Diplomatic Cross

Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to make his first official visit to Saudi Arabia next week. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in contact with Saudi officials for the prime minister's visit. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have shared close ties. On August 12, Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz congratulated PM Imran on his victory. The Saudi king also extended goodwill for the development and welfare of the people of Pakistan. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has expressed the Kingdom's interest in investing heavily in a bid to strengthen its trade ties with Pakistan. In the recent past, Prime Minister Imran said that bilateral ties between the two countries would be further strengthened, adding that the leaders of both countries would also visit each other’s country soon in this regard. Can PM Khan Visit will meltdown the relation between IRAN and KSA? Iran is attempting to reset its relationship with its eastern neighbor. Iran was one of the first countries to congratula...

Iran’s supreme leader said Monday there would be neither war nor negotiations with the United States, and that the country’s problems were the result of government mismanagement more than renewed sanctions. Tehran-Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s comments add to the pressure on President Hassan Rouhani following a collapse in the currency and widespread protests over high prices and corruption. They also appeared to rule out any hope of fresh talks with Washington, which US President Donald Trump had proposed after walking out of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal and reimposing sanctions. “Beside sanctions, they are talking about war and negotiations… let me say a few words to the people: THERE WILL BE NO WAR, NOR WILL WE NEGOTIATE WITH THE U.S.,” Khamenei said via his official Twitter account in English. There was also a show of military resolve as Defence Minister Amir Hatami unveiled a next-generation short-range ballistic missile and vowed to further boost the country’s ...

China has rejected a US demand to cut Iranian oil imports despite Washington’s attempts to bring down the Islamic Republic's oil sales to zero, Bloomberg reports. Bejing-The financial news provider quoted informed officials on Friday as saying that the US had been unable to persuade China to cut Iranian oil imports and that Beijing's purchases from Tehran last month remained unchanged.  This is a blow to US President Donald Trump’s efforts to isolate Iran after his withdrawal from a 2015 nuclear deal with the country, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), they said.  Beijing, however, agreed not to increase purchases of Iranian crude, said the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the multilateral deal with Iran in May and announced plans to reimpose sanctions on the Islamic Republic, that would eliminate Tehran's oil revenues.  China - the world’s top crude buyer...

‘The US can’t decide for the world:’ Rouhani rejects Pompeo’s Iran demands DC-Web Desk-Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has rejected demands made of Tehran by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, vowing to continue “our path,” insisting that the era when the US could “decide for the world” is over. The US government has regressed 15 years, back to “Bush Jr.’s era” and is once again trying to dictate its will on the entire world, Rouhani said as he rejected Washington's Monday ultimatum. Who are you to decide for Iran and the world? The world today does not accept America to decide for the world, as countries are independent ... that era is over ... We will continue our path with the support of our nation,” Rouhani said, as quoted by ILNA news agency. Pompeo’s speech signaled a huge step back for the whole foreign policy of the US, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said on his Twitter page. “US diplomacy sham is merely a regression to old habits: imprisoned by delusio...

 Raheb Homavandi / Reuters Tehran will struggle to “keep its economy alive” if it does not comply with a list of 12 US demands, including Iranian withdrawal from Syria, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo vowed on Monday. Speaking at the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing Washington think tank, Pompeo laid out a list of 12 “basic requirements” for Iran. The demands call on Iran to withdraw from Syria, "release all US citizens," end support for Houthi rebels in Yemen, stop “enrichment" of uranium, and promise never to process plutonium. Iran must also allow "unqualified access to all nuclear sites throughout the country," Pompeo said. He promised that the US would impose the "strongest sanctions in history" if Iran failed to comply with these demands. Demands from #Iran , Pompeo: •Close heavy water reactors •Allow IAEA inspectors everywhere •End ballistic missile  •Release US citizens  •End support to Hezbollah, Hamas, IJ...