State department

US declares new sanctions on Iran, PGSA condemns US leadership

The PGSA condemned the sanctions and added that it considered being sanctioned by “a country whose leader takes pride in piracy” as a sign of “positive performance."

An Iranian flag flutters in the wind as ships remain anchored in the Strait of Hormuz on May 16. Negotiations between the US and Iran over opening this critical waterway have largely stalled.
US President Donald Trump gestures during an event at The Villages Charter School at The Villages, Florida, US, May 1, 2026.

Inside the unraveling of US diplomacy under President Trump - analysis

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the journalists before boarding his plane at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India, Monday, May 25, 2026.

Rubio denounces Hezbollah threats to overthrow Lebanese gov't

Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, attends a news conference during the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, March 24, 2026.

US says removal of UN expert Albanese from sanctions list is not a policy change


Iran executes man with alleged resistance ties, links to Israeli intelligence, regime outlets say

Mizan identified the man as Soltanali Shirzadi Fakhr, saying he had been a long-time member of the MEK and was found guilty of cooperating with Israeli intelligence.

A MAN sets an Israeli flag on fire, as people gather after a two-week ceasefire in the Iran war was announced, in Tehran, earlier this month. Iran’s regime not only harbors genocidal intentions toward Israel but also pursues a broader vision to destabilize the West, the writer says.

Trump considering plan to send Afghan refugees who helped US to Congo - NYT

AfghanEvac President Shawn VanDiver criticized the move, describing it as giving the refugees a choice between "the world’s number one refugee crisis to the world’s number two refugee crisis.”

Evacuees from Afghanistan arrive at Hamad International Airport in Qatar's capital Doha on September 10, 2021.

US State Dept. offers $10m. reward for Hamidawi, leader of Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia

The US State Department offered up to $10 million for information on Ahmad al-Hamidawi, leader of Kataib Hezbollah, responsible for deadly attacks on US facilities and the kidnapping of US citizens.

Mourners march in the funeral of a Kataib Hezbollah terrorist after a US airstrike on a Popular Mobilization Forces headquarters near the Iraq-Syria border, pictured in Baghdad, March 2, 2026.

US arrests Iranian family tied to 1979 Iran hostage crisis at US embassy

Seyed Eissa Hashemi is the son of Masoumeh Ebtekar, the infamous spokeswoman for the Islamist militants who overran the US Embassy in Tehran during the 1979 hostage crisis.

Then-vice president of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoumeh Ebtekar delivers a speech during the opening session of the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) at Le Bourget, near Paris, France, November 30, 2015.

US, Lebanon request Israel pause attacks against Hezbollah prior to talks - report

The report said the request was still under review by Netanyahu, with Lebanon earlier on Friday saying that the US would be mediating the talks.

An Israeli artillery unit fires towards Lebanon, amid escalation between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel, and amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, on the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border, in northern Israel, March 17, 2026.

US expelled Iran's UN deputy ambassador in December 2025, months before beginning of war - report

The report said that Iran's UN mission received a note from the State Department in December asking Aghajani to leave the country immediately, the latest in a series of expulsions last year.

An exterior view shows the United Nations Headquarters on September 18, 2025 in New York City.

Voices from the Arab press: US-Israel Iran war faces political limits

Israel and the US put pressure on Iran militarily, but domestic politics and regional dynamics could shape how the conflict unfolds and eventually ends.

US Secutary of State Marco Rubio listens to US President Donald Trump speak to the media at the White House, ahead of Trump’s departure to Florida,  March 20.

US imposes sanctions targeting Hezbollah financial network, State Department says

According to the statement, the sanctions are intended to disrupt fundraising and money laundering activities carried out on behalf of Hezbollah’s finance team.

Photos of prominent Hezbolla leaders are seen at the site of a reported IDF air strike on March 19, 2026 in Baalbek, Lebanon.

US State Department partners with El Al to return American citizens from Israel

According to the State Department, El Al has returned over 2,000 Americans to the United States since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury, in flights exclusively designated for US citizens.

El Al plane takes off at the Ben Gurion International Airport, outside of Tel Aviv, March 5, 2026.

Iranian missile fragment hits US consul residence building in Israel, no injuries

"The United States strongly condemns Iran and Iran-backed terrorist militias' attacks on diplomatic, military, and civilian infrastructure in the region," a US State Department spokesperson said.

The US Embassy in Jerusalem