
Khamenei Says Trump's Comments on Tehran 'Not Worth Responding to'
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that US President Donald Trump's comments on his country were "not worth responding to.'
Khamenei said that Trump was lying when he said he wants peace, citing statements by the US president that Iran had to move quickly on a US proposal for its nuclear program or "something bad's going to happen.'
The US has provided Israel with 10-ton bombs to 'drop on Gaza children, hospitals, houses of people in Lebanon and anywhere else when they can," Khamenei said.
Khamenei, who has the final say on all Iranian state matters, reiterated his traditional stance against Israel.
'Definitely, the Zionist regime is the spot of corruption, war, rifts. The Zionist regime that is lethal, dangerous, cancerous tumor should be certainly eradicated, and it will be," he said.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
US pushes countries for best offers by Wednesday as tariff deadline looms
The Trump administration wants countries to provide their best offer on trade negotiations by Wednesday as officials seek to accelerate talks with multiple partners ahead of a self-imposed deadline in just five weeks, according to a draft letter to negotiating partners seen by Reuters. The draft, from the office of the United States Trade Representative, provides a window into how President Donald Trump plans to bring to a close unwieldy negotiations with dozens of countries that kicked off on April 9 when he paused his 'Liberation Day' tariffs for 90 days until July 8 after stock, bond and currency markets revolted over the sweeping nature of the levies. The document suggests an urgency within the administration to complete deals against its own tight deadline. While officials such as White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett have repeatedly promised that several agreements were nearing completion, so far only one agreement has been reached with a major US trading partner: Britain. Even that limited pact was more akin to a framework for ongoing talks than a final deal. In the draft, the US is asking countries to list their best proposals in a number of key areas, including tariff and quota offers for purchase of US industrial and agricultural products and plans to remedy any non-tariff barriers. Other requested items include any commitments on digital trade and economic security, along with country-specific commitments, according to the letter. The US will evaluate the responses within days and offer 'a possible landing zone' that could include a reciprocal tariff rate, according to the letter. It was unclear which countries would receive the letter, but it was directed at those with active negotiations that included meetings and exchanges of documents. Washington has been engaged in such talks with the European Union, Japan, Vietnam and India, among others. A USTR official said trade talks were ongoing. 'Productive negotiations with many key trading partners continue at a rapid pace. It is in all parties' interest to take stock of progress and assess any next steps.' 'Regardless of ongoing litigation' Tiffany Smith, vice president of global trade policy at the National Foreign Trade Council, welcomed the USTR moves. 'We are encouraged that USTR is moving negotiations ahead as quickly as they can,' she told Reuters, adding that trade deals that removed barriers for US companies abroad and lowered US tariffs would be 'a win-win if they are done in a way that returns predictability and stability to trade relationships.' Trump's ambitious - and often frenetic - tariff policy is a pillar of his 'America First' economic agenda as he seeks to reshape US trade relationships, reduce trade deficits and protect American industries. Republican lawmakers are also banking on tariffs to add to federal revenue and offset the cost of the tax cut legislation now working its way through Congress. Trump's tariff policies have taken investors on a rollercoaster ride. In May, US stocks held their biggest rally of any month since November 2023, but that was after global indexes had cratered under the barrage of Trump's tariff announcements through February, March and early April. Stocks were little changed on Monday afternoon after Trump announced a surprise doubling of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports on Friday at an event in Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, the legality of the approach used for imposing the most sweeping of his tariffs has been cast into doubt. Last Wednesday, the Court of International Trade ruled that Trump had overstepped his authority with tariffs devised under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, including the 'Liberation Day' levies and earlier ones imposed on goods from Canada, Mexico and China related to Trump's accusations that the three countries have facilitated the flow of fentanyl into the US Less than 24 hours later, an appeals court temporarily paused that decision. The tariffs at the center of the legal dispute are expected to remain in effect as the case plays out. The draft letter to trading partners warns them not to believe the tariffs will be sidelined if the court rules against Trump's use of the IEEPA. 'Regardless of ongoing litigation concerning the President's reciprocal tariff action in US courts, the President intends to continue this tariff program pursuant to other robust legal authorities if necessary, so it is important that we continue our discussions on these matters,' the draft says.

Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
US steel, aluminum tariff hikes to take effect Wednesday: White House
The United States will double its tariffs on imported steel and aluminum starting Wednesday, according to the White House, as it published an order signed by President Donald Trump. The move marks the latest salvo in Trump's trade wars, bringing levies on both metals from 25 percent to 50 percent. But tariffs on metal imports from the UK will remain at the 25 percent rate, while both sides work out duties and quotas in line with the terms of their earlier trade pact. Overall, the aim is to 'more effectively counter foreign countries that continue to offload low-priced, excess steel and aluminum in the United States,' according to the order, which added that these undercut the competitiveness of US industries. 'Increasing the previously imposed tariffs will provide greater support to these industries and reduce or eliminate the national security threat posed by imports of steel and aluminum articles and their derivative articles,' the order added. Trump announced his decision to hike tariffs on steel and aluminum when he addressed workers at a US Steel plant in Pennsylvania last week. 'Nobody is going to be able to steal your industry,' he said at the time. 'At 25 percent, they can sort of get over that fence. At 50 percent, they can no longer get over the fence,' he added. The move, however, fans tensions with key US trading partners. The European Union warned over the weekend that it was prepared to retaliate against levies. It said that the sudden announcement 'undermines ongoing efforts to reach a negotiated solution' between the bloc and the United States. Already, Washington is in talks with various countries after Trump imposed sweeping 10 percent tariffs on almost all partners in April and announced even higher rates for dozens of economies. While the steeper levels have been paused during ongoing negotiations, this halt expires in early July—adding to urgency to reach trade deals. Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump has imposed sweeping tariffs on allies and adversaries alike in moves that have shaken financial markets. He has also imposed tariffs on sector-specific imports like autos, apart from targeting steel and aluminum. Mexico will request an exemption from the higher tariff, Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said, arguing that it is unfair because the United States exports more steel to Mexico than it imports. 'It makes no sense to put a tariff on a product in which you have a surplus,' Ebrard said. Mexico is highly vulnerable to Trump's trade wars because 80 percent of its exports go to the United States, its main trading partner.


Saudi Gazette
2 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
US steel and aluminum tariffs doubled to 50%
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump has signed an order doubling tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from 25% to 50%. The move hikes import taxes on the metals - key inputs in everything from cars to canned food - for the second time since March. Trump has said the measures, which come into effect on Wednesday, are intended to secure the future of the American steel industry. However, critics say the protections could wreak havoc on steel producers outside the US, spark retaliation from trade partners, and come at a punishing cost for American users of the metals. Hours before he hiked the duties, many firms directly affected could scarcely believe the plan was moving forward, hoping it would turn out to be temporary or some kind of negotiating ploy. Even as Trump moved forward with the deal, the UK was granted a carve-out from the measures, leaving duties on its steel and aluminium at 25%, a move Trump said reflected its ongoing trade discussions with the US. "Always the question with Trump is, is this a tactic or is this a long-term plan?" said Rick Huether, chief executive of Independent Can Co, a Maryland-based business, which brings in steel from Europe and turns it into decorative cookie tins, popcorn boxes, and other products. He said he had put investments on hold and feared the abrupt changes, and price increases would lead his customers to turn to alternatives such as plastic or paper boxes. "There's a lot of chaos," he said. The US is the biggest importer of steel in the world, after the European Union, getting most of the metal from Canada, Brazil, Mexico and South Korea, according to the US government. During his first term, Trump imposed tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium, citing a law that gives him authority to protect industries considered vital to national security. But many imports ultimately escaped the duties after the US struck trade deals with allies and granted exemptions to certain imports at the request of firms. Trump ended those carve-outs in March, saying he was unhappy with the way the protections had been weakened. At Friday's rally at the US Steel factory, he said wanted to make tariffs so high that US businesses would have no alternative but to buy from American suppliers. "Nobody's going to get around that," he said of the 50% rate. "That means that nobody's going to be able to steal your industry. It's at 25% - they can get over that fence. At 50%, they can no longer get over the fence." As of May, imports and the rate of raw steel production in the US had changed little since last year before Trump raised tariffs, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. But steel imports fell 17% in April, compared to March. And businesses selling the metals into the US said they expected Trump's latest announcement to lead to an even more dramatic drop. Trump's moves in March had already prompted Canada and the European Union to prepare to hit back with tariffs of their own American products. On Tuesday, Olof Gill, spokesperson for economic security and trade for the European Commission told the BBC the two sides were engaged in intense talks to try to make progress toward an agreement. "We're negotiating hard to try and make good deals," he said. "We really hope that the Americans will roll back on this latest tariff threat, as they have done on others, but that remains to be seen." In the UK, Trump's announcement put new pressure on the government to pin down the trade deal in the works with the US, which had been expected to provide some protection from the March metals tariffs. Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds met with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Paris on Wednesday. His office said it was "pleased" that the trade talks had protected UK steel from the latest duties. "We will continue to work with the US to implement our agreement, which will see the 25% US tariffs on steel removed," he said. Gareth Stace, director general of UK Steel, which represents steelmakers, told the BBC that his members had already seen orders cancelled and delayed as a result of the 25% tariffs put in place in March. He warned that a 50% tariff would be "catastrophic" for UK exports to the US, about 7% of overall exports. "The introduction of 50% tariffs immediately puts the shutters up," he said. "Most of our orders, if not all of them, will now be cancelled." Economists said the US economy is also facing damage, as prices rise as a result of the new measures. A 2020 analysis estimated that Trump's first term tariffs created roughly 1,000 jobs in the steel industry, but cost the economy 75,000 jobs in other sectors, such as manufacturing and construction. Erica York, vice president of federal tax policy at the Tax Foundation, said that she expected to see even more extreme job losses this time. "Some of the strongest evidence is against tariffs on intermediate inputs like steel and aluminium, finding they are much more harmful because they increase the cost of production in the United States," she said. "It's just very foolish to double down on this type of tariff in particular." Chad Bartusek is director of supply chain management at Drill Rod & Tool Steels, a small, family-owned manufacturing business in Illinois, which brings in about 800,000 pounds of Austrian-made steel each year, at specifications he says are not produced in the US. Bartusek said he was currently waiting on three containers worth of steel rod, which would have entered the US without duties at the start of the year. As of last week, he had expected to pay tariff costs about $72,000. Instead, he is looking at a tariff bill of almost $145,000. "I woke up Saturday morning, looked at the news and my jaw dropped," he said of Trump's announcement. Bartusek said business had been steady until a few weeks ago. But his firm raised prices earlier this year by 8% to 14% to help cover the new cost of the tariffs. Now customers have been ordering more cautiously and he has had to cut back hours for workers. "It's one punch after the other," he said. "Hopefully, this settles down quickly." — BBC