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CNN
24-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
The latest on Trump's presidency as he addresses West Point graduates
Update: Date: Title: NOW: Trump addresses service academy graduates at West Point Content: President Donald Trump has begun his commencement address at the US Military Academy in West Point, New York. The speech comes after Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed a sweeping effort to scour the country's military academies for course offerings, clubs and books deemed unsuitable by the administration — and as Trump orchestrates a wider shakeup of the Pentagon and the country's national security establishment. The class Trump is speaking to represents a diverse group of newly commissioned second lieutenants. According to West Point, 252 are women — including the valedictorian, Joanna K. Halfhill. It's the 45th anniversary of the first class to graduate women. CNN's Kevin Liptak contributed to this report. Update: Date: Title: Tehran "disappointed" with US nuclear talks, senior Iranian lawmaker says Content: Iran is disappointed with the progress of nuclear talks with the United States and is considering a 'Plan B' if they fail, a senior Iranian lawmaker told CNN. Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said officials get 'more disappointed' after each round of negotiations, particularly around the issue of uranium enrichment, which has emerged as a red line in the talks. Uranium can be used to build a bomb if enriched to high levels. 'We do not have hope yet, because the American side is still insisting on zero enrichment, and I know the Islamic Republic of Iran will never agree with zero enrichment,' Rezaei said in an interview at the Iranian parliament today. 'I got disappointed and do not have much hope that the negotiations will lead to a deal. We are preparing for Plan B.' He did not specify what Plan B might entail. Rezaei was speaking the day after the fifth round of indirect talks in Rome between the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff. A senior Trump administration official said Friday that talks 'continue to be constructive' and that progress was made, adding that both sides agreed to meet 'in the near future.' Witkoff said last week that the US had 'one very, very clear red line, and that is enrichment. We cannot allow even 1% of an enrichment capability … because enrichment enables weaponization.' Rezaei told CNN that 'if these are the real words of the American aide and they say the same in the negotiations, I can already say that the talks are doomed to fail.' Update: Date: Title: Trump's speech at US Military Academy comes as his anti-DEI initiatives alter the institution Content: Often when a president makes an annual commencement address at a US military service academy, it's an opportunity to discuss the national security environment the graduating class, all newly commissioned officers, will be entering when they leave. As President Donald Trump stands on stage about to address the US Military Academy in West Point, New York, he has plenty to discuss in front of the 1,002 graduates — global conflicts, new investments in the military and his efforts to maintain 'peace through strength.' Still, an undeniable backdrop to this year's speech is Trump's crackdown on diversity initiatives across the military and higher education, which have coincided at institutions like West Point. Trump's crackdown on DEI programs has played out on the campus here in New York's Hudson Valley over the last several months. A number of affinity groups have been disbanded, including the Society of Black Engineers and the Latin Cultural Club. At other service academies, books deemed in violation of Trump's anti-DEI directives have been pulled from the library. The White House and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth say they are making the military more lethal and focused on its core mission of warfighting. It's all caused an enormous amount of consternation, and at least one professor at West Point has resigned. There are protests expected near campus today, including in boats on the Hudson River beneath campus. Update: Date: Title: After awkward ramp incident in 2020, Trump's West Point stage has an addition: a handrail Content: The last time President Donald Trump addressed graduates at the US Military Academy in 2020, his appearance was punctuated by an awkward, unsteady descent down a ramp that raised questions about his physical well-being. This morning, as Trump returns to West Point, two long ramps remain in place in front of the podium. But this year, a handrail has been installed on one side. At the time, Trump issued an ardent defense of his halting walk down the ramp, where he stepped gingerly to get ground level. In a tweet, Trump insisted the slope was 'very long & steep, had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery,' though it had not rained beforehand and others were seen walking normally down the decline. With the handrail in place, Trump may be able to avoid the questions this time around. Update: Date: Title: Reporting roundup: Our latest coverage of President Donald Trump's administration Content: Entering the weekend, we're tracking the latest on President Donald Trump's ever-evolving trade policy, particularly his threat of 50% tariffs on the European Union and 25% levies on cellphone makers that manufacture their products outside the US. We'll also have updates on the president's speech at the US Military Academy commencement later this morning in West Point, New York. Use the links below to get up to speed on our other recent coverage: • Legal battle with Harvard: A federal judge has temporarily halted the Trump administration's ban on Harvard University's ability to enroll international students, marking the latest development in a battle over the elite institution's refusal to accept White House policy demands. International students at the school say they are experiencing 'pure panic' as they await an outcome. • Trump's 'big, beautiful bill': After intense lobbying by Trump, GOP infighting and an all-nighter, House Republicans advanced their sweeping tax cuts and spending package this week. Analysts say low-income Americans will feel the effect of aid cuts, while wealthy Americans will see a windfall if the package advances through the Senate in a similar form. • National Security Council ousters: The administration has put more than 100 officials at the National Security Council on administrative leave as part of a restructuring under interim national security adviser and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, sources told CNN yesterday. • Another wrongfully deported migrant: The administration has been ordered to facilitate the return of a Guatemalan man who was wrongly deported to Mexico in February, after he told authorities about his fears of violence and torture across the border. This is at least the third time a judge has ordered the return of a migrant wrongfully deported under Trump's immigration crackdown. • Sanctions on Syria: The administration issued orders yesterday to begin easing sanctions on Syria, marking a major policy shift after Trump pledged earlier this month to roll back the measures during a trip to the Middle East. Update: Date: Title: Trump arrives at West Point ahead of commencement speech Content: President Donald Trump has arrived in West Point, New York, where he will deliver the commencement address at the US Military Academy around 10:15 a.m. ET. This will be the second commencement address Trump delivers this spring. The first was at the University of Alabama — where he wasn't shy about getting political, inflating the margin of his 2024 win in the state and criticizing former President Joe Biden's administration. Update: Date: Title: EU trade chief says a deal with the US must be based on respect, not threats Content: A trade deal between the European Union and the US must be based on 'mutual respect, and not threats,' the EU's trade chief said, after President Donald Trump threatened the bloc with a 50% tariff. 'The EU's fully engaged, committed to securing a deal that works for both,' Maroš Šefčovič wrote in a post on X yesterday after a call with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, adding that the European Commission 'remains ready to work in good faith.' However, he said, EU-US trade 'must be guided by mutual respect, not threats.' 'We stand ready to defend our interests,' Šefčovič added. Some context: Trump raised the prospect of the 50% tariff on goods from the EU yesterday, citing a lack of progress in trade negotiations. The tariff Trump is considering slapping on the EU is more than double the size of the 20% initial 'reciprocal' tariff that was briefly in place in April before he swiftly paused those tariffs to allow for further negotiations. In a post on Truth Social, the president said he took particular issue with 'non-monetary trade barriers,' as he has repeatedly called them, as well as countries or trading blocs that run trade deficits with the US. Those occur when the US purchases more from another trading partner than that country purchases from the US. CNN's Elisabeth Buchwald contributed reporting to this post. Update: Date: Title: Trump's trade war: What to know about the president's latest tariff threats Content: President Donald Trump issued a pair of new threats in his ever-evolving trade policy yesterday, taking aim at the European Union and cellphone makers. Here are the two key tariff headlines entering the weekend: Trade demands for the EU: The president has threatened a 50% tariff on goods from the European Union, citing a lack of progress in negotiations and policies he says are contributing to an unacceptable trade deficit with the bloc. 'Our discussions with them are going nowhere!' Trump said in a Truth Social post yesterday morning. 'Therefore, I am recommending a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025.' During an executive order signing in the Oval Office later that day, Trump escalated his message: 'I'm not looking for a deal,' he said. 'We've set the deal — it's at 50%.' Trump did open the door to pushing his June 1 deadline further, however, and his tariff threats have repeatedly been followed by reversals and delays. Ultimatum for smartphone makers: Trump also demanded yesterday that Apple and other smartphone makers like Samsung make their phones in the US or face a 25% tariff. 'I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone's that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S.' Trump later told reporters in the Oval Office that the tariff would apply to any phone maker selling devices in the US, calling out Samsung by name. The threat comes after Trump expressed displeasure last week that Apple plans to manufacture iPhones for sale in the US at newly built plants in India. Update: Date: Title: Watch: Breaking down a busy week at the White House Content: In another busy week, President Donald Trump met at the Oval Office with the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and tracked Republican efforts to get his sweeping tax and spending cuts package through Congress. CNN's Kaitlan Collins debriefs on the past few days at the White House:
Asharq Al-Awsat
14-05-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Iran: We Will Not Retreat from Our Principles in Nuclear Talks
Iran on Tuesday said it is open to accepting temporary limits on its uranium enrichment but Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pledged that his country will never retreat from its core principles in the nuclear talks. 'These negotiations will be fully aligned with the Supreme Leader's guidance, which will light our path,' the president said in a meeting with members of the Iranian Parliament's Independent Faction. He added, 'We have not tied the livelihood of our people to the outcome of these talks - nor will we ever do so. We will never retreat from our principles in these negotiations, but we do not seek tension either.' Tehran and Washington held their fourth round of nuclear talks on Sunday in Doha, with no apparent breakthrough. On Tuesday, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi informed the National Security Committee that during indirect talks with the US, 'uranium enrichment is a non-negotiable red line.' 'Uranium enrichment in Iran's peaceful nuclear program is a red line for the country, alongside its defense and regional strength. Iran is not engaging in discussions regarding its enrichment principles,' Gharibabadi said, according to Ebrahim Rezaei, the spokesman for the Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy commission. Rezaei said some lawmakers suggested Tehran should withdraw from the nuclear talks 'until Iran's right to enrichment is publicly recognized, and sanctions and threats are stopped.' Meanwhile, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi again said Iran is open to accepting temporary limits on its uranium enrichment, without abandoning its nuclear program as requested by the US administration. 'For a limited period of time, we can accept a series of restrictions on the level and volume of enrichment,' said Takht-Ravanchi. 'We have not yet gone into details about the level and volume of enrichment,' he said, quoted by Tasnim news agency. The Iranian official added that negotiations are still in the early stages, and no specific details about the limitations have been discussed yet. 'We have not reached the stage where we would determine a specific timeframe or enrichment percentage,' he said. Takht-Ravanchi then argued that US behavior undermines trust. 'American officials' threatening and non-threatening statements fail to build confidence and instead cast doubts and suspicions on Washington's position,' he noted. On Monday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards aerospace commander, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, said the country's offensive capabilities have expanded, and that Iran's adversaries are now more vulnerable to retaliation than ever before. In a closed-door session with Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Hajizadeh dismissed recent reports suggesting a decline in Iran's defense strength as part of what he called a Western and Israeli media campaign aimed at undermining Iran's image.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iran tight-lipped on cause of deadly port explosion amid reports of possible presence of chemicals used to fuel missiles
Iranian authorities have not said what caused the massive explosion at the port of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, killing at least 28 people, but video footage and unconfirmed reports point to the possible presence of a chemical used to make missile propellant. Eyewitness accounts and video indicate chemicals in an area of shipping containers caught fire, setting off a much larger explosion. The death toll spiked sharply following the incident, with 800 others also reported injured. One surveillance video distributed by the Fars news agency shows a small fire beginning among containers, with a number of workers moving away from the scene, before a huge explosion ends the video feed. CNN has previously reported that hundreds of tons of a critical chemical for fueling Iran's ballistic missile program arrived at the port in February. Another shipment is reported to have arrived in March. The state-run Islamic Republic News Agency quoted an official as saying the explosion was likely set off by containers of chemicals, but did not identify the chemicals. The agency said late Saturday that the Customs Administration of Iran blamed a 'stockpile of hazardous goods and chemical materials stored in the port area' for the blast. Iran's national oil company said the explosion at the port was 'not related to refineries, fuel tanks, or oil pipelines' in the area. Iranian officials have denied that any military materiel was held at the port. The spokesman for the national security and foreign policy committee of the Iranian parliament, Ebrahim Rezaei, said in a post on X Sunday that according to initial reports the explosion had 'nothing to do with Iran's defense sector.' Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Bandar Abbas on Sunday afternoon to investigate the situation and oversee relief efforts, according to state media. The president also met with those injured in yesterday's blast. The blast comes at a time of high tensions in the Middle East and ongoing talks between Iran and the United States over Tehran's nuclear programme, but no senior figure in Iran has suggested the blast was an attack. Videos and images from the scene, some of which have been geolocated by CNN, show orange-brown smoke rising from part of the port where containers were stacked. Such a color would suggest a chemical such as sodium or ammonia was involved. Fires at the port were still burning Sunday, although Iranian state media said they were 80% contained. The New York Times reported Sunday that a person 'with ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that what exploded was sodium perchlorate, a major ingredient in solid fuel for missiles. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss security matters.' CNN cannot confirm what was being stored in the area at the time of the explosion and it is unclear why such chemicals would be kept at port for so long. In February CNN reported that the first of two vessels carrying 1,000 tons of a Chinese-made chemical that could be a key component in fuel for Iran's military missile program had anchored outside Bandar Abbas. The ship, Golbon, had left the Chinese port of Taicang in January loaded with most of a 1,000-ton shipment of sodium perchlorate, the main precursor in the solid propellant that powers Iran's mid-range conventional missiles, according to two European intelligence sources who spoke with CNN. Sodium perchlorate could allow for the production of sufficient propellant for some 260 solid rocket motors for Iran's Kheibar Shekan missiles or 200 of the Haj Qasem ballistic missiles, according to the intelligence sources. The Chinese Foreign Ministry told CNN in February that 'China has consistently abided by export controls on dual-use items in accordance with its international obligations and domestic laws and regulations,' adding that 'sodium perchlorate is not a controlled item by China, and its export would be considered normal trade.'
Egypt Independent
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Iran tight-lipped on cause of deadly port explosion amid reports of possible presence of chemicals used to fuel missiles
CNN — Iranian authorities have not said what caused the massive explosion at the port of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, killing at least 28 people, but video footage and unconfirmed reports point to the possible presence of a chemical used to make missile propellant. Eyewitness accounts and video indicate chemicals in an area of shipping containers caught fire, setting off a much larger explosion. The death toll spiked sharply following the incident, with 800 others also reported injured. One surveillance video distributed by the Fars news agency shows a small fire beginning among containers, with a number of workers moving away from the scene, before a huge explosion ends the video feed. CNN has previously reported that hundreds of tons of a critical chemical for fueling Iran's ballistic missile program arrived at the port in February. Another shipment is reported to have arrived in March. The state-run Islamic Republic News Agency quoted an official as saying the explosion was likely set off by containers of chemicals, but did not identify the chemicals. The agency said late Saturday that the Customs Administration of Iran blamed a 'stockpile of hazardous goods and chemical materials stored in the port area' for the blast. Charred merchandise and containers lie at the site of the deadly port explosion. Meysam Mirsadeh/Tasnim News/AFP via Getty Images Iran's national oil company said the explosion at the port was 'not related to refineries, fuel tanks, or oil pipelines' in the area. Iranian officials have denied that any military materiel was held at the port. The spokesman for the national security and foreign policy committee of the Iranian parliament, Ebrahim Rezaei, said in a post on X Sunday that according to initial reports the explosion had 'nothing to do with Iran's defense sector.' The blast comes at a time of high tensions in the Middle East and ongoing talks between Iran and the United States over Tehran's nuclear programme, but no senior figure in Iran has suggested the blast was an attack. Videos and images from the scene, some of which have been geolocated by CNN, show orange-brown smoke rising from part of the port where containers were stacked. Such a color would suggest a chemical such as sodium or ammonia was involved. Fires at the port were still burning Sunday, although Iranian state media said they were 80% contained. The New York Times reported Sunday that a person 'with ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that what exploded was sodium perchlorate, a major ingredient in solid fuel for missiles. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss security matters.' CNN cannot confirm what was being stored in the area at the time of the explosion and it is unclear why such chemicals would be kept at port for so long. Men ride a motorcycle amid the devastation. Mohammad Rasole Moradi/IRNA/AFP via Getty Images In February CNN reported that the first of two vessels carrying 1,000 tons of a Chinese-made chemical that could be a key component in fuel for Iran's military missile program had anchored outside Bandar Abbas. The ship, Golbon, had left the Chinese port of Taicang in January loaded with most of a 1,000-ton shipment of sodium perchlorate, the main precursor in the solid propellant that powers Iran's mid-range conventional missiles, according to two European intelligence sources who spoke with CNN. Sodium perchlorate could allow for the production of sufficient propellant for some 260 solid rocket motors for Iran's Kheibar Shekan missiles or 200 of the Haj Qasem ballistic missiles, according to the intelligence sources. The Chinese Foreign Ministry told CNN in February that 'China has consistently abided by export controls on dual-use items in accordance with its international obligations and domestic laws and regulations,' adding that 'sodium perchlorate is not a controlled item by China, and its export would be considered normal trade.'
CNN
27-04-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Iran tight-lipped on cause of deadly port explosion amid reports of possible presence of chemicals used to fuel missiles
Iranian authorities have not said what caused the massive explosion at the port of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, killing at least 28 people, but video footage and unconfirmed reports point to the possible presence of a chemical used to make missile propellant. Eyewitness accounts and video indicate chemicals in an area of shipping containers caught fire, setting off a much larger explosion. The death toll spiked sharply following the incident, with 800 others also reported injured. One surveillance video distributed by the Fars news agency shows a small fire beginning among containers, with a number of workers moving away from the scene, before a huge explosion ends the video feed. CNN has previously reported that hundreds of tons of a critical chemical for fueling Iran's ballistic missile program arrived at the port in February. Another shipment is reported to have arrived in March. The state-run Islamic Republic News Agency quoted an official as saying the explosion was likely set off by containers of chemicals, but did not identify the chemicals. The agency said late Saturday that the Customs Administration of Iran blamed a 'stockpile of hazardous goods and chemical materials stored in the port area' for the blast. Iran's national oil company said the explosion at the port was 'not related to refineries, fuel tanks, or oil pipelines' in the area. Iranian officials have denied that any military materiel was held at the port. The spokesman for the national security and foreign policy committee of the Iranian parliament, Ebrahim Rezaei, said in a post on X Sunday that according to initial reports the explosion had 'nothing to do with Iran's defense sector.' Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Bandar Abbas on Sunday afternoon to investigate the situation and oversee relief efforts, according to state media. The president also met with those injured in yesterday's blast. The blast comes at a time of high tensions in the Middle East and ongoing talks between Iran and the United States over Tehran's nuclear programme, but no senior figure in Iran has suggested the blast was an attack. Videos and images from the scene, some of which have been geolocated by CNN, show orange-brown smoke rising from part of the port where containers were stacked. Such a color would suggest a chemical such as sodium or ammonia was involved. Fires at the port were still burning Sunday, although Iranian state media said they were 80% contained. The New York Times reported Sunday that a person 'with ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that what exploded was sodium perchlorate, a major ingredient in solid fuel for missiles. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss security matters.' CNN cannot confirm what was being stored in the area at the time of the explosion and it is unclear why such chemicals would be kept at port for so long. In February CNN reported that the first of two vessels carrying 1,000 tons of a Chinese-made chemical that could be a key component in fuel for Iran's military missile program had anchored outside Bandar Abbas. The ship, Golbon, had left the Chinese port of Taicang in January loaded with most of a 1,000-ton shipment of sodium perchlorate, the main precursor in the solid propellant that powers Iran's mid-range conventional missiles, according to two European intelligence sources who spoke with CNN. Sodium perchlorate could allow for the production of sufficient propellant for some 260 solid rocket motors for Iran's Kheibar Shekan missiles or 200 of the Haj Qasem ballistic missiles, according to the intelligence sources. The Chinese Foreign Ministry told CNN in February that 'China has consistently abided by export controls on dual-use items in accordance with its international obligations and domestic laws and regulations,' adding that 'sodium perchlorate is not a controlled item by China, and its export would be considered normal trade.'
