion.That sensational show of power upended decades of unwritten rules within the secretive House of Saud and effectively sidelined the crown prince’s potential opponents in one sweep. With his rise in the kingdom’s pecking order to presumptive heir to the throne, he became not only the de facto political leader of the petro-state but the unrivaled billionaire boss of a sprawling family … [Read more...] about Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s rise to power turns him into a billionaire boss
Donald Trump sends troops to Middle East ‘in defence against Iran’ as tensions escalate
Email Updated May 25, 2019 17:15:45 Photo: There are about 70,000 troops stationed across a region that stretches from Egypt to Afghanistan. (Reuters: Ahmad Nadeem) Related Story: Commercial aircraft at risk of 'misidentification' by Iran military, US warns Related Story: 'Hope not': Trump responds to concerns over potential US-Iran conflict Related Story: US pulls embassy staff from Iraq amid concerns over 'confrontation' with Iran Map: Iran, Islamic Republic Of The United States has announced the deployment of 1,500 troops to the Middle East, describing it as an effort to bolster defences against Iran as it accused the country's Revolutionary Guards of direct responsibility for this month's oil tanker attacks. Key points:The deployments have been decried by Iran as escalatory, but Donald Trump described them as defensive in natureDemocrats said the move appeared "heavy-handed"Mr Trump played down the potential for military conflict in the region, saying he believed … [Read more...] about Donald Trump sends troops to Middle East ‘in defence against Iran’ as tensions escalate
