The United States on Friday blacklisted three Iran-backed Iraqi paramilitary leaders over their alleged role in killings of anti-government protesters in Iraq, the U.S. Treasury Department said. They are the latest U.S. sanctions to target Iraqi individuals or armed groups with close links to Tehran as Washington ramps up economic pressure to try to counter Iranian influence in the Middle East. The sanctions target Qais al-Khazali, leader of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq Iran-backed militia and his brother Laith al-Khazali, another…

European powers demanded at talks on Friday that Iran stop violating their nuclear deal, but stopped short of triggering a mechanism that could renew U.N. sanctions and kill the 2015 accord, officials said. The meeting came amid heightened friction between Iran and the West. Tehran has rolled back its commitments under the 2015 deal in response to Washington's withdrawal last year and reimposition of sanctions that have crippled its economy. With Tehran angry over a lack of European protection from…

At congressional hearings, protests and even over pizza, some background players are finding momentary fame.Russell Dye, aide to Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, and his green blazer have been the subject of public attention twice — once in 2014 and again last month.Credit...Andrew Harnik/Associated PressDec. 6, 2019No matter the job title, the gig of most every aide to a member of Congress is essentially the same: to help make it appear that the elected representative — “the name on the…

Politics|Europe Accuses Iran of Missile Violations, and U.S. Says 1,000 Killed in ProtestsThe State Department’s estimate of casualties from the current protests in Iran is higher than other, independent tallies.Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has said Iran’s enemies have trained cells inside Iran to instigate unrest.Credit...Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader, via Associated PressWASHINGTON — In a rare rebuke of Iran after more than a year of trying to bridge the divisions between Washington and Tehran, three European powers…

Easy-to-use technology straight from Moscow for any aspiring strongman — at a low price.By Alina PolyakovaDr. Polyakova is the director of the project on global democracy and emerging technology at the Brookings Institution.Dec. 5, 2019Credit...Brittanie GajaHuawei, the Chinese telecommunications company and the largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer in the world, has helped African governments spy on political opponents. Beijing has also sold mass video surveillance to Ecuador and is advising a growing number of autocratic regimes on “information management.” There’s good…

Business|OPEC and Russia Agree to Cuts in Oil Production to Push Up PricesIt remains to be seen whether the reduction in output will have an impact on prices amid a worldwide glut and cheating on agreements.The Shell Norco refinery in Norco, La. The United States produces 12 million barrels of oil a day.Credit...Gerald Herbert/Associated PressDec. 5, 2019The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia agreed on Thursday to make further small cuts in oil production to firm up crude…

Former US Secretary of State John Kerry has endorsed frontrunner Joe Biden to be the Democratic Party's candidate in the 2020 presidential election. "There's never been a time more urgent for leadership at home," he said in statement released by the Biden campaign. Mr Kerry is expected to join former Vice-President Biden on the campaign trail in Iowa on Friday. His backing is seen as a high-profile boost for the Biden bid. Many major Democratic figures, including former President Barack…

Iran has been transferring missiles and munitions via Iraq for years, including short-range ballistic missiles. The latest reports on Thursday come almost a year and a half after reports that similar missiles had been sent to Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias in Iraq and that Iran was laying the infrastructure across Iraq and Syria to threaten Israel, deter attacks and project its power. In August 2018 Reuters reported, based on three Iranian officials, two Iraqi intelligence sources and two Western intelligence sources,…