Trump envoys to visit Pakistan for Iran talks as cautious progress reported
Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner will travel to Islamabad on Saturday for Pakistan-mediated talks ...
Fourteen Western allies have condemn Iranian Intelligence services, accusing it of a surge in alleged assassinations targeting individuals in Europe and North America.
U.S., UK and 12 other allies including France, Germany and Canada have also condemned Iran for alleged kidnapping and harassment plots calling the actions a breach of their sovereignty.
The countries said in a joint statement on Thursday "We are united in our opposition to the attempts of Iranian intelligence services to kill, kidnap, and harass people in Europe and North America in clear violation of our sovereignty."
The statement was backed by Albania, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the U.S., who urged Iran to halt the operations, which they said are often carried out in partnership with international criminal networks.
Tehran rejected the allegations. Iran's foreign ministry described them as "blatant fabrications and a diversionary tactic, part of a malicious campaign of Iranophobia aimed at pressuring the Iranian people."
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei added, "The U.S. France, and the other signatories of the anti-Iranian statement must be held accountable for their support and hosting of terrorist and violent groups, which constitutes a violation of international law and support for terrorism."
Baghaei was referring to exiled opposition groups such as the Mujahadeen-e-Khalq, formerly designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and European Union, now active in the West.
According to British authorities, more than 20 Iran-linked plots have been disrupted since early 2022, including ones targeting British nationals.
Reuters previously reported in October that Iran was behind a wave of attempted assassinations and abductions across Europe and the U.S.
In March, the UK said it would require Iran to register all political influence activity due to Tehran's increasingly aggressive behaviour.
The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday, exclusively to Reuters.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shores, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is extending its ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.
Two local trains collided head-on north of Copenhagen on Thursday (23 April), injuring 17 people, five of them critically, according to emergency services.
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian waters near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Tehran said U.S. breaches, blockades and threats are undermining “genuine negotiations.”
The European Union is preparing its 20th round of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. The measures are close to being approved, after earlier delays linked to energy concerns in Slovakia and Hungary eased following repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline.
China has urged the European Union to take its concerns seriously over new cybersecurity and digital regulations, warning they could create difficulties for Chinese companies operating in Europe.
Russia and Ukraine have swapped prisoners of war, according to officials on both sides. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 193 prisoners, including soldiers and border guards, had been returned from Russia, some injured and facing criminal charges.
Türkiye and the United Kingdom on Thursday signed a wide-ranging strategic partnership agreement to boost bilateral cooperation, especially in defence. The deal, signed in London, signals a “new era” in relations between the two NATO allies.
The U.S. and the European Union are set to sign a memorandum of understanding on Friday to establish a partnership on the procurement and production of critical minerals, the U.S. State Department confirmed late on Thursday.
Russian emergency services have contained a major fire at the Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea coast, local officials said on Thursday, ending a four-day effort after a Ukrainian drone strike.
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