Saudis lose EU spin battle with Iran on arms embargo over civilian casualties in Yemen

Saudis lose EU spin battle with Iran on arms embargo over civilian casualties in Yemen

Special to WorldTribune.com Saudi officials believe Iran’s intervention likely led to a European parliament vote on an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia. The vote was called because of reported heavy civilian casualties caused by the Saudi-led coalition in its war against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Saudi representatives were working on Feb. 25 to persuade […]

Iran arrests elderly father of jailed U.S. citizen

Iran arrests elderly father of jailed U.S. citizen

Special to WorldTribune.com Authorities in Iran have arrested the father of an American citizen was has been detained in Teheran since October. Baquer Namazi, the elderly father of Siamak Namazi, was arrested this week, the man’s family said on social media on Feb. 24. Siamak Namazi, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen, was detained by Iran’s Islamic […]

Saudi oil minister to struggling producers: ‘get out’ of the market

Saudi oil minister to struggling producers: ‘get out’ of the market

Special to WorldTribune.com Saudi Arabia’s oil minister had a message for high-cost producers on Feb. 23: Saudi is quite content to ride out low prices and those who aren’t should “get out” of the market. “Inefficient, uneconomic producers will have to get out, that is tough to say, but that’s fact,” Ali Al-Naimi said after […]

Iran calls proposed oil-output freeze ‘ridiculous’

Iran calls proposed oil-output freeze ‘ridiculous’

Special to WorldTribune.com Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh has dismissed a proposal by Russia and three OPEC members to freeze oil production as “ridiculous.” Zanganeh said on February 23 that the proposal by Russia, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and Qatar for crude oil producers to cap production at January […]

Syrian crisis present more immediate threat to Israel

Syrian crisis present more immediate threat to Israel

Special to WorldTribune.com By Norman Bailey Israel is wisely keeping out of the fray in Syria, but it may be challenged all the same. There are more than two dozen state and non-state actors battling over the prostrate body of what used to be Syria, one of the artificial entities carved out in the Middle […]

Iran elections: Khamenei wants parliament that will ‘stand up to world powers’

Iran elections: Khamenei wants parliament that will ‘stand up to world powers’

Special to WorldTribune.com In a shot at the Obama administration, Iran supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on his countrymen to elect a parliament that will “stand up to world powers.” Iranians will vote in two elections of Feb. 26, one for a new parliament and the other for the Assembly of Experts, a body […]

ISIL takes control of part of Libyan city, beheads 12 police officers

ISIL takes control of part of Libyan city, beheads 12 police officers

Special to WorldTribune.com Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) jihadists beheaded 12 police officers in Sabratha, Libya on Feb. 24 after briefly taking over the city’s security headquarters. Taher al-Gharabili, head of Sabratha Military Council, told The Associated Press that ISIL gunmen “exploited a security vacuum” by deploying in the city center as the […]

U.S. Joint Chiefs chairman, Egypt defense leaders discuss bilateral relationship

U.S. Joint Chiefs chairman, Egypt defense leaders discuss bilateral relationship

Special to WorldTribune.com Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, discussed America’s commitment to its “security partnership” with Egypt during a visit to Cairo on Feb. 20. “Dunford visited Cairo to demonstrate U.S. commitment to strengthening the security partnership between Egypt and the United States,” according to a U.S. Defense Department […]

Italy allows U.S. to use Sicily air base for drone missions in Libya

Italy allows U.S. to use Sicily air base for drone missions in Libya

Special to WorldTribune.com The Italian government has given the U.S. the go-ahead to fly armed drones out of an American base in Sicily for missions against Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) in Libya. The drones are based at the Sigonella naval air station in Sicily, which is also a NATO and Italian air […]

Iran treatment of American with dual citizenship called threat to expatriates hoping to return

Iran treatment of American with dual citizenship called threat to expatriates hoping to return

Special to WorldTribune.com Teheran’s detention of a businessman with dual Iranian-American citizenship may have a chilling effect on expatriates hoping to return to do business in post-sanctions Iran. Siamak Namazi, while visiting family in October, was detained by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), according to a source who declined to be identified. Iranian authorities […]