Washington DC

29 Jan 2021; MEMO: US President Joe Biden has formally designated Robert Malley as his special envoy for Iran, the White House confirmed Friday, Anadolu Agency reported.

Malley, who formerly led the International Crisis Group conflict resolution non-profit, is stepping into the job amid bilateral tensions that have been severely exacerbated over the past four years.

30 Jan 2021; MEMO: The US Department of Defense has reiterated that Saudi Arabia is a major partner of the US in the Middle East and an important pillar for regional security, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported on Friday.

29 Jan 2021; MEMO: The new US Iran envoy spoke with British, French and German officials on Thursday as the United States explores how to revive the 2015 nuclear deal former US President Donald Trump abandoned, two sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, Reuters reported.

29 Jan 2021; MEMO: Democrat politicians in the US have slammed Israel for preventing Palestinians from accessing the coronavirus vaccine.

In an Instagram post by the Institution of Middle East Understanding (IMEU), politicians criticised Israel for its lack of responsibility in ensuring Palestinians also received the vaccine to protect against COVID-19, which has ripped across the world, causing a global pandemic.

Washington, Jan 29 (PTI) The Biden administration is going to remain committed to a strong bilateral relationship with India, the Pentagon has said, a day after US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke for the first time with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The Secretary made it very clear that we're going to remain committed to a strong US-India bilateral relationship, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters at a news conference here on Thursday.

28 Jan 2021; MEMO: The US administration of President Joe Biden has temporarily suspended the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, in a significant move against the two US allies and in opposition to the preferential treatment given to the Gulf states by former President Donald Trump.

25 Jan 2021; MEMO: US President Joe Biden has appointed Palestinian-American Maher Bitar as the senior director for intelligence programmes at the National Security Council (NSC), Politico newspaper reported.

Bitar served as general counsel to Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee and played a huge role in former President Donald Trump's first impeachment.

26 Jan 2021; MEMO: Following an attack apparently launched by the Houthis in Yemen, the US administration said it would help its "partner" Saudi Arabia to defend itself against attacks on its territory, spokesman of the US Department of State Ned Price said on Sunday.

"The United States strongly condemns the latest attack on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia," Price said in the statement which was published on the Department of State's website.

Washington, Jan 26 (PTI) US President Joe Biden on Monday spoke over the phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, expressing his intention to revitalise the transatlantic alliance, the White House said.

The leaders agreed to work together on common foreign policy priorities, including Afghanistan, China, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, and the western Balkans, a statement issued by the White House said.

25 Jan 2021; MEMO: The new US administration of Joe Biden has suspended the request of immunity for former Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem El Beblawi in a torture case brought to courts by US citizen Mohamed Soltan, the legal reporter for the Washington Post Spencer Hsu tweeted on Saturday.