Live Trump

• Il Segretario di Stato afferma che gli Stati Uniti hanno chiarito la posizione americana su Taiwan, mentre i colloqui tra Trump e Xi continuano per il secondo giorno • Xi avverte Trump di possibili ‘scontri e persino conflitti’ con gli Stati Uniti su Taiwan • Analisi: per una Taiwan ansiosa, il silenzio di Trump dopo i colloqui con Xi è il miglior risultato possibile

In vista dei colloqui cruciali, la sicurezza è stata intensificata a Pechino, con il presidente degli Stati Uniti che incontrerà Xi nella Grande Sala del Popolo. Il summit Trump-Xi durerà due giorni. Inizialmente era previsto per fine marzo o inizio aprile, ma è stato rimandato a causa della guerra in Iran. Ora che Trump si trova in Cina, ecco alcuni dei rischi che il presidente degli Stati Uniti deve affrontare. Continua a leggere...

L'incontro avviene in un clima di tregua commerciale provvisoria, ma l'Iran, Taiwan e le tensioni sulle catene di approvvigionamento globali saranno fattori complicanti.

Il presidente degli Stati Uniti definisce la proposta di pace di Teheran 'totalmente inaccettabile' e 'un pezzo di spazzatura'

• Sarà la prima volta che un presidente degli Stati Uniti visita la Cina da quasi un decennio, dopo l'ultima visita di Trump nel 2017. • Benvenuti alla nostra copertura in diretta della politica statunitense. Donald Trump è previsto in viaggio in Cina questa settimana per incontrare Xi Jinping, il leader cinese. • Tuttavia, considerando tutto ciò che è accaduto finora nel secondo mandato di Trump – una guerra commerciale e poi un'effettiva guerra con l'Iran che ha portato a un'impennata dei prezzi di petrolio e gas in tutto il mondo – l'atmosfera di questa visita sarà probabilmente molto diversa. Continua a leggere...

Il presidente degli Stati Uniti definisce "totalmente inaccettabile" la risposta iraniana, mentre Teheran afferma che colpirà qualsiasi nuovo attacco statunitense o navi da guerra straniere nello stretto di Hormuz

The US said it carried out strikes on Iranian military targets after an attack on three American destroyers in the strait of HormuzMorning, and welcome to the Guardian’s Middle East live blog.The US said it carried out strikes on Iranian military targets after an attack on three American destroyers in the strait of Hormuz, while Tehran accused Washington of striking first. The exchange of fire threatens to unravel a fragile ceasefire in effect since 8 April – but Donald Trump insisted the truce remains intact. Continue reading...

The US and Iran have offered conflicting messages over the likelihood of a deal being reached imminentlyMorning and welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.The US and Iran have offered conflicting messages over the state of negotiations to end the war, with Donald Trump signalling the talks were “very good” and a deal “very possible”.News of a possible deal followed Trump’s abrupt U-turn on a US military operation to guide ships out of the strait of Hormuz, dubbed “Project Freedom”. Trump said the decision to pause the mission on Tuesday – two days after it was launched – was to give peace a chance, but NBC reported that it was suspended after Saudi Arabia refused to allow the US military to use its bases and airspace to carry out the operation. US officials told the American broadcaster that Gulf allies were caught off guard by the sudden announcement of Project Freedom, and that it had angered the leadership in Saudi Arabia.The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, told his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, that the US’s behaviour had “deviated the path of diplomacy towards threats, pressure and sanctions” and that Tehran could not trust Washington. In a statement carried by the Iranian state-run Press TV, Pezeshkian said Iran had entered into dialogue with the US twice and “on both occasions, military aggression against Iran took place concurrently with the negotiations. Such behaviour is effectively like ‘stabbing from behind’”.Iran has denied any involvement in damage to a South Korean-operated vessel in the strait of Hormuz, which suffered an explosion and fire on Monday. Trump blamed the incident on an Iranian attack, while South Korea’s foreign ministry said the cause of the fire would only be confirmed after the vessel is inspected. The Iran embassy in Seoul issued a statement this morning rejecting the allegations, saying safe passage through the waterway requires strict adherence to Iranian regulations.The damage and destruction inflicted on US military sites across the Middle East during the war is far larger than what has been publicly acknowledged by the Trump administration or previously reported, according to analysis by the Washington Post. Reviewing satellite imagery, the newspaper found Iranian airstrikes have damaged or destroyed at least 228 US structures or pieces of equipment, including hangars, barracks, fuel depots, aircraft and key radar, communications and air defence equipment. The US Central Command declined to comment on the report.In Lebanon, where a ceasefire has demonstrably failed to stop the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, three people were killed this morning in Israeli strikes on Nabatieh south of the country, according to the official Lebanese National News Agency. The Israeli military said one of its soldiers was seriously injured by an explosive-laden Hezbollah drone in southern Lebanon yesterday. It did not say where the attack took place.In Gaza, where another ceasefire appears to be fraying, an Israeli airstrike has killed Azzam Khalil al-Hayya, the son of Hamas political bureau leader and chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, according to senior Hamas official Basim Naim. Azzam succumbed to his injuries this morning after being struck in an Israeli attack last night, Reuters reported. He is the fourth son of Hamas’s exiled Gaza chief to have been killed in Israeli attacks. Continue reading...

US president pauses ‘Project Freedom’ to work on ‘final agreement’ with Tehran; stocks also ride high on AI euphoriaGood morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets and the world economy.Asian stock markets hit record highs, following in Wall Street’s footsteps, and oil prices retreated after Donald Trump hailed “great progress” towards a “final agreement” with Tehran.on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran”.Investors bought and continue to add to positioning in the 2026 winners. There has been some buying in S&P 500 materials stocks, but it’s tech that continues to attract the bulk of flows, notably in Apple and the memory plays.9am BST: Eurozone services and composite PMIs for April9.30am BST: UK services and composite PMIs for April1.15pm BST: US ADP employment change for April Continue reading...

US president says he will briefly pause Project Freedom after just one day; Rubio says US has achieved objectives of Iran operation; Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi flies to ChinaTrump puts ‘Project Freedom’ on hold, saying he hopes to finalise deal with IranIranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi met with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi for talks in Beijing on Wednesday, China’s Xinhua news agency reported, without giving details on the discussion.Iran’s Fars news agency earlier said Araghchi would “discuss bilateral relations and regional and international developments with his Chinese counterpart”.US secretary of state Marco Rubio said the military objectives of so-called “Operation Epic Fury” have concluded and the offensive stage of the war with Iran is “over”. Speaking at the White House press briefing, Rubio insisted that ongoing US military action in the strait of Hormuz is “defensive” in nature and a separate operation, in line with the Trump administration’s argument that it doesn’t need approval from Congress to continue the war against Iran. “There’s no shooting unless we’re shot at first,” he told reporters, urging Iran to “make the sensible choice” and negotiate a deal.With the status of the ceasefire in doubt, Donald Trump declined to say what would constitute a violation, telling reporters only that Iran knows “what not to do”. It comes amid rising tensions after both sides exchanged fire in the strait of Hormuz on Monday. “Well, you’ll find out because I’ll let you know,” the US president said. “They know what to do, or what not to do more importantly.”Before Trump’s announcement on Tuesday evening, his defense secretary Pete Hegseth insisted that “Project Freedom” had allowed the US to gain control of the strait, despite Iran claiming it has actually strengthened its control of the waterway, and thousands of cargo ships remain stranded there. Continue reading...