US-Iran deal scheduled to be signed on Sunday, says Trump

US-Iran deal scheduled to be signed on Sunday, says Trump

A deal to end fighting between the US and Iran is “scheduled to get signed” on Sunday, US President Donald Trump has said – but Iran has cast doubt on the timing.

In a post on social media, Trump also said the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, would be “open to all” following the deal.

Earlier Pakistan, a key mediator, said finalisation of the deal was expected within 24 hours and they were “preparing for the electronic signing”.

Share

Deal to end fighting would lead to Hormuz reopening, Iran says

Deal to end fighting would lead to Hormuz reopening, Iran says

A deal with the US to end fighting in Iran is close and includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Foreign Minister has said.

Seyed Abbas Araghchi told state TV the deal also includes the lifting of a US blockade of Iran, but that talks on Iran’s nuclear programme would begin later.

US officials have confirmed some of the details of the agreement, saying economic benefits for Iran would depend on Tehran meeting its obligations.

Share

Trump fumes over ‘fake’ peace deal terms leaked by Iran

Trump fumes over ‘fake’ peace deal terms leaked by Iran

President Donald Trump claimed that the ceasefire terms reported by Iranian state media on Friday were “fake news” and denied offering any monetary compensation to Tehran to secure its cooperation in ending the war.

Iranian state media began circulating a 14-point ceasefire agreement Friday morning that included more than $300 billion being paid out to Iran. Some of that, $24 billion, was Iranian assets frozen by international banking institutions, while the remaining $300 billion was to be paid by the United States as reparations for damage caused by months of airstrikes.

Share

Has the US really carried out a secret mission to get oil through Hormuz?

Has the US really carried out a secret mission to get oil through Hormuz?

Donald Trump has claimed that the US has been conducting a “secret mission” in the strait of Hormuz to help Gulf petrostates bypass Iran’s chokehold on oil flows – which has roiled global energy markets for months.

In televised comments from the Oval Office on Wednesday, the president claimed Iran was unaware that dozens of tankers had been escorted out of the blockaded channel at night with their transmitters off.

He later wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform that 200 vessels had got out this way, transporting more than 100m barrels of oil to global buyers.

So what is actually going on?

Share

Vance says Israeli PM Netanyahu ‘has got some things wrong’

Vance says Israeli PM Netanyahu ‘has got some things wrong’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “certainly gotten some things wrong”, US Vice-President JD Vance has said, as ties between the two partners in the war against Iran appear to have become strained in recent weeks.

While Vance would not provide examples, he told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that Netanyahu “aggressively asserts the interests of his country” but that they were not always aligned with those of the US.

His comments mark a further public admission that relations between the two allies have come under pressure of late.

Share

Trump Says U.S. Will Hit Iran Tonight, Plans to Take Key Oil Hub Kharg Island

Trump Says U.S. Will Hit Iran Tonight, Plans to Take Key Oil Hub Kharg Island

President Trump threatened to strike Iran “VERY HARD” again Thursday night and take “total control” of the country’s oil and gas markets, a sign that he has abandoned the diplomatic route and is aiming to force Tehran into a nuclear deal it has resisted for months.

The U.S. “in the not too distant future” would be taking Kharg Island, which sits off Iran’s southern coast and is the country’s main oil export hub, Trump added in the Truth Social post, “and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela, which is working out brilliantly for both Venezuela and the United States of America.”

Share

US-Iran strikes intensify after American patrol helicopter downed in Hormuz

US-Iran strikes intensify after American patrol helicopter downed in Hormuz

The US and Iran have exchanged fire after the US threatened retaliation for the downing of an American military helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.

The US Central Command (Centcom) said on Tuesday it had “completed” airstrikes launched at 17:00 ET.

In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had launched a drone strike on a US base in Bahrain and a missile strike on a US base in Jordan, according to state-run media, and Kuwait’s army said it was intercepting an attack.

Share

Trump says Iran shot down US helicopter and vows to respond

Trump says Iran shot down US helicopter and vows to respond

President Donald Trump has accused Iran of shooting down a US helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz and vowed to respond to the attack out of “necessity”.

Two crew members of the Apache helicopter that crashed following the attack were rescued by an American sea drone, the Pentagon said in a statement.

“There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.”

Share

Trump’s latest Iran war prediction: US in ‘final throes’ of ‘very good strong, powerful deal’

Trump’s latest Iran war prediction: US in ‘final throes’ of ‘very good strong, powerful deal’

TRUMP: ‘NO STICKING POINTS’: To hear President Donald Trump tell it, a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz and bar Iran from ever having nuclear weapons is just days away. By one count, Trump has made similar statements more than three dozen times in the past few months. However, speaking to reporters at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York last night, Trump insisted negotiations were about to conclude with a “powerful deal.”

“We’re in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal that will not allow in any way, shape, or form nuclear weapons, et cetera,” Trump said after watching game three of the NBA Finals in New York. “And the Strait will open up right away. It’ll open up immediately upon signing, which could be in two or three days.”

Share

Iran’s strike on Israel suggests the regime’s sense of resilience is growing

Iran’s strike on Israel suggests the regime’s sense of resilience is growing

When Iran launched missiles and drones at Israel overnight in response to Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, the immediate military significance of the attack appeared to be limited. The political significance, however, may be far greater.

For years, Iran has generally justified direct attacks on Israel as retaliation for actions against Iranian territory, commanders or interests. This time was different. Tehran acted after an attack on one of its allies, following an Israeli strike on what it said was a Hezbollah-linked building in southern Beirut.

Share

Iran’s $25 Billion Nuclear Deal with Russia: Iran’s IRGC Regime Must be Removed

Iran’s $25 Billion Nuclear Deal with Russia: Iran’s IRGC Regime Must be Removed

In the midst of ongoing diplomatic efforts and an ostensible truce, Iran launched missile and drone strikes on Kuwait and Bahrain — countries not even remotely involved in its conflict with Israel and the US — and then revealed that it signed a $25 billion nuclear deal with Russia.

Iran’s regime, controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is headed by General Ahmad Vahidi, appears not to have the slightest intention of decreasing its hostilities.

Share

Renewing Military Strikes Against Iran Is the Only Way to End Its Nuclear Ambitions

Renewing Military Strikes Against Iran Is the Only Way to End Its Nuclear Ambitions

In the seemingly endless to and fro over the Trump administration’s attempts to negotiate a peace deal with Tehran, the one red line upon which there can be no hint of compromise is US President Donald J. Trump’s insistence that the ayatollahs will never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.

While speculation continues to mount that a deal to end the three-month conflict between Iran and the US is in the offing, it is clear that Iran is still resisting demands that it surrender the estimated 970 pounds of enriched uranium — whose main utility is for the production of nuclear warheads.

Share

Trump outburst reflects Israel’s sinking popularity in American eyes

Trump outburst reflects Israel’s sinking popularity in American eyes

When details were leaked about the latest phone call between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, the headlines focused on the wave of profanities from the US president.

“What the f— are you doing?” shouted Mr Trump in reference to the Israeli prime minister’s continued bombing of Lebanon. “You’re f—ing crazy. You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me.”

It is strong stuff, revealing genuine anger, but it is not the first time an American president has lost his patience with the aggressive brinkmanship of Mr Netanyahu.

Share