Page 5 - Donald Trump

Trump's Iran exit plan fails to bridge Republican rifts exposed by war

President Donald Trump's search for an off-ramp from the war with Iran is getting bumpy inside his Republican Party. In the decade since Trump's "America First" movement rose to power by rejecting military intervention, his coalition has rarely been tested the way it is now. Trump's exit efforts - first through threats of annihilation, then with a ceasefire that is proving precarious - are doing little to paper over tensions that have festered since the war began six weeks ago. Laura Loomer, a conservative activist close to the president and often one of his top boosters, rejected the notion of brokering a deal with Iran. In an interview, she knocked Vice President JD Vance for being "in charge" of talks expected to start Saturday in Pakistan, as he takes on a larger diplomatic role ahead of a potential 2028 White House run. "I support President Trump," Loomer said in an interview. "I just don't believe in negotiating with Islamic terrorists." Vance's office did not respond to a ..

West Asia war: Iran warns Israel on Lebanon attacks; Trump targets Hormuz

The fragile US-Iran ceasefire faces new pressure as Iran warns Israel over Hezbollah strikes in Lebanon, while Donald Trump says Tehran is doing a 'very poor job' of allowing oil through Hormuz

Israel complicates Trump's push for peace with Iran amid Lebanon offensive

President Trump said he had asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to scale back Israel's military campaign in Lebanon

Xi Jinping helps Trump on Iran war as China assists in ceasefire bid

Hours after a ceasefire publicly brokered by Pakistan was announced, Iranian officials reportedly credited a last-minute push by China with securing their acceptance, a claim soon validated by Trump

China calculates its next steps in Iran ceasefire ahead of Trump's visit

With a fragile ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran holding for now, China is calculating its role in helping find a durable endgame to the war in the Middle East. After prodding China, which is more reliant on Persian Gulf oil than the US, to get involved in reopening the choked-off Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump told French news outlet Agence France-Presse this week that he believed China played a part in encouraging Iran to agree to this week's temporary truce. Three diplomats who were familiar with China's behind-the-scenes efforts also confirmed that Beijing, the biggest purchaser of Iranian oil, used its leverage to urge the Iranians back to the negotiating table. It was a major moment for Beijing, which had decried the US and Israel's war against its economic partner Iran as misguided before getting directly involved in the push to call off the fighting, including discouraging strikes by Iran. Talks between the sides are expected to begin in Pakistan this

'False stories': Melania Trump denies knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes

First lady Melania Trump is denying ties to Jeffrey Epstein and knowledge of his sex crimes, saying Thursday that the "stories are completely false" and calling accusations that she was somehow involved "smears about me". Reading an extraordinary statement at the White House, Melania Trump said she and her attorneys were fighting back against "unfound and baseless lies" in regards to her connections to the late financier, a convicted sex offender who leveraged connections to the rich, powerful and famous to recruit his victims and cover up his crimes. "The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today," she said. "The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation." The seemingly out-of-the-blue message came as her husband, President Donald Trump, and his administration had finally seemed to move past more than a ye

'They better stop': Trump warns Iran on charging tankers passing via Hormuz

In another post, Trump accused Iran of "doing a poor job" at allowing oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, reminding Tehran of the temporary ceasefire agreement

Trump wants Hormuz commitments within days: Nato's Rutte to allies

The US president has repeatedly called Nato a "paper tiger" and threatened to withdraw from the 32-member transatlantic alliance in recent weeks

Uneasy ceasefire: Mutual mistrust portends trouble for US-Iran talks

Details of the 10-point US-Iran negotiating text remain unclear, but hardline demands from both sides on reopening the Strait of Hormuz suggest common ground may be difficult

US to host Indian delegation in April to discuss trade deal: Sergio Gor

The US on Thursday said it looked forward to hosting the Indian delegation here later this month to discuss the bilateral trade deal agreed to in February. US Ambassador to India Sergei Gor made the announcement of the Indian delegation's upcoming visit to Washington after a meeting with America's Trade Representative Jamieson Greer here. Gor, who is currently on a visit to the US, also met Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and several other US officials. "Highly Productive meeting with @USTradeRep Ambassador Greer to discuss advancing @POTUS trade priorities in South and Central Asia," Gor said in a post on X. "The United States and India have previously agreed to a trade deal, and we look forward to welcoming an Indian delegation to Washington later this month," he said. The meeting comes a day after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri launched the India-US Trade Facilitation Portal here as the two countries eye the USD 500 billion bilateral trade target. India and the US announced a

Watch: Donald Trump’s full address on the Iran war | Strait of Hormuz | White House | Oil prices

In his first address since launching coordinated military strikes with Israel on Iran, US President Donald Trump said Washington is close to achieving its military objectives and warned of intensified

"We are going to hit them very hard...": Trump on Iran War | US-Iran war | Strait of Hormuz

The war in West Asia may escalate further as US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could launch stronger attacks in the next two to three weeks if talks fail.

Why West Asia peace is hanging by a thread despite US-Iran ceasefire

Ahead of US-Iran talks in Islamabad, the ceasefire faces pressure from Israeli strikes in Lebanon, disputes over Iran's nuclear programme and tensions over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz

How Trump admin steered Pakistan to mediate a ceasefire with Iran

Report says Washington pushed Pakistan to broker Iran ceasefire to stabilise oil markets and ease Strait of Hormuz tensions

European nationalists, once MAGA allies, turn against Trump over Iran war

When President Donald Trump returned to the White House last year, he was eager to pick up where he left off by strengthening ties with Europe's right wing. But now many of those same factions are expressing open revulsion at the Iran war, rupturing relationships that were supposed to usher in a new international order. Although Vice President JD Vance campaigned for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban this week, such a display has become the exception rather than the rule among conservatives and far-right leaders in Europe. Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni refused to let the United States use an air base in Sicily to launch attacks on Iran. France's National Rally leader Marine Le Pen described his war goals as "erratic." And the head of Germany's Alternative for Germany party called for American troops to leave their bases in the country. Even with a fragile ceasefire in place with Iran, Trump's support for Orban may not work out for the autocratic Hungarian leader, who fac

'US forces to remain around Iran': Trump warns of action if deal violated

'All US ships, aircraft and military personnel, with ammunition and weaponry, will remain in place in and around Iran until such time as the real agreement reached is fully complied with,' Trump wrote

US asks allies for quick, concrete plans to secure Hormuz after ceasefire

Request was presented during discussions between American and Nato officials at the White House, where US President Trump met with North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Mark Rutte

West Asia war: Iran ties truce to Lebanon; Israel says strikes to continue

A two-week US-Iran ceasefire begins with talks set in Islamabad on Saturday, but the situation remains tense as Israel says its military operations in Lebanon will continue

US Congress absent, Republicans mum as Trump swings on conflict with Iran

In a week in which Trump has veered from threatening to wipe out Iranian civilisation to declaring ceasefire, US Congress is out of session and lawmakers with power to declare war are in the dark