Tehran: Washington Must Abandon the Idea of Attacking Us Before Any Negotiations - Jordan News
He emphasized that the level and capacity of enrichment could be negotiated, 'but to say you must not have any enrichment at all, you must have zero enrichment, and if you don't agree, we will bomb you—this is the law of the jungle.' — (Agencies)
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Ammon
5 hours ago
- Ammon
Keeping the Transatlantic Relationship Alive
Ammon News - WASHINGTON, DC – By Jim O'Brien- The confusion sewn by the Alaska summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the follow-up summit between Trump and European leaders, including Ukraine, has more than justified the decision taken by NATO's non-US members to increase defense spending and intensify security cooperation. This commitment made it possible for European and Ukrainian leaders to propose that they buy tens of billions of US military equipment as part of a sustainable plan for peace in Europe, and Ukraine. This is the right approach, perhaps the only one, not only for promoting European and Ukrainian defense, but also for rebuilding transatlantic cooperation in a variety of sectors, from AI to tariffs. Defense may be the simplest sector for the US and Europe to align, for multiple reasons. For starters, all the joint (transatlantic) work done since NATO's Wales Summit in 2014 has already established a solid foundation. Second, there is broad agreement on the need for Europe to do more. Europe and non-US NATO members now plan to spend 5% of GDP on defense by 2032, and European officials have said that Europe will spend 3%, on average, by 2028. Following the launch of a €150 billion ($175 billion) EU fund that has already solicited bids, EU defense investment is scheduled to be ten times what it was. Nor is this just a headline created to appease the Trump administration in the short term. NATO leaders had already committed (at the NATO Summit in July 2024) to fund regional defense plans, and the estimated cost for those was approximately 3.5% of GDP. The Trump administration has highlighted the European commitments and agreed to treat spending on crucial military infrastructure as counting toward the 5% target. Although some countries will have difficulty meeting the higher targets, at least in the near term, the continent's military capabilities will be much stronger than would have been the case. Third, the money will be spent on meeting the most crucial military needs. Under the 2024 plan, NATO will determine how to prioritize military capabilities, implying that the US still has a say in the matter. This approach should address the long-held US concern that European defense initiatives result in redundancies or divert funds from more pressing needs. Fourth, this approach also allows US companies to participate in and benefit from European defense procurement, giving the US a stake in Europe's re-arming effort. Donald Trump touted European spending on US arms following his July meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and one senior European official estimates that 40% of early EU defense spending will go to US firms. Much of this is already directed toward capabilities that only the US can provide, such as advanced air defense. To be sure, difficult decisions lie ahead. Above all, European leaders will have to determine how far they should go in creating alternatives to US equipment. These decisions will not be made all at once, and continued tensions with the Trump administration will increase the likelihood of Europe moving away from US-made weapons systems where it can. Another challenge for European leaders will be to allocate the new money pouring into the sector. Every European leader will lobby for domestic companies. But here, too, Europeans' initial moves have been promising. The EU is focused on creating effective capabilities, and key member states have called attention to what Ukraine most needs and can produce on its own. This emphasis on Ukraine sets a clear, urgent objective and allows spending to proceed without ensuring that every state gets some funding. Still, it will be important to understand how much investment can be directed to Ukraine without duplication or bidding up scarce resources. Looking ahead, a small, informal group of European leaders should identify urgent investment projects and participants. Any such group will be a hot ticket for European leaders, so its work should be discreet. It will need to include the countries with the largest industrial capacities, while also being sufficiently representative. Focusing on the largest defense and industrial capabilities and frontline states may be the best way to start. Europe's decision to keep the US involved in its defense industrial strategy did not come easily. In the first months of the second Trump administration, some in Europe questioned whether cooperation with the US was even possible. But by recognizing that America and Europe each have something to contribute to shared transatlantic security interests, European leaders are setting an example of how transatlantic cooperation can recover even during a destructive period. These structural considerations matter, because successful cooperation on defense can provide a model for other areas. Economic growth over the next generation is likely to come from industries such as AI, life sciences, and new energy technologies. China has a leading position in many of these sectors, and it will seek to shape global habits and standards for its own benefit. Europe, the US, Canada, and the Indo-Pacific will respond more effectively together than they would separately. As a group, their size is comparable to China, and they can draw on shared habits of cooperation in aligning supply chains, investment, and standards. A focus on aligning Europe and the US may seem premature, given the extent to which disagreements on trade and investment are impeding cooperation. These tensions will continue unless Trump stops treating Europe as only a competitor. We cannot know when or if tensions will ease, but I believe they can and must – even if only after this administration ends. In any case, we should be ready for any opportunities that arise. The early steps on defense cooperation show that recognition of shared interests, open communication about the best path forward, and a willingness to let one another's companies compete on fair terms can be a basis for a renewed relationship, at least in discrete areas. To prepare for that possibility, European leaders should identify strategically important sectors and make clear what conditions would allow them to keep the US as a long-term, reliable partner, and then to hold the US to its own commitments. Step by step, the partnership that underpinned peace and prosperity for previous generations can do the same for the next one. Jim O'Brien was US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs during the Biden administration.
Ammon
5 hours ago
- Ammon
Why Trump's Nobel Prize dream doomed
Ammon News - By Michael Jansen- Donald Trump and his aides are campaigning hard to win the Nobel Peace Prize. As his second term in office reached six months, Trump claimed, "I've stopped six wars—I'm averaging about a war a month." He and aides have cited his efforts to end disputes between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Cambodia and Thailand, and Ruanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo and halt hostilities between Iran and Israel. Trump did the last by bombing Iranian nuclear reactors rather than negotiating a ceasefire. So far, he has failed to secure ceasefires in Russia's war on Ukraine or Israel's war on Gaza. He has imposed sanctions on Russia but instead of exerting pressure on Israel to halt its deadly and devastating offensive in Gaza, he has provided Israel with the weapons to pursue it. In June he complained bitterly on his website, Truth Social, "No, I won't get a Nobel Prize no matter what I do, including Russia/Ukraine, and Israel/Iran, whatever their outcomes may be, but the people know, and that's all that matter to me." At present, however, his domestic approval rating stands at 38 per cent down from 47 per cent in January when he took office for the second time. During his visit to the White House in April, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre was asked about Trump's chances of securing the award, which his predecessor Barack Obama won as his first term began. "On that prize, there is a committee taking care of that which is completely working on its own terms, and I cannot comment on that,' Støre replied. Trump's name is not even up for consideration by the Nobel Committee which resists political pressure and cannot be bought. The list of nominees remains secret. The award will be announced on October 10th. Four US presidents have received Nobel Peace Prizes: Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 for mediating an end to the Russo-Japanese War, Woodrow Wilson in 1919 for founding the League of Nations, ex-President Jimmy Carter in 2002 for humanitarian and diplomatic work through the Carter Centre, and Obama in 2009 for his early-term diplomacy and coalition-building oefforts. Among other US officials who have been awarded the prize was former Vice President Al Gore for his work on climate change. In his will, Norwegian industrialist and inventor of dynamite Alfred Nobel stated that the prize should be conferred on those 'who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations.' Trump has done the opposite. On the foreign and domestic fronts Trump has undermined US democracy by excluding Congress by imposing policy changes with edicts. He has alienated neighbours Canada and Mexico and key allies by imposing stiff tariffs on imported goods. He shaken the longstanding world order by proposing US annexation of Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal. Trump's hankering for awards has turned to nominations for the John F. Kennedy Centre awards for 2025. He remarked, 'I wanted one. I was never able to get one. It's true, I would have taken it if they would've called me. I waited and waited and waited, and I said to hell with it, I'll become chairman, and I'll give myself an honour. Next year we'll honour Trump, OK?' In the event, instead of proposing high-brow cultural icons who are meant to be honoured, he has gone for low-brow pop. He chose rock band Kiss, Gloria Gaynor who sang "I will survive," Rambo actor Sylvester Stallone, country music star George and actor/singer Michael Crawford. Throughout his life Trump his been motivated by his father, Fred Trump's command never to be a "loser." In marriage, business, golf, television, and politics, Trump has striven to be a winner and has been braggart. Uncertain of his ability to avoid becoming a loser, he is assertive, aggressive, angry, unprepared to take advice on issues he has not mastered, uncaring of less fortunate folk and sycophantic when meeting confident leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Trump's slogan, "Make America Great Again," is driving policies which he believes will reflect well on him while not necessarily serve US interests. His imposition of tariffs caused chaos at a time world commerce was characterised by low or no tariffs and free trade. Although US the unemployment rate is a low 4.2 per cent, he claimed his tariffs would provide jobs for the US workforce in sectors where imports dominated. This would take time. To make the switch firms would have to be formed, equipment installed, and workers trained. Domestic production could eventually penalise consumers by raising prices for clothing, computers, smart phones, spare parts, vehicles, household appliances and other items manufactured abroad. "America First" is not necessarily "American is best."
Jordan News
17 hours ago
- Jordan News
Iran Says It Cannot Completely Cut Cooperation with IAEA - Jordan News
Iran's Foreign Minister said Wednesday that the country cannot fully sever cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), following the approval of a law requiring high-level security clearance for any future inspections of its nuclear facilities. اضافة اعلان IAEA inspectors have been unable to access Iranian nuclear sites since they were struck by Israel and the United States during a 12-day conflict in June, despite Director General Rafael Grossi emphasizing that inspections remain necessary. Last month, the Iranian parliament passed legislation suspending cooperation with the IAEA, stipulating that any future inspections must be approved by the Supreme National Security Council in Tehran. The parliamentary move followed accusations that the IAEA had effectively paved the way for the Israeli–U.S. strikes through a report issued on May 31, which led the Agency's Board of Governors to declare Iran in violation of its nonproliferation commitments. Nevertheless, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state media that Tehran 'cannot completely cut cooperation with the IAEA… therefore there must be inspectors to carry out this task,' without providing further details. The remarks come two days after a Foreign Ministry spokesperson indicated that Iran would continue talks with the IAEA, with a new round of negotiations expected soon. On resuming talks with Washington, Araghchi said negotiations need to 'mature.' The sixth round of talks between Tehran and Washington was halted following the Israeli and U.S. strikes in June.
