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The rising risk of showdown between Trump and Iran BBC News Are the US and Iran heading for a new confrontation? After a turbulent first three weeks in which President Donald Trump described Iran as "the world's number one terrorist state" and put it "on notice", it is a question many are asking. For Iranians ... Senators eye new sanctions against IranThe Hill Iran's Foreign Minister: Threats Do Not Work Against Iran, We Respond to RespectNBCNews.com Iran dismisses new US pressure, calls for 'mutual respect'ABC News The Globe and Mail -Reuters all 173 news articles »

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The rising risk of showdown between Trump and Iran - BBC News

BEIRUT/ANKARA Iran summoned the Turkish ambassador in Tehran on Monday over comments made by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and President Tayyip Erdogan accusing the Islamic Republic of destabilizing the region.

Tehran and Ankara support opposite sides in the conflict in Syria with mostly Shiite Iran backing the government of President Bashar al-Assad while Turkey, which is majority Sunni, has backed elements of the Syrian opposition.

In Iraq, commanders of the predominantly Shiite Popular Mobilization Units, many of whom are trained and funded by Iran, have been highly critical of Turkey's military presence there.

On Sunday, Cavusoglu told delegates at a security conference in Munich, Iran wants to turn Syria and Iraq into Shiite, according to Turkeys state-run Anadolu news agency.

Cavusoglu also said Turkey was against any sectarianism in the Middle East and had called on Iran to stop threatening the region's stability and security.

"We will be patient with their positions," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said on Monday in reference to the comments made in Munich, according to the Mehr News agency. "But there is a certain cap for our patience."

The Turkish foreign ministry responded by saying Iran should "revise its regional policies and take constructive steps, rather than criticizing countries that voice criticism of Iran".

But Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus had earlier in the day struck a more conciliatory tone, downplaying any reports of tension.

Iran and Turkey are friendly nations. There can be differences in views from time to time, but there cant be animosity because of comments," he told reporters during a news conference after a cabinet meeting.

"Even if our political differences with Iran emerge, these shouldnt be blown out of proportion," he said.

(Reporting by Babak Dehghanpisheh in Beirut and Tulay Karadeniz, Tuvan Gumrukcu and Parisa Hafezi in Ankara; Editing by Louise Ireland)

BAGHDAD The U.S. military is "not in Iraq to seize anybody's oil", Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said, distancing himself from remarks by President Donald Trump,as he held talks with Iraqi leaders on Monday.

LONDON The British government on Monday defended its decision to offer U.S. President Donald Trump a lavish state visit and an audience with the queen this year, defying protests outside parliament and dissent from lawmakers.

ROME The Vatican and Rome's Jewish museum will jointly host an unprecedented exhibition on the menorah, the ancient symbol of Judaism, and try to put to rest legends on the fate of one candelabra missing for 15 centuries.

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Iran summons Turkish envoy over comments by president, foreign minister - Reuters

Forbes

Iran Postpones Unification Of Official And Open Market Exchange Rates Forbes The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has indicated that it will not be able to unify the country's official and open market exchange rates by March 20, as previously planned. Iran has been living with two exchange rates for the Iranian rial for several years ... and more »

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Iran Postpones Unification Of Official And Open Market Exchange Rates - Forbes

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman (L) and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir address the 53rd Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, February 19, 2017. (photo credit:ARIEL HERMONI/DEFENSE MINISTRY/REUTERS)

Iran on Monday rejected Israeli and Saudi claims that the Islamic Republic was a destabilizing force in the region, saying that it came as no surprise that Jerusalem and Riyadh share the same views.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi made the comments after both Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir each said at the Munich Security Conference on Sunday that Iran constitutes a threat to each of their countries, has not moderated its behavior in the wake of the 2015 nuclear deal and should face renewed economic pressure from the international community.

While the Israeli and Saudi ministers stopped short of saying they would cooperate to thwart Iran, Qassemi said that Jerusalem and Riyadh are already working "hand in glove" in the Middle East and their matching assessments given on Sunday came as no surprise.

The parallelism between the positions of the Saudi foreign minister and the Israeli war minister on Iran is not coincidental. Many instances of evidence indicate coordination between the two regimes in regional cases, Iranian official news agency Press TV quoted Qassemi as saying.

The Iranian official said that Liberman's and Jubeir's claims against Iran reflected their countries' "painful desperation."

Both regimes think they should stir the international atmosphere against Iran as a means of making up for their multitudinous defeats and frustrations in the region, he charged.

Qassemi said that Israel's attempts to enlist a Muslim country in its efforts against Iran were "pathetic."

In addition to Liberman and Jubeir, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif also spoke at Sunday's Munich Security Conference. While Liberman called for an alliance with Sunni states, Jubeir did not directly respond when asked if he envisions a coalition with Israel against Tehran.

Jubeir, who spoke after Liberman and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlet Cavusoglu, pointedly rejected a new Iranian call for a dialogue with Sunni Arab Gulf states, telling the conference that the Islamic Republic is trying to upend the order in the Middle East and seeks the destruction of Saudi Arabia.

The Iranians speak of wanting to turn a new page, wanting to look forward, not backward. This is great, but what about the present? he asked. We cant ignore what they are doing in the region. We cant ignore their constitution which calls for the export of the revolution. How can one deal with a nation whose intent is to destroy us?

Liberman, meanwhile, accused Iran of trying to undermine Saudi Arabia and termed Maj.-Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, the No.1 terrorist in the world.

If you ask me, What is the biggest news in the Middle East? I think that [for] the first time since 1948 the moderate Arab world, Sunni world, understands that the biggest threat for them is not Israel, not Jews and not Zionism, but Iran and Iranian proxies, Liberman said, pointing to Hezbollah in Lebanon, Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip and the Houthi militia in Yemen.

Ben Lynfield and Anna Ahronheim contributed to this report.

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Iran: Israelis and Saudis coordinating on certain issues in region - Jerusalem Post Israel News

Iranian Revolutionary Guard members in Tehran carry the casket of Iran Revolutionary Guards Brigadier General Mohsen Ghajarian, who was killed in the northern province of Aleppo , Syria . (photo credit:ATTA KENARE / AFP)

US President Donald Trump fails to expel Iran from Syria and prevent its expansion, there will be a very negative impact on the United States, Israel and the world, Energy and Water Minister Yuval Steinitz told the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations on Monday.

Steinitz, who is a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus security cabinet, said the world is getting more dangerous and the global order has been under attack since the so-called Arab Spring began.

The most urgent issue and the first big challenge of the Trump administration is Syria, Steinitz said.

The mission of Iran is to make Syria into an Iranian stronghold and an extension of the Islamic Republic.

The last thing we want is to have Iran on our northern border, and it is not a theoretical possibility.

Steinitz said that if Trump manages to prevent such a disaster, it would be an important step that would lead to other initiatives in the region and beyond.

Since world powers made a deal with Iran, he said, the Islamic Republic had expanded operations all over the region.

In Washington there were hopes Iran would moderate itself after the deal, but it only became more dangerous, he said. We had hoped the Iranian nuclear structure would be completely dismantled forever. Instead it was partially dismantled for 10 years.

Steinitz said the most dangerous threats to global order are Iran and North Korea.

While it seems we are much more disturbed by Iran than North Korea, there actually is very strong linkage between the behavior and ambitions of North Korea and Iran, he said. If you fail to contain North Korea, you will have to deal with Iran. If you let North Korea develop more, Iran will follow.

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Steinitz: Trump's test is to expel Iran from Syria - Jerusalem Post Israel News