Here is the latest top stories from Press TV on March 29, 2021.
Iran-China ties
US President Joe Biden has expressed concern about the newly signed Iran-China comprehensive partnership agreement. Biden made the comment in an address to reporters in the US city of Wilmington. Tehran and Beijing signed a cooperation pact dubbed the Sino-Iranian Strategic Partnership. The deal was signed during a visit by China's Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, to Iran. The agreement includes cooperation in political, strategic and economic fields. The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has reacted to Biden’s comment. Ali Shamkhani says Biden's concern is correct, as the flourishing of strategic cooperation in the East is accelerating the US decline.
US-Russia tensions
The US secretary of state threatens Russia with consequences over what he calls Moscow's malign activities against Washington. Antony Blinken said the US will take steps to defend its interests whenever it chooses to. He highlighted a shared commitment among the US and its Western allies to hold Russia accountable for its actions. Washington has refused to participate in virtual talks with Moscow to discuss their tensions after President Biden called his Russian counterpart a “killer.” The US accuses Russia of cyber-attacks and of meddling in the November presidential election that Biden won. Moscow dismissed the allegations. Ties between the US and Russia have been tense with the two sides taking several tit-for-tat actions against each other.
Suez Canal blockage
A huge container ship blocking Egypt’s Suez Canal for nearly a week has been partially re-floated. Authorities say the 400-meter-long Ever Given has been straightened in the canal. They say further tugging operations would resume once the tide rises later on Monday. Around 370 vessels are waiting to transit the canal on either side of the blocked area. The current stoppage is costing the canal around 15 million dollars per day. Some shippers took the costly decision to reroute their cargos circumventing Africa. 15% of the world’s shipping traffic transits the Suez Canal.