sanctions

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US Removes Sanctions on Venezuelan Leader
US Lifts Sanctions
on Rodríguez
Apr 1, 2026 5:10 PM CDT

US Lifts Sanctions on Rodríguez

Venezuela's acting president expresses hope for improved relations

(Newser) - The US lifted sanctions on acting President Delcy Rodriguez of Venezuela on Wednesday, according to an Office of Foreign Assets Control entry on the Treasury Department website. The sanctions relief represents a strong signal, the AP reports, that the US recognizes Rodriguez as a legitimate authority in Venezuela ever since...

FBI Renews Push for Leads in Robert Levinson Mystery

Family hopes Iran war will produce information on the former FBI agent, or his remains

(Newser) - The FBI is still pushing to find out what happened to one of its own: Robert Levinson. Nearly 20 years after the retired FBI agent vanished on Iran's Kish Island, FBI Director Kash Patel marked both the March 9 anniversary of his disappearance and Hostage and Wrongful Detainees Day,...

Russian Oil Tanker May Test US Cuba Blockade

Sanctioned tanker is expected to arrive Monday

(Newser) - A Russian oil tanker is quietly cutting through the Atlantic, and its next move could trigger a fresh US–Russia clash over Cuba. The Anatoly Kolodkin , a Russian state-owned vessel under US sanctions and carrying roughly 730,000 barrels of crude, left Primorsk on March 9 and exited the English...

US May Lift Sanctions on Iranian Oil at Sea

Bessent says it's a wise move, but critics are struggling to understand the strategy

(Newser) - The Trump administration is weighing an unusual step amid the Iran war: lifting sanctions on Iranian oil already on ships at sea. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Fox News Thursday that the US is preparing to lift sanctions on roughly 140 million barrels of Iranian oil currently at sea...

Kristof: How Trump Can Get Out of This War
Kristof: How Trump
Can Get Out of This War
OPINION
Mar 19, 2026 7:33 AM CDT

Kristof: How Trump Can Get Out of This War

Columnist urges him to declare victory, then open secret talks with Tehran

(Newser) - Nicholas Kristof sees the Iran war as a major miscalculation by President Trump, and he warns in a New York Times opinion piece that things could get far worse if Trump doubles down instead of finding a way out. What to do? "His least-bad option, I believe, is to...

Trump Temporarily Eases Russian Oil Sanctions

Bessent calls it a 'narrowly tailored, short-term measure,' downplays benefit to Moscow

(Newser) - Washington just handed Moscow a 30-day ticket to cash in on oil stuck at sea. The Trump administration eased sanctions Thursday to let an estimated 128 million barrels of Russian crude already loaded on previously blacklisted tankers be sold worldwide, a move officials say is aimed at cooling surging energy...

Iran Suggests Trade-Offs as US Envoys Head to Talks

Diplomat ties uranium compromise to US sanctions relief

(Newser) - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi headed for Geneva on Sunday, where the second round of nuclear negotiations with the US will take place, state media reported. And his deputy raised hopes, telling the BBC in Tehran that his government is open to trade-offs in the talks but only if the...

Trump's Venezuela Oil Bet Faces Big Hurdles

India deal may hinge on shaky Venezuelan output

(Newser) - President Trump thinks he's found a new lever against Vladimir Putin in Venezuelan oil, but the reality is more complicated, reports CNN 's David Goldman. In announcing his new trade deal with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, Trump said India had agreed to stop buying Russian...

Putin: I'll Join Trump's Board of Peace—on One Condition

Moscow links potential $1B in Gaza aid to the US unfreezing Russian assets

(Newser) - Russian President Vladimir Putin says he's ready to put money into President Trump's new Gaza reconstruction effort—if Washington first hands back Russian funds that are locked down. In a Kremlin meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday, Putin said Moscow could channel $1 billion into...

Report: Trump Wants Regime Change in Cuba

Washington pressures Havana insiders as Cuba's fragile economy nears collapse

(Newser) - Washington is quietly testing whether the playbook it used in Caracas can be run again 90 miles off Florida's coast. According to US officials and people briefed on internal discussions, the Trump administration is actively looking for senior figures inside Cuba's government who might be willing to help...

Iran Warns US Move Against Khamenei Would Mean War

Threat follows Trump's suggestion about a change at the top

(Newser) - Iran's president warned Sunday that his country would consider any US attack on its top leader to be a declaration of war. In what appeared to be a response to President Trump's comment the day before to Politico that "It's time to look for new leadership...

EU's Top Diplomat: The World Sucks, Start Drinking

Kaja Kallas' joke about throwing one back comes amid wars, protests, Iran sanctions push

(Newser) - Europe's top diplomat appears to be feeling the strain of global crises—enough to joke that now might be the moment to take up drinking. Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief and former Estonian prime minister, reportedly told senior members of the European Parliament in a closed-door...

Trump to Iran Protesters: 'Help Is On Its Way!'

Rights group puts the death toll at above 2K, another report suggests it's at least 12K

(Newser) - The estimates of the number of protesters killed in Iran continue to grow quickly. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said Tuesday that more than 2,000 protesters have died since demonstrations started in the final week of December, reports the Washington Post . The UK government has the same...

US Seizes a Fifth Oil Tanker: 'No Safe Haven for Criminals'

US boards Olina in search for sanctioned Venezuelan oil, heightening tensions with Russia

(Newser) - US forces have quietly expanded their hunt for sanctioned Venezuelan oil , boarding a fifth tanker early Friday as part of a growing maritime crackdown with global implications. US officials say the latest target is the Olina, an East Timor-flagged ship previously known as the Minerva M and under US sanctions...

Trump Is Inviting Colombia's Petro to White House

Leaders have surprisingly warm phone call

(Newser) - President Trump and his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, are suddenly talking instead of trading barbs, CBS News reports. The White House says Trump spoke by phone with the Colombian president on Wednesday, days after the US leader described Colombia as "very sick" and Petro as a "sick man"...

US Seizes Oil Tanker Russia Had Been Protecting

Russia sent escorts for the rechristened Marinera, which had been pursued by US Coast Guard

(Newser) - The US on Wednesday moved in on a Russian-flagged oil tanker tied to Venezuela and managed to seize it. The New York Times reports the US military's European Command on X confirmed the "seizure of the M/V Bella 1 for violations of US sanctions. The vessel was seized...

As Economic Protests Spread, Iran Offers $7 Monthly Stipend

Cash offerings will replace import subsidies amid inflation, nationwide unrest

(Newser) - Iran's government is betting that the equivalent of about $7 a month will help tamp down on unrest now spilling across much of the country. Facing mounting demonstrations over soaring prices and a collapsing currency, officials say they'll scrap a $10 billion import subsidy program and redirect the...

Iran Responds to Threat From Trump on Protesters
Iran Answers
Trump's Warning
Jan 2, 2026 3:03 PM CST

Iran Answers Trump's Warning

Government leaders say intervention in protests would make US bases 'legitimate targets'

(Newser) - Iran's political leaders are warning the US that any attempt to shield demonstrators inside the country could trigger widespread military retaliation. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran's parliament, lashed out Friday at President Trump's Truth Social post pledging to protect "peaceful protesters" if Iranian forces "...

Iran Essentially Is at War With US and Allies, Its President Says

Masoud Pezeshkian cites sanctions, isolation

(Newser) - Iran's president says his nation is effectively in a state of war with the US, Israel, and Europe, accusing them of trying to weaken the country on multiple fronts. "We are in a full-fledged war with America, Israel, and Europe; they do not want our country to stand...

China Slaps Sanctions on US Defense Contractors After Huge Taiwan Arms Sales

Beijing imposes sanctions on 20 US defense-related firms, 10 execs over massive arms sales

(Newser) - Beijing imposed sanctions on Friday against 20 US defense-related companies and 10 executives, a week after Washington announced large-scale arms sales to Taiwan. The sanctions entail freezing the companies' assets in China and banning individuals and organizations from dealing with them, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The companies include...

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