Page 7 - United States

Trump says Israel did not push US into Iran war, cites nuclear threat

Trump said Israel did not influence his decision to go to war with Iran, attributing the move instead to his long-held stance against Tehran acquiring nuclear weapons

India seeks preferential market access in US for domestic goods: Goyal

A team of Indian officials, currently in Washington for talks on the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement, will discuss aspects related to preferential market access for domestic goods in the US, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday. "We have almost finalised the free trade agreement, the first tranche of the bilateral trade agreement with them. "We are trying to work out what would be the mechanism by which India can get a preferential market access in the US market compared to our competitors," he told reporters here. The Indian team, he said, will discuss these aspects while they are in Washington. About a dozen officers from India are in Washington for three-day trade talks with the US authorities. As the tariff landscape has changed in the US, both sides may like to relook at the framework of the agreement, the text of which was released on February 7. Following the US Supreme Court's decision against the sweeping tariffs imposed by President Do

Oil prices rise nearly 5% on fears of US-Iran ceasefire collapse

Tehran also said it would not participate in a second round of negotiations that the US had hoped to start before the two-week ceasefire expires this week

No decision yet for next round of negotiations with US, says Iran

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Monday said Tehran did not have plans yet to attend any talks with the United States. He did not rule out Iran attending talks. Authorities in Islamabad had been making preparations for another round that could potentially happen there this week. "So far, while I am here, we have no plans for the next round of negotiations and no decision has been made in this regard," Baghaei said during a news conference.

Iran launches drones at US warships after attack on its commercial vessel

Iran also claimed that US forces stationed in the Sea of Oman were forced to retreat after firing at an Iranian merchant vessel

West Asia war: Iran rules out sending negotiating delegation to Pakistan

The report further added that no decision "as long as there is a naval blockade"

US backs rare earths project in South Africa despite diplomatic clash

Two enormous sandlike dunes at an old chemical processing plant in South Africa are at the centre of an exploratory US-backed project to extract highly sought-after rare earth elements from industrial mining waste. The Phalaborwa Rare Earths Project has US support through a USD 50 million equity investment by the government's International Development Finance Corporation and is part of accelerated US efforts to reduce reliance on economic rival China for the minerals crucial for making electronic devices, robotics, defence systems, electric vehicles and other high-tech products. Countries have identified dozens of minerals, including copper, cobalt, lithium and nickel, as critical because they are essential for new technologies. The 17 rare earth elements are a subset of them. President Donald Trump has made expanding US access to critical minerals, including rare earth elements, a central policy to counter China. The Trump administration said this year it will deploy nearly USD 12

Iran reviewing US proposals, says Hormuz curbs to stay till war ends

Iran on saturday said that it is reviewing new proposals put forward by the US. Iran's Supreme National Security Council said in a statement that Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir, serving as an intermediary, presented the proposals to Iran when he recently visited Tehran, and they were still under review. It was not revealed what was in the proposals. The council said Iran has yet to respond, but further talks would require the US to abandon "excessive demands and adjust its requests to the realities on the ground." It also said that Iran will maintain full control over traffic through the Strait of Hormuz until "the war fully ends and lasting peace is achieved in the region," adding that it would collect detailed information on passing vessels, issue transit certificates and impose tolls. The council added that it considered the US naval blockade a violation of the ceasefire, and there would be no reopening of the Strait of Hormuz until that was lifted. Meanwhile, US President D

Trump signs bill extending controversial surveillance powers until Apr 30

President Donald Trump on Saturday signed a bill extending a controversial surveillance program until April 30, a short-term renewal that sets up another showdown in Congress. The bill was approved by the Senate on Friday in a last-minute scramble to prevent the authority from expiring within a matter of days. Trump and Republican leaders have pushed for its renewal, calling it a matter of national security. Critics are concerned about its impact on civil liberties. At the centre of the debate is Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which permits the CIA, National Security Agency, FBI and other agencies to collect and analyse vast amounts of overseas communications without a warrant. In doing so, they can incidentally sweep up communications involving Americans who interact with foreign targets. Extending the programme has become a recurring fight. Trump and GOP leaders have been pushing for a clean 18-month renewal, while the House Republicans on Thursday came

Indian vessels turn back as Iran gunboats fire on tanker in Hormuz: Report

Two Indian vessels have had to reverse course in the Strait of Hormuz following reports of gunfire from Iran's Revolutionary Guard, a vessel-tracker said. TankerTrackers.com said the vessels include an Indian-flagged super tanker, carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil. Earlier, the British military said two gunboats from Iran's Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz after Iran said it had reimposed restrictions on the vital waterway. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said the tanker and crew were reported safe, without identifying the vessel or its destination. Iran said earlier it was reimposing restrictions on the strait in response to a US blockade on Iranian shipping and ports. Iran has prevented vessels from crossing throughout the seven-week-long war, except for ones it authorises.

Iran reimposes restrictions on Hormuz, accuses US of violating deal

Iran swiftly reversed course on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, reimposing restrictions on the critical waterway on Saturday after the US said the move would not end its blockade. The country's joint military command said on Saturday that it "control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state ... under strict management and control of the armed forces." It warned that it would continue to block transit through the strait as long as the US blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect. The announcement came the morning after US President Donald Trump said the American blockade "will remain in full force" until Tehran reaches a deal with the US, including on its nuclear programme.

Howard Lutnick shuts down talk of Chinese investment in US auto industry

During recent trade talks between the US and China in Paris, both sides discussed the creation of a board of trade and also touched on the formation of a board of investment

The delimitation dilemma: Democratic status may see further slide in India

There are no easy solutions to the conundrum. The US system favours small Alaska over Texas. The former has a fraction of Texas's population, but both have the same number of Senators

US to delay weapons deliveries to some Euro nations due to Iran war: Report

The delays underline the degree to which the war against Iran, which began with U.S.-Israeli air strikes on February 28, has begun to stretch U.S. supplies of some critical weaponry and ammunition

Trump picks former US Deputy Surgeon General Erica Schwartz for CDC

Schwartz, who holds medical and law degrees, would be the fourth CDC leader during Trump's second term if confirmed by the Senate

US completes withdrawal from Syria's Qasrak base as part of larger drawdown

US forces completed their withdrawal from Qasrak air base on Thursday when a final convoy of soldiers and equipment departed the site in Syria's Hasakah province, officials for both sides said. The Syrian army has now taken full control of most military sites in the country where the US military was once deployed. Syria's foreign ministry said in a statement that "the Syrian state's restoration of sovereignty over areas that were outside its control, including the northeast and border regions, is the result of the Syrian government's continuous efforts to unify the country within the framework of a single state". It said that the US withdrawal came as a result of the successful implementation of a deal between Syria's central government in Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces - which had previously controlled much of northeast Syria - and of success in fighting the remnants of the Islamic State group. US Central Command chief spokesperson Capt Tim Hawkins confirmed

US says its forces ready to restart combat if Iran doesn't agree a deal

As part of a campaign to pressure Tehran to sign an agreement, US military forces are mounting a blockade on all ships seeking to enter or leave Iran

SC decision a setback, tariffs likely to be restored by July: Bessent

After the SC struck down many of his global tariffs, Trump imposed a temporary 10 per cent tariff that covers many imports. That levy is set to expire on July 24

China becomes India's top trade partner in FY26; deficit widens to $112 bn

China has overtaken the US to emerge as India's largest trading partner in 2025-26, with bilateral trade reaching USD 151.1 billion, while the country's trade deficit with Beijing widened to USD 112.16 billion during the period, government data showed. The US was India's largest trading partner for four consecutive years till 2024-25. India's exports to China rose 36.66 per cent to USD 19.47 billion during the last fiscal year, while imports increased 16 per cent to USD 131.63 billion. The trade deficit swelled to an all-time high of USD 112.6 billion in 2025-26 as against USD 99.2 billion in 2024-25. On the other hand, the country's outbound shipments to the US grew marginally 0.92 per cent to USD 87.3 billion during the last fiscal year, while imports increased 15.95 per cent to USD 52.9 billion. The trade surplus declined to USD 34.4 billion in 2025-26 from USD 40.89 billion in 2024-25. According to commerce ministry data, China was India's top trading partner from 2013-14 till

Sergio Gor, Hardeep Puri discuss 'expanding access to American energy'

US envoy Sergio Gor and Hardeep Singh Puri discussed access to American energy and strengthening bilateral ties, a day after PM Narendra Modi's call with US President Donald Trump