Footage shows US president saying UK âshould be our bestâ ally and accusing PM of prevarication over sending ships ⢠Middle East crisis â live updatesFootage has emerged of Donald Trump mocking Keir Starmer by claiming the prime minister said he would have to consult with his team before deciding whether to send UK aircraft carriers to the Middle East.In a new low for UK-US relations, Trump appeared to impersonate Starmer during an Easter lunch speech at the White House. Continue reading...
Democrats criticize speech as doing little to answer âthe most basic questionsâ of the American people. Plus, how rap lyrics were used to help sentence a man to deathGood morning.Donald Trump declared the month-long US-Israeli war against Iran a success ânearing completionâ in his prime time address to the nation on Wednesday evening â despite the conflict wreaking global economic chaos, damaging transatlantic alliances and hitting his approval ratings.What is the significance of Trumpâs comments on HEU? The apparent decision to leave it appears to conflict with his assertions that a key war aim was to ensure Iran could never make a nuclear bomb.Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.What has Houston said about the rocketâs deployment? Flight controllers confirmed that all four solar arrays, which will provide the spacecraft with continuous electrical power throughout its lunar journey, were deployed successfully. Continue reading...
US president says responsibility for reopening strait of Hormuz rests on countries relying on it; secretary of state says Washington must review whether Nato alliance is still serving the US wellâGet your own oilâ: Trump launches tirade against Europe for not joining Iran warAustraliaâs Treasurer Jim Chalmers has unveiled a suite of Covid-era support measures for businesses struggling with soaring fuel prices, while Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese is set to address the nation in the latest sign the government is preparing for a more severe economic downturn from the war.âThe war in the Middle East is having an extreme impact on the global economy. Australians and Australian small businesses are paying the price for that,â the treasurer told reporters on Wednesday.Two-thirds of Americans believe that the US should work to end its involvement in the Iran war quickly, even if that means not achieving the goals set out by the Trump administration, a Reuters/Ipsos poll has found.Asian markets rose sharply early on Wednesday after US stocks soared to their best day in almost a year on renewed hopes that the Iran war could soon end. South Koreaâs Kospi surged 6.4% in early trading, while Tokyoâs Nikkei 225 rose 4%. Hong Kongâs Hang Seng was up 1.9%, while the Shanghai Composite index was trading 1.4% higher.Thousands of additional US troops are heading to the Middle East. The aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush deployed on Tuesday and is slated to travel to the region along with three destroyers, two US officials said. The carrier strike group consists of more than 6,000 personnel.The Israeli military said on Wednesday it had identified the launch of a missile from Yemen towards Israel. It said defence systems were operating to intercept the missile.Iranâs state broadcaster IRIB said areas in northern, eastern and central Tehran were under attack on Wednesday morning. The broadcaster said on Telegram that explosions were heard in the capitalâs north, east and centre, reporting âattacks on Tehranâ without immediately providing more details.A drone attack has sparked a large fire at Kuwait international airport, according to its state news agency, which said no casualties had been reported, while in the last few hours Saudi Arabia has said it intercepted and destroyed two drones. Bahrain also said early on Wednesday that it was working to extinguish a fire at a business facility that resulted from an Iranian attack. A tanker also came under attack off the coast of Qatar early on Wednesday, according to the British militaryâs United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre.Israeli strikes in southern Beirut and a nearby area have killed seven people, according to Lebanonâs health ministry.An American journalist has been kidnapped in Baghdad by a suspected Iranian-backed Iraqi armed group, the US said. The journalist was identified as Shelly Kittleson, a freelancer, by media advocacy groups as well as Al-Monitor, one of the news outlets for which she worked.The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the United Arab Emirates is preparing to help the US open the strait of Hormuz by force. Citing Arab officials, the newspaper reported the UAE is lobbying for a UN security council resolution that would authorise such action. Continue reading...
⢠President Donald Trump stated on March 31 that the US military campaign against Iran could conclude within two to three weeks, saying 'We'll be leaving very soon' from the Oval Office.
⢠Trump emphasized no diplomatic deal with Tehran is required, insisting the goal is to render Iran unable to develop nuclear weapons and 'put into the stone ages' before withdrawal.
⢠The announcement signals an extension beyond the initial four-to-six week timeline amid reordered Middle East dynamics, disrupted global energy markets, and impacts on Trump's presidency.
⢠President Trump stated at a Thursday cabinet meeting that Iran is "begging to make a deal" to end the war, claiming Iran has offered him "eight big boats of oil" as a goodwill gestureâlater revising the number to 10.
⢠Trump insisted he is not the one pushing for negotiations despite Iran's repeated official denials of direct talks with the United States as the conflict enters its fourth week.
⢠U.S. Special Envoy Steve Woodcock indicated strong signs Iran could be convinced to reach a peace deal, while Trump also criticized NATO allies for failing to send naval assets to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel and Gulf states targeted and Iran hit by airstrikes as Tehran denies negotiations are taking place to end warMiddle East crisis â live updatesViolence has continued across much of the Middle East, a day after Donald Trump said the US was in âvery goodâ talks with Iran to end the war in the region soon.Iranian barrages targeted Israel, Gulf Arab states and northern Iraq on Tuesday, while Israeli and US warplanes continued to carry out strikes across Tehran and on other targets in the Islamic Republic. Continue reading...
President delays threat against energy infrastructure after Iranâs threats of retaliation, while Tehran denies any talksMiddle East crisis â live updatesDonald Trump has extended by five days his deadline to âhit and obliterateâ Iranâs power stations and energy infrastructure if Tehran does not allow shipping to move freely through the strait of Hormuz, claiming that the US and Iran have held âvery good and productive conversationsâ on an end to the three-week-old war.There was no immediate official reaction from Tehran to Trumpâs announcement, which was made in a post on Truth Social and appeared to avert a potentially massive escalation of the conflict, at least for now. Continue reading...
Move to allow shipments already at sea comes amid a supply crisisUS to send three more warships and thousands more troops, reports sayHow the Iran war has sent shocks rippling across the globeKuwaitâs state oil firm KPC said its Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery was hit by multiple drone attacks early on Friday, causing a fire in some units, with no initial casualties reported, the state news agency said.Firefighters responded immediately, with several units shut down as a precaution to ensure workersâ safety. Continue reading...
US president says he told Netanyahu âdonât do thatâ as he distances himself from attack that has angered Gulf alliesThe US-Israeli war against Iran has exposed further divisions between the two countries after an Israeli strike on Iranâs largest gas field angered US allies in the Gulf and prompted Donald Trump to say he knew nothing in advance about the attack â a claim that Israeli officials disputed.Speaking in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said he had spoken to Israelâs Benjamin Netanyahu following the strikes on Iranâs South Pars gas field â part of a reserve shared with Qatar â and had told the Israeli prime minister to refrain from further attacks that could escalate a regional war on energy infrastructure. Continue reading...
⢠In a Saturday phone call with NBC journalist Kristen Welker, President Trump claimed Iran sought a ceasefire, but Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arashi immediately contradicted the assertion, stating Iran has never requested negotiations or a truce.
⢠US and Israeli forces have intensified bombardment of Iranian cities including Tehran, Hamadan, and Isfahan, with Trump warning of additional strikes; 12 US service members have been killed since the war began February 28.
⢠Reuters reports Trump has ignored attempts by Middle Eastern allies to broker negotiations ending the conflict, while the US State Department warned American citizens to leave Iraq immediately amid ongoing military operations.
