‘Knuckleheads' Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz roasted for being ‘clueless' on Iran
Attorney Elica Le Bon claims the debate between conservative commentator Tucker Carlson and US Republican Senator Ted Cruz on Iran was 'comedic relief'.
'You have two knuckleheads debating each other about a country that none of them knows anything about,' Ms Le Bon told Sky News Senior Reporter Caroline Marcus.
'The most clueless people are claiming to represent what Iranian people want, and neither of them are even interested in listening to what Iranian people want.
'They just have absolutely no knowledge or interest in what's really going on in Iran.'
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Perth Now
15 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Wall St edges up,Trump's Mideast decision in focus
Wall Street's main indexes have nudged higher, tracking strength in global stocks after President Donald Trump held off from making an immediate decision on US involvement in the Israel-Iran war. Trump will take a call in the next two weeks, the White House said on Thursday, as hostilities between the two Middle Eastern countries approached their second week. Markets have been on edge as Trump has kept the world guessing on his plans - veering from proposing a swift diplomatic solution to suggesting the US might join the fight as Israel aims to suppress Tehran's ability to build nuclear weapons. A senior Iranian official told Reuters Tehran was ready to discuss limitations on its uranium enrichment, but zero enrichment will be rejected "especially now under Israel's strikes". Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has arrived in Geneva to meet European counterparts, who are hoping to establish a path back to diplomacy. "Any news flow that's going to lean in the direction of de-escalation is going to be a market positive and we're seeing that to a certain extent here," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley Wealth. Concerns about price pressures in the US were also in focus after Federal Reserve policymakers on Wednesday warned inflation could pick up pace over the summer as the economic effects of Trump's steep import tariffs kick in. They kept interest rates unchanged. On Friday, Fed governor Chris Waller said the central bank should consider cutting interest rates at its next meeting given recent tame inflation data and because any price shock from tariffs will be short-lived. In early trading on Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 123.38 points, or 0.29 per cent, to 42,295.04, the S&P 500 gained 13.34 points, or 0.22 per cent, to 5,994.21 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 38.74 points, or 0.20 per cent, to 19,585.01. Nine of the 11 major S&P 500 sub-sectors rose. Real estate led sector gains with a 0.7 per cent rise. On the flip side, healthcare stocks lost 0.5 per cent. All three main indexes are set for weekly gains. Investors are also bracing for any potential spike in volatility from Friday's "triple witching" - the simultaneous expiration of single stock options, stock index futures, and stock index options contracts that happens once a quarter. Among megacap stocks, Apple advanced 1.3 per cent. Kroger rose 6.4 per cent after the grocery chain increased its annual identical sales forecast. Mondelez International gained 2.4 per cent after brokerage Wells Fargo upgraded the Cadbury parent to "overweight" from "equal-weight". Accenture fell 7.2 per cent after the IT services provider said new bookings decreased in the third quarter. Wall Street's strong gains last month, primarily driven by a softening in Trump's trade stance and strength in corporate earnings, had pushed the benchmark S&P 500 index close to its record peaks before the ongoing conflict in the Middle East made investors risk-averse. The S&P 500 index now remains 2.4 per cent below its record level, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq is 2.8 per cent lower. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 2.16-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.45-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P 500 posted 12 new 52-week highs and 2 new lows while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 55 new highs and 31 new lows.
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Europe to tell Iran that US open to direct talks
European foreign ministers will tell their Iranian counterpart that the US is open to direct talks even as it considers joining Israeli strikes intended to smash Tehran's nuclear capacity, diplomats say before a meeting in Geneva. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi would be told that Iran must send a "clear signal", two diplomats told Reuters, with pressure mounting on Tehran to agree tough curbs on its nuclear program to prevent the potential development of an atomic weapon. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to several Western counterparts before the meeting in Switzerland, the diplomats said, indicating readiness to engage directly with Tehran. Washington did not confirm that though broadcaster CNN quoted a US official saying President Donald Trump supported diplomacy from allies that could bring Iran closer to a deal. Tehran, however, has repeatedly said it will not talk to the Trump administration until Israeli attacks end. The ministers from Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, plus the European Union's foreign policy chief, were meeting separately on Friday before planned face-to-face talks with Araqchi. "The Iranians can't sit down with the Americans whereas we can," a European diplomat said. "We will tell them to come back to the table to discuss the nuclear issue before the worst-case scenario, while raising our concerns over its ballistic missiles, support to Russia and detention of our citizens." The talks were due for mid-afternoon in Geneva, where an initial accord between Iran and world powers to curb its nuclear program in return for sanctions lifting was struck in 2013 before a comprehensive deal in 2015. Separate talks between Iran and the US collapsed when Israel launched what it called Operation Rising Lion against Iran's nuclear facilities and ballistic capabilities on June 12. "There is no room for negotiations with the US until Israeli aggression stops," Araqchi was quoted as saying on Iranian state TV on Friday. The E3 have in past talks with Iran suggested it keep some uranium enrichment but accept extremely strict international inspections of its nuclear activities. Trump has demanded zero enrichment and French President Emmanuel Macron appeared to echo that call on Friday, saying any new deal needed to go towards zero enrichment for Iran. The main message Europeans will pass to Araqchi is that the US has signalled readiness for direct talks, but that Iran must give a serious signal, the two European diplomats said, without defining what the signal should be. Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, has spoken to Araqchi several times since last week, sources say. While diplomats did not expect a breakthrough in Geneva, they said it was vital to engage with Iran because once the war stopped the nuclear issue would remain unresolved given that Tehran would still retain the scientific know-how. Trump has said he will decide within two weeks whether to join Israeli strikes. "A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution," British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. European foreign ministers will tell their Iranian counterpart that the US is open to direct talks even as it considers joining Israeli strikes intended to smash Tehran's nuclear capacity, diplomats say before a meeting in Geneva. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi would be told that Iran must send a "clear signal", two diplomats told Reuters, with pressure mounting on Tehran to agree tough curbs on its nuclear program to prevent the potential development of an atomic weapon. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to several Western counterparts before the meeting in Switzerland, the diplomats said, indicating readiness to engage directly with Tehran. Washington did not confirm that though broadcaster CNN quoted a US official saying President Donald Trump supported diplomacy from allies that could bring Iran closer to a deal. Tehran, however, has repeatedly said it will not talk to the Trump administration until Israeli attacks end. The ministers from Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, plus the European Union's foreign policy chief, were meeting separately on Friday before planned face-to-face talks with Araqchi. "The Iranians can't sit down with the Americans whereas we can," a European diplomat said. "We will tell them to come back to the table to discuss the nuclear issue before the worst-case scenario, while raising our concerns over its ballistic missiles, support to Russia and detention of our citizens." The talks were due for mid-afternoon in Geneva, where an initial accord between Iran and world powers to curb its nuclear program in return for sanctions lifting was struck in 2013 before a comprehensive deal in 2015. Separate talks between Iran and the US collapsed when Israel launched what it called Operation Rising Lion against Iran's nuclear facilities and ballistic capabilities on June 12. "There is no room for negotiations with the US until Israeli aggression stops," Araqchi was quoted as saying on Iranian state TV on Friday. The E3 have in past talks with Iran suggested it keep some uranium enrichment but accept extremely strict international inspections of its nuclear activities. Trump has demanded zero enrichment and French President Emmanuel Macron appeared to echo that call on Friday, saying any new deal needed to go towards zero enrichment for Iran. The main message Europeans will pass to Araqchi is that the US has signalled readiness for direct talks, but that Iran must give a serious signal, the two European diplomats said, without defining what the signal should be. Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, has spoken to Araqchi several times since last week, sources say. While diplomats did not expect a breakthrough in Geneva, they said it was vital to engage with Iran because once the war stopped the nuclear issue would remain unresolved given that Tehran would still retain the scientific know-how. Trump has said he will decide within two weeks whether to join Israeli strikes. "A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution," British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. European foreign ministers will tell their Iranian counterpart that the US is open to direct talks even as it considers joining Israeli strikes intended to smash Tehran's nuclear capacity, diplomats say before a meeting in Geneva. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi would be told that Iran must send a "clear signal", two diplomats told Reuters, with pressure mounting on Tehran to agree tough curbs on its nuclear program to prevent the potential development of an atomic weapon. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to several Western counterparts before the meeting in Switzerland, the diplomats said, indicating readiness to engage directly with Tehran. Washington did not confirm that though broadcaster CNN quoted a US official saying President Donald Trump supported diplomacy from allies that could bring Iran closer to a deal. Tehran, however, has repeatedly said it will not talk to the Trump administration until Israeli attacks end. The ministers from Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, plus the European Union's foreign policy chief, were meeting separately on Friday before planned face-to-face talks with Araqchi. "The Iranians can't sit down with the Americans whereas we can," a European diplomat said. "We will tell them to come back to the table to discuss the nuclear issue before the worst-case scenario, while raising our concerns over its ballistic missiles, support to Russia and detention of our citizens." The talks were due for mid-afternoon in Geneva, where an initial accord between Iran and world powers to curb its nuclear program in return for sanctions lifting was struck in 2013 before a comprehensive deal in 2015. Separate talks between Iran and the US collapsed when Israel launched what it called Operation Rising Lion against Iran's nuclear facilities and ballistic capabilities on June 12. "There is no room for negotiations with the US until Israeli aggression stops," Araqchi was quoted as saying on Iranian state TV on Friday. The E3 have in past talks with Iran suggested it keep some uranium enrichment but accept extremely strict international inspections of its nuclear activities. Trump has demanded zero enrichment and French President Emmanuel Macron appeared to echo that call on Friday, saying any new deal needed to go towards zero enrichment for Iran. The main message Europeans will pass to Araqchi is that the US has signalled readiness for direct talks, but that Iran must give a serious signal, the two European diplomats said, without defining what the signal should be. Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, has spoken to Araqchi several times since last week, sources say. While diplomats did not expect a breakthrough in Geneva, they said it was vital to engage with Iran because once the war stopped the nuclear issue would remain unresolved given that Tehran would still retain the scientific know-how. Trump has said he will decide within two weeks whether to join Israeli strikes. "A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution," British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. European foreign ministers will tell their Iranian counterpart that the US is open to direct talks even as it considers joining Israeli strikes intended to smash Tehran's nuclear capacity, diplomats say before a meeting in Geneva. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi would be told that Iran must send a "clear signal", two diplomats told Reuters, with pressure mounting on Tehran to agree tough curbs on its nuclear program to prevent the potential development of an atomic weapon. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to several Western counterparts before the meeting in Switzerland, the diplomats said, indicating readiness to engage directly with Tehran. Washington did not confirm that though broadcaster CNN quoted a US official saying President Donald Trump supported diplomacy from allies that could bring Iran closer to a deal. Tehran, however, has repeatedly said it will not talk to the Trump administration until Israeli attacks end. The ministers from Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, plus the European Union's foreign policy chief, were meeting separately on Friday before planned face-to-face talks with Araqchi. "The Iranians can't sit down with the Americans whereas we can," a European diplomat said. "We will tell them to come back to the table to discuss the nuclear issue before the worst-case scenario, while raising our concerns over its ballistic missiles, support to Russia and detention of our citizens." The talks were due for mid-afternoon in Geneva, where an initial accord between Iran and world powers to curb its nuclear program in return for sanctions lifting was struck in 2013 before a comprehensive deal in 2015. Separate talks between Iran and the US collapsed when Israel launched what it called Operation Rising Lion against Iran's nuclear facilities and ballistic capabilities on June 12. "There is no room for negotiations with the US until Israeli aggression stops," Araqchi was quoted as saying on Iranian state TV on Friday. The E3 have in past talks with Iran suggested it keep some uranium enrichment but accept extremely strict international inspections of its nuclear activities. Trump has demanded zero enrichment and French President Emmanuel Macron appeared to echo that call on Friday, saying any new deal needed to go towards zero enrichment for Iran. The main message Europeans will pass to Araqchi is that the US has signalled readiness for direct talks, but that Iran must give a serious signal, the two European diplomats said, without defining what the signal should be. Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, has spoken to Araqchi several times since last week, sources say. While diplomats did not expect a breakthrough in Geneva, they said it was vital to engage with Iran because once the war stopped the nuclear issue would remain unresolved given that Tehran would still retain the scientific know-how. Trump has said he will decide within two weeks whether to join Israeli strikes. "A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution," British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.
Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Global Islamic politics expert says Israel's claims about Iranian nuclear weapon 'at odds' with intelligence reports as Netanyahu 'desperate' to involve Trump in war
An Australian global Islamic politics expert has urged the world to be "sceptical" of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims after numerous intelligence reports concluded that Iran is not "close at all" to building a nuclear weapon. Professor Greg Barton from Deakin University told Sky News Netanyahu's strategy to close down Iran's nuclear program may not be as "clear cut and simple", as he would present it to be to President Donald Trump, in an attempt to persuade the US to join the Israeli assault. "I think that the way that Benjamin Netanyahu will sell it to Trump is that you just send in a couple of B2s over Fordow and it's done," Mr Barton told Sky News host Steve Price. "You've closed down the nuclear program and we're good. "But of course, it is not likely to be so clear cut and so simple." According to Axios, President Trump believes the US has leverage over Iran due to its bunker buster munitions – which Israel does not have – that are capable of destroying the Fordow nuclear enrichment facility that sits deep under a mountain. Mr Barton added the bunker buster bombs are unlikely to demolish Iran's nuclear program and could instead result in dangerous escalation of war in the Middle East. 'First of all, those B2 strikes with massive ordnance, penetrator bombs over Fordow, 90 metres underground, that likely wouldn't finish Iran's nuclear program,' he said. 'They'd probably scramble to take what they have left and actually move towards nuclear weapons. 'In the meantime, they're likely to strike out against US targets all around the Middle East and use their proxies to do so. 'So a very dangerous risk of escalation and a prolonged conflict.' When questioned about the validity of Netanyahu's claims about Iran's existential threat to Israel, Mr Barton said they were 'at odds' with other publicly available intelligence reports have said, including what Trump was briefed on by his own security adviser. Mr Barton highlighted Israel's remarkable capabilities at penetrating Iranian society and its defence apparatus, but noted other intelligence reports suggest 'Iran is some way off, it's not close at all' to building a nuclear weapon. 'It is possible they know something that no one else knows, but what all the other intelligence reports are saying is that Iran is some way off, it's not close at all,' he said. 'We can't know, we're sort of making a claim from Netanyahu who is desperate to involve Trump and America in this programme, and on balance you sort of want to be a bit sceptical about what he's saying for that reason.' Israel has been trading missiles with Iran since last Friday in an attempt to shut down any efforts of Tehran building an atomic weapon to wipe out the existence of the Jewish state. Netanyahu said the operations were to "strike the head of Iran's nuclear weaponisation program". White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told a media briefing on Thursday, local time, she had been asked to pass on a 'direct quote' from President Trump on the possibility of US intervention in the Israel-Iran war. 'Based on the fact that there is a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,' she said, quoting the President. Ms Leavitt also urged sceptics of US involvement to 'trust' in President Trump's judgement, before emphasising his 'top priority' was to prevent Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon.
