Iran asks Gulf Arab states to have Trump press Israel on immediate ceasefire, sources say
June 16 (Reuters) - Tehran has asked Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman to press U.S. President Donald Trump to use his influence on Israel to agree to an immediate ceasefire with Iran in return for Tehran's flexibility in nuclear negotiations, two Iranian and three regional sources told Reuters on Monday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
Why does Britain have a role in the Israel-Iran conflict?
Britain has ordered RAF aircraft into the Middle East 'for contingency support across the region'. At the G7 summit, Keir Starmer also stressed that 'the constant message is de-escalate' and said he will bring whatever influence he can to encourage the entire group, and crucially the United States, to adopt such a stance. In recent weeks, notably at the United Nations, the UK has also taken a more critical attitude towards Israel's actions, especially over the conduct of the war in Gaza, while continuing to state that Israel has a right to defend itself. How much influence Britain still has on events in the region, however, is debatable… What does Keir Starmer want? He is conflicted. Sir Keir certainly doesn't want to see tensions in the region escalate, with all that implies for even more geopolitical instability and the spread of the current conflicts, both in the Middle East and in Ukraine, spreading further. Like the other G7 leaders, he will also be conscious that Taiwan remains highly vulnerable to an attack by China, which could take opportunistic advantage of the chaos to reunify the Chinese nation – a top priority for Beijing. There's also the ever-present internal instability in Syria and Iraq, in Yemen and Iran itself, and, less likely, Saudi Arabia. Economically as well as geopolitically, there's a lot at stake for a medium-sized open European economy dependent on the free passage of marine cargo through the Strait of Hormuz and on to the Suez Canal. Can Britain act unilaterally? Not really. UK arms exports to Israel are minimal, and to Iran, non-existent. The government has ruled out an embargo on spare parts for Israeli air force fighter jets. The cancellation of free trade talks with Israel was more symbolic than anything, and the same goes for the Israeli individuals sanctioned by the British government. Does Britain matter? To a surprising degree. Long past its imperial prime, the legacy of that era lives on in the minds of Israeli and Iranian leaders. Britain, in other words, looms larger in their consciousness than it has any right to, for mostly purely historical reasons. Why does Britain matter to Israel? Because it was the last imperial power in the former Palestine Territory, taken over from the Ottoman Empire after the First World War, and under British administration granted as a mandate from the League of Nations, then the United Nations. The proto-Israelis fought a war of independence against the British until they hurriedly withdrew and the UN partitioned it terribly. Only a few weeks ago, the Israeli foreign ministry made scornful reference to this background when it rejected British criticism of its government: 'The British Mandate ended exactly 77 years ago. External pressure will not divert Israel from its path in the struggle for its existence and security against enemies seeking its destruction.' It's also fair to say that events in the region have also affected British politics, notably in the internal affairs of the Labour Party, and the election of five independent MPs elected last July on a 'pro-Gaza' manifesto. Why does Britain matter to Iran? Also, for mainly historical reasons. For decades, certainly since 'Persia' emerged as a buffer between the Russian Empire and the Indian Ocean and the British Empire, and when oil became of strategic importance, the UK has sought to interfere in Iranian affairs. A key moment came when the American CIA and the British organised a coup against the then-prime minister of Iran in 1953, to protect Western oil interests with the help of the pro-Western Shah. However, there had been almost constant British military and political intervention for decades before. When the Islamic Revolution overthrew the Shah in 1979, America was called 'the Great Satan' and the UK 'the Little Satan', which denoted status for the British, at best. Naval skirmishes with Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, the imprisonment of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, and long-running disputes over money kept by the British after an aborted arms deal further poisoned relations in recent times. Where are the British popular? The Gulf kingdoms: close royal links, their taste for life in London, and the lingering legacy of Lawrence of Arabia have helped to foster a degree of warmth. And the future? Memories tend to run back a long way in the Middle East. Given that the British have had some sort of a colonial role in Cyprus, Egypt (especially in the Suez crisis), Sudan, Palestine/Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Aden/Yemen, Iran and Afghanistan, sometimes reprised in more recent times, and not always recalled fondly, the UK will be a prisoner of its past just as much as any nation in the region for a long time to come.
BBC News
17 minutes ago
- BBC News
Trump Organization enters mobile phone business
Donald Trump's family business is launching a new Trump-branded phone service, in its latest plan to cash in on the US president's name. The Trump Organization, which is run by his sons, said it planned to sell a gold-coloured, made-in-America smart phone for $499, along with mobile phone service for a monthly fee of $47.45 - a reference to their father serving as the country's 47th and 45th president. The announcement was light on details, including the name of the business partner that will run the service and is licensing the name. Ethics watchdogs said the latest venture represented another means for potential corruption and conflicts of interest. "It's unbelievable that the Trump family has created yet another way for President Trump to personally profit while in office," said Meghan Faulkner, communications director for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).Trump has said he has put his business interests in a trust, which is managed by his children. The White House has maintained he acts on the interests of all Americans. But Ms Faulkner said the latest venture raised familiar issues, including whether the new business will win customers from people hoping to influence Trump and how the president will craft policies and regulation for an industry in which his family now has a Trump Organization did not respond to questions about its business partner and criticisms about potential ethics announcing its plans, it said "hard-working Americans deserve a wireless service that's affordable, reflects their values, and delivers reliable quality they can count on".It pitched a policy of "discounted" international calls to families with members serving outside the US in the military. The announcement said the mobile service would have customer support staff based in the US to answer questions, as well as the gold-coloured phone, which is currently available for pre-order. Trump's net worth has more than doubled The deal is an extension of a business strategy that Trump embraced long before his presidency, striking deals to sell his name to hoteliers and golf course operators in exchange for fees and the opportunities to profit from his brand have expanded since he entered politics a decade his most recent financial disclosure, Trump reported making more than $600m last year, including millions from of items such as Trump-branded bibles, watches sneakers and fragrances. Forbes in March estimated his net worth was $5.1bn, more than double than a year earlier. It said the surge was due in part to the president's "diehard following", which is credited with helping to prop up the value of Trump's social media company that runs the Truth Social platform, which accounted for roughly half his wealth last year. The mobile phone market in the US is currently dominated by three major players: AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, which all offer phone service starting at less than $40 a month. There are also a growing number of smaller firms paying to use those networks to target niche groups of potential customers, by offering lower prices or tailored plans. The largest of those companies, which are known as mobile virtual network providers, have less than 10 million subscribers, according to a 2024 report by the Federal Communications Commission. Mint Mobile, which was backed by Ryan Reynolds, was sold to T-Mobile for $1.35bn in 2023. At the time, one analyst estimated the service had roughly two million to three million subscribers. The actor had a 25% stake in the business, giving him a potential pay out of about $300m.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Trump: It's a mistake not to have Putin at G7
Donald Trump said it was a mistake to have expelled Russia from the G8 group of leading nations. The US president also floated the idea that China should be admitted to the exclusive club as he joined other world leaders in Canada for this year's G7 summit. The Canadian organisers have gone out of their way to shape an agenda that will avoid Mr Trump's wrath. But a sign of his unpredictable nature came almost immediately ahead of his first meeting on Monday morning. 'The G7 used to be the G8,' Mr Trump told his travelling press pool ahead of his meeting with Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister. 'Barack Obama and a person named Trudeau didn't want to have Russia in, and I would say that that was a mistake, because I think you wouldn't have a war right now if you had Russia in. 'And you wouldn't have a war right now if Trump were president four years ago. But it didn't work out that way.' Russia was expelled in 2014 when Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea. European and other officials want to use the summit to nudge Mr Trump to take a tougher line on Moscow and will be disheartened by those initial comments. However, the US president did go on to say it would be a mistake to have Mr Putin at the summit in Kananaskis, situated in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. 'I'm not saying he should at this point, because too much water's gone over the dam,' he said, as Mr Carney looked on. Instead, he said he saw a potential role for China as the world's second biggest economy. 'Well, it's not a bad idea. I don't mind that. If somebody wants to suggest China coming in…' he said. 'But you want to have people that you can talk to. You know, they don't talk.' With the session turning into a Trump press conference, Mr Carney stepped in. 'If you don't mind I'm going to exercise my role, if you will, as G7 chair,' he said, silencing a hubbub of shouted questions. 'Since we have a few more minutes with the president and his team, and then we actually have to start the meeting to address some of these big issues.'
