The request for defence spending is the largest in decades and accompanies cuts to domestic programmes
PARIS, April 2 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday it would be unrealistic to launch a military operation to force open the Strait of Hormuz, after U.S. President Donald Trump challenged U.S. allies to work towards reopening it. "Some people defend the idea of freeing the Strait of Hormuz by force via a military operation, a position sometimes expressed by the United States, although it has varied," Macron told reporters during a trip to South Korea
Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war: - Iran's Hormuz offer to Japan - Iran is willing to help Japanese ships sail the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global fuel supplies, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Kyodo News in an interview published on Saturday. In the telephone interview conducted on Friday, Araghchi denied closing the passageway, saying instead that countries attacking Iran face restrictions while others were being offered assistance. He added that Iran was prepared to ensure safe passage for Japan
By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) - Dozens of international law experts in the U.S. have signed an open letter saying that American strikes on Iran may amount to war crimes, after President Donald Trump reiterated his threats this week to strike Iran's power and desalination plants. Trump, who has previously offered shifting timelines and objectives for the war, said in a televised speech on Wednesday that the war could escalate if Iran did not give in to Washington's terms, with strikes on its energy and oil infrastructure possible
"We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait," said the 22 countries
US president says Washington is 'getting very close' to achieving goals as he promises to bomb Iran into 'Stone Ages'
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday his country would keep fighting as long as necessary, casting doubt on US President Donald Trump's insistence that the conflict would be over "soon."
By Jasper Ward WASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - The FBI said on Monday that an attack on the largest Jewish temple in Michigan earlier this month was an "act of terrorism" inspired by Hezbollah
The United States and France have promised to secure oil shipping threatened by the Middle East war, but experts warn warship availability and Iran's wide range of weaponry could make this complicated. US-Israeli attacks on Iran since Saturday and Iran's fiery response have caused global economic turmoil as shipping avoids the Strait of Hormuz near Iran, one of the world's most vital shipping lanes. Around a fifth of the world's crude and liquefied natural gas from the Gulf, must pass through this chokepoint
March 28 (Reuters) - The Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, the Washington Post reported Saturday, citing U.S. officials. The plans could involve raids by Special Operations and conventional infantry troops, the Post reported. Whether President Donald Trump would approve any of those plans remains uncertain, according to the Post
KYIV, March 29 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in Jordan on Sunday as part of a Gulf tour aimed at shoring up defence ties with countries in the region amid rising tensions over the Iran war. Zelenskiy is seeking support from Gulf states for Ukraine's war against Russia as Western military aid faces fresh uncertainty and Kyiv struggles to cover its budget deficit and fund domestic weapons production
Satellite imagery is believed to have assisted Iran in its planning attacks on US military assets