Sputnik International

Prior to the arrival of the United States, the Persian Gulf was essentially the domain of the British Empire which ended up handing over its holdings to the US to ensure that the latter would be at the forefront of any major war in the region, Middle East affairs expert Mais Kurbanov tells Sputnik.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States has officially recognized the current government of Venezuela, US President Donald Trump said on Saturday.

American bases in the Middle East are constantly facing various kinds of attacks and do not protect the countries on whose territory they are located that effectively, Turkish political scientist Umur Tugay Yucel tells Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia is ready to actively assist in finding ways to stop the bloodshed in the Middle East and reaching solutions based on a balance of interests, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated on Saturday.

Regardless of what the United States might demand or desire, it cannot affect elections of ayatollahs or of the supreme leader of Iran, Arab East expert Alexander Kuznetsov tells Sputnik.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US may further relax restrictions on Russian oil to help stabilize global supply during the ongoing US-Israeli aggression against Iran.

During many years of contacts with Iran, the IAEA has never found grounds to refuse negotiations on Iranian nuclear program, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump has privately expressed interest in deploying troops to Iran and discussed the matter with his aides, NBC News reported, citing officials and other sources.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States has approved the sale of 12,000 aerial bombs to Israel for $151.8 million, the State Department said in a statement amid the ongoing military aggression against Iran.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and once again expressed condolences over the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, members of his family, other officials, and civilians during US-Israel aggression against Iran, the Kremlin said.