The Gambia National Day On behalf of the United States, I offer my heartfelt congratulations to the citizens of The Gambia as you celebrate 61 years of independence. As you mark this important milestone, we reaffirm the strong and lasting relationship between our nations.  I look forward to deepening our collaboration by strengthening our bonds and advancing shared economic interests. The United States values The Gambia’s unwavering partnership and engagement on international

Joint Statement on the Philippines-United States Bilateral Strategic Dialogue On 16 February 2026, senior officials of the Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America met in Manila for the 12th Philippines-United States Bilateral Strategic Dialogue (BSD).  First convened in 2011, the BSD serves as the annual platform to discuss the full range of political, security, and economic cooperation between the United States and the Philippines; exchange views on curr

Actions to Implement President Trump’s Vision for Venezuelan Oil The Trump Administration is rapidly implementing President Trump’s vision to reopen and develop Venezuela’s oil industry for the shared benefit of the American and Venezuelan people. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the United States has already issued several general licenses at record speed for oil and gas companies to make unprecedented investments in Venezuela’s energy infrastructure.  On January 29,

DHS Terminates Temporary Protected Status for Yemen Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem today announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status for Yemen. The termination is effective 60 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register. Yemen was initially designated for Temporary Protected Status on Sept. 3, 2015, based on a determination that there was an ongoing armed conflict and that, due to that conflict, requiring nationals of Yemen to return wou

Grenada National Day On behalf of the United States of America, I extend my congratulations to the people of Grenada on your 52 nd anniversary of independence celebrated on February 7, 2026. We value our longstanding partnership with the people of Grenada, grounded in shared priorities including regional security and economic growth. We commend Grenada’s dedication to combating transnational threats, including drug trafficking and illegal migration, which is critical to regi

Sanctioning Hizballah Finance Operatives Today, the United States is sanctioning Hizballah operatives who continue to exploit Lebanon’s informal financial sector that generate revenue for Hizballah. These actors have supported sanctions evasion schemes involving Hizballah-controlled financial institution Al-Qard Al-Hassan (AQAH) and an Iran-based Hizballah finance team operative. Hizballah uses AQAH as a financial institution to undermine the Lebanese state and fund its terro

Joint Statement on the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Meeting on Iraq and Syria The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Begin Text: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosted a meeting of senior diplomatic and defense officials from the Small Group of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS/Daesh in Riyadh on February 9, 2026. Saudi Vice Foreign Minister Waleed A. Elkhereiji opened the meeting, which was c

Sanctions to Combat Illicit Traders of Iranian Oil and the Shadow Fleet The Department of State is sanctioning 15 entities, two individuals, and 14 shadow fleet vessels connected to the illicit trade in Iranian petroleum, petroleum products, and petrochemical products. These targets have generated revenue that the regime uses to conduct its malign activities. Instead of investing in the welfare of its own people and crumbling infrastructure, the Iranian regime continues to fu

United States Participates in First APEC 2026 Senior Officials’ Meeting in Guangzhou The United States is sending a team of experts, led by U.S. Senior Official Casey Mace and joined by Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Ruth Perry, to the first  Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)  2026 Senior Officials’ Meeting and Related Meetings (SOM1) in Guangzhou, China, February 1-10, to further a