This Hard-Line Iranian General Is a Major Player in Talks With US Over War

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — As negotiations with the United States hang in the balance, a hard-line Iranian general linked to notorious attacks at home and abroad over the past decades is believed to have seized a place near the center of power. Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, who heads Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, has …

Read more

After Breaking With Serbia and Joining NATO, EU Is the Next Frontier

PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — Montenegro marks 20 years of independence from a union with Serbia this week, celebrating a two-decade transformation that has already brought the Balkan country into NATO. Now it is eyeing its next milestone: full integration into the European Union. Speaking to The Associated Press amid national festivities, President Jakov Milatovic described …

Read more

Iran Executes Two People Under Security Charges, News Agency Says

DUBAI, ⁠May ⁠21 (Reuters) – Iran ⁠executed two ​people ‌for what ‌it ⁠said were ⁠charges of creating a ​group ​to disrupt the ⁠country’s security ⁠and ⁠having membership ​in a “terrorist” organization, ​the ⁠country’s ⁠Tasnim news agency reported on Thursday. Tasnim ⁠identified the two as Ramin Zaleh and Karim ⁠Maroufpour. (Reporting by Elwely Elwelly; Editing ​by …

Read more

Europe Faces Stray Ukrainian Drones as Kyiv Targets Russian Oil Exports

Over the past months, Ukrainian drones have crashed into the chimney of a power plant in Estonia, hit empty fuel tanks in Latvia and been shot down by Romanian fighter jets stationed in Lithuania. For the first time in a NATO and European Union capital, Lithuanians were pictured sheltering in underground car parks in Vilnius …

Read more

Russia Delivers Nuclear Munitions in Belarus as Part of Nuclear Drills

MOSCOW, May 21 (Reuters) – ⁠Russia ⁠delivered ⁠nuclear munitions to field ​storage facilities in Belarus ‌as part of ‌major ⁠nuclear ⁠drills, the Russian defence ministry said on ​Thursday. “As part of the nuclear forces ​exercise, nuclear munitions were delivered ⁠to ⁠the field ⁠storage facilities ​of the missile brigade’s position ​area ⁠in the Republic of Belarus,” …

Read more