Latest news with #anti-Iran
Al Manar
a day ago
- Politics
- Al Manar
E3, US Misusing I.A.E.A. to Achieve Own Political Objectives: Iran
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has criticized the United States and three European countries – namely France, Britain, and Germany – for misusing the International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A.) for their own political gains. During his weekly press briefing on Monday, Baqaei responded to a question raised about the West's push for an anti-Iran resolution at the I.A.E.A.'s Board of Governors meeting in Vienna this week. He said that the Islamic Republic had taken steps in the past one or two years in cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog but the three European countries and the United States often abused the agency for their own political purposes. According to the spokesperson, the I.A.E.A. decided to first prepare a report under the political pressure and influence from the Western countries, and subsequently the same countries abused that report. He underlined that Iran's interactions with the agency, from the very beginning, had been based on its commitments arising from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement. France, Britain, and Germany, and the United States are reportedly seeking a draft resolution that accuses Iran of 'non-compliance' with safeguards obligations for the first time in almost 20 years, an issue that was declared closed within the framework of the 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Tehran has already warned that any such move will be met with a serious and decisive response. Enrichment a non-negotiable issue Regarding the issue of Iran's continued uranium enrichment, Baqaei said that the Islamic Republic did not need licenses in this regard and would not allow others to impose their will on Iran's right to enrichment. He pointed that enriching uranium does not necessarily mean having a weapons program, arguing that many countries, including some close allies of the United States, are enriching without having a weapons program. Enrichment is an integral part of the nuclear fuel cycle, which has been developed after decades of effort and dedication of Iranian scientists, he said, adding that 'This right is explicitly recognized for member states and is non-negotiable under Article 4 of the NPT.' Iran's nuclear program is peaceful Referring to a recent I.A.E.A. report, Baqaei said that the agency did not mention any non-compliance or deviation in Iran's nuclear program from the peaceful path. He stated that the report itself has several problems as it was drafted with political goals and in order to make excuses for Iran's nuclear program, but there is no mention of Iran's program being non-peaceful. The spokesperson said the position of the Islamic Republic is quite clear that the country, as a responsible member of the NPT, remains committed to continuing the peaceful path. He also touched on Israeli propaganda against Iran's nuclear program, saying that the issue has been affected by the hype created by the regime. He said that Iran's nuclear program has been under the most stringent monitoring mechanisms of the I.A.E.A. Baqaei accused European countries of piling up pressure under the pretext of lack of transparency simply following Israeli narratives. 'If you look at the history of the issue, as I mentioned before, the Zionist regime first claimed in 1984 that Iran was seeking to produce nuclear weapons. Now 40 years have passed since then and the status of the JCPOA is also clear to everyone.' U.S. proposal for Iran Addressing a question related to the U.S. proposal that was conveyed to Iran by Oman on May 31, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson did not give the details but said the proposal neither had the characteristics of active and bilateral negotiations nor was it the outcome of the indirect Iran-U.S. talks held so far. Baqaei emphasized that any plan that does not take into account the rights and interests of the Iranian nation, whether in the field of nuclear energy or with regard to ensuring the effective lifting of oppressive sanctions, is unacceptable to the country and shows a lack of seriousness in the negotiations. He noted that Iran will present its own reasonable, logical, and balanced proposal to the other side through Oman once it is finalized. Europe deviated from diplomatic path Referring to anti-Iran stance and rhetoric by some European countries, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that 'the confrontation with European countries cannot in any way create an incentive for cooperation.' He underlined that Iran had clearly stated from the beginning that it is ready to resolve outstanding issues through talks but the European parties not only failed to present constructive proposals, but also withdrew from the diplomatic process for other reasons. According to the spokesperson, a destructive and unconstructive approach was seen when European countries called for the I.A.E.A. report and then drafted a resolution to push during the agency's Board of Governors this week. He warned that the Western countries would be responsible for the consequences of their actions as Iran would take proportionate and reciprocal steps. Referring to activating the 'snapback' mechanism, Baqaei said that the issue should not be exaggerated too much as Iran's nuclear program is completely peaceful and there is no excuse or legal basis to put the Iranian nuclear issue on the Security Council's agenda. Slamming ban on Iranians entering the U.S. Addressing President Donald Trump's executive order to ban citizens of certain countries, including Iran, from entering the U.S., Baqaei said that the move is discriminatory and racist and is completely condemnable both from the perspective of human rights and moral obligations. He said that since the majority of the population affected by this regulation is Muslim, Trump's decision is based on the nationality and religion of individuals. 'Countries and governments are not allowed to enact laws based on the nationality, race, religion or ethnicity of individuals as such policies violate the fundamental principles of equality and justice and represent an inhumane and illegal approach,' he added. Genocide amid international silence The Foreign Ministry spokesperson, once gain deplored the ongoing Israeli genocide against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip. Unfortunately, the silence and inaction of international institutions, including the United Nations Security Council (U.N.S.C.), has emboldened the regime to continue massacring people in Gaza and the West Bank, he said. Referring to the U.S. veto of a U.N.S.C. resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza last week, Baqaei pointed that Washington's stance once again proved its backing for Israel and granting its officials impunity for gross human rights violations. He called on the international community to take serious and urgent action to stop the sad and horrific situation the Palestinians are going through for the past two years.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's Inevitable Betrayal of His Supporters
On Sunday, Donald Trump went on TV and told Americans that their children should make do with less. 'They don't need to have 30 dolls; they can have three,' the president said on Meet the Press. 'They don't need to have 250 pencils; they can have five.' Critics were quick to point out the irony of America's avatar of excess telling others to tighten their belt. But the problem with Trump's remark goes beyond the optics. It's that his argument for austerity contradicts his campaign commitments—and exposes the limits of his transactional approach to politics. Throughout his 2024 run, the president promised Americans a return to the prosperity of his pre-COVID first term. 'Starting on day one, we will end inflation and make America affordable again, to bring down the prices of all goods,' he told a Montana rally in August. 'They'll come down, and they'll come down fast,' he declared days later in North Carolina. But at the same time, Trump also promised to impose steep tariffs on consumer goods—dubbing tariff one of 'the most beautiful words I've ever heard'—even though the levies would effectively serve as a tax on everyday Americans. These two pledges could not be reconciled, and once elected, Trump was forced to choose between them. The results have disillusioned many of those who voted for him. Trump's approval on the economy has plunged since he announced his 'Liberation Day.' A former strength has become a weakness. 'If you look at his economic net approval rating in his first term, it was consistently above water,' the CNN analyst Harry Enten noted last month. 'It was one of his best issues, and now it's one of his worst issues.' Trump does not face this problem on just the economy. On issue after issue, whether domestic policy or foreign affairs, the president made incompatible assurances to rival camps on the campaign trail—to business bigwigs and working-class factory hands, anti-war isolationists and anti-Iran hawks. Now that Trump is in office, the bill for these guarantees is coming due, and he is making decisions that will inevitably alienate one of his constituencies. Some of the supporters who are not getting what they were promised are beginning to feel ripped off, putting the coalition that propelled Trump to his narrow popular-vote victory in jeopardy. [Read: Trump doesn't believe in anything. That's why he wins.] Take the tariffs and the tech titans. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has done much to ingratiate himself with Trump. He donated $1 million to the president's inauguration fund and attended the event in person. He overhauled The Washington Post ostensibly to appeal more to conservatives and reportedly paid $40 million to license and distribute a streaming documentary about the first lady, Melania Trump. None of that insulated Amazon's business when Trump's tariffs arrived. Faced with rising prices on many of its products, the company toyed with displaying a surcharge on some items affected by Trump's policy, but folded when the White House objected. Bezos may have tiptoed toward dissent, but Elon Musk has been much less restrained. As head of the Department of Government Efficiency, the entrepreneur previously worked seamlessly alongside Trump. But last month, he publicly unloaded on Peter Navarro, the architect of the president's tariff plan, calling him a 'moron' and 'dumber than a sack of rocks' after Navarro defended imposing Trump's penalties on Tesla, Musk's electric-car company. On X, Musk also posted a functionally anti-tariff video, in which the economist Milton Friedman explains how international trade makes producing a single pencil possible. Other pro-Trump sectors have experienced similar whiplash. In 2024, oil and gas interests gave an estimated $75 million to elect Trump. In his stump speech as a candidate, Trump promised to end what he called 'the Biden-Harris war on American energy,' and led crowds in chants of 'Drill, baby, drill.' But the tariffs Trump has imposed as president have crippled the industry by hiking costs of components while cratering the price of oil amid an anticipated economic downturn. In other words, by pursuing populist protectionism over free trade, Trump has already betrayed some of his most powerful backers. Few will be sympathetic to the travails of the CEOs, but their workers and customers are also footing the bill for Trump's economic self-sabotage, and many of them voted for Trump believing he would lower prices, not raise them. Given that Trump regained the White House with the smallest electoral margin since Nixon in 1968, these are supporters he and his party can ill afford to lose. Trump is trapped in the same web of his own making when it comes to international affairs. On the campaign trail, the president promised 'a stop to the endless wars and a return to peace in the Middle East,' attracting disaffected Arab and Muslim voters in swing states such as Michigan. But he also told pro-Israel voters that 'you have a big protector in me,' accused Kamala Harris of 'pandering' to Hamas supporters, and pledged, in the words of the Republican party platform, to 'DEPORT PRO-HAMAS RADICALS AND MAKE OUR COLLEGE CAMPUSES SAFE AND PATRIOTIC AGAIN.' Much as he was compelled to choose between tariffs and trade, Trump has had to choose between these two diametrically opposed positions since entering office. He helped broker a token cease-fire in Gaza, but then allowed it to expire, all while removing Joe Biden's sanctions on violent Israeli settlers and restrictions on arms shipments to Israel. The president also proposed emptying Gaza of Palestinians and turning the land into an American-run resort, and began revoking the visas and green cards of pro-Palestinian foreign nationals. Unsurprisingly, many of Trump's Gaza war voters have noticed that they've been stiffed. Days before the November election, Trump visited Dearborn, Michigan, where he vowed to establish 'peace in the Middle East.' He was greeted there by Faye Nemer, the head of the Middle East and North African American Chamber of Commerce and an unapologetic supporter. She has since labeled his Middle East positions 'extremely concerning to the community,' and she's not alone. 'Obviously we're completely opposed to the idea of the transfer of Palestinians from anywhere in Historic Palestine,' Bishara Bahbah, the chairman of Arab Americans for Trump, told the Associated Press in February, in response to the president's Gaz-a-Lago proposal. The group has now rebranded itself as 'Arab Americans for Peace.' Even as Trump has lost pro-Palestinian and dovish voters, he has been stoking concern among more hawkish ones. Over the past month, the president has moved toward a new nuclear deal with Iran that is reportedly similar to the one brokered by Barack Obama, which Trump discarded in 2018. The president and his team have sent contradictory signals about their intentions on Iran, but the reality is that whichever way Trump goes on the subject—whether for war or peace—he will upset a key constituency. Some circles cannot be squared. These disappointments were entirely predictable. Because Trump lacks many core convictions, voters from entirely opposite backgrounds convinced themselves that he would act in their interest as president—and he was happy to indulge their fantasies in exchange for their support by teasing tantalizing prizes to people across divides. But Trump's transactionalism has limits, because even presidents who have few beliefs still need to act, and those actions have consequences for the world and for the politician's coalition. Today, some 100 days into his second term, Trump's approval rating stands at a historic low, imperiling his party's chances in the midterms, as more and more of the president's backers realize that his impossible promises were never meant to be kept. Article originally published at The Atlantic
Atlantic
08-05-2025
- Business
- Atlantic
Trump's Inevitable Betrayal of His Supporters
On Sunday, Donald Trump went on TV and told Americans that their children should make do with less. 'They don't need to have 30 dolls; they can have three,' the president said on Meet the Press. 'They don't need to have 250 pencils; they can have five.' Critics were quick to point out the irony of America's avatar of excess telling others to tighten their belt. But the problem with Trump's remark goes beyond the optics. It's that his argument for austerity contradicts his campaign commitments—and exposes the limits of his transactional approach to politics. Throughout his 2024 run, the president promised Americans a return to the prosperity of his pre-COVID first term. 'Starting on day one, we will end inflation and make America affordable again, to bring down the prices of all goods,' he told a Montana rally in August. 'They'll come down, and they'll come down fast,' he declared days later in North Carolina. But at the same time, Trump also promised to impose steep tariffs on consumer goods— dubbing tariff one of 'the most beautiful words I've ever heard'—even though the levies would effectively serve as a tax on everyday Americans. These two pledges could not be reconciled, and once elected, Trump was forced to choose between them. The results have disillusioned many of those who voted for him. Trump's approval on the economy has plunged since he announced his 'Liberation Day.' A former strength has become a weakness. 'If you look at his economic net approval rating in his first term, it was consistently above water,' the CNN analyst Harry Enten noted last month. 'It was one of his best issues, and now it's one of his worst issues.' Trump does not face this problem on just the economy. On issue after issue, whether domestic policy or foreign affairs, the president made incompatible assurances to rival camps on the campaign trail—to business bigwigs and working-class factory hands, anti-war isolationists and anti-Iran hawks. Now that Trump is in office, the bill for these guarantees is coming due, and he is making decisions that will inevitably alienate one of his constituencies. Some of the supporters who are not getting what they were promised are beginning to feel ripped off, putting the coalition that propelled Trump to his narrow popular-vote victory in jeopardy. Read: Trump doesn't believe in anything. That's why he wins. Take the tariffs and the tech titans. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has done much to ingratiate himself with Trump. He donated $1 million to the president's inauguration fund and attended the event in person. He overhauled The Washington Post ostensibly to appeal more to conservatives and reportedly paid $40 million to license and distribute a streaming documentary about the first lady, Melania Trump. None of that insulated Amazon's business when Trump's tariffs arrived. Faced with rising prices on many of its products, the company toyed with displaying a surcharge on some items affected by Trump's policy, but folded when the White House objected. Bezos may have tiptoed toward dissent, but Elon Musk has been much less restrained. As head of the Department of Government Efficiency, the entrepreneur previously worked seamlessly alongside Trump. But last month, he publicly unloaded on Peter Navarro, the architect of the president's tariff plan, calling him a ' moron ' and ' dumber than a sack of rocks ' after Navarro defended imposing Trump's penalties on Tesla, Musk's electric-car company. On X, Musk also posted a functionally anti-tariff video, in which the economist Milton Friedman explains how international trade makes producing a single pencil possible. Other pro-Trump sectors have experienced similar whiplash. In 2024, oil and gas interests gave an estimate of more than $75 million to elect Trump. In his stump speech as a candidate, Trump promised to end what he called 'the Biden-Harris war on American energy,' and led crowds in chants of 'Drill, baby, drill.' But the tariffs Trump has imposed as president have crippled the industry by hiking costs of components while cratering the price of oil amid an anticipated economic downturn. In other words, by pursuing populist protectionism over free trade, Trump has already betrayed some of his most powerful backers. Few will be sympathetic to the travails of the CEOs, but their workers and customers are also footing the bill for Trump's economic self-sabotage, and many of them voted for Trump believing he would lower prices, not raise them. Given that Trump regained the White House with the smallest electoral margin since Nixon in 1968, these are supporters he and his party can ill afford to lose. Trump is trapped in the same web of his own making when it comes to international affairs. On the campaign trail, the president promised 'a stop to the endless wars and a return to peace in the Middle East,' attracting disaffected Arab and Muslim voters in swing states such as Michigan. But he also told pro-Israel voters that 'you have a big protector in me,' accused Kamala Harris of 'pandering' to Hamas supporters, and pledged, in the words of the Republican party platform, to 'DEPORT PRO-HAMAS RADICALS AND MAKE OUR COLLEGE CAMPUSES SAFE AND PATRIOTIC AGAIN.' Much as he was compelled to choose between tariffs and trade, Trump has had to choose between these two diametrically opposed positions since entering office. He helped broker a token cease-fire in Gaza, but then allowed it to expire, all while removing Joe Biden's sanctions on violent Israeli settlers and restrictions on arms shipments to Israel. The president also proposed emptying Gaza of Palestinians and turning the land into an American-run resort, and began revoking the visas and green cards of pro-Palestinian foreign nationals. Unsurprisingly, many of Trump's Gaza war voters have noticed that they've been stiffed. Days before the November election, Trump visited Dearborn, Michigan, where he vowed to establish 'peace in the Middle East.' He was greeted there by Faye Nemer, the head of the Middle East and North African American Chamber of Commerce and an unapologetic supporter. She has since labeled his Middle East positions 'extremely concerning to the community,' and she's not alone. 'Obviously we're completely opposed to the idea of the transfer of Palestinians from anywhere in Historic Palestine,' Bishara Bahbah, the chairman of Arab Americans for Trump, told the Associated Press in February, in response to the president's Gaz-a-Lago proposal. The group has now rebranded itself as 'Arab Americans for Peace.' Even as Trump has lost pro-Palestinian and dovish voters, he has been stoking concern among more hawkish ones. Over the past month, the president has moved toward a new nuclear deal with Iran that is reportedly similar to the one brokered by Barack Obama, which Trump discarded in 2018. The president and his team have sent contradictory signals about their intentions on Iran, but the reality is that whichever way Trump goes on the subject—whether for war or peace—he will upset a key constituency. Some circles cannot be squared. These disappointments were entirely predictable. Because Trump lacks many core convictions, voters from entirely opposite backgrounds convinced themselves that he would act in their interest as president—and he was happy to indulge their fantasies in exchange for their support by teasing tantalizing prizes to people across divides. But Trump's transactionalism has limits, because even presidents who have few beliefs still need to act, and those actions have consequences for the world and for the politician's coalition. Today, some 100 days into his second term, Trump's approval rating stands at a historic low, imperiling his party's chances in the midterms, as more and more of the president's backers realize that his impossible promises were never meant to be kept.
The Irish Sun
29-04-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Iranian sex toy smuggler allowed to stay in Britain after claiming his X-rated enterprise would see him jailed back home
AN asylum seeker running an illegal sex toy smuggling ring has been allowed to remain in the UK after arguing he'd be jailed back home for his illicit business activities. The unnamed man - who claimed he imported boxes of adult devices, including vibrators - applied for refugee status on the grounds the Iranian authorities would view his choice of work adversely. Under Islamic law, sex toys are illegal and there is a ban on bringing them into the country. The man's argument was dismissed by a lower-tier immigration tribunal, which deemed his evidence "implausible". However, he went on to win an appeal at an upper-tier hearing after claiming asylum on the grounds he would likely be prosecuted in Iran for campaigning against the Tehran regime at London protests and on social media. The tribunal agreed returning to a such a fate in Iran would breach his human rights under the Refugee Convention. READ MORE NEWS That came after the first tribunal suggested his anti-Iran posts were not genuine and a ruse to help prevent him being deported. Disclosed in court papers seen by Upper Tribunal Judge Paul Lodato found that the Iranian would face 'real risk of persecution' if he were to return home. There are currently a record 41,987 outstanding immigration appeals, largely on human rights grounds. Most read in The Sun Migrant rapists and paedos will be BANNED from claiming asylum under fresh immigration crackdown By Jack Elsom , Chief Political Correspondent MIGRANT sex fiends will finally be stripped of refugee rights — as Channel crossings pass 10,000 for the year. New laws will treat Currently, any overseas convict sentenced to more than 12 months in jail is automatically subject to a removal order. But many take advantage of protections under the UN Refugee Convention to avoid deportation by claiming asylum. It will create a presumption they should be denied refugee rights but they could still fight deportations using European human rights laws. Ministers believe this would have seen Ms Cooper said: 'Sex offenders who pose a risk to the community should not be allowed to benefit from refugee protections in the UK.' She is also setting a 20-week target for asylum decisions, down from the 50-week backlog as tax-payers fork out billions in migrant hotel costs. The number of small boat arrivals was due to go into five figures for the year when yesterday's crossings are confirmed. Brexiteer Nigel Farage warned the influx was 'coming to a town near you' amid reports ministers are offering to pay landlords to house them. 1 The man has been allowed to remain in the UK after winning his appeal Credit: Getty
Scottish Sun
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Iranian sex toy smuggler allowed to stay in Britain after claiming his X-rated enterprise would see him jailed back home
The initial tribunal hearing said his argument was 'implausible' ASYLUM FURY Iranian sex toy smuggler allowed to stay in Britain after claiming his X-rated enterprise would see him jailed back home Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN asylum seeker running an illegal sex toy smuggling ring has been allowed to remain in the UK after arguing he'd be jailed back home for his illicit business activities. The unnamed man - who claimed he imported boxes of adult devices, including vibrators - applied for refugee status on the grounds the Iranian authorities would view his choice of work adversely. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up Under Islamic law, sex toys are illegal and there is a ban on bringing them into the country. The man's argument was dismissed by a lower-tier immigration tribunal, which deemed his evidence "implausible". However, he went on to win an appeal at an upper-tier hearing after claiming asylum on the grounds he would likely be prosecuted in Iran for campaigning against the Tehran regime at London protests and on social media. The tribunal agreed returning to a such a fate in Iran would breach his human rights under the Refugee Convention. That came after the first tribunal suggested his anti-Iran posts were not genuine and a ruse to help prevent him being deported. Disclosed in court papers seen by The Daily Telegraph, it is the latest example of illegal migrants or foreign criminals using human rights laws to remain in the UK. Upper Tribunal Judge Paul Lodato found that the Iranian would face 'real risk of persecution' if he were to return home. There are currently a record 41,987 outstanding immigration appeals, largely on human rights grounds. Migrant rapists and paedos will be BANNED from claiming asylum under fresh immigration crackdown By Jack Elsom, Chief Political Correspondent MIGRANT sex fiends will finally be stripped of refugee rights — as Channel crossings pass 10,000 for the year. New laws will treat foreign rapists and paedos like terrorists and war criminals so the Home Office can deport them more easily. Currently, any overseas convict sentenced to more than 12 months in jail is automatically subject to a removal order. But many take advantage of protections under the UN Refugee Convention to avoid deportation by claiming asylum. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's amendment to her Borders Bill will categorise anyone on the sex register as a 'particularly serious criminal'. It will create a presumption they should be denied refugee rights but they could still fight deportations using European human rights laws. Ministers believe this would have seen Clapham attacker Abdul Ezedi removed following his sexual assault in 2017 — before he successfully claimed asylum and threw alkali over a mother and her two children last year. Ms Cooper said: 'Sex offenders who pose a risk to the community should not be allowed to benefit from refugee protections in the UK.' She is also setting a 20-week target for asylum decisions, down from the 50-week backlog as tax-payers fork out billions in migrant hotel costs. The number of small boat arrivals was due to go into five figures for the year when yesterday's crossings are confirmed. Brexiteer Nigel Farage warned the influx was 'coming to a town near you' amid reports ministers are offering to pay landlords to house them.
