Latest news with #HassanRouhani
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iran and Ethiopia have a security deal – here's why they signed it
Ethiopia and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on 6 May 2025. Under it, their national police agencies will cooperate on security and intelligence. This will include combating cross-border crime, sharing intelligence and building capacity. They will also share experiences and training. For Iran, the MOU marks a significant step towards strengthening relations with a regional power that's strategically located in the Horn of Africa. Tehran has been using its security apparatus and military capabilities to establish and expand political and economic ties with countries in Africa. This has included drone transfers to the Ethiopian government that helped it turned the tide of the Tigray war, a separatist struggle in the country's north that took place from 2020 to 2022. Iran has also supplied the Sudanese army with surveillance and combat drones. These have been used against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan's ongoing civil war. The agreement is important for Ethiopia for two reasons. Firstly, it's likely to enable the Ethiopian government in Addis Ababa to combat ethnic militias more effectively. It faces increasing internal instability, including tensions with hostile factions of the separatist Tigray People's Liberation Front. Secondly, the agreement comes after a meeting in Addis Ababa between the Ethiopian police chief, Demelash Gebremichael, and a delegation from Iran's regional rival, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The exchange concentrated on investigating and extraditing cross-border criminals. Addis Ababa's willingness to work with regional rivals in the Middle East shows its pragmatic approach to foreign relations. Ethiopia needs all the friends it can muster as an embattled and weakened state. Since the Tigray war, it has battled the rise of ethnic militias and confronted economic adversity. It is also facing renewed hostility with neighbouring Eritrea. Since 2016, Ethiopia has been a gateway for Iran to gain a foothold in the Horn of Africa. That year, other countries in the region severed relations with Iran. This followed Tehran's disengagement from sub-Saharan Africa under Hassan Rouhani, who served as president from 2013 to 2021, and his prioritisation of a nuclear deal with the US. The severing of ties was also a byproduct of geopolitical pressure exerted by Saudi Arabia and the UAE on countries in the region. The Middle Eastern states wanted to reduce, if not eliminate, Iran's presence in the Horn of Africa and Red Sea to limit its support for Houthi rebels in the ongoing Yemeni civil war. Read more: Ethiopia was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to establish relations with Iran during the 1960s. It was also one of its top trading partners on the continent before and after the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Strategically and ideologically, this special relationship was based on the pro-western and anti-communist stances of their monarchs: the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who ruled from 1941 to 1979, and Emperor Haile Selassie, who was in power from 1930 to 1974. After the revolution, Iran-Ethiopia relations revived under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who served as Iranian president from 2005 to 2013. He pursued an active Africa policy to mitigate Iran's international isolation and circumvent US sanctions. After Rouhani initially downgraded these relations, they were renewed during his second term. This followed US withdrawal from the nuclear deal. Relations firmed when Ebrahim Raisi, who served as Iranian president from 2021 to 2024, delivered military drones and other aid to Addis Ababa during the Tigray war. Ethiopia is facing increasing instability and uncertainty. The Tigray war has depleted the state's resources. There is an economic crisis caused by rising inflation and unemployment. Addis Ababa continues to confront ethnic tensions. Hostile factions of the Tigray People's Liberation Front remain. It also faces tensions with the Amhara Fano militia, which initially fought alongside the government against Tigrayan forces. Forced disarmament policies and ongoing land disputes caused the militia to take up arms against the government. Read more: Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed also faces growing opposition and resistance from his own ethnic group, the majority Oromo, and their Oromo Liberation Army. The reason for their discontent is Abiy's imposition of centralised rule on their regional state within a federal system. The security and intelligence cooperation with Iran could allow Addis Ababa to combat ethnic militias more effectively. It would also enable Ethiopia to prepare for another possible war against neighbouring Eritrea. Ethiopia and Eritrea normalised relations and fought together against Tigrayan forces. However, tensions between the two countries have been brewing again. These have been triggered by two factors. First, the conditions of the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement caused Eritrea to maintain forces inside Ethiopia. Second are the ambitions of Addis Ababa to acquire a Red Sea port in Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia. Eritrea has supported Somalia's opposition to the deal. This isn't the first time that Ethiopia has tried working with two regional rivals – Iran and the UAE. The UAE is also among its top trading partners, along with Saudi Arabia. In 2016, Ethiopia was the only country in the Horn of Africa that didn't cut ties with Iran, though it was under pressure from the UAE and Saudi Arabia to do so. The decision was taken by Abiy's predecessor, Hailemariam Desalegn, whose term ran from 2012 to 2018. During the Tigray war, Ethiopia received military drones and other assistance from Iran and the UAE, alongside Turkey. The civil war in Sudan has presented an even more complicated story. Ethiopia has vacillated between engaging with the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces at different points in the conflict. For its part, Iran has supported the Sudanese army. The UAE has backed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Ethiopia's efforts to strengthen its security ties with Iran and the UAE show a unique case of convergence between regional rivals that have otherwise remained on opposite sides of conflicts in countries like Yemen and Sudan. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Eric Lob, Florida International University Read more: In talking with Tehran, Trump is reversing course on Iran – could a new nuclear deal be next? What is federalism? Why Ethiopia uses this system of government and why it's not perfect In Yemen, Trump risks falling into an 'airpower trap' that has drawn past US presidents into costly wars Eric Lob does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Los Angeles Times
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Trump plans to announce that the U.S. will call the Persian Gulf the Arabian Gulf, officials say
WASHINGTON — President Trump plans to announce while on his trip to Saudi Arabia next week that the United States will now refer to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf or the Gulf of Arabia, according to two U.S. officials. Arab nations have pushed for a change to the geographic name of the body of water off the southern coast of Iran, while Iran has maintained its historic ties to the gulf. The two U.S. officials spoke with the Associated Press on Tuesday on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. The White House and National Security Council did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. The Persian Gulf has been widely known by that name since the 16th century, although usage of 'Gulf of Arabia' and 'Arabian Gulf' is dominant in many countries in the Middle East. The government of Iran — formerly Persia — threatened to sue Google in 2012 over the company's decision not to label the body of water at all on its maps. On Google Maps in the U.S., the body of water appears as Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf). Apple Maps only says the Persian Gulf. The U.S. military for years has unilaterally referred to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf in statements and images it releases. The name of the body of water has become an emotive issue for Iranians who embrace their country's long history as the Persian Empire. A spat developed in 2017 during Trump's first term when he used the name Arabian Gulf for the waterway. Iran's president at the time, Hassan Rouhani, suggested Trump needed to 'study geography.' 'Everyone knew Trump's friendship was for sale to the highest bidder. We now know that his geography is, too,' Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote online at the time. On Wednesday, Iran's current foreign minister also weighed in, saying that the naming of Mideast waterways does 'not imply ownership by any particular nation, but rather reflects a shared respect for the collective heritage of humanity.' 'Politically motivated attempts to alter the historically established name of the Persian Gulf are indicative of hostile intent toward Iran and its people, and are firmly condemned,' Abbas Araghchi wrote on the social platform X. 'Any short-sighted step in this connection will have no validity or legal or geographical effect, it will only bring the wrath of all Iranians from all walks of life and political persuasion in Iran, the U.S. and across the world.' Trump can change the name for official U.S. purposes, but he can't dictate what the rest of the world calls it. The International Hydrographic Organization — of which the United States is a member — works to ensure all the world's seas, oceans and navigable waters are surveyed and charted uniformly, and also names some of them. There are instances where countries refer to the same body of water or landmark by different names in their own documentation. In addition to Saudi Arabia, Trump is also set to visit Doha, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, which also lies on the body of water. Originally planned as Trump's first trip overseas since he took office on Jan. 20, it comes as Trump has tried to draw closer to the Gulf countries as he seeks their financial investment in the U.S. and support in regional conflicts, including resolving the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and limiting Iran's advancing nuclear program. The U.S. president also has significant financial ties to the countries through his personal businesses, over which he has retained ownership from the Oval Office. The move comes several months after Trump said the U.S. would refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. The Associated Press sued the Trump administration earlier this year after the White House barred its journalists from covering most events because of the organization's decision not to follow the president's executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America' within the United States. U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden, an appointee of President Trump, ruled last month that the 1st Amendment protects the AP from government retaliation over its word choice and ordered the outlet's access to be reinstated. Lee writes for the Associated Press. AP writers Zeke Miller in Washington, Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Meg Kinnard in Chapin, S.C., contributed to this report.
Al Arabiya
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Trump to announce US shift from ‘Persian Gulf' to ‘Arabian Gulf': Report
US President Donald Trump plans to announce during his upcoming trip to the Middle East that the United States will officially begin using the term 'Arabian Gulf' instead of 'Persian Gulf,' the Associated Press reported Wednesday, citing two US officials. The naming of the strategic body of water has long been a politically and culturally sensitive issue, particularly for Iran, which strongly opposes any deviation from the term 'Persian Gulf.' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday condemned the reported US decision. 'Politically motivated attempts to alter the historically established name of the Persian Gulf are indicative of hostile intent toward Iran and its people, and are firmly condemned. Such biased actions are an affront to all Iranians, regardless of their background or place of residence,' Araghchi wrote on X. 'While any short-sighted step in this connection will have no validity or legal or geographical effect, it will only bring the wrath of all Iranians from all walks of life and political persuasion in Iran, the US and across the world,' he added. A similar controversy arose during Trump's first term in 2017, when he used the name 'Arabian Gulf,' prompting then-Iranian president Hassan Rouhani to suggest the US president 'study geography.' In 2012, Iran threatened to sue Google over the company's decision not to label the body of water at all on its maps. While the US government has used 'Persian Gulf' in official documents, the US military has been using 'Arabian Gulf' in statements and imagery for years.
The Independent
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump set to rename Persian Gulf as the ‘Arabian Gulf' in snub to Iran, officials say
President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to announce that the United States will begin referring to the Persian Gulf as the 'Arabian Gulf' or 'Gulf of Arabia' in a snub to Iran. Two administration officials have told the Associated Press that Trump will visit the region next week, touring Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. He is set to make the announcement as a friendly overture to his hosts. The body of water, lying between eastern Saudi Arabia and the southwestern coast of Iran, has been widely known by its current name since the 16th century. However, the region's Arab nations have preferred a designation closer to Trump's. Tehran has been protective of the sea's historic name, however, and sued Google Maps in 2012 over its decision not to label it at all. Trump waded into the issue early in his first term in 2017 when he alluded to the area as the Gulf of Arabia, causing Iran's then-president Hassan Rouhani to suggest the American needed to 'study geography angrily.' His foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, likewise wrote in a social media post: 'Everyone knew Trump's friendship was for sale to the highest bidder. We now know that his geography is, too.' Trump's latest move will change how American officials refer to the area, but has no bearing on what the rest of the world calls the waterway, which is typically decided by the International Hydrographic Organization, a body to which the U.S. belongs. It follows the president's controversial executive order renaming a number of domestic landmarks, notably reverting Mount Denali in Alaska to its old name of Mount McKinley, preferring to ditch the native name for the peak in favor of honoring President William McKinley, an Ohioan who never once visited the state. Trump's decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico the 'Gulf of America' provoked ridicule from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. The White House excluded the AP from its press pool after it refused to use the new name, leading to a court case in which the agency overturned the ruling and won the right to continue covering the West Wing at close quarters. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have since returned the U.S. Army base Fort Liberty to its old name, Fort Bragg. However, this time it alludes to Second World War paratrooper Roland L Bragg, not the Confederate general Braxton Bragg, as was the original intention. The president's upcoming visit to the Middle East comes as he attempts to drum up Saudi investment in the U.S., resolve the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and rein in Iran's nuclear program.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iran's tangled nuclear dispute with the West
(Reuters) - Iran and the U.S. will hold talks on Saturday on Iran's nuclear programme, with U.S. President Donald Trump having threatened military action if they cannot agree a deal. Iran's nuclear programme has been the subject of a long dispute between it and Western countries that fear it wants to build an atomic bomb, which Tehran denies. Here is a timeline of the dispute: 1957 - Iran and United States sign a nuclear cooperation deal and the United States delivers a research reactor to Iran a decade later. 1970 - Iran ratifies the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), giving it the right to a civilian nuclear programme but barring it from seeking an atomic bomb. 1979 - Iran's Islamic revolution upends its ties to major powers, turning former ally the United States into its main foe. 1995 - Russia agrees to finish construction of Iran's planned nuclear power plant at Bushehr, originally started by Germany and shelved since the revolution. 2003 - The U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, says Iran has not complied with NPT after the revelation it has secretly built a uranium enrichment plant at Natanz and a heavy water plant for plutonium at Arak. Both can be used to make fuel for nuclear power but they can also be used in atomic warheads. Iran accepts European proposals for more transparency in its nuclear programme including snap IAEA inspections. 2004 - The IAEA says Iran has not provided the transparency it promised. Iran says it will not suspend uranium enrichment activity. 2005 - Russia offers to supply Iran with fuel for Bushehr to stop it developing its own fuel by making enriched uranium or plutonium. IAEA says Iran is not in compliance with agreements and EU countries halt negotiations. 2006 - Iran resumes work at Natanz, saying in April it has enriched uranium for the first time to about 3.5%, far short of the 90% needed for a warhead. World powers the U.S., Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany - later known collectively as the P5+1 - offer Iran incentives to halt enrichment. The United Nations Security Council imposes sanctions on Iran over its enrichment. 2009 - Western countries say Iran has been building another secret uranium enrichment facility under a mountain at Fordow near Qom. 2010 - Iran starts making 20% enriched uranium. The U.N. Security Council expands sanctions including an embargo on major weapons systems, as the U.S. and EU tighten their own sanctions. A computer virus - Stuxnet - appears aimed at paralysing the Natanz plant, the start of direct operations against Iranian facilities that Tehran blames on Israel. 2011 - Bushehr nuclear plant starts operations. Iran says it will use more advanced centrifuges to expand its 20% enrichment programme. 2013 - Former nuclear negotiator Hassan Rouhani is elected Iranian president offering new proposals. He and U.S. President Barack Obama hold a first call between leaders of the countries since 1979. Iran-P5+1 talks in Geneva result in a "Joint Plan of Action" with steps required by both sides including reducing Iran's enriched uranium stockpile, more IAEA access and some sanctions relief. 2014 - Negotiations on a final deal continue through the year, with Iran halting uranium enrichment to 20% and work at Arak and getting access to oil revenue frozen by sanctions. U.S. allies in the region, Israel and Saudi Arabia, repeatedly caution Washington against a deal, saying Iran cannot be trusted and citing its growing sway in the region. 2015 - Iran and the P5+1 agree the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) deal that limits Iran's nuclear work, allows for more inspections and a loosening of sanctions. 2016 - IAEA says Iran has met its commitments under the JCPOA, leading to UN sanctions tied to the nuclear programme being lifted. However, Iran's long-range ballistic missile tests prompt unease despite Tehran saying they could not carry nuclear warheads. 2017 - New U.S. President Donald Trump says the JCPOA is the "worst deal ever" and unilaterally pulls out. Despite Trump promising a better deal there are no new talks. 2018 - The United States resumes sanctions on Iran, which starts to move away from the JCPOA. 2019 - With ties between Iran and the West deteriorating, a string of attacks on Gulf oil tankers and other regional energy facilities are blamed by the U.S. on Iran. 2020 - A blast rocks Iran's Natanz plant and a nuclear scientist is assassinated near Tehran with Iran blaming both incidents on Israel. 2021 - With Trump out of the White House, U.S. and Iran resume indirect talks but there is little progress. Iran starts enriching uranium to 60% - not far from 90% needed for a bomb. New attacks strike Iran's Natanz and a centrifuge factory in Karaj. 2022 - The IAEA says Iran did not answer questions over uranium traces found at more sites. Iran cuts off IAEA inspections and installs more new centrifuges at Natanz. 2025 - Trump returns to the White House and says Iran must agree to a nuclear deal or "there will be bombing". (Compiled by Angus McDowall; Editing by Alex Richardson)
