Iran

Why has Apple started removing Iran-based apps from its App Store? Iranian iOS Apps which facilitate transactions for businesses and entities based in Iran have started disappearing from the App Store. The US tech giant opened up its App Store to the Iranians in September 2016. Reports over the weekend suggest that one of the largest e-commerce start-ups in the Middle East, Iran’s Digikala service had its app removed by Apple. “Unfortunately, there is no App Store available for the territory of Iran,” according to Apple.

In the latest fallout from Trump's Friday executive order on immigration, the US embassies in Berlin and the UK have suspended visa issuance to nationals from the affected seven countries including dual nationals. the US embassy in Berlin said that visa issuance had been suspended to nationals, or dual nationals, of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

In an update on its Facebook page, the embassy said:

A new bill being proposed by Congress will allow the U.S. to pre-emptively attack Iran in order to prevent them obtaining nuclear weapons.  H.J.Res.10, introduced in the House at the beginning of January, gives the US Armed Forces the ability to launch airstrikes against Iran without any Congressional oversight or input. Ronpaullibertyreport.com reports: The title of the bill tells the tale: a bill “To authorize the use of the United States Armed Forces to achieve the goal of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.” This legislation, introduced by Rep.

Britain along with the US, France and Australia are about to start war games in the Persian Gulf where they will be simulating a confrontation with Iran. The British Royal Navy will be leading the drill called exercise Unified Trident. The show of force will involve the Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean and Type 45 destroyer HMS Daring,  along with the US warships USS Hopper and USS Mahan, French anti-aircraft frigate FS Forbin, and Australian forces. Sputnik news reports: It will be held off the coast of Bahrain from January 31 to February 2.

One of the most vocal, and angry, reactions to Trump's anti-immigration executive order came from Iran whose foreign ministry, as noted previously, vowed to take reciprocal measures, as the Iranian government called the ban "an insult to the Muslim world." Tehran did not waste any time, and shortly after Iran said it would ban U.S. citizens entering the country in retaliation to Washington's visa ban against the nation.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani