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New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
DeSantis raises concerns about Trump's negotiations with Iran: ‘Hazardous'
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis voiced skepticism about President Trump's negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, arguing that the theocratic regime can't be trusted. The Sunshine State governor warned that 'trying to cut a deal with Iran' is 'hazardous,' and emphasized that Tehran is 'not a traditional country' that can be treated in a 'traditional way.' 'I don't see them as being good faith actors and in any way, shape or form. And the reality is they cannot be allowed to enrich uranium, period. End of story,' DeSantis told conservative radio host Mark Levin. 'They are a militant Islamic government. Their view of mutual destruction with nuclear weapons is actually something they think would be fine because they think they're all going to go to heaven in paradise if that happens.' Earlier this year, Trump penned a missive to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei telling the Ayatollah that he wants to see a deal to resolve the nuclear issue 'very soon.' 3 Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has long been a staunch defender of Israel. 3 In addition to its nuclear program, the US has been alarmed by Iran's funding of terrorist activity in the Middle East. via REUTERS In 2018, Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) negotiated under the Obama administration and hasn't entirely ruled out the possibility of a military response if Iran obtains a nuke, which experts fear could spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. DeSantis contended that, unlike the Soviet Union, which believed a nuclear war was 'not very appealing,' Iran's leaders feel that such an exchange with Israel could be 'doing the will of Allah.' Notably, back in March, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told the Senate Intelligence Committee that Iran 'is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003.' Trump's effort to cut a deal with Iran has caused some friction with Israel, which is very dead set on preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. 'I told [Benjamin Netanyahu] this would be very inappropriate to do right now because we're very close to a solution,' Trump told reporters Wednesday, confirming reports that he warned the Israeli prime minister not to attack Iran during negotiations. During Trump's three-country swing through the Middle East earlier this month, the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates all expressed opposition to attacking Iran's nuclear facilities, Axios reported. All three were concerned their countries would be subject to retaliation from Iran in part because they host US military bases. 3 President Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to attack Iran amid negotiations. REUTERS DeSantis also credited Israel for being foundational to Western civilization. 'You could trace back the history of Western civilization all the way back to the ancient state of Israel and the birth of both Judaism and Christianity, and we wouldn't have the United States of America if it didn't trace back to that,' the Florida governor argued.
2 days ago
- Politics
DNI Tulsi Gabbard leading US delegation to major security summit in Singapore
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is leading a U.S. delegation to Singapore this week to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier security summit, another signal of the Trump administration's intensified focus on the Indo-Pacific region. The summit will convene more than 550 delegates from 40 nations, including military, intelligence, business and security leaders, from across the Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America, a source familiar with plans told ABC News. Gabbard will be joined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the 22nd annual summit, hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, which runs from May 30 to June 2 in Singapore. Gabbard is expected to "discuss major security challenges" with leaders, a source familiar with Gabbard's plans told ABC News. This year's U.S. delegation includes higher-level representation than in previous years, the source added. The Shangri-La Dialogue is considered Asia's top defense summit, comparable to the Raisina Dialogue and the Munich Security Conference, both of which Gabbard attended earlier this year. This trip marks Gabbard's second trip to Asia in recent weeks, seemingly reinforcing the Trump administration's renewed focus on the region. Shortly after her confirmation, Gabbard traveled to India and met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of President Donald Trump's bilateral meeting with Modi in February. Her relationship with Modi spans more than a decade, dating back to 2013 when she became the first Hindu member of Congress. They met again during her 2014 visit to India at Modi's invitation. Earlier this year, Gabbard accepted an invitation from Modi to speak at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, a multilateral conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, but, before returning to Washington, D.C., Gabbard made stops in Japan, Thailand and France. Her diplomatic tour began in Honolulu, Hawaii -- her hometown -- where she represented the state in Congress for eight years. While in Hawaii, Gabbard met with intelligence community partners and visited United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) headquarters in Honolulu. In Singapore this week, she will hold bilateral meetings with regional leaders to "explore opportunities to chart a path that advances mutual interests of security, peace, and prosperity in the region," according to a source familiar with the agenda. Long before taking the helm of the intelligence community, Gabbard was already on the ground in Southeast Asia and, in 2019 while she was running for president, she paused her campaign for two weeks to serve on active duty with the U.S. Army National Guard in Jakarta, Indonesia, becoming the first candidate in modern history to do so. Now, as director of national intelligence, her return to the region marks a shift from military service to high-stakes diplomacy, an evolution that underscores not only her long-standing personal and strategic ties to the Indo-Pacific, but also hints the administration's broader efforts to elevate U.S. engagement in the region.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
DNI Tulsi Gabbard leading US delegation to major security summit in Singapore
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is leading a U.S. delegation to Singapore this week to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier security summit, another signal of the Trump administration's intensified focus on the Indo-Pacific region. The summit will convene more than 550 delegates from 40 nations, including military, intelligence, business and security leaders, from across the Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America, a source familiar with plans told ABC News. Gabbard will be joined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the 22nd annual summit, hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, which runs from May 30 to June 2 in Singapore. Gabbard is expected to "discuss major security challenges" with leaders, a source familiar with Gabbard's plans told ABC News. This year's U.S. delegation includes higher-level representation than in previous years, the source added. The Shangri-La Dialogue is considered Asia's top defense summit, comparable to the Raisina Dialogue and the Munich Security Conference, both of which Gabbard attended earlier this year. This trip marks Gabbard's second trip to Asia in recent weeks, seemingly reinforcing the Trump administration's renewed focus on the region. Shortly after her confirmation, Gabbard traveled to India and met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of President Donald Trump's bilateral meeting with Modi in February. Her relationship with Modi spans more than a decade, dating back to 2013 when she became the first Hindu member of Congress. They met again during her 2014 visit to India at Modi's invitation. MORE: Senate confirms Gabbard as director of national intelligence Earlier this year, Gabbard accepted an invitation from Modi to speak at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, a multilateral conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, but, before returning to Washington, D.C., Gabbard made stops in Japan, Thailand and France. Her diplomatic tour began in Honolulu, Hawaii -- her hometown -- where she represented the state in Congress for eight years. While in Hawaii, Gabbard met with intelligence community partners and visited United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) headquarters in Honolulu. MORE:Exclusive: Gabbard to meet with US allies in Munich on first trip as DNI In Singapore this week, she will hold bilateral meetings with regional leaders to "explore opportunities to chart a path that advances mutual interests of security, peace, and prosperity in the region," according to a source familiar with the agenda. Long before taking the helm of the intelligence community, Gabbard was already on the ground in Southeast Asia and, in 2019 while she was running for president, she paused her campaign for two weeks to serve on active duty with the U.S. Army National Guard in Jakarta, Indonesia, becoming the first candidate in modern history to do so. Now, as director of national intelligence, her return to the region marks a shift from military service to high-stakes diplomacy, an evolution that underscores not only her long-standing personal and strategic ties to the Indo-Pacific, but also hints the administration's broader efforts to elevate U.S. engagement in the region. DNI Tulsi Gabbard leading US delegation to major security summit in Singapore originally appeared on
India Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Iran's nuclear weapons program reportedly still active; US previously denied it
A new intelligence report from Austria says Iran is still working on its nuclear weapons. The report claims that Iran is trying to develop long-range missiles that could carry these report goes against what the United States said earlier this year. According to the New York Post, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told the Senate Intelligence Committee in March that Iran is "not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003."advertisementBut, an Austrian report claims otherwise. Their domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, wrote in a new report on Monday, "In order to assert and enforce its regional political power ambitions, the Islamic Republic of Iran is striving for comprehensive rearmament, with nuclear weapons to make the regime immune to attack and to expand and consolidate its dominance in the Middle East and beyond." The report also claims that Iran's nuclear weapons program is "well advanced" and that it has a stock of missiles that could carry nuclear warheads to long SPLIT ON IRAN'S TRUE INTENTIONSThe Austrian intelligence report may complicate things for the US. According to Fox News Digital, the data from Austria could make it harder for US President Donald Trump to negotiate with Iran's leaders over their nuclear plans. advertisement"President Trump is committed to Iran never obtaining a nuclear weapon or the capacity to build one," a White House official said as quoted by Fox Austrian report also claims that Iran has created "sophisticated sanctions-evasion networks," which have helped Russia. The report listed Iran 99 times in its 211 pages and called it a threat to Austria's agency noted that, in Iran's Vienna embassy, the intelligence officers could be posing as diplomats."Iranian intelligence services are familiar with developing and implementing circumvention strategies for the procurement of military equipment, proliferation-sensitive technologies, and materials for weapons of mass destruction," the Austrian agency Asadi, an Iranian diplomat stationed in Vienna, was found guilty by a Belgian court in 2021. In 2018, he was convicted of organizing a bombing at an opposition rally in France that was attended by President Trump's personal attorney at the time, former New York City Mayor Rudy News reported in 2023 that European intelligence documents exposed Iran's efforts to get around US and EU sanctions in order to acquire nuclear weapons testing technology. The reports claim that these initiatives took place both before and after the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, also referred to as the Watch
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Explosive new intelligence report reveals Iran's nuclear weapons program still active
FIRST ON FOX — A new intelligence report claims Iran is continuing with its active nuclear weapons program, which it says can be used to launch missiles over long distances. The startling intelligence gathering of Austrian officials contradicts the assessment of the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told a Senate Intelligence Committee in March that the American intelligence community "continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003." Austria's version of the FBI — the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution — wrote Monday in an intelligence report, "In order to assert and enforce its regional political power ambitions, the Islamic Republic of Iran is striving for comprehensive rearmament, with nuclear weapons to make the regime immune to attack and to expand and consolidate its dominance in the Middle East and beyond." Trump Confirms He Told Netanyahu To Back Off Iran Strikes Amid Nuclear Talks The Austrian domestic intelligence agency report added, "The Iranian nuclear weapons development program is well advanced, and Iran possesses a growing arsenal of ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads over long distances." According to an intelligence document obtained and reviewed by Fox News Digital, "Iran has developed sophisticated sanctions-evasion networks, which has benefited Russia." Read On The Fox News App The Austrian intelligence findings could be an unwanted wrench in President Trump's negotiation process to resolve the atomic crisis with Iran's rulers because the data outlined in the report suggests the regime will not abandon its drive to secure a nuclear weapon. In response to the Austrian intelligence, a White House official told Fox News Digital, "President Trump is committed to Iran never obtaining a nuclear weapon or the capacity to build one." The danger of the Islamic Republic of Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism (and its illegal atomic weapons program) was cited 99 times in the 211-page report that covers pressing threats to Austria's democracy. "Vienna is home to one of the largest embassies of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Europe, which disguises intelligence officers with diplomatic," the Austrian intelligence report noted. "Iranian intelligence services are familiar with developing and implementing circumvention strategies for the procurement of military equipment, proliferation-sensitive technologies, and materials for weapons of mass destruction," the Austrian intelligence agency said. In 2021, a Belgium court convicted Asadollah Asadi, a former Iranian diplomat based in Vienna, for planning to blow up a 2018 opposition meeting of tens of thousands of Iranian dissidents held outside Paris. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who served as President Trump's personal lawyer at the time, attended the event in France. Iran Foreign Minister Vows Nuclear Enrichment Will Continue 'With Or Without A Deal' When asked about the differences in conclusions between the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Austrian intelligence report, David Albright, a physicist and founder and president of the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital, "The ODNI report is stuck in the past, a remnant of the fallacious unclassified 2007 NIE [National Intelligence Estimate]. "The Austrian report in general is similar to German and British assessments. Both governments, by the way, made clear to (the) U.S. IC [intelligence community] in 2007 that they thought the U.S. assessment was wrong that the Iranian nuclear weapons program ended in 2003. "The German assessment is from BND [Germany's Federal Intelligence Service] station chief in D.C. at that time. The British info is from a senior British non-proliferation official I was having dinner with the day the 2007 NIE was made public. The German said the U.S. was misinterpreting data they all possessed." The Austrian intelligence findings that Tehran is working on an active atomic weapons program "seems clear enough," said Albright. In 2023, Fox News Digital revealed a fresh batch of European intelligence reports showed that Iran sought to bypass U.S. and EU sanctions to secure technology for its nuclear weapons program with a view toward testing an atomic bomb. European intelligence agencies have documented prior to 2015 and after the Iran nuclear deal( JCPOA) was agreed upon that Tehran continued efforts to illegally secure technology for its atomic, biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction programs. The Austrian intelligence report noted that Iran provides weapons to the U.S.-designated terrorist movements Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as to Syrian militias. A spokesperson for ODNI declined to comment. The U.S. State Department and U.S. National Security Council did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital press article source: Explosive new intelligence report reveals Iran's nuclear weapons program still active
