Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States called Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates “major security partners” early Saturday, a previously unheard of designation for the two countries home to major American military operations.

A White House statement tied the designation to Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates normalizing ties to Israel, saying it “reflects their extraordinary courage, determination and leadership.” It also noted the two countries long have taken part in U.S. military exercises.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Foreign companies will not be allowed to test COVID-19 vaccines on the Iranian people, President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday, a day after Iran’s Supreme Leader banned vaccine imports from the United States and Britain.

“Foreign companies wanted to give us vaccines so they would be tested on the Iranian people. But the health ministry prevented it,” Rouhani said in televised remarks, without naming the companies or giving further details.

DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Friday Tehran was in no rush for the United States to rejoin a 2015 nuclear deal, but that sanctions on the Islamic Republic must be lifted immediately.

“We are not insisting nor in a hurry for the U.S. to return to the deal,” Khamenei said in live televised remarks. “But what is logical is our demand, is the lifting of the sanctions. These brutal sanctions must be lifted immediately.”

DUBAI (Reuters) - Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei banned Iran’s government on Friday from importing COVID-19 vaccines from the United States and Britain.

“Imports of U.S. and British vaccines into the country are banned. I have told this to officials and I’m saying it publicly now,” Khamenei said in a live televised speech.

“If the Americans were able to produce a vaccine, they would not have such a coronavirus fiasco in their own country.”

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards on Friday unveiled an underground missile base at an undisclosed Gulf location, Iranian state media reported on Friday, at a time of heightened tension between Tehran and the United States.

“The base is one of the several bases housing the Guards’ Navy’s strategic missiles,” state media quoted head of the Guards Major General Hossein Salami as saying.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Arab states boycotting Qatar could resume travel and trade links with Doha within a week under a U.S.-backed deal, but restoring diplomatic ties requires more time as parties work to rebuild trust, a United Arab Emirates official said on Thursday.

Gulf powerhouse Saudi Arabia announced the breakthrough in ending a bitter dispute at a summit on Tuesday, with its foreign minister saying Riyadh and its allies would restore all ties with Doha severed in mid-2017.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — When Navaz Ebrahim learned that a Ukrainian plane had fallen from the sky near Iran’s capital, she didn’t realize her older sister was on the flight. They had just spoken on the phone. Niloufar had promised her, like she always does, that everything was going to be alright.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia will open its airspace and land border to Qatar in the first step toward ending a years-long diplomatic crisis that deeply divided U.S. defense partners, frayed societal ties and tore apart a traditionally clubby alliance of Gulf states, officials said late Monday.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran plans to enrich uranium up to 20% at its underground Fordo nuclear facility, international inspectors said Saturday, pushing its program a technical step away from weapons-grade levels as it increases pressure on the West over its tattered atomic deal.

The International Atomic Energy Agency acknowledged Iran had informed its inspectors of the decision after news leaked overnight Friday.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused the United States on Thursday of trying to fabricate a pretext for attacking Iran, and vowed Tehran would defend itself even though it does not seek war

“(President) @realDonaldTrump & cohorts waste billions to fly B52s & send armadas to OUR region. Intelligence from Iraq indicate plot to FABRICATE pretext for war,” Zarif said in a tweet.

“Iran doesn’t seek war but will OPENLY & DIRECTLY defend its people, security & vital interests”, he wrote.