(Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump spoke on Friday with French President Emmanuel Macron and they discussed trade, Iran and the Middle East, the White House said. "Had a very good phone call with @EmmanuelMacron, President of France. Discussed various subjects, in particular Security and Trade," Trump, who is vacationing at his New Jersey golf club, said on Twitter. The two leaders discussed "a broad range of trade and security issues, including the situation in Iran and the broader Middle East," the White House said in a statement. The Elysee Palace said in a brief statement the two leaders discussed Syria, Iran and the Israel-Palestinian conflict, but did not mention trade. Trump and Macron last met at a NATO summit in Brussels in July, where the U.S. president chastised members of the alliance that have not met its defence spending targets. At the summit, Macron said France would met the NATO goal of spending 2.0 percent of GDP on defence by 2024. Trump caused an uproar when he … [Read more...] about Trump, France’s Macron discuss Iran, Middle East and trade
Iran
China says business ties with Iran no harm to any other country
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's business and energy ties with Iran do not harm the interests of any other country, the country's Foreign Ministry said, after U.S. President Donald Trump said companies doing business with Iran would be barred from the United States. China has already defended its commercial relations with Iran as open and transparent as U.S. sanctions on Iran took effect despite pleas from Washington's allies. In a statement released late on Friday, China's foreign ministry reiterated its opposition to unilateral sanctions and "long-armed jurisdiction". "For a long time, China and Iran have had open, transparent and normal commercial cooperation in the fields of business, trade and energy, which is reasonable, fair and lawful," it said. "This does not violate United Nations Security Council resolutions or China's promised international obligations, nor does it harm the interests of any other country, and should be respected and protected," the ministry added. Using … [Read more...] about China says business ties with Iran no harm to any other country
Iran test-fired anti-ship missile during drills last week -U.S. source
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran test-fired a short-range anti-ship missile in the Strait of Hormuz during naval drills last week that Washington believes were aimed at sending a message as the United States reimposes sanctions on Tehran, a U.S. official said on Friday. The official, however, did not suggest that such a missile test was unusual during naval exercises or that it was carried out unsafely, noting it occurred in what could be described as Iranian territorial waters in the Strait. Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed on Sunday it had held war games in the Gulf over the past several days, saying they were aimed at "confronting possible threats" by enemies. U.S. Army General Joseph Votel, head of the U.S. military's Central Command, said earlier this week the scope and scale of the exercises were similar to ones Iran had carried out in the past. But the timing of this particular set of exercises was designed to get Washington's attention. "It's pretty clear to us that they were … [Read more...] about Iran test-fired anti-ship missile during drills last week -U.S. source
Iran test-fires ballistic missile for first time in 2018, officials say
In this photo released by official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani addresses the nation in a televised speech in Tehran, Iran, Monday, Aug. 6, 2018. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP) EXCLUSIVE – For the first time in more than a year, Iran test-fired a ballistic missile in a brazen display of defiance months after President Trump pulled the United States out of a landmark nuclear deal and days before his administration slapped new sanctions on the Islamic Republic, three U.S. officials with knowledge of the launch tell Fox News. The test of an Iranian Fateh-110 short-range ballistic missile coincided with a large-scale naval exercise by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard forces late last week involving over 50 small gunboats in the Strait of Hormuz to rehearse “swarm” tactics which could one day potentially shut down the vital waterway, through which 30 percent of the world’s oil passes each year. While … [Read more...] about Iran test-fires ballistic missile for first time in 2018, officials say
As U.S. unleashes sanctions, Americans view Russia as bigger threat than Iran
By Maria Caspani (Reuters) - Americans view Russia as a greater threat than Iran, Reuters/Ipsos opinion polls showed, as the Trump administration this week reintroduced sanctions on Tehran and slapped new ones on Moscow. While a majority of U.S. adults view Iran as a threat to the United States, that number has decreased slightly over the past three years, the poll shows. In comparison, the number of Americans who consider Russia a threat to their country increased since 2015, as U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election and on new accusations of Russian meddling ahead of the November midterm elections. Highlights from Reuters/Ipsos polls show: **Sixty-seven percent of U.S. adults said in a poll conducted in July 2018 that Iran poses a "moderate," "serious" or "imminent" threat to the United States. That was down from 75 percent in March 2015, months before the Obama administration signed a nuclear deal lifting sanctions on Iran in … [Read more...] about As U.S. unleashes sanctions, Americans view Russia as bigger threat than Iran