Donald Trump

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 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 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 ..

Vishwaguru delusion, mine vs yours: Two flawed takes on India's power

One side thinks India is punching way above its weight.The other thinks Mr Modi has undermined India, and it punches below its strength. Both are wrong

Trump administration sues Harvard for allegedly violating civil rights law

The Trump administration has sued Harvard, alleging civil rights violations over antisemitism and seeking to recover billions in federal funding

Trump calls Nato "cowards" over lack of support in Iran conflict

"Without the USA, NATO IS A PAPER TIGER!" Trump said in a social media post

Donald Trump's Iran war shows the limits of his strike-first strategy

Trump's approach rejects many of the tenets of the American way of war that emerged after the Cold War

West Asia war updates: Pentagon seeks $200 bn for Iran war; Brent tops $107

Iran launched missile strikes across the region as the US seeks $200 billion for the war; attacks on energy sites raised supply concerns, while India moved to secure fuel imports and evacuate citizens

Epstein's former attorney tells House panel he didn't know about the abuse

Jeffrey Epstein's longtime personal attorney testified to a House committee that he was unaware of the late financier's sexual abuse of underage girls at the time it was happening, becoming the latest person connected to Epstein to take that stance. Darren Indyke, who worked as Epstein's attorney for roughly two decades, told the House Oversight Committee in his opening statement that he "had had no knowledge whatsoever" of Epstein's abuse and would have quit working for him if he had known he was trafficking women and underage girls. Other associates of Epstein, including his former accountant Richard Kahn, one of his largest clients Les Wexner, and former President Bill Clinton, have also told the committee in sworn depositions that they didn't know about Epstein's abuse. Democrats on the committee aired their frustration during a break from Indyke's deposition, saying that the lawyer had taken a "defensive" posture in the face of questioning. Indyke, along with Kahn, are executo

Trump's reaction to Israeli strike on gas field exposes rift in strategies

President Trump said he complained to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel about the attack, which sent energy markets reeling; but Israeli officials said the Americans were informed beforehand

Trump, UAE President discuss regional tensions, security in phone call

Trump condemned the attacks and reaffirmed the US' solidarity with the UAE and the countries of the region

Trump references Pearl Harbor as Iran war exposes strains in US-Japan ties

After Trump's reference to the Pearl Harbor attack, a Japanese foreign ministry official said the subject didn't come up in closed-door talks between the leaders

Trump says US will not deploy troops to West Asia amid Iran conflict

Trump spoke at the White House during an Oval Office meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi