USA and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken, Sept. 8, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

The fourth round of nuclear talks between the United States and Iran, which were set to take place in Rome this weekend, have been postponed, with a new date yet to be announced amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran.

On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei announced that the fourth round of indirect nuclear talks with US officials, originally scheduled for May 3, had been postponed at the suggestion of the Omani Foreign Minister, who mediated previous negotiations between the two adversaries.

In a post on X, the top Omani diplomat, Badr Albusaidi, confirmed that the upcoming talks had been delayed, stating that new dates will be announced once both sides reach a mutual agreement.

“For logistical reasons, we are rescheduling the US-Iran meeting provisionally planned for Saturday, May 3rd,” Albusaidi said.

For logistical reasons we are rescheduling the US Iran meeting provisionally planned for Saturday May 3rd. New dates will be announced when mutually agreed.

— Badr Albusaidi – بدر البوسعيدي (@badralbusaidi) May 1, 2025

Earlier on Thursday, Iran accused Washington of “contradictory behavior and provocative statements” following remarks by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who warned Tehran of severe consequences for supporting Yemen’s Houthi militia, an internationally designated terrorist group.

The Iran-backed group, which controls northern Yemen, has been targeting ships in the Red Sea since November 2023, disrupting global trade, while justifying the attacks as acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.

Iran’s accusation against Washington also comes after the US imposed new oil-related sanctions on Tehran this week, as US President Donald Trump continued pursing negotiations over the Iranian nuclear program.

As part of the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran — which aims to cut the country’s crude exports to zero and prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon — Washington has been targeting Tehran’s oil industry with mounting sanctions.

“US sanctions on Iran during the nuclear talks are not helping the sides to resolve the nuclear dispute through diplomacy,” a senior Iranian official told Reuters. “Depending on the US approach, the date of the next round of talks will be announced.”

Last month, the two adversaries held their first official nuclear negotiation since the US withdrew from a now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal that had imposed temporary limits on Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanction relief.

The first and third rounds of talks were held in Oman, while the second round took place in Rome at the residence of the Omani ambassador.

Tehran has previously rejected halting its uranium enrichment program, insisting that the country’s right to enrich uranium is non-negotiable, despite Washington’s threats of military action, additional sanctions, and tariffs if an agreement is not reached to curb Iran’s nuclear activities.

However, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said that any deal with Iran must require the complete dismantling of its “nuclear enrichment and weaponization program.” Witkoff’s comments came after he received criticism for suggesting the Islamic Republic would be allowed to maintain its nuclear program in a limited capacity.

Despite Iran’s claims that its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes rather than weapon development, Western states have said there is no “credible civilian justification” for the country’s recent nuclear activity, arguing it “gives Iran the capability to rapidly produce sufficient fissile material for multiple nuclear weapons.”

The post US-Iran Nuclear Talks Postponed Amid Rising Tensions first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

A Los Angeles Police Department vehicle. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Authorities in Los Angeles are investigating the homicides of two Israeli men found dead in their homes within a 24-hour span on Saturday, raising concern within the local Jewish community and prompting a probe into possible links between the cases.

Over the weekend, Meni Khidra, an Israeli businessman, was discovered dead in his apartment in Valley Village, located in the San Fernando Valley, after officers from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) conducted a welfare check on Saturday afternoon following reports from family members who were unable to reach him.

After arriving at his residence, emergency personnel pronounced Khidra dead at the scene. Local police have launched a homicide investigation, but so far, no suspects have been arrested.

As the investigation continues, the LAPD has not yet disclosed Khidra’s cause of death or the nature of his injuries, and it remains unclear whether a firearm or knife was involved.

Earlier on Saturday morning, Alexander Modvadze, a 47-year-old Israeli-American businessman, was also found dead in his home in Woodland Hills, a neighborhood near the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley.

Local police said the attack appeared to be premeditated and was staged to look like a robbery. After arriving at his residence, medical personnel found Modvadze with severe head trauma from a brutal beating and pronounced him dead at the scene.

“We found very unusual signs at the scene that indicate murder,” detectives from the Valley Police said in a statement. “We believe that the fact that there were people in the house who fled shortly before the body was found suggests that the incident was criminal, and we are working to locate the suspects involved.”

As the LAPD launched an investigation into Modvadze’s homicide, local law enforcement arrested three Georgian nationals — Pata Kuchiyashvili (38), Zaza Otarashvili (46), and Besiki Khutsishvili (52) — who allegedly broke into Modvadze’s home, held him captive for several hours, and brutally assaulted him before fleeing with stolen property.

With assistance from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the suspects were apprehended within hours and are being held on $2 million bail each.

Local authorities are continuing to investigate possible connections between the two cases, though no evidence has been found to suggest a link. The LAPD is actively collecting forensic evidence and witness statements from both Valley Village and Woodland Hills, urging anyone with relevant information to contact them.

The post Los Angeles Police Investigate Homicides of Two Israeli Men Found Dead Within 24 Hours first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Kehlani walking on the red carpet during the 67th Grammy Awards held at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA on Feb. 2, 2025. Photo: Elyse Jankowski/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect

Students at Cornell University and Ithaca College have raised more than $5,000 to organize a pro-“Palestine” community event in light of Cornell’s decision to disinvite anti-Israel, R&B singer Kehlani from headlining the school’s annual end-of-the-year concert.

Slope Day is a large outdoor event at Cornell University that marks the end of classes in the spring semester. It is scheduled to take place this year on May 7. The event is organized by a student-run board and funded by a Student Activities Fee that all undergraduate students pay. Only Cornell students, alumni, full-time faculty, and stuff are invited to attend Slope Day.

On April 23, Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff announced that the university dropped the “After Hours” singer as the headlining performer for its annual Slope Day concert because of her anti-Israel views and antisemitic comments, which she has made in her music, on social media, and in interviews. Cornell has yet to announce who will replace Kehlani as the headlining performer at the event.

In response, students at Cornell and Ithaca are organizing an alternative “Community Slope Day” that will take place also on May 7. The event is described on its Instagram page as “a benefit concert for Palestine.”

Organizers started a GoFundMe campaign to support the event and have already raised more than $5,000, with a goal of raising $25,000 to help cover production and artist costs. Any unused funds will be donated to Palestinian causes. Atlanta-based rapper Nimstarr will perform and organizers are trying to secure more artists for the event. The Community Slope Day will be free and open to the general public. “This Slope Day will represent inclusion, equity, and freedom of speech,” organizers wrote on their GoFundMe page.

In an Instagram post, event organizers asked the public to boycott Cornell’s Slope Day and donate to a slew of organizations mentioned in a Google Document linked in their Instagram bio. Those organizations include the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). Nine employees of UNRWA were fired for their alleged involvement in the Hamas terror organization’s deadly massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Event organizers are also encouraging supporters to donate to the prominent anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace, which defended Hamas’s Oct. 7 killing rampage and has partnered with terrorist organizations to achieve its “primary goal” of “dismantling the State of Israel,” according to a report released earlier this year.

The logo for Community Slope Day features a slice of watermelon, which has become a symbol of the Palestinian movement because it shares similar colors to the Palestinian flag. The watermelon has been used to symbolize Palestinian terrorism and resistance and is widely seen on college campuses and at pro-Palestinian protests.

A Grammy-nominated artist, Kehlani has called for a “Free Palestine” and unapologetically accuses Israel of genocide. The music video for her song “Next 2 U” opens with the text “Long live the intifada” and in the clip, Kehlani sings in front of the Palestinian flag. She also wears an ensemble that features a Palestinian keffiyah. The singer has shared anti-Israel posts on social media that include support for the Jewish state being wiped off the map and replaced with “Palestine.” In one Instagram post, she wrote: “It’s f— Israel from the top of my lungs. Idc [I don’t care] about the f—– threats. DISMANTLE ISRAEL. ERADICATE ZIONISM.” She has also participated in pro-Palestinian marches.

When announcing the decision to cancel Kehlani’s performance in Slope Day, Kotlikoff addressed concerns raised by students about giving a stage to someone who has spewed antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric.

“Unfortunately, although it was not the intention, the selection of Kehlani as this year’s headliner has injected division and discord into Slope Day,” Kotlikoff said in a released statement. “For that reason, I am rescinding Kehlani’s invitation and expect a new lineup for a great 2025 Slope Day to be announced shortly … I believe it is the right thing to do and the decision I must make to ensure community and safety at this high-profile event that reaches the entire campus.”

“In the days since Kehlani was announced, I have heard grave concerns from our community that many are angry, hurt, and confused that Slope Day would feature a performer who has espoused antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments in performances, videos, and on social media,” he added. “While any artist has the right in our country to express hateful views, Slope Day is about uniting our community, not dividing it.”

In a video posted on Instagram and TikTok on Saturday, Kehlani clarified: “I am not antisemitic, nor anti-Jew. I am anti-genocide. I am anti-the-actions-of-the-Israeli-government.” She said she is also “anti” the “extermination of an entire people” and “the bombing of innocent children, men, women.”

“I know you’ve seen Cornell University canceled my show, and now there are attempts at other cancellations on top of the cancellations I’ve already experienced over the past year,” she wrote in the caption for the video on Instagram. “If you want to cancel me from opportunity, stand on it being because of your zionism. don’t make it anti-jew. this a played out game. all this because we want people to stop dying. i hope this helps [sic].”

Cornellians for Israel, a pro-Israel student group at Cornell, spearheaded a petition to have Kehlani removed from the lineup for the Slope Day event. The petition garnered roughly 5,000 signatures and the student group raised over $28,000 to support their efforts. After Kotlikoff announced that Kehlani has been disinvited from the event, the pro-Israel group said it will use the funds to host pro-Israel events and speakers in the future, Fox News reported.

The post Students Organize ‘Palestine Benefit Concert’ Protesting Cornell’s Cancellation of Anti-Israel Singer Kehlani first appeared on Algemeiner.com.