Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
Norway Opens Corruption Probe Into Former PM and Nobel Committee Chair Thorbjoern Jagland Over Epstein Links 
Ohio Man Indicted for Alleged Threat Against Vice President JD Vance, Faces Additional Federal Charges 
Missouri Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Starbucks’ Diversity and Inclusion Policies 
Japan Election 2026: Sanae Takaichi Poised for Landslide Win Despite Record Snowfall 
Trump Endorses Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Ahead of Crucial Election Amid Market and China Tensions 
U.S. to Begin Paying UN Dues as Financial Crisis Spurs Push for Reforms 
TrumpRx Website Launches to Offer Discounted Prescription Drugs for Cash-Paying Americans 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
US Pushes Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Before Summer Amid Escalating Attacks 
New York Legalizes Medical Aid in Dying for Terminally Ill Patients 
Federal Judge Restores Funding for Gateway Rail Tunnel Project 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
U.S. Lawmakers to Review Unredacted Jeffrey Epstein DOJ Files Starting Monday 
Iran–U.S. Nuclear Talks in Oman Face Major Hurdles Amid Rising Regional Tensions 
Trump Signs “America First Arms Transfer Strategy” to Prioritize U.S. Weapons Sales 
Pentagon Ends Military Education Programs With Harvard University 
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said Riyadh was trying to find a path to dialogue with Iran as a way to resolve differences. Prince Faisal’s comments come amidst long-running tensions in the region.
During a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, Prince Faisal said the kingdom was trying to find a path to dialogue with Iran. Prince Faisal added that the decision by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states to focus on their respective economies and development was a strong message to Iran along with other countries in the region “that there is a pathway beyond traditional arguments and disputes towards joint prosperity.”
Saudi Arabia and Iran are the two leading Shi’ite and Sunni Muslim countries in the Middle East, with a long-running rivalry that has played out in the region, especially in conflicts in Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon. The two countries cut ties in 2016 but have since held rounds of talks since last year, with Iraq serving as a mediator in the discussions. However, there have been no diplomatic breakthroughs so far.
This also comes at a time when Gulf Arab countries have expressed concerns over Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as its network of regional proxies. However, the states want to contain tensions as they put their focus on economic priorities.
Iran has also been in a state of unrest since September, as protests were carried out across the country following the death of a Kurdish Iranian woman in the custody of the morality police. Mahsa Amini died days after she was arrested by the morality police for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s dress code for women. Tehran has since carried out a brutal crackdown on the persisting protests, with four people executed on charges related to the demonstrations.
Tehran also sought to blame its foreign adversaries for the unrest.
On Wednesday, the European Parliament called for the bloc to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization, saying that the IRGC was to blame for Tehran’s ongoing repression of demonstrators as well as the supply of drones that Russia is using in its war with Ukraine.
A majority of EU lawmakers backed the text condemning the Islamic Republic for its crackdown on the protesters while calling on the member states to make the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
