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The State Department is refusing to provide details or even confirm statements by the Chinese government indicating the U.S.-Iran envoy Robert Malley recently spoke to Communist Party officials about the Biden administrations efforts to reenter the 2015 nuclear accord.

Chinese vice foreign minister Ma Zhaoxu "had a phone conversation with U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley at the latter's request, and the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on the Iranian nuclear issue," Chinas foreign ministry announced late last week.

When asked to confirm the press release and provide further details about Malleys conversations, the State Department ignored multiple Washington Free Beacon emails before stating on Sunday, "Special Envoy Rob Malley is in the early stages of engaging Members of Congress, allies, partners, and others." The State Department would not provide any details when pressed to specifically address the talks with China. Normally, the State Department provides reporters with readouts of conversations held by senior U.S. diplomats with their counterparts, particularly if those talks are held at the request of the United States.

Malleys diplomatic talks with China come as the Biden administration is pressing Iran to end its revamped nuclear work, which includes stockpiling highly enriched uranium, the primary fuel for a nuclear weapon. China is still party to the 2015 accord and has a vested interest in seeing the United States rejoin the agreement. It is a primary ally of the Iranian regime and has supported the rollback of a United Nations arms ban on Tehran, which would permit the Communist Party and nations like Russia to sell Iran billions in advanced arms.

Malleys overtures to China on the Iran portfolio appear to be at odds with Secretary of State Anthony Blinkens repeated promises to not pursue diplomacy with Tehran until it rolls back its nuclear work and proves it is in compliance with the restrictions placed on its program as part of the agreement. The State Departments silence on Malleys meeting could be an indication the Biden administrations public statements on the deal are at odds with its private diplomacy on the matter.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R., Texas), the lead Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told the Free Beacon the State Department's silence is a troubling sign.

"While I understand diplomacy sometimes happens behind closed doors, its troubling the State Department is refusing to confirm or deny this call took place when the Chinese Communist Party has already announced it did," McCaul said. "Hopefully this was just an introductory call, but if that is the case I dont understand why the State Department wouldnt acknowledge the call and let the American people know what was discussed."

McCaul also confirmedspeaking with Blinken and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, but not Malleycontrary to the State Department's statement to the Free Beacon.

Iranian officials said during the weekend that the country is poised to further block access to international nuclear inspectors with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran is taking this step as part of a pressure campaign to force Western nations into granting it sanctions relief. In addition to booting IAEA inspectorswho recently found that Iran is producing uranium metal in violation of the accordIran plans to increase its enrichment of uranium and install advanced centrifuges, machinery that enriches uranium to levels needed for a weapon.

Iran also plans tosuspendits cooperation under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, a nuclear arms pact, by the end of the month.

Updated 5:15 p.m. to include comment from Rep. Michael McCaul.

Adam Kredo is senior writer reporting on national security and foreign policy matters for the Washington Free Beacon. An award-winning political reporter who has broken news from across the globe, Kredos work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the Weekly Standard, Commentary Magazine, the Drudge Report, and the Jerusalem Post, among many others. His Twitter handle is @Kredo0. His email address is kredo@freebeacon.com.

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State Dept Refuses to Explain Iran Envoys Talks with China

Iran and Russia have embarked on a joint naval drill in the northern part of the Indian Ocean that they say has been designed to "enhance the security" of maritime trade in the region, Iranian state media reported.

State television said on February 16 that the exercise dubbed Maritime Security Belt will cover an area of about 17,000 square kilometers and include units from the Iranian Navy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy, and the Russian Navy.

Iranian Rear Admiral Gholamreza Tahani said its purpose was to "enhance the security of international maritime trade, confront maritime piracy and terrorism, and exchange information."

The Indian Navy will also join the exercise, in a message of "peace and friendship for neighboring and regional countries," Tahani said.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that the drill was scheduled to last three days.

This is the second joint Russian-Iranian naval exercise since December 2019, when the two countries plus China held a drill in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman.

Iran and China also participated in military exercises held in Russia in September 2020.

Tehran has been seeking to step up military cooperation with Beijing and Moscow amid tensions with the United States.

Iran has also increased its military drills in recent weeks as tensions built during the final days of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Tehran is now trying to pressure U.S. President Joe Biden's new administration to reenter a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.

Last week, the IRGC conducted a ground forces drill in the southwest of Iran near the Iraqi border.

Trump withdrew the United States from the nuclear pact in 2018 and reimposed crushing sanctions on Iran.

In response to the U.S. moves, which were accompanied by increased tensions between Iran, the United States, and its allies, Tehran has gradually breached parts of the pact saying it is no longer bound by it.

The Biden administration has expressed willingness to return to compliance with the accord if Iran does, and then work with U.S. allies and partners on a "longer and stronger" agreement, including other issues such as Irans missile program and its support for regional proxy forces.

Iranian officials insist that the United States should make the first move by returning to the agreement, which eased international sanctions in exchange for curbs on Tehran's disputed nuclear program.

They also say that the country's missile program and regional policies are off the table.

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Iran, Russia Start Naval Drill In Indian Ocean

Authoritarian regimes throughout the world are pushing narratives that appear to gloat over and celebrate that chaos unfolding in the United States. On Monday, Irans media pushed stories that highlighted the collapse, while quoting Russian sources portraying that the US is flailing about as its world order comes crashing down.The US became the worlds most powerful country, a global hegemonic superpower, after the Soviet Union and its client states fell apart in 1989. However, Russia, China, Iran and increasingly Turkey have all awaited the period when the world would become multi-polar again. They have sought to work more closely together, and they have sat frequently at global forums that the US does not attend. To coordinate efforts against the US, these countries all have state media that is well funded, such as RT, TRT, Irans Tasnim and Fars News and numerous Chinese media outlets. The policies of these countries are to slowly undermine the US and wait for moments of US weakness to push their agendas.The leadership in Turkey and Iran view their goal as undermining the US through a more religious lens linked with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Muslim Brotherhood that influences Tehran and Ankara respectively. Turkeys Recep Tayyip Erdoan sought to capitalize on the recent riots in the US, claiming that America is part of an unjust order in the world. Irans former president made similar comments about the declining US order. This is a reference to the concept of the axis of resistance in Iran, and the defeat of US arrogance. Ever since the Islamic Revolution in Iran of 1979, there had been a call for a third way between the US and Soviet Union in the 1980s that would bring about the defeat of Western systems and the rise of political Islam rooted in Tehran and then in Ankara.Ankara is a nominal US ally, but it has drifted away and signed deals to acquire Russias S-400 anti-missile defense system. It seeks to partition Syria with Iran and Russia. Turkey and Iran coordinate in efforts against Israel and both support Hamas. They broadly work together against other US partners, such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt.Now the protests in the US and the COVID-19 crisis have made Washington appear to be declining rapidly. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the US was now having to deal with its police misconduct and said the US compared unfavorably with Russia. Thank God things that happen in America do not happen in [Russia], he said, according to Russias TASS media. Aleksey Pushkov, a senator in Russias parliament and an expert on foreign policy, argued on Twitter that the US is crumbling. He said that US withdrawals from Afghanistan and Syria, Turkey ordered the US to leave and attacked US Kurdish allies, was an example of American decline.He also tweeted that the US crumbling due to COVID-19 and the inability of the US to help Europe or its allies at the peak of the pandemic. He said America has been on a hysterical tirade against China and now faces an internal schism and racial rebellion.Iran was pleased with Pushkovs words, writing an article about them at Tasnim as if to affirm the Iranian regimes own view. Meanwhile, Irans IRGC said it was stronger than ever and that it was resisting the pharaonic, dictatorial, terrorist United States.Turkey has mobilized all its state media propaganda resources against the US. TRT's headlines are directed at bashing the US as part of a state-controlled effort run by Ankara. It has an opinion piece on its homepage about US corporations looting black communities, an obvious and ironic title designed to make it appear that it is US businesses looting people, as opposed to protesters doing the looting, thus making it seem like a normal form of resistance. Turkey supports the protests, but suppresses dissent at home just like China, Iran and Russia. TRT highlights police brutality in the US even though it never critiques police brutality in Turkey.The goal of Turkey, Iran, China and Russia during the current US crises is to use it to their advantage to press gains. Turkey has been flooding Libya with weapons and Syrian mercenaries during the crisis. China has pushed up against India in a border dispute. Iran is flexing its muscles at home and sending tankers to Venezuela. Russia has sent warplanes to Libya and Syria.Meanwhile, all these countries want to leverage the economic crisis of the pandemic to their advantage. Turkey is designing a new fighter jet that Russias media heralds as a possible replacement for the F-16. Russia is pushing its defense systems, and Turkey wants to work with Iran, Malaysia and Pakistan to improve economic relations and expand its role in the Mediterranean.Concern over the rise of these countries has led to other countries scrambling to counter-balance. Egypt, Greece, Cyprus, the UAE and France as seeking to counter Turkeys growing role in the Mediterranean. Globally, US allies are concerned that the chaos in the US, where the US military is now being deployed, could represent a decline of US ability to concentrate abroad. That will mean all those that have been waiting for the US to reduce its footprint will be running to fill the vacuum. Already, Russia and Iran are running toward Afghanistan, and Turkey and Russia are sponging up Libya. The race is on, the scramble to grab up properties as the US appears to teeter. From eastern Libya to Afghanistan to Asia and Africa, everywhere the US may appear weak, the adversaries are preparing. The big four China, Russia, Turkey and Iran are poised to exploit and emerge stronger. Where once George Bush Sr. spoke of a new world order, now these countries want to bury that US world order amid the chaos.

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Iran, Russia, China, Turkey celebrate 'collapse' of US - The Jerusalem Post

President Donald Trump spoke after Iran launched missiles on bases in Iraq where American troops are stationed. USA Today fact-checked his assertions. USA TODAY

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump issued another tweeted threat to Iran on Wednesday, saying he would retaliate if the Tehran government struck again at U.S. interests in Iraq.

"Upon information and belief, Iran or its proxies are planning a sneak attack on U.S. troops and/or assets in Iraq," Trump tweeted. "If this happens, Iran will pay a very heavy price, indeed!"

Trump, who did not detail the plot, made the threat less than an hour after receiving a foreign intelligence briefing at the White House.

Later at abriefing, Trump said the intelligence indicating an attack was sound.

"We just have information that they were planning something and its very good information," Trump said.

He added: "Were just saying dont do it. Dont do it. It'd be a very bad thing for them if they did."

Iranian-backed militias in Iraq continually threaten to attack U.S. and allied forces, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly. Threats arrive in a daily stream.

Some of the more visible threats have been issued by the Kataib Hezbollah militia, the group responsible for rocket attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq that have killed American troops and contractors.

One such attack,onMarch 11,killed two U.S. troops.

The militia recently posted a video called Hunting Crows, which shows rockets being fired at night and purports to be a training exercise for attacking U.S. troops, the source said. Another group has threatened that U.S. forces that arrive by air will be sent home dead.

Relations between the U.S. and Iran have been tense for decades, but especially in recent months.

In early January, Trump authorized a drone strike that killed a high-ranking Iranian general,Qassem Soleimani.

The strike was part of a tit-for-tat that included Iranian attacks on U.S.-backed Iraqi militias in Iraq. After Soleimani's death, the Iranians launched an airstrike on a military base in Iraq that housed several American troops, injuring many but not killing anyone.

The new threats come as both the United States and Iran battlethe spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

More: Exclusive: Americans say Soleimani's killing made US less safe, Trump 'reckless' on Iran

The U.S. and Iran have also exchanged harshwords during the epidemic.

Even before the coronavirus, Iran's economy was being battered by U.S. sanctions. Officials in Tehran have criticized the U.S. for maintaining those sanctions in the face of the crisis.

Late last month,Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that Iran had refused American aid for addressing the coronavirus threat. At the same time, Pompeo criticized Iranian leaderAyatollah Ali Khameneifor spreading conspiracy theories that the United States caused the pandemic.

Trump did not explain what he meant byinformation and belief in a new Iranian plot, but analysts pointed out that those are legal phrases.

"'Information and belief'isnt an intelligence term," tweeted attorney George Conway, the spouse of Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway. "Its a phrase used in legal pleadings to make allegations, which is why Individual-1 is so familiar with it."

Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/01/donald-trump-threatens-iran-again-if-attacks-u-s-iraq/5104981002/

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Donald Trump threatens Iran - again - if it attacks U.S. in Iraq

Trump held a virtual rally with Rush Limbaugh and warned Iran

The president of the United States is the most prominent statesmen in the country, but Donald Trump has disregarded that decorum on more than one occasion.

He casually dropped the F-bomb while holding a virtual mega, MAGA rally with Rush Limbaugh on Friday.

If you fuck around with us, if you do something bad to us, we are gonna do things to you that have never been done before, Trump uttered on the airwaves.

Read More: Families of Jackie Robinson, MLK blast Trump for using their images in ad

The colorful comment was made in regard to the tense relations with Iran. On Thursday, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Irans banking sector.

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures on the Truman Balcony after returning to the White House from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on October 05, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Our sanctions are directed at the regime and its corrupt officials that have used the wealth of the Iranian people to fuel a radical, revolutionary cause that has brought untold suffering across the Middle East and beyond, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, according to Yahoo.

Pompeo continued, Our maximum economic pressure campaign will continue until Iran is willing to conclude a comprehensive negotiation that addresses the regimes malign behavior.

Limbaugh, the stalwart of conservative talk radio, did not censor the president. He was instead effusive about how Trump is the strongest, most unwavering leader.

However, FCC regulations has strict guidelines on obscenity, indecency and profanity.

Read More: Trump coughs as he tells Fox News hes healthy, ready for rallies

During the animated conversation, Trump hailed Regeneron Pharmaceuticals antibody cocktail as a cure. He was given the drug as part of his treatment for COVID-19.

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People are going to get immediately better, like I did, the president said.

A day later, I was fine, Trump claimed despite White House aides and officials from Walter Reed Hospital stating he was not yet in perfect health. This is better than the vaccine, and its going out as we speak.

It was a week ago that the president announced that he and first lady Melania Trump had fallen ill with the coronavirus. He regaled Limbaugh of his boasts about a quick recovery from the deadly contagion.

Im free. I feel perfect, Trump said. Im not taking anything. It was primarily this one drug.

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Trump tells Iran if you fk with us, well do things never done before