US warns commercial flights near Persian Gulf could be 'misidentified,' amid tensions with Iran - Fox News

Commercial airliners flying over the wider Persian Gulf could be “misidentified” and targeted amid the increasing escalation between the U.S. and Iran, American diplomats said in a warning Saturday.

The warning, relayed by U.S. diplomatic posts from the Federal Aviation Administration, stressed that the current tensions, with Iran-backed militias reportedly moving missiles closer to American bases in Iraq, are posing a risk to global air travel.

All commercial aircraft flying over the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman need to be aware of the ongoing escalation, the warning reads, adding that the threat presents “an increasing inadvertent risk to U.S. civil aviation operations due to the potential for miscalculation or misidentification," the warning said.

It also advised that aircraft could experience interference with its navigation instruments and communications jamming “with little to no warning.”

IRAN'S TOP GENERAL TELLS IRAQI MILITIAS TO PREP FOR 'PROXY WAR' AMID US-IRAN TENSIONS

The notice comes amid heightened tensions between the two countries. The Trump administration recently ordered warships and bombers to the region to counter the supposed threat from Iran that forced the U.S. earlier this week to pull all non-essential U.S. government personnel from Iraq.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the Iraqi top brass that Iran-backed militias have moved their missiles closer to bases housing Americans.

Iran’s top general, Qassem Soleimani, a commander of Iran’s extraterritorial military operations Quds Force, meanwhile, met in recent weeks with the militias and told them to “prepare for proxy war,” the Guardian reported.

POMPEO SLAMS KERRY OVER MEETING WITH IRANIANS, UNDERMINING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION: 'IT'S TIME TO GET OFF THE STAGE'

“Iran or its proxies” were also blamed by the U.S. for targeting four oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, while Iran-aligned rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for a drone attack on a crucial Saudi oil pipeline, prompting the Saudis to call on the U.S. to carry out strikes against the Iranian regime.

Other countries soon followed the threat assessment of the U.S., with Britain raising threat levels for its troops in Iraq on Thursday. Both Germany and the Netherlands suspended a training mission in Iraq.

But President Trump on Tuesday appeared to downplay the escalation and denied the reports that his administration was planning to send more than 100,000 troops to the region in the wake of heightened tensions in the region.

“If we did that, we’d send a hell of a lot more troops than that,” he said.

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Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Zarif, on Thursday deemed new sanctions imposed by the Trump administration as “unacceptable” but noted that the country is committed to the nuclear deal.

“We believe that escalation by the United States is unacceptable and uncalled for. We have exercised maximum restraints,” he said during a visit to Japan.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2019-05-18 07:17:50Z
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US warns airliners flying in Persian Gulf amid Iran tensions - Fox News

Graphic locates the US Navy's fleet area of operations and shows the path the US strike group moving into position in the Persian Gulf; 3c x 4 3/4 inches; 146 mm x 120 mm;

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – U.S. diplomats are warning that commercial airliners flying over the wider Persian Gulf faced a risk of being "misidentified" amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

The warning relayed Saturday by U.S. diplomatic posts from the Federal Aviation Administration underlined the risks the current tensions pose to a region crucial to global air travel.

It also served as a grim reminder that 30 years ago, the U.S. mistook an Iranian passenger jet for a warplane after their last naval battle with Tehran, killing all 290 people aboard.

Concerns about a possible conflict have flared since the White House ordered warships and bombers to the region to counter an alleged, unexplained threat from Iran. President Donald Trump since has sought to soften his tone.

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2019-05-18 05:29:28Z
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Meghan and Harry's baby Archie was born at London's Portland Hospital - CNN

A royal source added: "In keeping with the Sussexes' wish for the details around the birth to remain private -- we registered the birth in the usual way, but opted not to release the document to the public ourselves."

Earlier Friday, the Press Association news agency reported that Archie had been born at the Portland Hospital, citing information on the baby's birth certificate.

Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, the first child of Britain's Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, was born on May 6.

Harry and Meghan made it clear during the pregnancy that it was their personal decision to keep details around the birth of their first child private.

A spokeswoman for the Portland Hospital said in a statement: "Huge congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of baby Archie."

"For reasons of patient confidentiality, we are unable to provide any comment or information."

Meghan's occupation is listed as "Princess of the United Kingdom" on the birth certificate. Her other title is HRH Princess Henry of Wales but she has chosen not to use it.

The Portland Hospital is a highly regarded private hospital favored by wealthy patients.

According to its website, normal delivery with a consultant costs £6,100 ($7,800), while choosing a Caesarean section will set you back £7,950 ($10,200).

Harry and Meghan introduced Archie to the world on May 8, posing for pictures at Windsor Castle.

Meghan said her son has the "sweetest temperament."

And Prince Harry said becoming a parent was "amazing" as he held his son in his arms. "We're just so thrilled to have our bundle of joy," he said. "We're looking forward to spending some precious time with him as he slowly starts to grow up."

Archie is seventh in line to the throne, just behind his father.

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2019-05-17 14:49:00Z
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Exclusive: Insurer says Iran's Guards likely to have organized tanker attacks - Reuters

LONDON/OSLO (Reuters) - Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) are “highly likely” to have facilitated attacks last Sunday on four tankers including two Saudi ships off Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, according to a Norwegian insurers’ report seen by Reuters.

FILE PHOTO: Port officials take a photo of the damaged tanker Andrea Victory at the Port of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, May 13, 2019. REUTERS/Satish Kumar/File Photo

The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Norway are investigating the attacks, which also hit a UAE- and a Norwegian-flagged vessel.

A confidential assessment issued this week by the Norwegian Shipowners’ Mutual War Risks Insurance Association (DNK) concluded that the attack was likely to have been carried out by a surface vessel operating close by that despatched underwater drones carrying 30-50 kg (65-110 lb) of high-grade explosives to detonate on impact.

The attacks took place against a backdrop of U.S.-Iranian tension following Washington’s decision this month to try to cut Tehran’s oil exports to zero and beef up its military presence in the Gulf in response to what it called Iranian threats.

The DNK based its assessment that the IRGC was likely to have orchestrated the attacks on a number of factors, including:

- A high likelihood that the IRGC had previously supplied its allies, the Houthi militia fighting a Saudi-backed government in Yemen, with explosive-laden surface drone boats capable of homing in on GPS navigational positions for accuracy.

- The similarity of shrapnel found on the Norwegian tanker to shrapnel from drone boats used off Yemen by Houthis, even though the craft previously used by the Houthis were surface boats rather than the underwater drones likely to have been deployed in Fujairah.

- The fact that Iran and particularly the IRGC had recently threatened to use military force and that, against a militarily stronger foe, they were highly likely to choose “asymmetric measures with plausible deniability”. DNK noted that the Fujairah attack had caused “relatively limited damage” and had been carried out at a time when U.S. Navy ships were still en route to the Gulf.

Both the Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker Amjad and the UAE-flagged bunker vessel A.Michel sustained damage in the area of their engine rooms, while the Saudi tanker Al Marzoqah was damaged in the aft section and the Norwegian tanker Andrea Victory suffered extensive damage to the stern, DNK said.

The DNK report said the attacks had been carried out between six and 10 nautical miles off Fujairah, which lies close to the Strait of Hormuz.

SENDING A MESSAGE

Iran has in the past threatened to block all exports through the Strait of Hormuz, through which an estimated fifth of the world’s oil passes.

According to DNK, it was highly likely that the attacks had been intended to send a message to the United States and its allies that Iran did not need to block the Strait to disrupt freedom of navigation in the region.

DNK said Iran was also likely to continue similar low-scale attacks on merchant vessels in the coming period.

Iranian officials and the Revolutionary Guards’ (IRGC) spokesman were not available for comment.

Tehran had already rejected allegations of involvement and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had said that “extremist individuals” in the U.S. government were pursuing dangerous policies. No one claimed responsibility for the attacks.

DNK’s managing director Svein Ringbakken declined to comment, except to say that “this is an internal and confidential report produced to inform shipowner members of the DNK about the incidents in Fujairah and the most likely explanation”.

The UAE has not blamed anyone for the attack.

Two U.S. government sources said this week that U.S. officials believed Iran had encouraged Houthi militants or Iraq-based Shi’ite militias to carry out the attack.

In a joint letter seen by Reuters and sent to the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Norway said the attacks had been deliberate and could have resulted in casualties, spillages of oil or harmful chemicals.

Slideshow (4 Images)

“The attacks damaged the hulls of at least three of the vessels, threatened the safety and lives of those on board, and could have led to an environmental disaster,” the letter said.

Last month, the United States designated the entire IRGC as a terrorist organization. Washington had previously designated entities and individuals connected with the IRGC, which controls vast segments of Iran’s economy.

Tehran responded by designating the regional United States Central Command (CENTCOM) as a terrorist organization.

Additional reporting by Alexander Cornwell and Parisa Hafezi in Dubai, Michelle Nichols in New York; Editing by Kevin Liffey

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2019-05-17 14:12:00Z
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Brexit talks collapse, setting up Theresa May’s likely departure - The Washington Post

LONDON — Brexit talks between Britain’s two main political parties collapsed in a heap of finger-pointing on Friday, with the opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn saying the “weakness and instability” of Prime Minister Theresa May’s government had damaged negotiations.

With her own Conservative Party lawmakers openly demanding a timetable for her departure, not a day goes by without Britain’s political class guessing when May will leave office. Will it be next month? Or July? Or October?

May has promised to offer a date soon. 

In the tragicomedy that is Brexit, the latest narrative casts a deeply unpopular, fatally wounded but principled prime minister doing all she can to get her unpopular Brexit deal passed in the House of Commons.

May said this week she will seek an unprecedented fourth vote on her withdrawal treaty — you read that number right — in early June. The first three attempts ended in failure.

The Financial Times caught the sacrificial lamb vibe with this headline: “Theresa May offers herself up to save Brexit deal.”

For the last six weeks, May and Corbyn have engaged in cross-party talks in hopes of finding a compromise that could break the Brexit deadlock and win a vote in Parliament.

Many saw it as doomed from the start — and a cynical play for time by both sides.

On Friday, Corbyn pulled the plug.

Labour said that they were uncomfortable striking a deal with a Conservative leader who could be gone within weeks.

“The increasing weakness and instability of your government means there cannot be confidence in securing whatever might be agreed between us,” Corbyn wrote. 

May’s position as prime minister is as precarious as it’s ever been. Her Conservative Party received a drubbing in local elections earlier this month and is expected to do poorly in next week’s European Parliament elections, with the opinion polls suggesting the Tories will get trounced by Nigel Farage’s upstart Brexit Party.

[In what may be Britain’s last European election, Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party is expected to dominate]

May has agreed to discuss a timetable for her departure after Parliament votes on Brexit legislation in the first week of June.

If she defies the odds and wins that vote, it would be the political comeback of the century. If she loses, then plans could be made for her orderly departure.

But just because the starting gun hasn’t been fired on the leadership race to succeed May doesn’t mean that it’s not already happening, at least unofficially.

On Thursday, Boris Johnson, Britain’s ambitious former foreign secretary and a leading Brexiteer, said what everybody in Westminster knew already: He was going for it.

A Tory leadership contest for a new prime minister could last several months. From a possible field of a dozen candidates, Conservative lawmakers will narrow the race to two, and then the 125,000 Tory members will get their pick. The vote does not go to the general public.

In his letter to the prime minister, Corbyn said their Brexit talks had “gone as far as they can” and that the race to find her successor had undermined the process. 

He added that “while there are some areas where compromise has been possible, we have been unable to bridge important policy gaps between us.”

Corbyn’s Labour sought the softest sort of Brexit, one that would have kept Britain so closely aligned with E.U. customs rules and tariffs that it probably would have forbade it from seeing its own independent trade deals with countries like the United States, China and India. That was a red line for May — and a Brexit that hard-liners would never approve.

Speaking at a rally in Bristol, May blamed the failure of the talks on Labour’s position on Brexit, which many find ambiguous.

Although the two sides did find some common ground, May said, “We haven’t been able to overcome the fact that there isn’t a common position in Labour about whether they want to deliver Brexit, or hold a second referendum, which could reverse it.”

It was long expected that talks between May and Corbyn would be likely to end in tears. 

Striking a deal risked tearing apart both the Conservatives and Labour Party, both of which have factions that would be deeply uncomfortable with a compromise. 

On Labour’s side, there were critics who were uneasy about being seen to help deliver Brexit, and on the Conservative side, there were those who disliked Labour’s key demand for a customs arrangement with the European bloc.

Asked if he could do business with someone like Boris Johnson as prime minister, Corbyn told the BBC: “Whoever the Tory Party decide is going to be the leader we will put our case and we will challenge them.”

Read more:

British voters with Brexit on their minds punish main parties in local elections

Brexit: Parliament rejects soft Brexit, second referendum

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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2019-05-17 14:07:05Z
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Has Samantha Markle Ever Apologized to Meghan Markle? - The Cheat Sheet

No matter what, it seems that royal fans are constantly hearing about the drama that is going on between Meghan Markle and her family. The Duchess of Sussex has remained strong through it all, always appearing at events and engagements with a happy smile, and not releasing any public statements about what is going on.

In fact, she has not responded to the drama whatsoever, although this has not stopped Samantha Markle from continuing her behavior. Since Meghan announced her engagement to Prince Harry, Samantha, who lives in Ocala, Florida, has not kept quiet. At one point, Samantha even went so far as to make a mockery out of Meghan, calling her a “duchass” when she received her royal title.

Now that baby Archie has finally arrived, Samantha is off on a new rant – this time, about her wishes for the Markle family to be part of Archie’s life. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not responded to this, so it is unknown as to if they are considering it at all. This leaves many wondering if Samantha has ever issued an apology to Meghan.

Is Samantha Markle jealous?

Meghan Markle | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Many fans think so. There is no apparent reason that we know of for their rift, and some fans have wondered what exactly Samantha is trying to accomplish with her negative behavior. At one point, it was thought that she was trying to get Meghan to reach out to her, and she tried to gain access to Kensington Palace, only to be turned away by security. After months of ongoing behavior, a lot of people are suspecting that Samantha is definitely jealous of her younger sister, which is why the behavior has not stopped.

Did the media really make things worse between Meghan Markle and Samantha Markle?

According to Samantha, they did, although that may not really be the case. Samantha is blaming news outlets for the rift that she is having with Meghan, but this doesn’t really make sense. While it’s true she did not receive an invite to the royal wedding, something she did not hide her feelings about, Samantha has said so many negative things about Meghan, that they feud can’t possibly be anyone’s fault but hers.

Is Samantha Markle looking to be part of Baby Archie’s life?

It would appear that this is the case. The entire world has been eagerly awaiting the royal baby’s birth, and now that he has arrived, Samantha has expressed her desire to put the Markle family drama behind her, and repair the family relationships. Royal fans are well aware that even Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle Sr., is extremely disappointed over the fact that he has not been invited to meet his new grandson, and Samantha is hoping to change that as well.

Has Samantha Markle ever apologized to Meghan Markle?

While Samantha did issue an apology during a television interview, it still didn’t result in a response from Meghan. It is quite possible that the damage has already been done, and that Meghan and Harry have moved on and do not wish to reconcile with Samantha.

At this time, Archie is the main focus in their lives, and they are doing whatever it takes to be amazing parents. Meghan is at the beginning of a wonderful new stage in her life, and she has the support of not only Harry but also of her mother, Doria Ragland, royal family members, and many friends. With so much love surrounding her, it is unlikely that Meghan would want to risk letting Samantha negatively affect her and the new baby. It would seem that it is just too late.

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2019-05-17 13:12:36Z
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Iran's Revolutionary Guards says its missiles can hit US warships - New York Post

DUBAI — A deputy head of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards said even short-range Iranian missiles could reach U.S. warships in the Gulf, and the United States could not afford a new war, the semi-official news agency Fars reported on Friday.

The comments added to days of saber-rattling between Tehran and Washington, which has tightened sanctions and built up its military presence in the region alleging threats from Iran to its troops and interests.

Iran has accused the United States of “psychological warfare” and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said this week Tehran would not negotiate another deal after Washington quit a 2015 pact over Iran’s nuclear program.

“Even our short-range missiles can easily reach (U.S.) warships in the Gulf,” Mohammad Saleh Jokar, the Guard’s deputy for parliamentary affairs, was quoted by Fars as saying.

“America cannot afford the costs of a new war, and the country is in a bad situation in terms of manpower and social conditions,” he added.

Separately, a senior Iranian military official accused U.S. President Donald Trump of dishonesty, saying Washington was calling for talks while “holding a gun” at Tehran, the semi-official news agency Mehr reported on Friday.

Trump has said publicly he wants to pursue a diplomatic route after withdrawing from the 2015 deal and moving to cut off all Iranian oil exports this month.

“The actions of American leaders in exerting pressure and launching sanctions … while speaking of talks, is like holding a gun at someone and asking for friendship and negotiations,” said Rasoul Sanai-Rad, a political deputy of the armed forces command, Mehr reported.

“The behavior of American leaders is a political game which consists of threats and pressure while showing a willingness to negotiate in order to present a peaceful image of themselves and fool public opinion,” Sanai-Rad said.

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2019-05-17 12:47:00Z
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