TOKYO (Reuters) – A U.N. resolution to be adopted this month could help clear the way for Japan to extend its naval mission in support of U.S.-led military operations in Afghanistan — a move keenly sought by Washington, a diplomatic source said.The leader of Japan’s main opposition Democratic Party, Ichiro …

OTTAWA (AFP) – Afghan President Hamid Karzai warned that his country would fall into bloody chaos if foreign troops withdraw too quickly, in an interview with Canadian media.”Afghanistan will fall back into anarchy,” he told the daily Globe and Mail, fearing a withdrawal of Canadian troops in February 2009, their …

Iran said a warning by the French foreign minister that the world should brace for war with Iran damages the credibility of France and is out of line with EU policy.

Iran has massively cut down its dependence on the dollar in the face of US pressure over its nuclear program and now 70 percent of its foreign assets are saved in other currencies or in gold, an official said on Monday.

MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (AFP) – Pakistani authorities on Tuesday recovered the bodies of 15 soldiers killed in clashes with pro-Taliban militants in a tribal area bordering Afghanistan, officials said.The troopers were reported to have died on Monday in fierce clashes with the Islamist rebels at a military checkpost in North Waziristan, …

KABUL (AFP) – The Afghan government strongly rejected Tuesday any conditions for peace talks with the Taliban after the Islamic militants demanded the withdrawal of Western troops as a prerequisite for dialogue.The government would guarantee safe passage for Taliban negotiators at any talks but this was all, President Hamid Karzai’s …

Iran’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Hamid Reza Asefi stressed the need for Tehran and Abu Dhabi to endorse the required agreements to support the two countries’ labor force.

Lieutenant commander of the ground force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said IRGC will stand against every threat posed by the world powers to the Islamic Republic.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Tehran’s policy on Lebanon is based on supporting consensus among the Lebanese and encouraging all the relevant parties to move towards mutually agreed solutions.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini said Tehran is prepared to attend the next round of talks with the US if it is requested by the Iraqi government.