Page 4 - Donald Trump

Iran's exiled crown prince appeals to US, Israel to 'dismantle' regime

Pahlavi appealed to Trump, Netanyahu to continue targeting the regime while sparing the civilian infrastructure

Trump's changing strategy on Hormuz raises questions about US war readiness

At war with Iran, President Donald Trump is cycling through an increasingly desperate list of options as he searches for a solution to the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. He is jumping from calls to secure the waterway through diplomatic means to lifting sanctions and now escalating to a direct threat against civilian infrastructure in the Islamic Republic. Trump and his allies insist they were always prepared for Iran to block the strait, yet the Republican president's erratic strategy has fuelled criticism that he is grasping for answers after going to war without a clear exit plan. On Saturday came his latest attempt, via an ultimatum to Iran: Open the strait within 48 hours or the United States will "obliterate" the country's power plants. Trump's aides defended the threat as a hard-edged tactic to press Iran into submission. Opponents framed it as the failings of a president who miscalculated what it would take to get out of a geopolitical mire. "Trump has no plan to reopen t

Iran threatens Hormuz shutdown over Trump's energy strike warning

Trump on Saturday threatened to "obliterate" Iran's power plants if Tehran did not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours

Trump threatens to deploy ICE agents at US airports over funding impasse

Transportation Security Administration personnel are set to miss a second full paycheck on March 27 amid a partial government shutdown in its 36th day

Trump touted big tax refunds, but rising gas prices may level gains

The US economy was supposed to start the year with a bang, fuelled by an unusually large jump in tax refunds from President Donald Trump's tax cut legislation. Yet spiking gas prices are on track to eat up those refunds, leaving most Americans with little extra to spend. "Next spring is projected to be the largest tax refund season of all time," Trump said in a prime-time speech in December that was intended to address voters' concerns about the economy and stubbornly high prices. But that was before the Iran war, which began Feb. 28. Oil and gas prices have soared since then, with the nationwide average price of gas reaching USD3.94 Sunday, up more than a dollar from just a month earlier. Gas prices are likely to remain elevated for some time, even if the war ends soon, because shipping and production have been disrupted and will take time to recover. Economists now expect slower growth this spring and for the year as a whole, as dollars that are spent on gas are less likely to be

Trump, Iran escalate conflict with threats to energy, water facilities

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf wrote on X that critical infrastructure and energy facilities in West Asia could be "irreversibly destroyed" should Iranian power plants be attacked

Trump's America a historical problem: Global impact, zero accountability

Conflicting signals from Donald Trump on the Gulf war unsettle markets, drive oil volatility, and expose deeper global economic imbalances and geopolitical risks

Things getting out of hand: US miscalculations keep West Asia on the boil

The escalating US-Israel war with Iran deepens global uncertainty, disrupts energy supply chains, and exposes geopolitical fractures from NATO to Asia

West Asia crisis: Hormuz closure forcing Trump, importers to seek solution

The channel has been a focal point since the start of the war, but Iran's geographic and strategic advantages mean the US has been unable to restore traffic

Trump set to feature on gold coin to celebrate 250 years of US Independence

US President Donald Trump is all set to feature on a gold coin to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary, amid questions over the legality of the move. The 24-karat gold coin, portraying Trump leaning on the Resolute desk with clenched fists, will be only the second time a living president has featured on a coin. Earlier, Calvin Coolidge, the 30th US President had featured on a commemorative coin alongside George Washington that were minted in 1926 to celebrate 150 years of the US Independence. The US Commission on Fine Arts, at its meeting on March 19, approved the design of the commemorative gold coin, which will be minted once the final dimensions are decided. "As we approach our 250th birthday, we are thrilled to prepare coins that represent the enduring spirit of our country and democracy, and there is no profile more emblematic for the front of such coins than that of our serving President, Donald J. Trump," US Treasurer Brandon Beach said in a statement to FOX Business.

Iran strikes near Israeli nuclear hub as Trump sets 48-hr Hormuz deadline

Iranian missiles struck two communities in southern Israel late Saturday, leaving buildings shattered and dozens injured in dual attacks not far from Israel's main nuclear research centre, while President Donald Trump warned the US will "obliterate" Iranian power plants if it doesn't fully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. The developments signalled the war was moving in a dangerous new direction at the start of its fourth week. Trump -- who is facing increasing pressure at home to secure the strait as oil prices soar -- issued the ultimatum in a social media post while he spent the weekend at his Florida home. Trump said he's giving Iran 48 hours to open the vital waterway or face a new round of attacks. He said the US would destroy "various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!" The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the rest of the globe's oceans, is a critical pathway for the world's flow of oil. Attacks on commercial ships and threats of

Trump's mixed messages on Iran: 'Winding down' war but adding more troops

President Donald Trump frequently contradicts himself, sometimes in the same speech, social media post or even sentence. Within the space of a few hours Friday, he sent a torrent of mixed signals about the Iran war that raise more questions about the direction of the conflict and his administration's strategy. During this time, Trump said he was considering winding down the war, his administration confirmed it was sending more troops to the Middle East and, in an effort to lessen the economic impact on global energy markets, the United States lifted sanctions on some Iranian oil for the first time in decades -- relieving some of the pressure that Washington traditionally has used as leverage. The confusing combination of actions deepens a sense among Trump's critics that there is no clear, long-term strategy for the war the US and Israel launched against Iran. Now in its fourth week, the war remains on an unpredictable path and a credible endgame is unclear even as the global economy

Trump threatens strikes on Iran if Hormuz not reopened in 48 hours

President Donald Trump on Saturday said the US will "obliterate" Iranian power plants if it doesn't fully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. Trump issued the ultimatum in a social media post whole he spent the weekend in Florida. He said he's giving Iran exactly 48 hours to open the vital waterway or face a new round of attacks. He said the US would destroy "various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!" Trump faces increasing pressure to secure the strait as oil prices soar.

Iran warns US against ground attack, says 'great surprise' awaits Trump

This comes as CBS news reported that the Trump administration has been strategising ways and options to extract Iran's nuclear material

Iran fires two missiles at Diego Garcia, signalling extended strike range

As per WSJ, one missile failed during flight, while a US warship launched an SM-3 interceptor at the second missile

Colombian president Gustavo Petro named 'priority target' in US drug probe

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been designated a "priority target" by the US Drug Enforcement Administration as federal prosecutors in New York probe his alleged ties to drug traffickers, according to people familiar with the matter and records seen by The Associated Press. DEA records show Petro has surfaced in multiple investigations dating to 2022, many based on interviews with confidential informants. The alleged crimes the DEA has investigated include his possible dealings with Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, a scheme to leverage his "total peace" plan to benefit prominent traffickers who contributed to his presidential campaign. The records also suggest the use of law enforcement to smuggle cocaine and fentanyl through Colombian ports. The "priority target" label is reserved for suspects DEA deems to have a "significant impact" on the drug trade. An inquiry in early stages ---------------------------- In recent months, prosecutors in Brooklyn and Manhattan have been question

US tax refunds rise 11% but still fall short of Trump's $1,000 promise

Refunds averaged $3,623 through March 13, 11 per cent higher than the same point last year, according to data the IRS released Friday

US considering 'winding down' military campaign against Iran, says Trump

Trump's comments came shortly after he ruled out a ceasefire and kept the door open to deploying ground troops, highlighting how he continues to send wildly divergent signals about his objectives

US attack on alleged drug-smuggling boat leaves 2 dead in eastern Pacific

A US military attack on an alleged drug-smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean has left one survivor and two people dead, US officials have said, as the Trump administration pursues its campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America. US Southern Command said in a post on X on Friday that it immediately notified the US Coast Guard to activate a search for three people who survived the strike. The Coast Guard said in a statement that one of its ships recovered two dead bodies and one survivor, and transferred them to the Costa Rican Coast Guard. The latest attack brings the number of people who've been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to at least 159 since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls "narcoterrorists" in early September. As with most of the military's statements on the more than 40 known strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, US Southern Command said it targeted alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes.

Iran threatens strikes; US sends more Marines as Trump hints at wind-down

Three weeks into an escalating war in the Middle East, Iran threatened on Friday to expand its retaliatory attacks to include recreational and tourist sites worldwide, as the US announced it was sending more warships and Marines to the region. Hours later, President Donald Trump said on social media that his administration in fact was considering "winding down" military operations in the region. His post came after another climb in oil plunged the US stock market. The mixed messages came as the war has shown no signs of abating. Iran launched more attacks on Israel and energy sites in neighbouring Gulf Arab states, and the region marked one of the holiest days on the Muslim calendar. Iranians were also celebrating the Persian New Year, known as Nowruz, a normally festive holiday, as Israeli airstrikes landed in Tehran. With little information coming out of Iran, it was not clear how much damage its arms, nuclear or energy facilities have sustained in the punishing US and Israeli ..