Lavrov warns Kerry against bringing US’ domestic agenda to UN SC

Attempts to use the Middle East Quartet and the United Nations Security Council is bickering between the Democrats and the Republicans are harmful, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday.

Kerry assures Lavrov US is working with opposition groups that sabotage intra-Syrian talks

US Secretary of State assured Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that Washington has been working with opposition groups that sabotage intra-Syrian talks, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Arab League urges political solution to Yemeni crisis as cease-fire declared

The Arab League on Wednesday urged a political solution to the Yemeni crisis and welcomed a U.S.-brokered truce between Yemen's Shiite Houthi group and the Saudi-led Arab military coalition, said a senior official with the pan-Arab body.

US does not take position on competing claims to land features in South China Sea: Kerry

The United States does not take a position on the competing sovereignty claims to the land features in the South China Sea, said US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday.

ISIS expels Syria regime forces from Raqqa province. Kerry: Cable urging Syria strikes ‘very good’

ISIS expelled Syrian regime troops Monday from the northern province of Raqqa in a lightning counter-offensive that killed 40 regime forces, a monitoring group said.

World powers agree to arm Libya in fight against ISIS group

The United States, Italy and Libya's friends and neighbours agreed Monday to arm the war-torn country's fledgling unity government to fight the Islamic State threat.

Lavrov, Kerry hail Russia-US cooperation on settling Syrian crisis

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his US counterpart John Kerry hailed the two sides' cooperation on settling the Syrian crisis in a meeting here Thursday.

Lavrov, Kerry: UNSC resolution no.2254 does not allow any preconditions

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the US Secretary of State John Kerry affirmed on Wednesday that the UN resolution no.2254 adopted by the UN Security Council on the formula of the Syrian-Syrian dialogue “does not allow any preconditions”.

China backs UN resolution, stresses need to restart N.Korea dialogue

China agrees that the UN Security Council should take further action and pass a new resolution on North Korea, following its nuclear test earlier this month, but the new resolution should not stir up tensions or cause chaos in the peninsula, Chinese foreign minister said.

US thanks Iran for swift release of 10 Navy sailors

The US has thanked Iran for the swift release of 10 US sailors held for entering its territorial waters.

U.S. wants to avoid 'total destruction' of Syria (Kerry)

The United States is working to avoid the "total destruction" of Syria and plans to meet with Russian, Turkish, Saudi, and Jordanian leaders in the near future to seek an end to the conflict, Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday.

Kerry says Syria's Assad must go but timing negotiable

US Secretary of State John Kerry has said Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has to go but the timing of his departure should be decided through negotiations.

US Considering Military Talks with Russia on Syria

The United States said Wednesday it is considering an offer from Russia to hold military-to-military talks about the Syrian conflict even as it warned Moscow its support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad threatens to escalate warfare there.

Saudi FM offers ceasefire as warplanes pound Yemen rebels

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister vowed Friday that a ceasefire would begin on May 12, despite Saudi-led coalition attacks on Thursday against Yemeni rebels.

American position 'clear' on Syria (US embassy in Turkey)

The position of the United States is clear and unchanged about Syria, the U.S. Embassy in Turkey said Tuesday.

Obama to weigh next steps on Ukraine 'in next few days' (John Kerry)

U.S. President Barack Obama will evaluate the next steps in dealing with the conflict in eastern Ukraine in the coming days, including arming Ukrainian forces and sanctions against Moscow, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday.

Iran says no proposals from P 5+1 negotiators to Iran that require coordination

P 5 + 1 negotiators /five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany/ have not made any considerable proposals that would require coordination with Teheran, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif told reporters on Friday.

Kerry Says US Concerned About Reports on IS Chlorine Usage in Iraq

WASHINGTON, October 24 – The United States takes the reports about chlorine attacks against Iraqi police officers by the Islamic State (IS) extremists very seriously, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday.

"I'm not in a position to confirm it, but we take these allegations very, very seriously. In particularly, the most recent allegations about the use of chlorine as a chemical weapon," Kerry said at a joint press conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se.

Israeli ministers denounce Kerry remarks on conflict

Two senior Israeli government ministers lashed out at US Secretary of State John Kerry on Oct. 17 over remarks he made linking the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with the growth of Islamic extremism.
     
"I respect John Kerry and his efforts but he keeps breaking new records in lack of understanding of our region and the essence of our disputes," Communications Minister Gilad Erdan said in an interview with Israeli public radio.

Israel rejects US truce proposal for Gaza. (Security cabinet refuses US-initiated ceasefire in the Gaza Strip)

Israel TV reported on Friday that the cabinet had rejected the proposal in its current form, mainly because it would mean Israel would cut short an ongoing effort to destroy Hamas military tunnels under the Gaza-Israel border.
The proposal called for a week-long pause in fighting over the Muslim holiday of Eid. During that time, the two sides would begin indirect talks on easing the border closure of the blockaded Gaza Strip.
Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, says any truce must include a guaranteed end to Israel's eight-year siege of the enclave. Israel had previously said it would reject any deal that included a clause to ease the blockade.