(LONDON) — Tehran has rejected direct negotiations with the United States in regarding its nuclear program, responding to a letter from President Donald Trump, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Sunday, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.
However, he added, the path for indirect negotiations remains open, the state news agency reported.
“In this response, although direct negotiations between the two parties are rejected, it has been stated that the path for indirect negotiations is open,” Pezeshkian said.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Pezeshkian stated that Iran’s response to the U.S. president’s letter was sent via Oman.
He emphasized that Iran has never avoided negotiations and blamed the United States for not fulfilling its former commitments, including terminating the former nuclear deal in Trump’s first term in 2018.
It was the breach of commitments that caused problems on this path, which must be addressed to restore trust, the letter underscored, according to Pezeshkian.
“It will be the actions of the Americans that determine whether negotiations continue,” he added.
(LONDON) — Ukraine has accused Russia of committing a war crime after a Russian drone struck a military hospital in Kharkiv overnight.
Ukraine’s General Staff said the strikes were a “deliberate, targeted striking” of the hospital and that it appeared soldiers being treated there were injured. It said the medical center and nearby residential buildings were damaged as a result of a “defeat of” a Russian Shahed drone.
Photos from the scene appear to show damage to the hospital, with an entrance way demolished.
Russian drones also hit apartment blocks and a shopping mall in the center of Ukraine’s second largest city, killing at least two people and wounding 25, according to Kharkiv’s governor.
“War crimes have no statute of limitations. The relevant evidence will be transferred to the bodies of international criminal justice,” the General Staff wrote in a statement on the hospital attack.
Ukrainian cites are bombed by dozens of Russian drones every night, and this weekend has seen a particularly intense wave of attacks in civilian areas of major cities. Dnipro in southeast Ukraine suffered on Friday night heavy strikes that started major fires.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday said over the past week Russia had launched over 1,000 drones, nine missiles and over 1,300 guided aerial bombs, with most of Ukraine’s regions coming under attack. He said Ukraine had shot down a “significant number” of the drones and missiles.
“Russia is dragging out the war,” Zelenskyy wrote in a statement on X, saying Ukraine had shared information on Russia’s strikes with its allies and that it expects a “response from the United States, Europe and all our allies to this terror against our people.”
Russia has also intensified its ground offensive operations in recent days amid, according to Ukraine’s military, amid the ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to end the war.
Ukraine’s General Staff as well as Ukrainian military analysts report in the past few days Russia has launched some of the largest number of ground assaults since the start of the year.
“The number of enemy assaults has exceeded 200 times per day for the last three days,” Deep State, a blog account that tracks the war and is close to Ukraine’s military, wrote Friday. This is the highest three-day intensity of the year.”
It follows warnings this week by Zelenskyy that Russia is preparing to launch a major spring offensive, even as it tries to drag out negotiations with the Trump administration.
The Russian attacks are focused most of all in eastern Ukraine, in the direction of Pokrovsk, an important defensive hub that Russia has been trying to seize for more than 6 months.
Russian forces had scaled back their attacks in recent weeks in part due to poor ground conditions and apparently also worn down by extremely heavy losses. But it appears they are now renewing their offensive operations.
Ukrainian and western officials warned that President Vladimir Putin of Russia will try to use protracted negotiations as an opportunity to also advance on the battlefield, hoping to crack Ukraine’s defenses as the Trump administration weakens western support for Kyiv.
(LONDON) — The American embassy in Syria has warned all U.S. citizens to leave the country due to “the increased possibility of attacks” during the Eid al-Fitr holiday at the end of March, which marks the end of Ramadan in the Muslim world.
The embassy posted a notice to its website late on Friday cautioning citizens of potential attacks targeting “embassies, international organizations and Syrian public institutions” in the Syrian capital Damascus.
“Methods of attack could include, but are not limited to, individual attackers, armed gunmen, or the use of explosive devices,” the embassy notice said. “Leave Syria now,” it added.
The State Department’s current travel advisory for Syria is at level 4 — its highest alert meaning Americans are advised not to travel to the country for any reason.
“This advisory remains in effect due to the significant risks of terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, hostage-taking, armed conflict and unjust detention,” the embassy said in its latest notice.
The U.S. embassy in Damascus suspended operations in 2012 shortly after civil war erupted between former President Bashar Assad’s regime and a patchwork of rebel groups. Assad was deposed late last year by a collection of opposition forces led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group. HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa is now Syria’s interim president.
“The U.S. government is unable to provide any routine or emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in Syria,” the embassy wrote. “The Czech Republic serves as the protecting power for U.S. interests in Syria.”
“U.S. citizens in Syria who are in need of emergency assistance should contact the U.S. Interests Section of the Embassy of the Czech Republic,” it added.
(LONDON) — Denmark is open to discussions with the U.S. on how to “fix” the status quo in Greenland, the country’s foreign minister said, after Vice President JD Vance accused Copenhagen of failing to adequately protect the Arctic island during a controversial visit on Friday.
In a post to X addressed to Denmark’s “dear American friends” late Friday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said his nation agrees that the “status quo” in the Arctic “is not an option.”
“So let’s talk about how we can fix it — together,” Rasmussen wrote.
In a video statement, Rasmussen acknowledged the “many accusations and many allegations” about Greenland. “Of course, we are open to criticism, but let me be completely honest — we do not appreciate the tone in which it’s being delivered.”
“This is not how you speak to your close allies,” Rasmussen continued, “and I still consider Denmark and the United States to be close allies.”
Danish and Greenlandic leaders have pushed back on Trump’s desire to gain control of Greenland. They have simultaneously criticized his perceived overreach while seeking to ease tensions by proposing deeper military and economic cooperation on the Arctic landmass.
“We respect that the United States needs a greater military presence in Greenland, as Vice President Vance mentioned this evening. We — Denmark and Greenland — are very much open to discussing this with you,” Rasmussen said in his statement.
The existing bilateral defense agreement — signed in 1951 — “offers ample opportunity for the United States to have a much stronger military presence in Greenland,” Rasmussen said. “If that is what you wish, then let us discuss it.”
President Donald Trump has repeatedly — both in his first term and since returning to office for his second — expressed his ambition to take control of the island. Rasmussen’s appeal for dialogue came shortly after Vance completed his visit to Greenland, which is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Speaking to American service members at the U.S. Pituffik Space Base on the northwestern coast of Greenland, Vance said, “Well, the president said we have to have Greenland. And I think that we do have to be more serious about the security of Greenland.”
“We can’t just ignore this place,” he continued. “We can’t just ignore the president’s desires.”
Vance said Trump’s administration “respects the self-determination of the people of Greenland,” but suggested the island would be safer under the U.S. security umbrella.
Greenland is already covered by the Article 5 collective defense clause that underpins NATO, of which both Denmark and the U.S. are members.
“Yes, the people of Greenland are going to have self-determination,” Vance said. “We hope that they choose to partner with the United States because we’re the only nation on Earth that will respect their sovereignty and respect their security — because their security is very much our security.”
Vance accused Denmark of failing to provide adequate security against “very aggressive incursions from Russia, from China and from other nations.”
“Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland. You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass filled with incredible people. That has to change,” he said.
Rasmussen said that both Denmark and the U.S. had done too little in the Arctic since the end of the Cold War. “We all acted on the assumption that the Arctic was and should be a low tension area, but that time is over,” he said. “Status quo is not am option.”
Trump has repeatedly expressed his ambition to acquire Greenland, despite fierce criticism from leaders in Greenland, Denmark and Europe. There appears little support among Greenlanders for his proposal. A January poll by Verian, commissioned by the Danish paper Berlingske, showed that only 6% of Greenlanders are in favor of becoming part of the U.S., with 9% undecided.
The island sits in a strategic position facing the northern coast of Russia across the Arctic Ocean and close to two shipping routes — the Northeast and Northwest passages. Greenland is also thought to be home to a large amount of valuable mineral deposits. Both the shipping routes and minerals are expected to become more accessible as the warming climate causes sea ice to recede further.
“We have to have Greenland. It’s not a question of: Do you think we can do without it? We can’t,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Friday. “If you look at Greenland right now, if you look at the waterways, you have Chinese and Russian ships all over the place, and we’re not going to be able to do that.”
“We’re not relying on Denmark or anybody else to take care of that situation,” he added. “And we’re not talking about peace for the United States.”
“Greenland’s very important for the peace of the world — not us, the peace of the entire world,” the president said. “And I think Denmark understands it. I think the European Union understands it. And if they don’t, we’re going to have to explain it to them.”
ABC News’ Hannah Demissie, Molly Nagle and Michelle Stoddart contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — The State Department said Friday it was officially shuttering the U.S. Agency for International Development, in what could deal a final blow to the beleaguered foreign aid agency.
In a memo distributed to USAID employees and obtained by ABC News, Jeremy Lewin, the agency’s new deputy director and a former Department of Government Efficiency official, wrote that the State Department “intends to assume responsibility for many of USAID’s functions and its ongoing programming.”
The State Department “will seek to retire USAID’s independent operation” immediately and “assess” whether to rehire some unknown number of officials to “assume the responsible administration of USAID’s remaining life-saving and strategic aid programming,” the memo said.
“This transfer will significantly enhance efficiency, accountability, uniformity, and strategic impact in delivering foreign assistance programs — allowing our nation and President to speak with one voice in foreign affairs,” according to the memo.
“It will also obviate the need for USAID to continue operating as an independent establishment,” the memo said.
As part of the move, the memo said, “all non-statutory positions at USAID will be eliminated.”
Trump administration officials, including Elon Musk’s DOGE group, have leading a widespread effort to dismantle the agency by laying off thousands of employees, revoking funding for more than 80% of its programs, and shedding its Washington, D.C., headquarters.
The decision to completely dissolve a federal agency is expected to prompt legal scrutiny, according to experts who said such a move would typically require congressional approval.
In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that the administration was officially moving to sunset USAID and that foreign aid would now officially be administered by the State Department.
“Thanks to President Trump, this misguided and fiscally irresponsible era is now over,” Rubio said in his statement. “We are reorienting our foreign assistance programs to align directly with what is best for the United States and our citizens.”
“We are continuing essential lifesaving programs and making strategic investments that strengthen our partners and our own country,” Rubio said in his statement.
Critics of the Trump administration say its efforts to nullify the agency will cripple American influence overseas and carry devastating effects for some of the most vulnerable populations in the world, which relied on U.S. funding for health care, food, and other basic needs.
The State Department also said that its leadership, along with USAID leadership in place, had notified Congress of their intent to reorganize some USAID functions within the State Department by July 1 of this year.
The overall push to eliminate USAID and the reduction of the agency’s staff is being challenged in multiple court cases.
(WASHINGTON) — The search for four U.S. Army soldiers who went missing in their vehicle during a scheduled training exercise near Pabradė, Lithuania, is ongoing Friday, with officials bringing in more assets to help with the recovery mission, the Army said.
The soldiers, who are all based in Fort Stewart, Georgia, went missing on Tuesday while operating a M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle, the Army said. On Wednesday, the 70-ton vehicle was found submerged in about 15 feet of water and mud in a training area, the Army said.
“Most likely, the M88 drove into the swamp,” and the vehicle “may have just gone diagonally to the bottom,” Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene told ABC News via phone.
Sakaliene said Thursday that the search has shifted from rescue to a “complicated” recovery mission. The Army said crews are “working around the clock to drain water, dig, and dredge the mud that surrounds the vehicle.”
“The area around the site is incredibly wet and marshy and doesn’t support the weight of the equipment needed for the recovery of the 70-ton vehicle without significant engineering improvements,” the Army said in a statement Friday. “Draining the area has been slow and difficult due to ground water seepage.”
“A large capacity slurry pump, cranes, more than 30 tons of gravel, and subject matter experts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are just some of the assets that arrived on site,” the Army said. “The Polish Armed Forces have also volunteered a unit of military engineers, which is bringing in an additional water pump, tracked recovery vehicles, other additional equipment and supplies needed along with 150 personnel.”
A specialized U.S. Navy dive crew is also expected to arrive on site by Saturday, the Army said.
“This will be a long and difficult recovery operation, but we are absolutely committed to bringing our soldiers home,” Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor said in a statement.
Sakaliene said Thursday the Lithuanians will also remain dedicated to the recovery.
“Working with American soldiers has always been close to our hearts,” she said. “They are not just allies — they are family to us.”
(LONDON) — An earthquake with a 7.7 magnitude has rocked Southeast Asia on Friday, according to the United States Geological Survey.
USGS is reporting the epicenter of the quake was in Mandalay, Myanmar, but at least three people were killed and 68 others were injured when a building that was under construction collapsed in Bangkok as the earthquake struck the region on Friday, according to Thailand’s National Institute of Emergency Medicine (NIEM), which said there was an unknown number of people still trapped in the rubble.
The extent of the damage in Mandalay — the second largest city in Myanmar — is largely unknown this morning due to it being under very tight state control. However, it is thought that the damage could be extensive since this earthquake is stronger than many other historic quakes — including the Northridge earthquake that affected the Los Angeles area of California on Jan. 17, 1994, which is remembered as one of the most destructive and deadly in California history. Bangkok is approximately 600 miles away from Mandalay and suffered notable damage as well as collapsed buildings.
NIEM said there were approximately 320 construction workers on site when the building in Bangkok collapsed at 70 people are currently missing, according to a statement published on social media. Approximately 20 workers are still trapped in the elevator shaft with the number of deaths expected to climb, NIEM continued.
Alarms reportedly went off in buildings across the Thai capital city when the earthquake hit around 1:30 p.m., according to the Associated Press.
“We were under the main Sukhumvit railway station and we thought a train had crashed on the initial tremor,” a British citizen who is in the Thai capital on a business trip and wished to remain anonymous told ABC News. “But then as it continued, people started to run outside and the hotels were evacuated to the streets.”
The Royal Thai Police said they are helping to evacuate people from buildings across the city into safe areas, according to a statement published on social media.
A video obtained by ABC News from a WeWork office in Bangkok shows water pouring from a rooftop swimming pool as people ran across the office towards the exits.
Two of Bangkok’s main public transportation systems, the BTS — an elevated train line — and the MRT, which is mostly underground, have stopped service as authorities respond to the earthquake aftermath, Thai police said.
Meanwhile, Myanmar’s ruling junta has declared a state of emergency in six regions — Sagaing, Mandalay, Magway, northeastern Shan State, Nay Pyi Taw and Bago – after the earthquake struck the country, followed by a series of aftershocks.
Myanmar is mired in years long civil war, and Mandalay is one of the major cities than the junta still controls.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Morgan Winsor, Joe Simonetti, Karson Yiu and Helena Skinner contributed to this report.
(AMSTERDAM) — Five people were injured, including two Americans, in a “serious” stabbing attack that occurred in broad daylight in Amsterdam’s city center on Thursday, police said.
The suspected assailant is in custody and a motive remains under investigation into what authorities are considering might have been a random attack, police said.
The incident was reported shortly before 3:30 p.m. Thursday, with emergency services receiving multiple reports of a stabbing, police said.
The victims were located at various locations near Amsterdam’s central Dam Square, according to police.
“Police are considering the possibility that the suspect may have randomly targeted victims, but the exact motive remains unknown,” Amsterdam police said in a statement.
The victims include two Americans — a 67-year-old woman and a 69-year-old man — police said.
A 19-year-old woman from Amsterdam, a 26-year-old man from Poland and a 73-year-old woman from Belgium were also injured in the stabbing, police said.
Police did not release any details on their conditions.
Officers apprehended the suspect near Dam Square with the help of bystanders shortly after the incident, police said.
The suspect was transported to a hospital with a leg injury and officers are investigating his identity, police said.
“The police investigation is in full swing and is currently the highest priority,” Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said in a statement. “We hope to gain clarity soon about the background of this horrific stabbing incident. Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and loved ones.”
(WASHINGTON) — The search for four U.S. Army soldiers who went missing during a scheduled training exercise near Pabradė, Lithuania, has shifted from rescue to recovery mission, according to Lithuania’s minister of defense.
The soldiers, who are all based in Fort Stewart, Georgia, went missing on Tuesday, the Army said, and the M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle the soldiers were operating at the time was found submerged in water in a training area on Wednesday.
“Most likely, the M88 drove into the swamp,” Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene told ABC News via phone on Thursday. “It has the capacity to swallow large objects … this vehicle, weighing up to 70 tons, may have just gone diagonally to the bottom.”
The vehicle may be 5 meters below the surface, Sakaliene said.
Crews are pushing through “a mix of muddy water and sludge” amid the “complicated” recovery, Sakaliene said.
“Hundreds of people are working around the clock — American armed forces, our rescue services and private companies,” Sakaliene said. “We have helicopters in the air, divers, firefighters, canal excavation machines — hundreds and hundreds of people.”
“Our Army divers are there, but even they are struggling,” Sakaliene said.
“We’ve narrowed the location down … but we still have to keep digging,” she said. “We brought a huge, long-range excavation machine and a canal cleaner to move the mud and water. Then we have to hook the vehicle, drag it out and see if there are bodies or materials inside.”
The search is also taking longer because the area is dangerous; a high-pressure gas pipeline runs under the ground where the Army vehicle sunk, Sakaliene said.
“We had to depressurize it before bringing in heavy equipment,” Sakaliene said. “We had to build a kind of alley, so the heavy machines could come through safely.”
Sakaliene said the Lithuanians will remain dedicated to the recovery.
“Working with American soldiers has always been close to our hearts,” she said. “They are not just allies — they are family to us.”
(LONDON) — Multiple people are dead and nearly two dozen injured after a tourism submarine crashed in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt, officials said.
The crash occurred Thursday morning, less than a mile off the coast of Hurghada, during an underwater excursion to see the coral reef, according to the Russian consulate in Hurghada.
Six people — all Russian nationals — were killed, according to the Red Sea Gov. Gen. Amr Hanafy.
Twenty-three people were transported to area hospitals with injuries including wounds, bruises, sprains and shortness of breath, according to the governor. Four of the patients were in intensive care, he said.
The submarine was carrying 50 people total at the time, according to Hanafy. There were 45 tourists of various nationalities — including Russian, as well as Indian, Norwegian and Swedish — and five Egyptian crew members, he said.
Local authorities are investigating the cause of the accident and are in communication with the crew, Hanafy said.
The submarine is owned by an Egyptian national and held a valid license and necessary certifications, according to Hanafy.
Hurghada is a popular tourist destination for beachgoers along the Red Sea and is well known for its scuba diving and snorkeling.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Morgan Winsor and Nasser Atta contributed to this report.
