Tag: Middle East

Exclusive: Second Iranian ship suspected of carrying missile ingredient leaves China

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WASHINGTON —  A second Iranian ship that Western news reports have named as part of a scheme to import a missile propellant ingredient from China is heading to Iran with a major cargo load, an exclusive VOA analysis has found. Ship-tracking websites show the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Jairan departed China on Monday, a month later than the expected departure cited by one of the news reports. The Jairan was named in January and February articles by The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal and CNN as one of two Iranian…

China, Iran, Russia hold joint naval drills in Middle East

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TEHRAN, IRAN —  China, Iran and Russia conducted joint naval drills Tuesday in the Middle East, offering a show of force in a region still uneasy over Tehran’s rapidly expanding nuclear program and as Yemen’s Houthi rebels threaten new attacks on ships. The joint drills, called the Maritime Security Belt 2025, took place in the Gulf of Oman near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil passes. The area around the strait has in the past…

US restricts trade with companies tied to drones used by Russia, Houthis

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WASHINGTON —  The United States restricted trade with five companies on Wednesday that it said help produce and procure drones for use by Russia in Ukraine and by Iran-backed Houthis in Red Sea shipping attacks. The companies from Russia and China were among 11 additions to the Commerce Department’s Entity List, which means suppliers need licenses before shipping goods and technology to them. Russia has intensified its drone and missile strikes against Ukrainian energy facilities in recent weeks, causing significant damage and threatening a repeat of the blackouts experienced in…

US, China at Odds Over Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

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The United States and China, both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, disagree on the status of Monday’s resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza during the final two weeks of Ramadan. The U.S. abstained from voting, while all other UNSC members supported Resolution 2728, which also calls for the immediate release of hostages and the removal of obstacles hindering humanitarian access. “It’s nonbinding,” Mathew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, told reporters on Tuesday. Miller said the resolution “does not impose any new obligations on…

China’s Renewables, Oil Consumption Fit Gulf States, Analysts Say

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Tel Aviv, Israel —  During China’s annual national legislature this month, Premier Li Qiang announced plans to construct more solar and wind farms as well as hydropower projects. China is already the world’s largest producer of renewable energy and also holds near-monopolies on the globe’s renewable energy manufacturing and supply chain. Last year alone China produced more solar panels than the U.S. has ever produced in total. China’s dominance in electric vehicle battery components and solar power panels has rattled Western governments, including those of the European Union and the…

China Envoy Meets Hamas Leader as Beijing Steps Into Israel Conflict

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Tel Aviv, Israel —  China’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday acknowledged a meeting between its diplomat Wang Kejian and the political leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, on Sunday in Qatar to discuss the conflict in Gaza. In a short statement, the ministry said Wang and Haniyeh discussed the conflict but did not elaborate. The meeting is the first announced to have taken place between the Chinese envoy and Hamas since the militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 Israelis and taking about 250 hostage. Israel’s…

New Study Reports Widespread Forced Labor Abuses

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Forced labor generates $236 billion a year in illegal profits, a dramatic increase of $64 billion since 2014, a new study by the International Labor Organization reported on Tuesday. The study said the increase is due to a growing population of people forced into labor and the correlation between higher levels of exploitation and higher profits. Traffickers and criminals who use forced labor can generate around $10,000 per victim. The most prevalent use of forced labor is commercial sexual exploitation, the study found. While accounting for 27% of the total…

Despite Offers to Mediate, China Distances Itself from Mideast Turmoil 

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Amman —  For years, China has sought to raise its profile by offering to broker conflicts and disputes in the Middle East, but analysts say Beijing’s limited involvement in the Gaza war shows China continues to put its self-interests first. In a recent article in Foreign Policy magazine, Yun Sun, China Program director at the Stimson Center in Washington said that China’s role in brokering the Saudi-Iran rapprochement last year raised hopes it could chart a way to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East. Instead, she said, “China has not…

China-Russia-Iran Maritime Drills Send Signal to West

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tel aviv, israel —  China conducted joint military drills this week with Russia and Iran in the Gulf of Oman, a critical water conduit near the entry to the Persian Gulf. The five-day exercise, “Maritime Security Belt 2024,” involved both naval and aviation forces, with the primary objective of enhancing the security of maritime economic activities, according to Russia’s Ministry of Defense. The drills may have been planned long in advance of the current Israel-Hamas war, but their implication and message to regional players and the West are highly significant,…

China, Iran, Russia Host Naval Drills

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China, Russia and Iran are holding joint naval exercises this week near the Gulf of Oman, according to the Chinese defense ministry. According to a ministry statement Monday, the exercises, dubbed “Security Bond-2024,” will take place from Monday to Friday and aims to “strengthen maritime cooperation” and “jointly safeguard regional maritime security.” A similar round of drills was held last year in the same area between the three countries. According to Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, the drills are set to start Tuesday with naval representatives from Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan,…