US Ambassador Prioritizes Cook Islands Critical Minerals, Warns of China’s Pacific Influence 
Venezuela Interim President Defends Earthquake Response as Death Toll Climbs 
Russian Attacks Kill Three in Eastern Ukraine as Civilian Casualties Mount 
Trump Vows U.S. Will Prevent China From Taking Over the Panama Canal 
UN Warns of Looming Human Rights Catastrophe in Sudan’s Al-Obeid 
State of emergency in Crimea as Ukraine focuses pressure on ‘jewel in Putin’s crown’ 
Trump Dedicates Theodore Roosevelt Museum, Unveils New Air Force One Ahead of America’s 250th Anniversary 
Russia Claims Capture of Kostiantynivka as Putin Pushes Donetsk Offensive 
Air Force Investigates Officer After Capitol Protest Calling for Trump, Vance Impeachment 
Amy Coney Barrett Faces Conservative Backlash After Key Supreme Court Rulings Against Trump 
Moody’s Says Peru’s President-Elect Keiko Fujimori Could Boost Investor Confidence 
Trump Reports $1.4 Billion in Crypto Income as Digital Assets Become Top Wealth Source 
Russia’s Deadly Kyiv Missile and Drone Attack Kills 27 as Zelensky Urges Faster Air Defense Support 
NRC Proposes Radiation Rule Changes to Boost U.S. Nuclear Power Expansion Under Trump 
Trump Accounts Now Accept Stock Donations as Treasury Launches New Child Investment Program 
Trump Administration Declines USMCA Renewal, Opens Talks on New Trade Changes 
EU Chip Industry Faces Growing Risks From China Export Controls and U.S. Technology Dependence: Report 
The US and Iran are close to reaching an agreement to restore the 2015 nuclear deal after months of negotiations in Vienna. However, US President Joe Biden has expressed reluctance toward one of the outstanding issues between the two countries in order to reach the deal.
Biden has expressed reluctance regarding one of the outstanding issues between Tehran and Washington that may lead to an agreement from months of talks – to remove Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards from the foreign terrorist organization designation. Tehran is demanding that the designation be removed before a deal can be reached.
The US, under Biden’s immediate predecessor Donald Trump, withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018, imposing sanctions on Iran instead. Washington has included the IRGC as a foreign terrorist designation long before the Trump administration started its maximum pressure campaign on Iran.
Tehran claims the FTO designation to the IRGC is part of the pressure campaign. However, Washington has pushed back, saying that the FTO designation to the IRGC is not related to the nuclear program.
“If Iran wants sanctions lifting that goes beyond the JCPOA, they’ll need to address concerns of ours that go beyond the JCPOA,” said US State Department spokesperson Ned Price. Price added that Tehran must negotiate “in good faith” and reciprocity.
The US leader is keen to return to the deal, provided that Iran also adheres to the conditions of the deal. To note, Iran has insisted that its nuclear program would be used for peaceful purposes. The talks have since come to a standstill due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Biden is also tackling the ongoing concerns of inflation, which many Republicans have looked to blame the US leader for. Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney called on Biden to reduce the growing economic pressure by getting rid of his advisers that the lawmaker described as “woke.” Romney made the call for Biden in a piece for the Wall Street Journal.
“A new set of priorities requires a new set of principles,” wrote Romney. “President Biden needs to ditch his woke advisers and surround himself with people who want to get the economy working again.”
