Latest news with #Israel-Iran
Euronews
6 minutes ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Trump says US could hit Iran's nuclear sites again 'if necessary'
President Donald Trump has warned that the United States could strike Iran's nuclear sites again "if necessary." Trump issued the warning in a social media post on Monday evening after Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Fox News that Tehran cannot give up its nuclear enrichment programme, even though it was damaged in US bombings last month. "It is stopped because, yes, damages are serious and severe. But obviously, we cannot give up on enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists. And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride," Araghchi said. On his Truth Social platform, Trump referenced Araghchi's comments about the nuclear sites being severely damaged and said: "Of course they are, just like I said, and we will do it again, if necessary!" The US strikes on 22 June hit three Iranian nuclear enrichment sites — Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan — during Israel's 12-day conflict with Iran. Days after a US-brokered ceasefire was announced, Trump claimed that Washington's strikes had "completely and fully obliterated" Iran's nuclear sites. However, Trump's claim was called into question when a subsequent US intelligence report found that Iran's nuclear programme had only been set back a few months. The White House firmly pushed back on the assessment, calling it "flat-out wrong". Trump's social media post followed an announcement by Iran on Monday that it would hold renewed talks on Friday with European nations over its nuclear programme. The meeting in Istanbul will be the first since the Israel-Iran ceasefire was reached late last month, and follows similar discussions in the Turkish city in May. The talks will bring Iranian officials together with counterparts from the UK, France and Germany — known as the E3 nations — and the European Union's foreign policy chief. "The topic of the talks is clear, lifting sanctions and issues related to the peaceful nuclear program of Iran," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on Monday. Under a 2015 deal designed to limit Iran's nuclear activities, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Tehran agreed to tough restrictions on its nuclear programme in exchange for an easing of international sanctions. The deal began to unravel in 2018, when the US pulled out and started to reintroduce certain sanctions. European nations have recently threatened to trigger the 2015 deal's "snapback" mechanism, which would allow sanctions to be reimposed in the case of non-compliance by Tehran. Iran has gradually increased its nuclear activities, including enriching uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN's nuclear watchdog. Tehran denies allegations that it is seeking a nuclear weapon and has long said its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only.
Focus Malaysia
2 hours ago
- Business
- Focus Malaysia
Malaysia's competitive edge intact amid modest US tariff gap
DESPITE renewed tariff threats, global markets have remained calm, suggesting complacency around risk of Trump acting on his protectionist plans in August. This may inadvertently embolden him and his confidence to take action could stem from several recent 'wins' such as the USD100 bil in tariffs collected with minimal economic drag, resilient US equities, along with his role in Israel-Iran tension. 'Currently, Malaysia's 25% US tariff rate is higher vs Indonesia (19%) and Vietnam (20%) has raised concerns, but the gap is modest and we believe is unlikely to deter foreign investments meaningfully,' said Hong Leong Investment Bank. Even if tariffs remain elevated, policy tools like tax incentives can cushion the impact, in our view. On a similar vein, Malaysia's high corporate tax rate of 24% vs Indonesia/Vietnam's 22%/20% has not historically hindered investments, backed by a strong manufacturing base and supply chain. We see these structural strengths will continue to make Malaysia an attractive destination under the global supply chain diversification or '+N' strategy. In any case, we remain optimistic Malaysia can still negotiate for a lower tariff rate. Locally, there is growing concern that Malaysia may be unable to secure a more favourable US tariff rate relative to regional peers, potentially undermining our national competitiveness. Although this risk warrants monitoring, we are not overly alarmed. The differential of 5-6ppt is modest and, in our opinion, unlikely to be material enough to meaningfully divert foreign investment away from our country. Earlier, the narrative of Malaysia benefiting from tariff arbitrage held stronger weight due to a significantly wider gap of 8-22ppt during April's Liberation Day episode. In contrast, the current disparity is far narrower. Even if Malaysia ends up with a relatively higher tariff rate, we believe it can be mitigated via strategic policy tools, including targeted tax incentives and capital allowances. On a similar vein, while Malaysia's corporate tax rate stands at a higher 24% vs Indonesia/Vietnam's 22%/20%, it has not historically undermined our competitiveness in luring foreign investments. This is thanks to our mature and integrated manufacturing ecosystem, supported by a well-developed local supply chain. Thus, we believe these structural strengths will continue to make Malaysia an attractive destination under the global supply chain diversification or '+N' strategy. Moreover, it is worth noting that any prospective tariff action by Trump would only affect Malaysia's exports to the US. Like many other nations, the government is actively working to diversify our export base and trade partners to mitigate potential shocks. In any case, we remain optimistic that Malaysia could still negotiate a more palatable tariff rate (<20%), especially seeing both Indonesia and Vietnam had successfully secured steep reductions (13-26ppt) despite their respective ties to BRICS and China. The upcoming 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), which runs from 2026-30, is slated for tabling in Parliament at end-July. We see a higher Development Expenditure (DE) allocation of RM440 bil, in line with the RM90 bil/year pace from 2023-25 and continuing the upward trajectory seen in past plans. That said, the DE will be anchored by fiscal prudence to ensure adherence to the government's fiscal deficit target of 3.5% GDP between 2025-27. Overall, we anticipate the 13MP to adopt a globalist approach, particularly given the significant overlap with Trump's presidency through 2028. —July 22, 2025 Main image: LITE
Ammon
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Ammon
Araghchi says Iran cannot give up on nuclear enrichment
Ammon News - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Fox News that Tehran cannot give up on its uranium enrichment program which was severely damaged during the Israel-Iran war last month. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Prior to the war, Tehran and Washington held five rounds of nuclear talks mediated by Oman but could not agree on the extent to which Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium. Israel and Washington say Iran was close to enriching to levels that would allow it to quickly produce a nuclear weapon, while Tehran says its enrichment program is for civilian purposes only. KEY QUOTES "It is stopped because, yes, damages are serious and severe. But obviously we cannot give up (on) enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists. And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride," the foreign minister told the Fox News show "Special Report with Bret Baier" on Monday. The foreign minister said the damage to the nuclear facilities in Iran after U.S. and Israeli strikes was serious and was being evaluated further. Araghchi also said Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was in "good health" and that Tehran was open to talks with Washington but that those will not be direct "for the time being." Reuters
AsiaOne
10 hours ago
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Iranian foreign minister says Iran cannot give up on nuclear enrichment, World News
WASHINGTON — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Fox News that Tehran cannot give up on its uranium enrichment programme which was severely damaged during the Israel-Iran war last month. Why it's important Prior to the war, Tehran and Washington held five rounds of nuclear talks mediated by Oman but could not agree on the extent to which Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium. Israel and Washington say Iran was close to enriching to levels that would allow it to quickly produce a nuclear weapon, while Tehran says its enrichment programme is for civilian purposes only. Key quotes "It is stopped because, yes, damages are serious and severe. But obviously we cannot give up (on) enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists. And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride," the foreign minister told the Fox News show "Special Report with Bret Baier" on Monday (July 21). The foreign minister said the damage to the nuclear facilities in Iran after US and Israeli strikes was serious and was being evaluated further. Araghchi also said Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was in "good health" and that Tehran was open to talks with Washington but that those will not be direct "for the time being". Context US ally Israel attacked Iran on June 13 and the Middle Eastern rivals then engaged in an air war for 12 days in which Washington also bombed Iran's nuclear facilities. A ceasefire was reached in late June. Iran is a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, while Israel is not. The UN nuclear watchdog says it has "no credible indication" of an active, coordinated weapons programme in Iran. Tehran maintains its nuclear programme is solely meant for civilian purposes. Israel is the only Middle Eastern country believed to have nuclear weapons and said its war against Iran aimed to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons. [[nid:719087]]
West Australian
10 hours ago
- Politics
- West Australian
'National pride': Iran won't stop nuclear enrichment
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Tehran cannot give up on its uranium enrichment program, which was severely damaged during the recent Israel-Iran war. Prior to the war in June, Tehran and Washington held five rounds of nuclear talks mediated by Oman but could not agree on the extent to which Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium. Israel and Washington say Iran was close to enriching to levels that would allow it to quickly produce a nuclear weapon, while Tehran says its enrichment program is for civilian purposes only. "It is stopped because, yes, damages are serious and severe. But obviously we cannot give up enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Fox News. "And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride." The foreign minister said the damage to the nuclear facilities in Iran after US and Israeli strikes was serious and was being evaluated further. Araghchi also said Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was in "good health" and Tehran was open to talks with Washington, but those will not be direct "for the time being". US ally Israel attacked Iran on June 13 and the Middle Eastern rivals then engaged in an air war for 12 days in which Washington also bombed Iran's nuclear facilities. A ceasefire was reached in late June. Iran is a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, while Israel is not. The UN nuclear watchdog says it has "no credible indication" of an active, co-ordinated weapons program in Iran. Tehran maintains its nuclear program is solely meant for civilian purposes. Israel is the only Middle Eastern country believed to have nuclear weapons and said its war against Iran was aimed to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons.
