Trump Claims

• President Donald Trump signed a series of emergency executive orders from the Oval Office, with the White House describing them as the 'World's Most Powerful Reset,' reportedly granting the administration vast new powers over the U.S. economy and financial system. • The orders are grounded in national security protocols and reportedly address economic stability and foreign threats, with details remaining tightly controlled by the White House. • The executive action has triggered fierce debate over presidential constitutional authority and sparked volatile political reactions from both Democrats and Republicans across the political spectrum.

Lasting peace depends on resolving a border dispute dating back to 2000 and dealing with Hezbollah’s weaponsMiddle East crisis – live updatesIsrael’s security cabinet first heard about the ceasefire with Lebanon from a social media post by Donald Trump. Hezbollah first heard about the ceasefire from the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon. Each side shot off as many bombs, drones and rockets as they could before the ceasefire – imposed from above – came into effect.Despite the US president claiming it is the 10th war he has ended, the situation on the ground in Lebanon looks anything but stable. Continue reading...

US military boasts blockade of the strait of Hormuz will incapacitate Iran’s economy; Trump says negotiations could return to PakistanUS-Iran peace talks could resume in next two days, Trump saysWelcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.The US military has said American forces have completely halted economic trade going in and out of Iran by sea through a blockade.An estimated 90% of Iran’s economy is fueled by international trade by sea. In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, U.S. forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea.”Donald Trump has said that talks with Iran could resume in Pakistan over the next two days, according to an interview with the New York Post. “Something could be happening over the next two days, and we’re more inclined to go there,” Trump was quoted as saying.US secretary of state Marco Rubio said Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington on Tuesday were a “historic opportunity”. He said that while every complexity would not be resolved immediately, he hoped the parties would begin to move forward.Lebanon’s president expressed hope that direct talks would lead to an end to his country’s “suffering” after war erupted again between Israel and Hezbollah last month. “I hope that the meeting in Washington... will mark the beginning of the end of the suffering of the Lebanese people in general, and those in the south in particular,” president Joseph Aoun said in a statement, adding that “stability will not return to the south if Israel continues to occupy its lands”.Lebanon’s top envoy to the US said the high-level diplomatic engagement between her country and Israel was “constructive,” but urged an end to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants that has displaced thousands of Lebanese. After participating in Tuesday’s talks with Rubio and Israel’s ambassador to the US, Nada Hamadeh Moawad said she had “underscored the need to preserve our territorial integrity and state sovereignty”.The US will not renew a 30-day waiver of sanctions on Iranian oil at sea that expires this week officials told Reuters, as the US imposes a blockade on shipments from Iranian ports.UK prime minister Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron will co-host a summit in Paris on Friday focused on efforts to reopen the strait of Hormuz, Downing Street said. A spokesperson said: “The summit will advance work towards a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping once the conflict ends.”Trump criticised Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, a political ally, in an interview published on Tuesday for her unwillingness to help in the Iran war. “I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” he told Italian daily Corriere della Sera.Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt will meet Turkey’s top diplomat this week for talks on regional matters, a ministry source told AFP on Tuesday. “This is the third meeting of the four countries to discuss regional affairs, not specifically Hormuz,” said the source, who wished to remain anonymous.Hezbollah said it targeted 13 northern Israeli towns with rockets shortly after the start of Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington. In a statement, the group said it targeted Kiryat Shmona, Metula and 11 other towns “with simultaneous rocket salvos” at 6.15pm.US treasury secretary Scott Bessent has said the underlying US economy remains strong and that growth could still exceed 3% or 3.5% this year despite the impact of the US-Israel war on Iran. Earlier on Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its growth forecasts for 2026 based on the impact of the war and said any further escalation in the conflict could trigger a global recession. Bessent however cast cuts in global growth forecasts and higher inflation projections by the IMF and World Bank as an overreaction. Continue reading...

US and Iranian media report peace talks have begun in Islamabad, while Netanyahu says Israel remains committed to fighting IranUS and Iran hold talks in Islamabad as Pakistan seeks to broker peace dealUS officials claim Iran unable to find mines it laid in strait of HormuzThe UK will host a strait of Hormuz meeting next week, bringing together multiple countries aiming to restore free movement of ships through the strait, which has been blockaded by Iran since the beginning of the war and inflicted heavy damage on the global economy.A British official told AP that the meeting will oppose the idea of tolls being charged for passage through the waterway, as proposed by Iran as part of ceasefire negotiations. Continue reading...

• The State Department ordered the expulsion of 15 Venezuelan embassy staff on April 8, 2026, accusing them of meddling in US elections via disinformation campaigns. • Evidence includes $2 million in funding traced to Caracas for bot networks amplifying anti-US narratives on social media. • This diplomatic rupture heightens bilateral tensions, affecting oil imports from Venezuela that supply 10% of US refinery needs.

• President Trump signed an executive order last week to place tight federal controls on mail-in voting, claiming it enables widespread cheating in blue states like California. • Trump stated 'Mail-in voting means mail-in cheating' and 'Cheating on mail-in voting is legendary,' despite no evidence of fraud. • California and other states sued, arguing states have constitutional rights to administer elections; Trump insists Democrats register noncitizens, especially Latinos.

President dismisses concerns that bombing civilian targets would punish ordinary people and could constitute war crimesDonald Trump on Monday claimed that Iranian civilians are actively welcoming US strikes on their country’s infrastructure, saying they would be “willing to suffer” the loss of power and basic services in order to achieve freedom from the Islamic Republic.Speaking to reporters from the White House press room, Trump dismissed concerns that targeting Iran’s power grid and civilian infrastructure would punish ordinary Iranians rather than the regime, saying without evidence US intelligence had intercepts of civilians near active bombing sites urging American forces to continue. Continue reading...