Antony Blinken News

shipping companies for transporting Iranian oil, saying it was a response to Tehran's nuclear «escalation,» on the eve of presidential elections in the Islamic republic. «Over the past month, Iran has announced steps to further expand its nuclear program in ways that have no credible peaceful purpose,» Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

anti-conversion laws, hate speech, and demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority faith communities in India, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said. In his remarks at the release of the annual State Department report on international religious freedom, Blinken said on Wednesday that at the same time, people around the world are also working hard to protect religious freedom. The report stated that senior US officials continued to raise concerns about religious freedom issues with their Indian counterparts in 2023. «In India, we see a concerning increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority faith communities. At the same time, people around the world are also working hard to protect religious freedom,» the secretary of state said.

U.S. State Department's 2023 religious freedom report on India noted violent attacks on minority groups, especially Muslims and Christians, including killings, assaults and vandalism of houses of worship. The report on international religious freedom released on Wednesday said that in 2023, senior U.S. officials continued to «raise concerns about religious freedom issues» with their Indian counterparts. Human rights experts say India has seen a rise in attacks on minorities under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who recently won a third term, and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

investigation being conducted by India into the alleged plot to kill India-designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Wednesday (local time). While addressing a press briefing, Miller noted that they have raised the issue with the Indian government and told them that the US expects full investigation into the matter. Asked about the US State Department's response after the members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee wrote a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for a strong diplomatic response on the Indian government's involvement in the assassination attempt on Pannun, Miller responded, «So, we will respond to those members privately, as we always do. I won't speak to that here. But as pertains to the other issue, when this issue first arose, we made clear that we had raised it with the Government of India and told them that we expected there to be a full investigation. They have announced that they are conducting an inquiry, and we will look forward to the results of that inquiry.»

Washington on Sunday to discuss the next phase of the Gaza war and escalating hostilities on the border with Lebanon, where exchanges of fire with Hezbollah have stoked fears of wider conflict. Iran-backed Hezbollah began attacking Israel shortly after Hamas' Oct. 7 assault sparked the war in Gaza, and the sides have been trading blows in the months since then. Hezbollah has said it will not stop until there is a ceasefire in Gaza. «We are prepared for any action that may be required in Gaza, Lebanon, and in more areas,» Gallant said in a statement before setting off to Washington, where he said he would meet his counterpart Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Swiss museum on Thursday pulled down five paintings, including a van Gogh and a Monet, after the foundation that owns them called for a deeper look at their origins following new U.S. guidelines on how to handle artworks once confiscated by the Nazis. The Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection, which owns the works formerly shown at the Kunsthaus Zurich museum, said it was looking to reach a «fair and equitable solution» with the legal successors of the former owners, who were not identified. The foundation's board called for a new assessment of the works under new "Best Practices" published by the U.S. State Department in March on how to deal with Nazi-confiscated art, as an upgrade to principles adopted in 1998.

Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, has been extradited from the Czech Republic to the United States in connection with an alleged foiled plot to murder Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. This extradition has brought renewed attention to the case against Gupta, who allegedly hired a hitman at the behest of an Indian government official. The US Department of Justice claims Pannun was targeted for exercising his freedom of speech in America. Gupta has pleaded not guilty. Gupta's extradition was approved by Czech authorities on June 3 but was made public just before the visit of US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to India. Sullivan’s visit, primarily aimed at reviewing the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, was overshadowed by the developments in the Gupta case. Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blazek announced the extradition the same day Sullivan landed in India. Subsequently, a group of Democrat senators wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken demanding a stronger response to the alleged Indian involvement in the plot. According to the US Department of Justice, Pannun is a dual US-Canadian national and political activist. They assert that «Pannun is an American national and political activist who was targeted for exercising a 'quintessential American right: his freedom of speech.'»

Israel called Hamas' response to the latest peace proposal for the Gaza Strip «negative.» Hamas insisted it was dealing with it «positively.» U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking in Qatar, said Hamas had demanded changes, some of which were «workable» and some not. A Hamas official told an Arabic television channel that the group had not raised any new ideas, and that Blinken saw things through an Israeli lens and «speaks Hebrew.» The Biden administration has pledged to keep working with Qatari and Egyptian mediators to bridge the gaps. But after days of intensive diplomacy in the region, a monthslong effort to end the war in Gaza seems as stuck as ever, as each side clings stubbornly to maximalist demands unacceptable to the other.

Hamas proposed «numerous changes» in its response to a ceasefire proposal to end the Gaza war including some unworkable changes, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday, but he insisted Washington and mediators will press ahead to bridge gaps between the Palestinian militant group and Israel.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to arrive in the Middle East on Monday in an effort to salvage cease-fire negotiations, as leaders from Hamas and Israel express skepticism toward President Biden’s peace plans. Blinken’s trip—which includes stops in Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Qatar—comes at a sensitive time after eight months of fighting.

Twelve US lawmakers have urged President Joe Biden to facilitate the return of Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance executive held in Nigeria for over three months on allegations of money laundering and tax evasion.

U.S. President Joe Biden approved Ukraine using U.S. weapons to strike targets inside Russia that were attacking the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, after Kyiv sought authorization from Washington in recent weeks, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed on Friday. Speaking at a news conference in Prague after an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Blinken did not specifically say whether Biden's authorization could expand to include other Russian cities and targets that are deeper inside Russia. He said Washington's move, a marked change in policy by Biden, who had steadfastly refused to allow Ukraine to use American weaponry for strikes inside Russia, was a result of U.S. strategy of adjusting and adapting to the battleground. Now, he said, the U.S. is responding to what it has seen in and around the Kharkiv region.

Ukraine is permitted to retaliate against Russian forces or targets located near Kharkiv using weaponry supplied by the United States."The president recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use US-supplied weapons for counterfire purposes in Kharkiv so Ukraine can hit back at Russian forces hitting them or preparing to hit them," one official said, according to CNN.This policy adjustment, however, is strictly confined to the vicinity of Kharkiv, with no plans to expand the permitted area, the official added. Ukrainian authorities have not sought permission for strikes beyond this region.The official confirmed that Kyiv made the request for this policy change in response to the advancing Russian forces in recent weeks.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will meet his Chinese counterpart, the Pentagon announced Friday, after Beijing carried out war games around Taiwan in a sign to the US-backed democracy's new leader.

Lai Ching-te took over as the island’s new president.The drills on Thursday were intended to “serve as a strong punishment for the separatist acts of ‘Taiwan independence’ forces and a stern warning against the interference and provocation by external forces," the official Xinhua News Agency reported, citing a military spokesman.The “external references" line is likely a reference to the US, which is Taiwan’s main military backer. President Joe Biden has repeatedly said the US would defend the democracy of 23 million people if attacked, while China has pledged to bring Taiwan under its control, by force if necessary.The exercises ramp up pressure on Lai, who took office in the island that makes the bulk of the world’s most advanced chips on Monday.

Kyiv drew criticism from netizens since the video went viral on social media platforms. Many X users called the top US diplomat's performance ‘inappropriate’, particularly in light of Ukraine's ongoing conflict with Russia. Some even went as far as to reprimand him for what they perceived as poor judgment, especially considering Russia's recent incursion into northwestern Ukraine.

Antagonism between Israel and the United Nations worsened as the Israeli army sought an explanation for footage showing armed men next to U.N. Palestinian relief agency vehicles. Separately, India was working to bring home the body of a U.N. staffer killed in Rafah by what the global body said was tank fire. Israeli forces have in recent days pressed into the east of Rafah in pursuit of what they say are four Hamas battalions despite warnings by Israel's main ally, the United States, to hold off to avoid mass civilian casualties.

President Joe Biden has issued an order blocking MineOne, a majority Chinese-backed crypto mining firm from owning land near a strategic nuclear missile base in Wyoming due to security concerns.

Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Tuesday to launch an incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering from the almost 7-month-long war, just as cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas appear to be gaining steam. Netanyahu's comments came hours before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was to arrive in Israel to advance the truce talks — which appear to be one of the most serious rounds of negotiations between Israel and Hamas since the war began. The deal is meant to free hostages, bring some relief to the population and avert an Israeli offensive into Rafah and the potential harm to civilians there. Netanyahu said Israel would enter Rafah, which Israel says is Hamas' last stronghold, regardless of whether a truce-for-hostages deal is struck. His comments appeared to be meant to appease his nationalist governing partners but it was not clear whether they would have any bearing on any emerging deal with Hamas.

On Tuesday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rejected a request by Nicaragua to order Germany to halt military and other aid to Israel and renew funding to the UN aid agency in Gaza.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed on Monday a proposal for a ceasefire presented to Hamas by Israel, characterising it as «extraordinarily generous,» CNN reported. «In this moment the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas,» he told World Economic Forum (WEF) President Borge Brende in the Saudi capital Riyadh. «They (Hamas) have to decide and they have to decide quickly,» he said. «I'm hopeful that they will make the right decision.»