Mes: septiembre 2019

(AP) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – When Pentagon officials announced plans to send U.S. Navy minesweepers and warships into the Gulf for exercises, they carefully tried to avoid framing it as a direct show of force against Iran. Tehran took care of that. Iranian commanders and political leaders — facing an increasing squeeze from international sanctions — have sharply stepped up threats and defiant statements in recent weeks over the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint at the mouth of the Gulf that is the route for one fifth of the world’s oil. Iran lawmaker: Closing Strait of Hormuz legalIran threatens Strait of Hormuz, vital oil routeU.S. naval battle group crosses Strait of Hormuz While it appears unlikely that Iran is ready to risk an almost certain military backlash by trying to close Hormuz — which is jointly controlled with Oman — the latest flurry from Tehran shows that Iranian authorities see the strait as perhaps their most valuable asset in brinksmanship over tightening sanctions and efforts to resume nuclear talks with world powers. In Iran’s view, the strait offers a rare combination of strategic and economic leverage. Warnings from Tehran in the past about possible closure have been enough to boost oil prices to offset the blow of sanctions. It’s also among the potential flashpoints if military force is used against Iran over its nuclear program. Iran could severely...

(CBS News) BEIRUT – Fierce fighting is being reported in Syria’s two biggest cities. The street battles have left parts of Damascus and Aleppo in ruins, and forced thousands more civilians to flee the violence. Until a few days ago, Syria’s two main cities had been bubbles of relative stability, but heavy fighting is now driving a flood of refugees over Syria’s borders, with thousands fleeing to Turkey or Lebanon. They’re seeking safety from a civil war that has finally come to their doorsteps. “In my home (in the Damascus suburbs), I could see the helicopters bombing and tanks firing,” one refugee told CBS News. In the capital, Syrian soldiers have regained control of neighborhoods that had fallen at least in part to opposition fighters. State television told viewers government troops were mopping up remnants of people dubbed “terrorists” by the regime. Syrian rebels: We will “liberate” AleppoSyrian troops, rebels clash in city of AleppoSyrian troops seize Damascus neighborhood; Activists say 300 killed But as the fighting dies down in one area, it flares up in another. Aleppo has seen fierce clashes over the past 48 hours. The city – Syria’s second largest and 블랙 잭 무료 게임 most important economically – had been a center of support for the president, but that is now clearly fraying. As for President Bashar Assad, he appeared for the second time on...

(CBS News) Hillary Clinton has said she plans to step down as secretary of state in January regardless of whether President Obama is reelected. She’s on an extended diplomatic farewell tour, and was met with protests Monday in Cairo. She also sat down with CBS News’ Margaret Brenann who asked her if she’s confident in the U.S. strategy in Syria, where President Bashar al Assad continues a brutal assault on anti-regime forces. “I don’t know what other strategy anybody is suggesting,” Clinton said. “Because unless you have Security Council support for any other action — I don’t think any country believes that it should act unilaterally in such a complex, dangerous situation.” Clinton said that Syria’s neighbors, in particular, are worried about any unilateral action inside Syria that could push violence across its borders. “I know that people share my deep frustration and outrage at what’s going on inside Syria, but my job is not just to express outrage. My job is to try to figure out what can be done that would be effective,” Clinton said. “And sometimes a situation dons not lend itself to an answer that is immediately satisfying.” “I’m very confident we’ve done everything that we can do” to bring the situation to an end as quickly as possible, she said. A day after the Red Cross declared the conflict in Syria a civil war,...

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