IN BRIEF (Page 8)

Iran

Zarif questions 'peace' coalition

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Friday questioned US plans for a coalition for a "peaceful resolution" in the Middle East while listing repeated Iranian diplomatic initiatives. "Coalition for Peaceful Resolution?" Zarif said in a statement on Twitter, and listed eight diplomatic initiatives by Iran since 1985, including a peace plan for Yemen in 2015, and a regional nonaggression pact for the Persian Gulf region proposed earlier this year. The United States said on Thursday it was building a coalition to deter Iranian threats following a weekend attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US was seeking to build a "coalition aimed at achieving peace and a peaceful resolution".