Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar defends plans to buy Russian missile system
India's top diplomat on Monday defended his government's decision to purchase S-400 missile systems from Russia, saying that despite U.S. concerns that New Delhi should be allowed to buy what it wants from whomever it wants to meet its defense needs. Published September 30, 2019
Saudi soldiers’ deaths in Yemen adds to U.S.-Iran tensions
Iran-backed rebels in Yemen said Sunday that they had killed 500 Saudi soldiers, adding to soaring tensions between Iran and the U.S., which has backed a Saudi-led military campaign against the rebels for the past four years. Published September 29, 2019
U.S. lawmakers call for restraint in Egypt, despite claims ‘political Islam’ behind unrest
Mounting protests in Cairo against Egypt's president are prompting bipartisan unease among U.S. lawmakers, with the top Republican and Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee calling Friday for Egyptian authorities to avoid a violent crackdown against demonstrators. Published September 27, 2019
Donald Trump slams Iran’s claim he vowed to ease sanctions in pursuit of one-on-one summit
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Friday that President Trump had sent repeated behind-the-scenes messages to him vowing to ease sanctions on Tehran if Mr. Rouhani agreed to a one-on-one meeting at the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week. Published September 27, 2019
Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s president, tells U.N. that U.S. officials are ‘criminals’
Iran's president described U.S. government officials as "criminals" in a speech before the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday. Published September 25, 2019
U.S. sanctions Chinese firms for smuggling Iranian oil
The U.S. government is leveling new sanctions against Chinese companies evading the Trump administration-led embargo on Iranian crude oil, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday in a speech on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Published September 25, 2019
Donald Trump seeks Hassan Rouhani back channel talks at U.N.
Saudi Arabia's top diplomat said Tuesday that the major attack this month on his country's oil infrastructure was "an act of war" by Iran, but he downplayed the notion that Saudi and U.S. forces are preparing to counter with military strikes of their own against Iran. Published September 24, 2019
Saudis ‘certain’ Iran launched ‘act of war’ on oil infrastructure
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said here Tuesday that the attack earlier this month on Saudi oil infrastructure was "an act of war" and that Riyadh is "certain" it was launched by Iran. Published September 24, 2019
Moon Jae-in, Trump discuss softer style in North Korea nuke talks
President Trump and his South Korean counterpart held a high-stakes meeting on the sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly meeting Monday to talk through Mr. Trump's strategy ahead of a possible third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the coming months. Published September 23, 2019
North Korea war remains excavation stops in Demilitarized Zone
There hasn't been any movement by North Korean soldiers on the road for months. While workers on the southern side make slow daily progress, scraping through dirt and rocks in search of remains, the North Korean side of the operation has been halted since February. Published September 23, 2019
Moon Jae-in fears Iran distracts Trump from North Korea nuke deal
South Korean officials say they fear that rising tensions in the Middle East could distract the Trump administration away from a key moment to seize on rare momentum in the pursuit of a nuclear deal with North Korea. Published September 17, 2019
Donald Trump pressured to support Hong Kong protesters by conservatives
U.S. conservative activists are increasingly taking up the cause of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, with some saying President Trump's hard-line trade stance on Beijing is inspiring the protesters, while others are urging the administration to more publicly stand up for the movement amid threats of a crackdown by China's communist government. Published September 15, 2019
John Bolton ouster sparks talk of Hassan Rouhani, Trump meeting
U.S. allies and enemies served up a range of reactions Wednesday to the ouster of hawkish National Security Adviser John R. Bolton, while intense speculation mounted over President Trump's pick to replace him. Published September 11, 2019
Iran says John Bolton’s firing likely won’t ease tensions with Donald Trump
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani did not refer to John R. Bolton by name but did seize on the ouster of the Trump administration's hawkish national security adviser to make headlines Wednesday. Published September 11, 2019
John Bolton firing empowers Mike Pompeo, opens door for Trump diplomacy
ANALYSIS: President Trump's stunning dismissal of John R. Bolton clears the stage for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- along with Vice President Mike Pence, one of the few members of Mr. Trump's original national security inner circle still standing -- to wield more influence over a raft of foreign policy challenges confronting the White House. Published September 10, 2019
CNN Russian agent report undermines future missions: Intelligence pros
U.S. intelligence officials past and present offered harsh criticism Tuesday of a CNN report on the handling of a high-level U.S. informant in the upper reaches of Russian President Vladimir Putin's Kremlin, warning that even discussing sensitive details of the case put U.S. security and future intelligence operations at risk. Published September 10, 2019
John Bolton out as national security adviser, Trump tweets services no longer ‘needed’
President Trump on Tuesday jettisoned John R. Bolton, his third national security adviser in three years, after multiple clashes over policy and tactics even as the White House grapples foreign policy challenges with Venezuelan and North Korean strongmen, Iran's nuclear defiance and fears of renewed violence in the endless Afghanistan War. Published September 10, 2019
Donald Trump puts America first, shuns Taliban, Iran, North Korea deals
Sometimes the art of the deal is turning down the deal on the table. Published September 9, 2019
John ‘Sully’ Sullivan, U.S. diplomat, served with distinction difficult post-9/11 era, mourned
Top officials from three U.S. presidential administrations -- Democratic and Republican -- were among the hundreds who crammed into a modest funeral home in this working-class city over the weekend to mourn the loss of John L. Sullivan, an American diplomat who everyone agreed died too young. Published September 8, 2019
Mike Pompeo recalls Afghanistan peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad,
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday that the Trump administration has recalled its envoy to peace talks with the Taliban, dealing a potential death blow to negotiations that hit a low point in recent days following a suicide bombing by the militant group that killed an American soldier near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Published September 8, 2019