Authorities in Iran have seized roughly 1,000 Bitcoin mining machines from two former factories, according to state TV reports. The action was taken following a spike in electricity consumption. Demand for power rose by 7% in June and cryptocurrency mining was thought to be the main cause, an energy ministry …
Read More »Trump threatens “obliteration” as Iran slams sanctions on Khamenei.
US President Donald Trump has said has threatened Iran with “obliteration” if the country launches any attack on American forces in the Middle East region. In a Twitter rant on Tuesday railing against the Islamic Republic, Trump said, “Iran’s very ignorant and insulting statement, put out today, only shows that …
Read More »Rouhani derides new sanctions as ‘useless’
Iran’s president has responded with defiance to the latest sanctions imposed by the US, saying they show it is lying about wanting dialogue. Hassan Rouhani said the measures against Iran’s supreme leader unveiled by President Donald Trump on Monday would be “useless” and denounced the US plans to target his …
Read More »US evacuates Iraqi base over ‘potential security threats’
Hundreds of US defense contractor personnel will evacuate Balad Air Base in Iraq due to “potential security threats,” Iraqi military sources have told the media. Nearly 400 employees of Lockheed Martin and Sallyport Global stationed at the base north of Baghdad are due to leave the country in a two-stage …
Read More »In Video | Who stands to gain from the tankers attacks in the Gulf ?
US extends waivers for Iraq to import energy from Iran.
Washington has granted Iraq another 90-day waiver to allow it to keep importing gas and electricity from neighboring Iran, which is under tough US sanctions, two Iraqi government sources say. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one of the sources said on Saturday that the extension came following “long discussions” with …
Read More »‘Security of Persian Gulf, world of special import to us’: Hassan Rouhani
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the security of the entire world, especially the Persian Gulf region, is of high significance to Iran. Rouhani was speaking at Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport on Thursday before leaving on a two-leg trip to the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek for a summit of the Shanghai …
Read More »Oil surges on Gulf tanker attacks.
Oil futures jumped on Thursday after suspected attacks on two tankers off the coast of Iran, while U.S. Treasury yields edged lower as economic data seemed to strengthen the case for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates this year. Wall Street’s major stock indexes climbed after falling for two …
Read More »Video: Explosion at Iran’s Nayeen offshore platform, No casualties.
A gas leak at a sea platform in Iran’s southern gas field of Pars, in partnership with Qatar and the Persian Gulf, triggered a minor fire on Wednesday. The fire broke out hours ago in the No. 9 of the stages of development 6, 7 and 8 in the field …
Read More »Brent Oil Price Falls Below $60 for First Time Since January 2019
Brent oil price fell below $60 per barrel on Wednesday for the first time since the beginning of the year. The slump comes as the US Department of Energy has published a weekly report on the country’s oil reserves. According to the report, the reserves have increased by 6,77 million …
Read More »Iran sees no prospect of negotiations with the US.
Iran sees no prospect of negotiations with the United States, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said a deal with Tehran on its nuclear program was possible. Washington withdrew last year from a 2015 international nuclear deal with Tehran and is ratcheting …
Read More »Iraqis denounce rocket attack on Baghdad’s Green Zone.
Iraq’s Kata’ib Hezbollah, a major pro-government resistance group, says a rocket attack on Baghdad’s Green Zone Sunday night is “unacceptable” and against the country’s national interests. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack which came in the wake of back-to-back sudden decisions taken by the US recently, including its …
Read More »US orders departure of non-emergency employees from Iraq.
The US State Department has ordered the departure of non-emergency government employees from Iraq, following Washington’s repeated expressions of concern about so-called threats. The State Department ordered the pullout of the employees from both the US Embassy in Baghdad and its consulate in Erbil, the embassy said in a statement …
Read More »Iran suspends some of 2015 nuclear deal commitments: Official.
Iran has suspended some of its commitments under a nuclear agreement it signed with six world powers in 2015, upon an order from the country’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), an informed official in the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, …
Read More »Saudi Arabia says its oil tankers among those hit off UAE coast.
Saudi Arabia said on Monday that two of its oil tankers were among those attacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and said it was an attempt to undermine the security of crude supplies amid tensions between the United States and Iran. The UAE said on Sunday that …
Read More »Magnitude 5.3 earthquake strikes near Iraq’s Sulaimaniya.
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck near the Iraqi city of Sulaimaniya on Saturday. Local medics said no injuries were reported and officials said there was no significant material damage. Media said the quake occurred 71 km southeast of the city at a depth of 10 km. Sulaimaniya’s seismic monitoring office …
Read More »EU vows to trade with Iran, denounces US sanctions.
A year after President Trump unilaterally withdrew from the Iran Nuclear Deal, its European signatories, who still honor the agreement, have expressed concern over the US decision not to extend waivers on oil trade with Tehran. “We … take note with regret and concern of the decision by the United …
Read More »Qatar says tightening Iran sanctions harm oil-consuming nations.
The foreign minister of Qatar said on Wednesday that Washington’s decision not to extend sanction waivers on Iranian oil exports would harm countries that rely on the supplies. The United States has demanded that buyers of Iranian oil stop purchases by May 1 or face the prospect of sanctions, ending …
Read More »Iran says it will keep exporting oil despite U.S. pressure
Iran will continue to export oil despite U.S. pressure aimed at reducing the country’s crude shipments to zero, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday. “America’s decision that Iran’s oil exports must reach zero is a wrong and mistaken decision, and we won’t let this decision be executed and operational,” …
Read More »Iraq calls in the US, Bahrain envoys over ‘meddlesome’ remarks.
Iraq has summoned the envoys of Bahrain and the United States to protest their insulting and meddlesome comments about the Arab state’s domestic affairs and relations with neighboring Iran. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmad al-Sahaf said on Saturday night that Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali al-Hakim had issued the order to summon …
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