TEHRAN -- Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi left Tehran on Sunday for Geneva for a second round of indirect nuclear talks with the United States, the Foreign Ministry said.
The talks are scheduled for Tuesday and will be mediated by Oman, the ministry said in a statement. (Iran-US-Talks)
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JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said here Sunday that any potential agreement with Iran must include the removal of nuclear material, a halt to uranium enrichment and restrictions on ballistic missiles, voicing skepticism over Tehran's intentions.
Speaking at a public conference after a recent meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, Netanyahu said Trump is "determined to exhaust the possibilities of achieving a deal, which he believes can be achieved now." (Israel-Iran Deal-Gaza War)
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DAMASCUS -- Syria's interim authority said Sunday that its army has taken control of the Shaddadi military base in the northeastern province of Hasakah following coordination with the United States, marking another step in the drawdown of U.S.-led coalition forces from parts of the country.
In a brief statement, the defense authority in Damascus said its forces have assumed control of the base, located south of Hasakah city. No further details were provided about the timing of the handover or the future use of the facility. (Syria-Shaddadi Base-Handover)
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TEHRAN -- Iran's trade deficit narrowed by 6 billion U.S. dollars in the first 10 months of the current Iranian year, the official news agency Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported on Sunday.
Citing data from Iran's Customs Administration, the IRNA said the trade balance for the period from March 21, 2025 to Jan. 20, 2026 stood at a deficit of 4 billion dollars, compared with a 10-billion-dollar shortfall a year earlier. The improvement came despite a 12-day war with Israel, the reimposition of UN sanctions, and tighter unilateral embargoes. (Iran-Trade Deficit-Change) ■
