Latest news with #TheHouthis
New York Post
01-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Trump threatens to slap sanctions, cut off business with countries that buy Iranian oil
President Trump on Thursday threatened to slap secondary sanctions and cut off business with foreign countries that purchase Iranian oil products, hours after planned nuclear talks with Tehran were postponed. Although he did not mention any country specifically, the threat appears to implicate China the most, which the State Department has described as 'by far the largest importer of Iranian oil,' buying about 1.6 million barrels a day. 'All purchases of Iranian Oil, or Petrochemical products, must stop, NOW!' Trump, 78, wrote on Truth Social. 'Any Country or person who buys ANY AMOUNT of OIL or PETROCHEMICALS from Iran will be subject to, immediately, Secondary Sanctions.' Advertisement 'They will not be allowed to do business with the United States of America in any way, shape, or form.' Trump has been mounting a 'maximum pressure' campaign against Iran as a means of containing its ability to fund its terrorist proxies in the Middle East and its nuclear program. 3 President Trump has been pursuing a maximum pressure campaign against Tehran. Daniel Torok/White House/ZUMA Press Wire / Advertisement 3 Iran has been engaged in talks with the US over its nuclear program. Iranian Supreme Leader'S Office via ZUMA Press / It is not entirely clear what motivated his latest threat against the theocratic regime, but it comes a day after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put Iran on notice over its support for Houthi terrorists, who have been wreaking havoc in the Red Sea. 'Message to IRAN: We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing,' Hegseth declared on X Wednesday. 'You know very well what the U.S. Military is capable of — and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing.' Advertisement Iran is one of the largest producers of oil in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). US crude oil futures jumped to $59.24 a barrel, marking an increase of about $1.03, or 1.77%, following the announcement. Oil remains a top revenue source for Iran and a valuable export. In 2023, it accounted for over 40% of Iran's total exports, according to an assessment from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Trump's threat against Iran came hours after Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi announced that planned talks between Washington and Tehran over the weekend in Rome that it had been set to mediate were postponed. Al-Busaidi chalked the delay up to 'logistical reasons' but did not elaborate on the specific issues that led to the postponement. Advertisement Talks over Iran's nuclear program began in mid-April, and there have been discussions in Oman's capital, Muscat, as well as Rome so far. Trump confirmed in March that he sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei seeking to revive talks over the country's nuclear program. At times, the president has kept open the possibility of using military force against Iran if negotiations falter. 'I'm not asking for much … but they can't have a nuclear weapon,' the president told reporters April 9. 'If it requires military, we're going to have military. Israel will, obviously, be … the leader of that. No one leads us. We do what we want.' 3 President Trump's threat could have major implications for China. via REUTERS As he makes the sanctions threat against countries purchasing oil from Iran, Trump is navigating a dicey global trade environment after slapping tariffs on virtually every country on the planet. At the moment, Trump has slapped a baseline tariff against almost all imports and has implemented a 90-day pause on his planned customized tariffs for specific countries until July 8. Advertisement Trump also has a 25% automotive tariff, 25% tariff on steel and aluminum, and 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico that don't comply with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in place. China is also subject to a 125% retaliatory tariff in addition to the 20% rate imposed earlier this year due to Trump's fentanyl demands, with limited carveouts.
New Indian Express
01-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Trump threatens sanctions against buyers of Iranian oil after US-Iran nuclear talks are postponed
Rome soon will see the Vatican begin the conclave on Wednesday to pick a new pope after the death of Pope Francis. Two other rounds of talks have been held in Muscat, the capital of Oman. The talks seek to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions the U.S. has imposed on the Islamic Republic closing in on a half-century of enmity. The negotiations have been led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran's program if a deal isn't reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels. Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers did limit Tehran's program. However, Trump unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018, setting in motion years of attacks and tensions. The wider Middle East also remains on edge over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues an airstrike campaign, called 'Operation Rough Rider,' that has been targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels, who long have been backed by Iran. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth early Thursday warned Iran over the rebels. 'Message to IRAN: We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing,' he wrote. 'You know very well what the U.S. Military is capable of — and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing.' Last Saturday's round of talks, which included experts drilling down into the details of a possible deal, also took place as an explosion rocked an Iranian port, killing at least 70 people and injuring more than 1,000 others.
New York Post
01-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
US-Iran nuke talks postponed as Hegseth warns Tehran will ‘pay' for Houthi support
Talks between the United States and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program set for this weekend have been scrapped, according to the government of Oman, which has been mediating deliberations between the two sides. A fourth round of discussion had been scheduled to take place in Rome on Saturday, but were postponed due to 'logistical reasons,' Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi revealed on X Thursday. 'New dates will be announced when mutually agreed,' added al-Busaidi, who did not elaborate on the 'logistical reasons. Advertisement Iran's foreign ministry claimed that the meeting was delayed 'at the request of Oman's foreign minister,' while an unidentified source claimed to the Associated Press that Washington 'had never confirmed its participation' in Saturday's planned talks but was expecting conversations to take place 'in the near future.' 4 US special envoy Steve Witkoff has been leading talks on the US side. REUTERS On Wednesday night, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued an ominous threat against Iran over its ongoing backing of Yemen's Houthi rebels, whose attacks on Red Sea shipping have drawn the attention of the US Navy. Advertisement 'Message to IRAN: We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing,' Hegseth proclaimed on X. 'You know very well what the U.S. Military is capable of — and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing.' 'The responsibility for the consequences and destructive effects of the contradictory behavior and provocative statements of American officials regarding Iran will lie with the American side,' Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei responded to Hegseth Thursday. 4 Iran's nuclear program is said to be making rapid advancements. Advertisement Two rounds of indirect talks between the US and Iran took place in Oman's capital, Muscat, while the third was held at the sultanate's embassy in Rome. The US hopes to convince Iran to give up its nuclear program, which Washington believes to be geared toward creating an atomic weapon, in exchange for a rollback of sanctions against the theocratic regime. President Trump has repeatedly threatened to take military action against Iran if talks fall through. 'I'm not asking for much … but they can't have a nuclear weapon,' the president told reporters April 9. 'If it requires military, we're going to have military. Israel will, obviously, be … the leader of that. No one leads us. We do what we want.' Advertisement 4 Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been involved in discussions between the two adversarial countries. POOL/AFP via Getty Images US special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has taken the lead in the talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. In 2018, Trump pulled the US out of the Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, saying it lacked 'adequate mechanisms to prevent, detect, and punish cheating and don't even have the unqualified right to inspect many locations, including military facilities.' 'Not only does the deal fail to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions,' he said at the time, 'but it also fails to address the regime's development of ballistic missiles that could deliver nuclear warheads.' 4 In addition to its nuclear program, Iran's ballistic missile system has rattled the US. AP Back in March, however, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told lawmakers on 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 confirmed in March that he had penned a letter to Khamenei seeking to rekindle nuclear talks.
Epoch Times
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Hegseth Warns Iran Will ‘Pay the Consequence' for Backing Yemen's Houthis
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday warned Iran it faces serious military consequences for supporting the Houthis. The U.S. operation against the Houthis in Yemen, dubbed Operation Rough Rider, has been targeting the terrorists as the Trump administration negotiates with Iran over its nuclear program. In an April 30 social media Message to IRAN: We see your lethal support to The Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing. You know very well what the U.S. Military is capable of—and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing.' The United States and Iran are set to reconvene for talks in Rome on Saturday. Mediated by the Gulf state of Oman, the talks are aimed at sealing a deal that would block Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon while lifting economic sanctions imposed by Washington. The United States and Iran have so far held three rounds of indirect talks. The United States is conducting strikes on Yemen from two aircraft carriers in the region, the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea and the USS Carl Vinson in the Arabian Sea. Related Stories 4/30/2025 4/28/2025 It is targeting the Iranian-backed Houthis because of the group's attacks on Israel and shipping in the Red Sea, a crucial global trade route. On April 27, the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) Yemen's government has also been battling against the Houthis, who have taken control of portions of Yemen in recent years. Just south of Saudi Arabia, Yemen sits on the Gulf of Aden and has a population of about 39 million. The Houthis, who are supportive of Hamas in Gaza, have stated that they attack ships connected to Israel. Iran has supplied drones and drone technology to its allies in the so-called Axis of Resistance, which includes the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Both have used drones against Israel, although the Houthis have tended to target shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandab Strait. In In remarks published by state-run Tasnim News, he The UK's Royal Air Force It was the UK's first involvement with the United States' new and intensified campaign targeting the group. The UK's Ministry of Defence described the site that was targeted as 'a cluster of buildings, used by the terrorists to manufacture drones of the type used to attack ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, located some 15 miles south of Sanaa.' The defense ministry 'The strike was conducted after dark, when the likelihood of any civilians being in the area was reduced yet further.' In a statement Healey said the action was taken in response to a 'persistent threat' from the Houthis to freedom of navigation. 'A 55 percent drop in shipping through the Red Sea has already cost billions, fuelling regional instability and risking economic security for families in the UK,' Healey said. 'The Government is steadfast in our commitment to reinforcing global stability and protecting British working people.' The strikes come ahead of the expected passage of the Guy Birchall and Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
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First Post
01-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
'You will pay the consequence at time, place of our choosing': Hegseth warns Iran over support to Houthis
'Message to IRAN: We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing. You know very well what the U.S. Military is capable of — and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing,' Hegseth wrote on X read more US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday warned Iran that it will 'pay the consequences at the time and place of our choosing' for supporting the Houthis, even as the US has relaunched talks with Iran over its nuclear programme. Message to IRAN: We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing. You know very well what the U.S. Military is capable of — and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing. — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) May 1, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Taking to X, Hegseth wrote, 'Message to IRAN: We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing. You know very well what the U.S. Military is capable of — and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing.' The US and Iran have so far held three rounds of indirect talks, mediated by Gulf state Oman, aimed at sealing a deal that would block Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon but also lift crippling economic sanctions imposed by Washington. The US and Iranian delegations are again set to meet in Rome on Saturday. US President Donald Trump, in a post reshared by Pete Hegseth on X, reiterated a March statement holding Iran responsible for Houthi attacks. Tehran maintains the Houthis operate independently. The group, which controls northern Yemen, has targeted Red Sea shipping in support of Palestinians. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Since March, the US has launched strikes on over 1,000 Houthi targets. In a show of force, the Pentagon has deployed six B-2 bombers to Diego Garcia and stationed two aircraft carriers in West Asia, along with repositioned air defence systems from Asia. While both sides claim to favour diplomacy, the core dispute — now spanning over two decades — remains unresolved. Trump, speaking to Time Magazine earlier this month, said a deal with Iran is possible but warned that military action remains on the table if talks fail. With inputs from agencies
