15 hours ago
Iran: Is Trump's 'appetite for war' influenced by his 'America First' supporters?
For a fifth day in a row, the war between Israel and Iran is dominating global headlines. Iranian daily The Tehran Times reports on the attacks on Iran's state TV. Journalists there say they aren't "giving up". The Israeli right-wing daily The Jerusalem Post focuses on the Israeli Defence Forces' military gains: 80 to 90 percent of the Iranian missiles have been intercepted, according to the paper. The paper also says that Israel destroyed a third of Iran's ballistic missile launchers. French left-wing daily Le Monde reports that Iran was "hit from all sides and threatened with chaos". The left-wing British daily Morning Star headlines with "NO RESPITE". The paper says that the conflict shows no signs of slowing down. The Financial Times writes that Israel claims "control" of the skies of Tehran. It says that so far, the conflict has cost more than 260 lives.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is trying to position himself as a peacemaker in the new war. Al Jazeera writes that Trump's cabinet is "less hawkish" on Iran. The paper says that the US president has surrounded himself with supporters "possibly influencing his appetite for war" or his lack thereof. Al Jazeera writes that Trump's actions will reveal how the US president responds to the "deep ideological rift" within his Republican supporters. On the one hand are his "America First" supporters, who prioritise domestic policy and non-intervention. On the other are those who are more eager to pursue military intervention to force regime change abroad. The New York Times calls Trump's choice to intervene or not a "last-chance diplomacy or a bunker-busting bomb". The paper says that if Trump decides to get involved in the war, this will imperil any chance of a nuclear disarmament deal. The Times says that only America's "bunker buster" bomb can reach the nuclear enrichment facility at Fordow that Israel is trying to destroy. Launching it, however, would of course mean US involvement in the war. British daily The Guardian reports that a Democratic senator, Tim Kaine, has proposed to prohibit US forces from taking action against Iran without approval from Congress, in an effort to curb Trump's war powers.
Staying with Trump, it seems that his family has another business venture on the way: this time, a mobile phone company. It's called "Trump Mobile" – a wireless service offer paired with a gold smartphone, as the Associated Press reports. The Trump company promises to have the phones ready by the summer. Trump's son Eric says that it's all about being patriotic, emphasising that the phones will the built in the US in the future. But The Wall Street Journa l is sceptical, saying the phone cannot be made in the US for its announced price of $499 by August. The paper says that supply chain experts agree that because of Trump's tariffs, the US would need years and billions of dollars to establish factories that produce phone parts like those in China, and even if that's possible, the price would be many times higher than that of an iPhone, for instance. The tech magazine Wired has "9 urgent questions about Trump Mobile" – from privacy concerns to confusing promises. The final urgent question is "can you get a refund?"... and no, "you absolutely cannot", says the magazine that consulted Trump Mobile's terms of use.
Finally, a zoo in Miami is celebrating the world's oldest tortoise dad! He is 135 years old as he was born at the end of the 19th century. Goliath has gone through 25 American presidencies and two World Wars. He has now reached a new milestone – fatherhood – after unsuccessfully trying a couple of times before. Yogether with his girlfriend Sweet Pea – aged between 85 and 100 years old – they are the world's oldest tortoise parents. The Times reports that the couple is doing well after the birth, sharing a photo of the proud dad.
