TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Saudi Arabia's severing of diplomatic ties with Iran may force the Islamic Republic to stop its citizens from going on the annual hajj pilgrimage, a prominent Iranian lawmaker said Monday, as world leaders sought to cool tensions between the two Mideast rivals.
The sharp escalation between the Sunni and Shiite powerhouses came after the ransacking of the kingdom's embassy in Tehran and the attack on a consulate elsewhere in Iran — violence that erupted in the wake of Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric over the weekend.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hawaiian vacation over, President Barack Obama says he is energized for his final year in office and ready to tackle unfinished business, turning immediate attention to the issue of gun violence.
Obama scheduled a meeting Monday with Attorney General Loretta Lynch to discuss a three-month review of what steps he could take to help reduce gun violence. The president is expected to use executive action to strengthen background checks required for gun purchases.
