Page 19 - Israel Iran Conflict

'May run for Venezuelan president', jokes Trump, claims strong popularity

Donald Trump claimed he was popular in Venezuela, where he might consider running for president after completing his US term. In light-hearted remarks during a press conference on Monday, Trump said he would poll higher than anybody ever has in Venezuela, where US forces captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in January to face drug trafficking trials in the US. "The people of Venezuela, they say, if I ran for president of Venezuela, I'm polling higher than anybody has ever polled in Venezuela, so after I'm finished with this, I can go to Venezuela," Trump said. "I will quickly learn Spanish. It won't take too long. I'm good at language, and I will go to Venezuela. I'm going to run for president. But we're very happy with the president-elect that we have right now," the US president said. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez took over as acting president after Nicolas Maduro's capture by US forces on January 3 this year. During the press conference, Trump

'Largest volume of strikes today': US Secy of War Pete Hegseth warns Iran

'Per the president's direction, today will be the largest volume of strikes since day one of this operation; tomorrow, even more than today,' Hegseth said

Rescue of US crew in Iran relied on dozens of aircraft, subterfuge: Trump

The US relied on dozens of aircraft, hundreds of personnel, secret CIA technology and a dose of subterfuge to rescue a two-man F-15E fighter jet crew downed deep inside Iran, a risky mission that President Donald Trump and his top defence aides detailed Monday. US forces rescued the pilot within hours of the jet going down late Thursday, surging helicopters, midair refuellers and fighter aircraft deep into Iran after confirming his location, Trump said in a valedictory news conference at the White House, describing the military operation in an unusual level of detail. The second aviator aboard the aircraft - the weapons systems officer - was rescued nearly two days later. An A-10 Warthog, which was the attack aircraft primarily responsible for keeping in contact with the downed pilot on the ground, was hit by enemy fire while engaging Iranian forces, said Gen Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The A-10 was "not landable", Caine told reporters, but the pilot continued

Oil prices rise as Trump sharpens rhetoric on Iran; Brent crude at $110

Adding to supply concerns, Russia on Monday said Ukrainian ‌drones attacked ​the Caspian Pipeline ​Consortium's terminal on the Black Sea, which handles 1.5 per cent of global oil supply

Trump threatens to decimate Iran in four hours as Tuesday deadline looms

US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to decimate Iran within four hours if it did not agree to a deal by Tuesday night, while brushing aside allegations of possible war crimes in case of attacks on power plants and bridges. "We have a plan, because of the power of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o'clock tomorrow (Tuesday) night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding, and never to be used again, I mean complete demolition by 12 o'clock, and it'll happen over a period of four hours, if we wanted to," Trump told a press conference here. He asked Iran to make a deal with the US and open the Hormuz Strait for free movement of oil by 8 pm Eastern Time on Tuesday. When asked about allegations of carrying out possible war crimes if the US attacks Iran's bridges and power plants, Trump said: "No, not at all." Trump insisted that Iranians want him to conduct more strikes and they are "willing to suffer" for ...

Iran conflict left mark on Nato, rift began with Greenland: Trump

US President Donald Trump has lashed out at the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), accusing the alliance and other friendly nations such as South Korea, Japan and Australia of failing to help the US in the Iran war. Trump's remarks at a press conference at the White House on Monday came days ahead of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's visit to Washington to meet the US President, who has dismissed the alliance as a "paper tiger". Trump said the war with Iran had left a mark on NATO "that will never disappear in my mind." The US President made it clear that the differences with NATO began when it spurned his move to take Greenland. "NATO is a paper tiger that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's not afraid of," Trump told reporters here. On the Iran war, Trump said NATO members actually "went out of their way not to help". "Look, we went to NATO. I didn't ask very strongly, I just said, 'Hey, if you want to help, great'," the US President said. "'No, no, no, we will not

Trump says US can 'take out' Iran in one night as Tuesday deadline nears

Trump earlier in the day reiterated that the deadline he has set for Iran to reach a deal remains final, warning of consequences if an agreement is not reached

West Asia war has evolved into 'systemic tremor': FM Nirmala Sitharaman

FM Nirmala Sitharaman says current year even 'more challenging' but India has enough fiscal space

The economics of global disorder: Resilience to trump efficiency, growth

There have, no doubt, been admirable efforts by the government to cushion the energy shock emanating from the Gulf, but there is only so much it can do in such global circumstances

Tuesday deadline for Iran deal is final, no extension, says Trump

US President Donald Trump warns of consequences if Iran fails to meet Tuesday deadline, says proposal falls short as tensions escalate over Strait of Hormuz

Iran rejects latest ceasefire proposal, seeks permanent end to war: Report

Tehran said it does not accept a temporary ceasefire, instead stressing the "need for a permanent end to the war while respecting Iran's considerations"

Qatar LNG tankers turn back after failed attempt to pass through Hormuz

Transit through Hormuz would be a shot in the arm for Qatar, which supplied nearly a 5th of all LNG last year, even as the country's Ras Laffan export plant has been shut for over a month

Iran war: Hormuz traffic hits highest in weeks as more transits are agreed

Iranian vessels continue to dominate traffic, but on Sunday a tanker carrying Iraqi crude made its way through the strait, after Iran said it would grant an exemption to "brotherly Iraq"

Intelligence chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guard killed in strikes

The head of intelligence for Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was killed Monday in an attack targeting him, Iranian state media reported. The Guard blamed the attack on the United States and Israel. It did not elaborate on where Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi was killed. However, multiple airstrikes targeted residential areas around Iran's capital, Tehran, early Monday morning.

Iran war may cap loan growth at 10-12%: Ambit; likes HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank

Analysts at Ambit Capital expect Iran war to slow bank credit growth to 10-12 per cent in bear case scenario, pressure margins, and cap liquidity. It prefers private bank stocks like HDFC & ICICI Bank

West Asia crisis: Two more Indian-flagged LPG ships exit the Gulf

A third vessel, Jag Vikram, is still in the west of the Strait of Hormuz, according to ship tracking data

Use of Strait of Hormuz must be guaranteed in any US-Iran deal: UAE

UAE official Anwar Gargash said the Strait of Hormuz cannot be weaponised, stressing that its security is not a regional bargaining chip but a global economic imperative

Airstrikes on Iran kill over 25 as Trump's deadline to open Hormuz looms

A series of airstrikes early Monday morning on Iran's capital targeted the Sharif University of Technology. Iranian media reported the strikes and damage to buildings there, as well as a natural gas distribution site next to the campus. It wasn't immediately clear what had been targeted on the grounds of the university, which is empty of students as the war has forced all schools in the country into online classes. Multiple countries over the years have sanctioned the university for its work with the military, particularly on Iran's ballistic missile programme, which is controlled by the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The Guard and other security forces have been using secondary sites as rally points as their bases have come under repeated attack during the war. Explosions rang out into the night. The sound of low-flying fighter jets could be heard off and on for hours. Meanwhile, the state-run IRAN daily newspaper said in an online message that an airstrike in a ...

Last-ditch diplomacy: Inside US-Iran plan to freeze West Asia war for 45 days

US and Iran are exploring a 45-day ceasefire through back-channel diplomacy to prevent further escalation in West Asia, stabilise oil markets and ease pressure on global shipping routes

Not China's war, but Beijing's long-term energy strategy is paying off

Long concerned about geopolitical crises, China redoubled efforts to secure energy security when US President Trump started raising the stakes in his first term