Lebanon presidential nominee takes leave of absence from IMF

Jihad Azour stepped away from the International Monetary Fund which has proposed reforms allegedly designed to ease Lebanon’s financial crisis

IMF official looks to become Lebanon’s next president

Jihad Azour's nomination comes as the US has made it clear to Lebanese officials that the only way out of crisis is an IMF bailout

Iran cenbank chief headed to US capital for talks with IMF

The IMF predicts Iran's economy will grow by two percent this year at a time when the nation is leading the charge toward de-dollarization

For crisis-hit Lebanon, it’s IMF or bust: Washington

Despite claims of wanting to help Lebanon, the US continues to block the implementation of a vital energy-sharing plan with Jordan and Egypt

IMF delegation headed for Lebanon to ‘speed up’ reforms

The delivery of the IMF loan has been held up for months as a result of US pressure and a refusal from banks to answer for their role in the economic collapse

Egypt closes in on reaching new IMF loan agreement

The Egyptian Prime Minister Announced that the government is negotiating to reach an accord with the financial institution

Lebanon Parliament Speaker calls for urgent implementation of IMF reform plan

The Lebanese parliament speaker has said he will not call for a parliamentary session to elect a new president until IMF reform policies are passed

Lebanon IMF deal could derail due to deadlock with banks

Banks have said that the state should privatize public assets to foot the bill for the losses

US behind IMF refusal to finance energy imports for Lebanon: Hezbollah official

Despite the plan to import energy from Egypt and Jordan via Syria having been brokered by Washington, US officials have so far failed to issue the necessary sanctions waiver

Lebanon reaches agreement on reform plan with IMF

The reforms include a complete restructuring of the banking sector and the stabilization of currency exchange rates

IMF sets final conditions for Lebanon grant

The IMF says that this is Lebanon's last chance and expects written guarantees that the government will adhere to its stringent demands

IMF sets tough conditions for Lebanon bailout package: Report

Many believe that the Lebanese government is not likely to meet the conditions set by the IMF

Lebanese PM Mikati says talks with IMF nearing draft deal

Talks in the previous year stalled due to differences between the policies of government and those of the banks

Lebanon’s Central Bank to undergo forensic audit as new government hopes to resume IMF talks

The audit comes as the Central Bank's Governor faces embezzlement and graft charges in both France and Switzerland

Yemeni FM condemns IMF decision to disburse $665 million to ousted authorities

The Saudi-backed parallel administration in Aden will receive hundreds of millions in COVID-19 relief funds

IMF blocks Afghanistan from receiving $460 million in COVID-19 aid

The organization alleges that “lack of clarity” over who governs Afghanistan led to the decision

‘No interim nuclear deal with Washington’: Iran

An interim deal between Iran and the US ‘is not on the agenda,’ an Iranian official was quoted as saying

Billions in frozen Iranian assets to be released from Iraq and South Korea

Over recent weeks the US has reportedly been trying to revive indirect talks with Iran over its nuclear energy program

Pakistan to trade oil and gas with Russia, Iran, Afghanistan outside US dollar

The agreement is meant to help relieve Pakistan’s foreign reserves crisis while bypassing US sanctions imposed on the South Asian countries’ neighbors

Nine Asian central banks to adopt SWIFT alternative

ACU member states are set to launch the Iranian-developed system within the next few weeks

Four years into economic meltdown, Lebanon pledges to ‘police corruption’

The crisis, caused by rampant corruption in the financial sector, plunged over 80 percent of Lebanon's population below the poverty line and slashed nearly 100 percent of the currency's value

Financial watchdog says Lebanon faces ‘grey listing’ for money laundering

This comes just days after Interpol issued a red notice against Lebanese Central Bank chief Riad Salameh, who is accused of embezzling millions in public funds

$51 billion lost by Lebanese depositors since 2019: Bank official

Reforms recommended by the IMF, including a halt to government borrowing from the central bank, have yet to be implemented

Smuggling of Iranian fuel to Pakistan surges: Report

Authorities have previously turned a blind eye to smuggled fuel from Iran due to a foreign exchange reserve crisis

Russian oil floods global markets via major Asian intermediaries

Despite western sanctions, there is more Russian fuel being exported around the world than before the Ukraine crisis. It's just coming via Saudi Arabia, India, China, and other trading states – with steep commissions.

‘Be angry and die angry,’ Tehran tells Washington

The message comes in response to US accusations that claim Iran and Syria conduct 'destabilizing activities' in the region

De-dollarization kicks into high gear

The US dollar is essential to US global power projection. But in 2022, the dollar share of reserve currencies slid 10 times faster than the average in the past two decades.

No normalization for Syria without ‘permanent political change’: Washington

The comments from a senior US official come as the Arab world continues to rebuild ties with Damascus after the failure of the western-backed war

The sanctions boomerang: Why trade bans backfire

Trade wars have been common throughout history, but they often have unintended consequences that undermine their intended goals. From Napoleon to the US and EU – none got it right.

BRICS set to surpass G7 in economic growth

The latest IMF figures reveal that BRICS nations will contribute 32.1 percent to global growth, compared to the G7's 29.9 percent.