Philippines Braces to Evacuate its Workers in Iraq, Iran

Manila, Philippines (AP) Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the military to prepare to deploy its aircraft and ships “at any moment’s notice” to evacuate thousands of Filipino workers in Iraq and Iran should hostilities erupt there. Other Asian nations with large populations of expatriate labor may face similar decisions amid the rapidly escalating tensions between…

US-Registered Planes Barred Over Mideast Areas Amid Tensions

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. on Friday barred American-registered aircraft from flying over Iranian-administered airspace in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman over the Revolutionary Guard shooting down a U.S. military surveillance drone, affecting a region crucial to global air travel. The Federal Aviation Administration warned of a “potential for…

Senator Duckworth Cautions Trump Administration on Iran

Washington, D.C. (KTRS) Democratic U.S. Senator from Illinois Tammy Duckworth is speaking out against what she calls the “Trump Administration’s reckless approach to Iran.” Duckworth, a combat veteran, questioned Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan Tuesday over the potential deployment of 120,000 troops to the Middle East. She cautioned Shanahan on moving forward. She says the…

Israel Accuses Iran Of Harboring ‘Secret Atomic Warehouse’  

By JENNIFER PELTZ and ANGELA CHARLTON ,  Associated Press   UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran on Thursday of keeping a “secret atomic warehouse” just outside its capital, despite the 2015 deal with world powers that was meant to keep it from obtaining nuclear weapons. Holding up a poster-board map of…

Trump Ups Sanctions Pressure On Iran Despite European Dismay

By SUSANNAH GEORGE and ZEKE MILLER , Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States reimposed stiff economic sanctions on Iran Monday, ratcheting up pressure on the Islamic Republic despite statements of deep dismay from European allies, three months after President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the international accord limiting Iran’s nuclear activities.…