Middle East

World News

ISIS Militants Control Most Of Area Near Yarmouk Refugee Camp

7:56am April 10, 2015

Steve Inskeep talks to Chris Gunness, a spokesman for the U.N.'s relief agency, about the situation at Syria's Yarmouk refugee camp. Militants from the self-proclaimed Islamic State control the area.

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There's Common Ground For Final Nuclear Deal, Ex-Iranian Diplomat Says

7:56am April 10, 2015

Steve Inskeep talks to former Iranian nuclear negotiator Seyed Hossein Mousavian, who is now with Princeton University's Program on Science and Global Security.

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World News

Pakistan's Dilemma: Should It Assist Saudi Arabia In Yemen Operation?

7:56am April 10, 2015

by Philip Reeves

For the last three days, Pakistan's parliament's been wringing its hands over whether to send troops, and possibly aircraft, to help out the Saudis in Yemen.

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In Yemen, U.S. Struggles To Navigate Complex Sectarian Landscape

10:16pm April 09, 2015

by Michele Kelemen

The U.S. is backing the Arab intervention in Yemen, which is seen as Saudi Arabia's attempt to beat back Iranian influence.

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Saudi Arabia, Supporters Brave Varied Geopolitical Forces In Yemen

10:16pm April 09, 2015

NPR's Melissa Block interviews Simon Henderson with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy about the wider impact of the conflict in Yemen.

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World News

Understanding The Forces At Play In Yemen's Civil War

5:13pm April 09, 2015

Steve Inskeep talks to Adam Baron, of the European Council on Foreign Relations, about why it's wrong to define it as a sectarian conflict. Baron's article in Politico: "What We Got Wrong in Yemen

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Sen. Tom Cotton, who orchestrated a letter to Iran's leaders disapproving of any potential deal with their country, called the president's underlying assumptions in making a deal

Tom Cotton: Military Action Against Iran Would Take Only 'Several Days'

4:14pm April 09, 2015

by Domenico Montanaro

The senator accused President Obama of holding up a "false choice" between his framework on Iran's nuclear program and war. He also seemed to diminish what military action against Iran would entail.

President Obama is pressing hard for a nuclear agreement with Iran. But critics have cited his remark that Iran's 'breakout' time for acquiring nuclear material for a bomb might be very brief as parts of the deal expire.

World News

Obama's Remarks On Nuclear Deal Provide Fuel For Critics

2:08pm April 09, 2015

by Greg Myre

The president is trying to persuade Republicans and other skeptics to support the nuclear framework agreement with Iran. But he may have harmed his own cause.

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Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, seen here in a photo released by his official website Thursday, stopped short of giving his endorsement to the framework nuclear deal struck last week.

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Tentative Nuclear Deal In Hand, Iran Says All Sanctions Must Be Lifted

11:02am April 09, 2015

by Bill Chappell

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says that any arrangements must respect Iran's interests and dignity. And he questioned the need for talks, if they don't trigger the sanctions' removal.

These kids are Yemenis without a home. Fighting between government and rebel forces caused their families to flee to a refugee camp in Aden, where the youngsters find time for fun.

World News

Dreams Of Hope And Happiness In Turbulent Yemen

6:00pm April 08, 2015

by Marc Silver

The country is in chaos, but behind the headlines of war and poverty are generous and gentle people. Photographer Stephanie Sinclair recalls her most recent visit and shares some of her photos.