Page 9 - Trump Administration

Trump looks for a silver bullet to end Iran war, but there may be none

The president is trying to ratchet up the economic pressure on Tehran, but Iran's government is unlikely to make a deal without a big, face-saving compromise

White House insists war in West Asia is over, even while missiles fly

The White House is turning to rhetorical leaps as President Trump tries to put the biggest political crisis of his presidency behind him

China didn't challenge US naval blockade on Iran in Hormuz, says Trump

Trump noted China's reliance on oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and said Beijing has maintained a respectful stance regarding the ongoing situation

India, US 'very, very close' to signing trade deal, says Trump official

India and the US are "very, very close" to signing the trade deal and need to get over "that last hurdle", US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said on Tuesday. Landau said that India and the US have been negotiating for months and it was important for the two sides to "reach some closure" and move on with the many other issues on the agenda. "We are very aware of India's importance on the world stage. I think it is very important to get a final resolution of that trade deal. We have been talking now for months that we are very close, and I think we are very close. But we have to get over that last hurdle," Landau told reporters on the sidelines of the SelectUSA Investment Summit at National Harbour in Maryland near here. "I don't have any huge inside information to provide on when that is coming, but I can just reiterate that I believe that we are very, very close," said Landau, who recently visited India. "I think ultimately it's important that we reach some closure on

Major military operations against Iran over, Op Epic Fury concluded: Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that major US military operations against Iran are over - but he stopped short of saying the conflict cannot be restarted. Rubio told reporters at the White House that "Operation Epic Fury" - the attack the US and Israel mounted on Iran on Feb. 28 - "is concluded" because its objectives were met. Rubio said recent clashes with Iran related to US efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz were "defensive in nature." "We're not cheering for an additional situation to occur," he said. "We would prefer the path of peace." He said Iran must agree to President Donald Trump's demands on its nuclear program and reopen the strait, a waterway vital to global oil and gas supplies. US forces pressed ahead with an effort to guide commercial ships through the strait, but so far only two vessels are known to have passed through. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US prefers a peaceful effort to guide vessels out of the Persian Gulf but is ready to ac

US announces 'Project Freedom' to escort stranded ships through Hormuz

US President Donald Trump said the US Navy will start guiding foreign stranded ships to safety through the Strait of Hormuz from Monday and warned Iran that any interference in the process would be dealt with forcefully. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said 'Project Freedom' was aimed at helping foreign ships that are locked up in the Strait of Hormuz as "innocent bystanders" and in no way involved in the developments in West Asia. Trump said several of these ships were running low on food, drinking water and everything else necessary for large-scale crews to stay onboard in a healthy and sanitary manner. At the same time, the US President said that his representatives were having positive discussions with Iran, which could lead to something "positive for all". The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow sea route between Oman and Iran that transports one-fifth of the global oil supplies, has been effectively closed since February 28, when the US and Israel launched the war with Iran. The U

Trump reviews Iran's new proposal, says deal unlikely to be acceptable

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he was reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the war but also expressed scepticism that it would lead to a deal. "I'll let you know about it later," he said before boarding Air Force One, adding that "they're going to give me the exact wording now." Shortly after speaking to reporters, Trump posted on social media about the new proposal, saying he "can't imagine that it would be acceptable in that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years." Two semiofficial Iranian news outlets, Tasnim and Fars, believed to be close to Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said Iran has sent a 14-point proposal via Pakistan in response to a nine-point US proposal. Iran's state-run media have not reported on the new proposal. Pakistan has hosted previous negotiations between Iran and the United States. Trump rejected a previous Iranian proposal this week. However, conversation

'Rats in sewer pipe': US Treasury Secy Bessent slams Iranian leadership

Bessent also said that a blockade will continue till a 'Freedom of Navigation' is achieved in Strait of Hormuz

Pentagon claims US blockade has cost Iran nearly $4.8 bn in oil revenue

The Department of War assessment suggests Iran has been denied close to $5 billion in oil earnings due to disruptions linked to US enforcement operations in the region

Trump says deadline for Congress to approve Iran war doesn't apply

The White House asserted to Congress in a letter Friday that hostilities with Iran have "terminated" despite the continued presence of U.S. armed forces in the region. The message from President Donald Trump effectively skirts a May 1 legal deadline to gain approval from members of Congress to continue the war with Iran. That deadline was already set to pass without action from Republican lawmakers who are deferring to the president. The letter brings into stark relief the bold but legally questionable assertion of presidential power at the heart of Trump's war, which he began without congressional approval two months ago. "The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated," Trump wrote House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the Senate president pro tempore. He also made it clear in the letter that the war may be far from over. "Despite the success of United States operations against the Iranian regime and continued efforts to secure a .

Democrats probe as Trump OKs nearly $2 bn payout to end wind projects

The Trump administration is spending nearly $2 billion to get energy companies to walk away from US offshore wind projects. Democrats in Congress are investigating. The Republican administration adopted this strategy after federal courts thwarted President Donald Trump's efforts to stop offshore wind development through executive action. Three agreements have been announced. US Reps. Jared Huffman of California, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, and Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, are demanding information about the first and largest of the three. Under a deal made public in March, French company TotalEnergies is getting $1 billion - essentially a refund of its leases for offshore wind projects off North Carolina and New York- if it invests the money in fossil fuel projects instead. Huffman said that is a "scam" and the administration is going to "light a lot of federal taxpayer money on fire if we let them." In a letter

Better get smart soon: Trump warns Iran on nuclear deal amid stalled talks

The President's remarks come at a time of heightened regional tension and a continued diplomatic stalemate

Funds to pay TSA, Homeland Security workers will soon run out: White House

The White House is warning Congress that funding to pay Department of Homeland Security personnel will "soon run out," sparking new threats of airport disruptions and national security concerns as the House slow-walks legislation to end what has been the longest-ever lapse in agency funding. In a memo late Tuesday to lawmakers, the Office of Management and Budget said money that President Donald Trump tapped to pay Transportation Security Administration and other workers through executive actions will be exhausted by May. It called on the House to quickly approve the budget resolution senators approved in an all-night session last week that would pave the way for full funding for the department. "DHS will soon run out of critical operating funds, placing essential personnel and operations at risk," the memo said. The pressure from the Trump administration could help House Speaker Mike Johnson, whose narrow Republican majority has been stalled out, tangled in internal party disputes

Trump claims King Charles aligns with US against Iran's nuclear ambitions

Trump claimed that the US remains resolute in its mission to prevent Tehran from achieving atomic capabilities, suggesting the King shared this conviction

Iran facing $170 mn daily loss as oil exports hit due to blockade: Bessent

Detailing the broader economic strategy, Bessent noted that the Treasury Department is intensifying financial restrictions through "Operation Fury"

US State Department to issue special passports featuring Trump's image

The redesigned passports will carry Trump's portrait overlaid on the Declaration of Independence on the inside cover, along with his signature in gold at the bottom

Beneath King Charles's jokes and decorum, there is subtle rebuttal to Trump

King Charles III gently pushed back against President Trump's attacks on Britain and Nato

Trump unhappy with peace proposal, says Iran 'figuring out its leadership'

Iran's most recent offer for resolving the two-month war would set aside discussion of its nuclear programme until the conflict was concluded and shipping disputes resolved

Senate Republicans block Democrats' attempt to end Trump's blockade of Cuba

Senate Republicans rejected legislation from Democrats on Tuesday that would have required President Donald Trump to end the US energy blockade on Cuba unless he receives approval from Congress. The vote on the war powers resolution showed how Republicans continue to stand behind Trump as he acts unilaterally to exert American force in a range of global conflicts, including Venezuela, Iran and Cuba - one of the US's closest neighbours yet a longtime adversary. Democrats have repeatedly forced votes on legislation to put a check on the president's ability to deploy military force in those conflicts, but none have succeeded. Tuesday's vote was the first pertaining to Cuba and would have forced the president to get approval from Congress before launching any attacks on the island nation. To dismiss the resolution, Republicans said that it was out of order because the US is not engaged in outright hostilities with Cuba. Their maneuver to dismiss the legislation succeeded on a 51-47 tall

FCC orders early review of ABC's broadcast licence after Jimmy Kimmel row

The US Federal Communications Commission has ordered an early review of American Broadcasting Company's (ABC) local station broadcast licences, after US President Donald Trump called for firing of the network's late night host Jimmy Kimmel. The early review of broadcast licences is considered as an extraordinary move against the network whose programming has often angered the president. "Disney's ABC is hereby directed to file license renewals for all of their licensed TV stations within 30 days - in other words, by May 28, 2026," the FCC order published Tuesday read. The FCC review covers eight channels of the network and is related to an ongoing investigation into the network's diversity initiatives. However, the order came a day after Trump and First Lady Melania called for the firing of Kimmel for his "expectant widow" remarks on his show last week. Trump sought to link Kimmel's remarks with the attempted storming of the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturd