Page 2 - Donald Trump Administration

Trump suggests US could seize Iran's Kharg Island amid rising tensions

US President Donald Trump has raised the idea of American forces seizing Iran's Kharg Island, its main oil terminal in the Persian Gulf. The comment by Trump came in an interview published early Monday by The Financial Times. "Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don't. We have a lot of options," Trump told the newspaper. "It would also mean we had to be there (on Kharg Island) for a while." Asked about Iranian defences there, he said: "I don't think they have any defense. We could take it very easily." The US already launched airstrikes once it said targeted military positions on the island. Iran has threatened to launch its own ground invasion of Gulf Arab countries and new attacks if US troops land on its territory. Trump said that Iran's parliament speaker authorised the passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf. The comment by Trump in the interview is the latest signal by the Americans of Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf's importance

Trump wants his legacy to be as 'great peacemaker', cites ending wars

He also outlined the scale of potential US military action on Iran, despite ongoing diplomatic talks to end the conflict

Trump signs executive action to pay TSA workers amid DHS funding impasse

President Donald Trump on Friday signed a promised executive action that will pay Transportation Security Administration employees, after a deal that sought to do the same stalled in Congress. Trump signed the action with an eye toward easing long security lines at many of nation's top airports. "America's air travel system has reached its breaking point," Trump said in the memo authorizing the payments. House Republicans are rejecting a Senate-passed bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, a revolt that risks delaying a resolution to the funding impasse now in its 42nd day that has created long lines at many of the nation's airports. "This gambit that was done last night is a joke," House Speaker Mike Johnson said Friday. Johnson said that instead House Republicans would seek to pass a bill that would fund the entire department at current levels until May 22. He also said that he had spoken with President Donald Trump about the House Republican plan and the ...

US signals to allies no immediate invasion of Iran, keeps options open

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday the US can achieve its objectives in Iran without the use of ground troops but their presence gives Trump options

Trump wants his name on every dollar. Why signatories on currency matter

US Department of the Treasury has announced that Trump's signature will soon appear on US currency which till now features the signature of the Treasury secretary and the treasurer

US court questions Trump administration's ban on Anthropic AI's usage

Anthropic sued last month to block the Pentagon's declaration, escalating a high-stakes dispute over safeguards on AI technology used by the military

Trump admin launches probes into Harvard over antisemitism, admissions

If found to be in violation of the law, the department can strip Harvard of its federal funding and render the college ineligible for federal financial aid, steps threatened in the past

Musk must face lawsuit over alleged unconstitutional role as Trump advisor

It's one of a handful of lawsuits challenging actions taken by the Department of Government Efficiency project last year that have outlasted Musk's tenure in the US government

Trump's 48-hour Iran ultimatum raises risk of reckless escalation

The logic is obvious: Having started the war, Trump can now only win it by continuing until, at a minimum, Iran is unable to endanger tanker traffic through Hormuz

Trump's tariff playbook returns, this time with lawyering not legitimacy

The unusually rapid pace of these 76 inquiries raises concerns over due process, with expectations that responses may align closely with the Trump administration's preferred outcomes

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 allows sale of stranded Iranian oil until April 19 to bring down prices

US Treasury Secretary said the waiver could release about 140 mn barrels into markets amid Hormuz disruptions, as rising fuel costs intensify inflation worries and political pressure on Trump admin

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 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

Hollowed-out US State Dept strains diplomacy, struggles to manage Iran war

In the escalating war in Iran, the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs would ordinarily be at the centre of the geopolitical fray. The bureau's role would be to coordinate US foreign policy across an 18-country region, much of which has become a chaotic battlefield scarred by drone and missile strikes as the US and Israel remain locked in conflict with Iran. But now that bureau is also working with fewer resources. The administration's most recent budget proposed a 40 per cent cut to the bureau, though Congress eventually enacted less dramatic cuts. The administration also eliminated the dedicated Iran office, merging it with the Iraq office. Personnel and management choices - coupled with President Donald Trump's moves to shrink government and confine decision-making to a tight circle - are limiting the ability of the United States to handle a global emergency, according to interviews with more than a dozen current and former US officials. Veteran diplomats with deca

US, Israel coordinated on South Pars strike, contradicting Trump's claim

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said that Washington had no knowledge of the attack, claiming Israel "acted out of anger" striking at Iran's South Pars Gas Field

Trump weighs sending more troops to West Asia as Iran war enters new phase

Trump administration officials have also discussed the possibility of deploying US forces to secure Iran's stocks of highly enriched uranium

US national debt surges past $39 trillion just weeks into war with Iran

The national debt surpassed a record USD 39 trillion on Wednesday, a milestone that comes just weeks into the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran. The unprecedented figure highlights competing administration priorities, from passing a massive tax law and boosting defense spending and immigration enforcement to chipping away at the debt itself - the latter of which Donald Trump promised to do as both a candidate and as president. The Government Accountability Office outlines some of the impact of rising government debt on Americans - including higher borrowing costs for things like mortgages and cars, lower wages from businesses having less money available to invest, and more expensive goods and services. Advocates for a balanced budget also warn that the long-term trend of borrowing more and paying more in interest will force Americans to face tougher fiscal tradeoffs ahead. Michael Peterson, chair and CEO of the nonprofit Peter G. Peterson Foundation, created to raise awareness of America's .

Not happy with UK, France on Srait of Hormuz coalition, says Trump

French President Emmanuel Macron earlier spoke with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian, calling on him to put an end to attacks by Iran against the other countries in the West Asia