WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States has issued a new 120-day waiver allowing Iraq to pay Iran for electricity, U.S. officials said on Tuesday, stressing Tehran could only use the funds for humanitarian trade and seeking to blunt criticism of giving Iran the money. U.S. officials said the waiver was identical to one in July that for the first time allowed Iraq not only to make payments into restricted Iranian accounts in Iraq but also for the funds to be sent to similarly restricted accounts in third countries. They also sought to parry criticism, notably from Republicans in Congress, that giving Iran greater access to such funds - an estimated $10 billion in such payments have built up in Iraq - frees up money that Tehran can spend on militias that attack U.S. forces, or on its nuclear program.
Bahrain, which cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016 a day after Saudi Arabia did so because of attacks on the Saudi embassy in Tehran, is likely to resume them "sometime soon," the top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East said on Tuesday.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday condemned the Myanmar military authorities' arrest and detention of a Christian religious leader .
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday condemned the Myanmar military authorities' arrest and detention of a Christian religious leader .
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department said on Monday it is troubled by what it described as a pattern of actions against Guatemalan judges .