Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and Iran stepped back from the brink of possible war Wednesday, as President Donald Trump indicated he would not respond militarily after no one was harmed in Iran's missile strike on two Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops. Trump says Iran appeared to be “standing down. The Iranian strikes had come days after Trump authorized the targeted killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force. Trump said Americans should be “extremely grateful and happy” with the outcome. Speaking from the White House, Trump announced that the U.S. will immediately place new sanctions on Iran “until Iran changes its behavior.”
TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed his government will get answers after a Ukrainian passenger jet crashed, killing 63 Canadians, just minutes after taking off from Iran's capital. Trudeau said his foreign minister has been in touch with the government of Ukraine and his transport minister is reaching out to his international counterparts. Getting answers from Iran may prove difficult as Canada closed its embassy in Iran in 2012 and suspended diplomatic relations. The crash of the Ukraine International Airlines plane came hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on Iraqi bases housing U.S. soldiers.
SHAHEDSHAHR, Iran (AP) — The Iranian military is disputing any suggestion that the Ukrainian airliner that crashed on the outskirts of Tehran was brought down by a missile. All 176 people aboard the plane were killed Wednesday when it went down during a takeoff attempt from the Iranian capital's main airport. The disaster took place hours after Iran launched a missile attack on U.S. forces.
NEW DELHI (AP) — Commercial airlines are rerouting flights throughout the Middle East to avoid potential danger during heightened tensions between the United States and Iran. Jumbled schedules could effect as many as 15,000 passengers per day, lengthen flight times by an average of 30 to 90 minutes, and severely bruise the bottom line for airlines, industry analysts said. There is anxiety that the conflict between the longtime foes could intensify following Iranian ballistic missile strikes Wednesday on two Iraqi bases that house US troops. The attacks were retaliation for the US killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike near Baghdad last week.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new survey by the Pew Research Center finds that much of the world is skeptical that President Donald Trump will do the right thing on foreign affairs after nearly three years in office. Majorities in many of the 33 countries surveyed disapprove of Trump's use of tariffs, efforts to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, limits on immigration to the U.S. and withdrawal from international climate change agreements. A bright spot for Trump is the direct talks he's had with North Korea's leader about denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. Those negotiations garnered the most support, though not a majority in most countries. The survey results were released Wednesday.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
