
Trump is urged to go 'all in' on crushing Iran
'WE REMAIN COMMITTED to a Diplomatic Resolution to the Iran Nuclear Issue!' declared Donald Trump on June 12th. Within hours Israel attacked Iran. That conflict continues to escalate relentlessly. Iran has just hit Israel's cities with waves of ballistic-missile and drone strikes. Meanwhile Israeli warplanes have targeted Tehran's air-defence systems for a second night. Israel has now struck Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow and Isfahan, claiming to have inflicted 'significant damage'; more attacks may come. America's forces are already helping to defend Israel against missile attacks. The big question now is whether Mr Trump is drawn in deeper. That is what some Republicans are urging. On June 13th Senator Lindsey Graham said if diplomacy failed, he 'strongly' believed it was in America's national security interest to 'go all-in to help Israel finish the job'.

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Daily Mail
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Albo's chilling warning that Aussie military could be sent into the Middle East as Israel-Iran conflict explodes
Australia's military could be asked to play a role in the Middle East as regional tensions escalate. Iran and Israel have targeted each other with missile and air strikes after the latter launched its biggest-ever air offensive against its long-time foe. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government was continuing to monitor the situation and urged Australians in the region to leave. Australia has not been drawn into the conflict, but Mr Albanese said the nation could be asked to participate in the future. 'It's obviously a very volatile situation,' he told reporters in Seattle on Saturday, local time. 'We expect there could be a request for Australia to play a military role.' The US was notified about the Israeli strikes in advance but Washington officials have been quick to point out it played no part in the attacks, warning Iran not to target its personnel or interests. Mr Albanese landed in the US on his way to the G7 summit in Canada on Sunday. He is expected to meet with a range of global leaders, including US president Donald Trump, who has been working with Iran on a nuclear deal. Tariff discussions are expected to take the spotlight but defence talks could also feature after the US urged Australia to increase defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP. Australia is already forecast to grow military spending to 2.3 per cent of GDP and Mr Albanese insisted his government would give 'whatever capability Australia needs to defend our national interest'.

South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Canada is independent and sovereign, says Starmer ahead of visit
In an apparent challenge to the US President, the Prime Minister said the country was a 'much-valued member of the Commonwealth'. Sir Keir indicated the UK and Canada will seek to restart trade talks on his way to meet Mark Carney, the country's premier and former Bank of England governor, in the Canadian capital on Saturday. The visit will be the first by a British premier to the country in eight years and comes ahead of leaders from the world's major economies meeting for the G7 summit in Kananaskis next week. The Prime Minister will be walking a diplomatic tightrope between strengthening bilateral relations with Canada and keeping Mr Trump, with whom he is finalising details of a transatlantic trade deal, on side. The US President has repeatedly expressed a desire to make Canada the '51st state.' Asked whether he had called out Mr Trump's remarks about Canada, the Prime Minister said: 'Canada and the US are our allies. Canada is an independent, sovereign nation, and quite right, too. 'And that's the basis on which I've approached my discussions with all of our partners. I'm not going to get into the precise conversations I've had, but let me be absolutely clear: Canada is an independent, sovereign country and a much-valued member of the Commonwealth. 'And we work closely with Canada on any number of issues, whether that is defence and security – particularly the training in Ukraine, it's been something where Canada and the UK have worked very closely together.' He added: 'And one of the things I want to do is to open the door to taking out further, reducing out trade barriers with Canada. So, I'm really clear where we stand on that.' The UK and Canada have a trade relationship worth about £28 billion to the British economy and are both members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. But the two leaders have starkly different approaches to the US president. Mr Carney previously criticised the UK Government's invitation for Mr Trump to make a second state visit, telling Sky News earlier this year that Canadians were 'not impressed' by the gesture. Downing Street said Sir Keir would use his visit to Canada to argue that 'in a shifting global economy, the UK must retain its proud status as a free and open trading nation – strengthening our existing alliances while reducing barriers to trade with other countries around the world'. He is also expected to meet Mr Trump at the summit next week.

Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Military parade kick offs in US capital as protesters decry Trump
Hours before the parade honouring the Army's 250th anniversary was set to start, demonstrators turned out in streets and parks around the nation to decry the Republican president as a dictator or would-be king. They criticised Trump for using the military to respond to those protesting his deportation efforts and for sending tanks, thousands of marching troops and military aircraft out for show in the US capital. In Washington DC, anti-war protesters unfurled signs that said 'Homes not drones' not far from a display of armoured vehicles, helicopters and military-grade equipment on the National Mall set up to commemorate the US Army's birthday. Bowls of red, white and blue punch were ladled out to attendees, along with slices of a large Army-themed cake that uniformed officials cut with a sabre. Vendors outside the festival sold gear marking the military milestone. Others hawked Trump-themed merchandise. Mr Trump has been wanting a military parade in Washington DC ever since he watched one in France with tanks, soldier and jets overhead in 2017. His dream is set to finally be realised on a day that coincides with his 79th birthday and Flag Day, after organisers tacked the parade onto the line-up for the Army celebration. Mr Trump got regular updates on the planning and made requests for aircraft and hardware to capture the might of the military. The military procession was set to step off from the Lincoln Memorial later on Saturday, under the threat of stormy weather and to the accompaniment of protests elsewhere in the city. Mr Trump brushed off the possibility of both disruptions, with a social media post on Saturday morning that said the 'great military parade' would be on 'rain or shine'. The protests, he said earlier, 'will be met with very big force'. Hours ahead of the parade, crowds of protesters with anti-Trump signs marched toward the White House, escorted by police vehicles and officers on bicycles. Some held a giant banner that read: 'TRUMP MUST GO NOW'. The parade has drawn criticism for its price tag of up to 45 million dollars and the possibility that the lumbering tanks could tear up city streets. The US Army has taken a variety of steps to protect the streets, including laying metal plates along the route. About 6 in 10 Americans said Saturday's parade was 'not a good use' of government money. The vast majority of people, 78%, said they neither approve nor disapprove of the parade overall, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research. Saturday's event is expected to include about 6,600 soldiers, 50 helicopters and 60-ton M1 Abrams battle tanks, as well as possibly 200,000 attendees and heightened security to match.