Oil prices hit four year high: Latest news on the Middle East conflict on 9 March
Global oil prices reached a four year high on Monday (9 March), surpassing $...
Washington has greenlighted the appointment of Alexander Darchiev as Russia’s new ambassador to the United States, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
He is expected to depart for Washington shortly.
During the consultations that the delegations of Russia and the US held on February 27 in Istanbul to discuss a normalization of the operation of the two countries’ diplomatic missions, "the American side handed over an official note with an agrement for the appointment of the director of the North Atlantic Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, Alexander Darchiev, as the new ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the United States of America," the statement said.
Alexander Darchiev was heading the Russian delegation in dicussions with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Sonata Coulter in Istanbul, which focused on normalising the operation of diplomatic missions of both countries.
"Joint measures were agreed upon to ensure the unfettered mutual financing of Russian and US diplomatic missions’ operations and to establish appropriate conditions for diplomats to fulfil their official duties," - Russian FM stated.
The consultations also addressed issues related to Russian diplomatic properties in the United States, with a particular focus on "the restitution of six premises unlawfully seized between 2016 and 2018." The necessity of achieving tangible outcomes to foster conditions conducive to improving bilateral relations, in the interests of both nations, was underscored.
Additionally, the American side was encouraged to consider the restoration of direct air service between the two countries, the ministry
Darchiev was born in 1960. He graduated from Lomonosov Moscow State University in 1983 with a degree in history. Darchiev enrolled in the diplomatic service in 1992, taking the job of first secretary at the Foreign Ministry’s North America Department. He then served as head of division at the department until 1997. From 1997 to 2002, he was counselor of the Russian Embassy in the US. From 2003 to 2005, Darchiev had the job of deputy director of the North America Department at the Foreign Ministry. From 2005 to 2010, he served as minister counselor at the Russian Embassy in the US. From 2010 to 2014, he was director of the North America Department at the Foreign Ministry. In October 2014, Darchiev was appointed Russia's ambassador to Canada, a post he held until January 2021. From 2021 to 2025, he served as director of the North America Department at the Foreign Ministry, a unit responsible for ties with the US and Canada. In 2025, he was named director of the Foreign Ministry’s North Atlantic Department, which oversees relations with the UK, Ireland, Canada and the US.
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a hardline cleric with strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise signals continuity in Tehran's anti-Western policies.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
Trump says the United States "don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won," targeting his criticism at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Israel continues to fire missles at strategic sites in Iran and Gulf regions report more strikes from Iran.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
U.S. President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke by phone on Sunday as tensions between Washington and Westminster deepened over the conflict involving Iran. The call came less than a day after Trump criticised Britain’s response to U.S. strikes on Iranian targets.
Norwegian police are searching for a suspect after an explosion at the U.S. embassy in Oslo on 8 March caused minor damage but no injuries, in what authorities say may have been a deliberate attack linked to the Middle East crisis.
An explosion damaged a synagogue in the Belgian city of Liège early on Monday (9 March) in what authorities said was an antisemitic attack that caused damage but no injuries.
The Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers will meet on Monday to discuss a global rise in oil prices and a joint release of oil from emergency reserves coordinated by the International Energy Agency, the Financial Times reports.
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