Trump, Posta Oyları Dağıtılırken Yüksek Mahkemeye Baskı Yapıyor

Trump presses Supreme Court to curb mail voting as ballots begin reaching Americans

A federal judge's ruling that compliance was "practically impossible," paired with a whistleblower's warning that millions of ballots could go undelivered, has thrown the run-up to a pivotal midterm vote into legal disarray.

US mid-terms begin with chaos over mail-voting crackdown

WASHINGTON: America’s midterm elections opened on Friday in a fog of confusion over mail voting, with ballots already going out as President Donald Trump presses courts to let him impose sweeping new restrictions on how they are handled. North Carolina became the first state authorised to begin sending out ballots, formally launching an election season that culminates on Nov 3 and will determine control of Congress for the final two years of Trump’s term. Yet voters and election officials still do not know what rules may govern millions of mail ballots, as Trump asks the Supreme Court to revive curbs blocked by a federal judge and as states scramble to prepare for changes that could come after voting has begun. The dispute has been compounded by whistleblower allegations that a new Post­­al Service verification system was rushed, inadequately tested and could delay or even disqualify entire batches of ballots because of a single barcode problem. A federal judge on Friday extended her previous temporary block on Trump’s pl­­an, a day after warning that hurried chan­ges could cause widespread disruption. “We’re not playing an intellectual puzzle game,” Judge Indira Talwani reportedly told a lawyer defending the restrictions, in rem­arks widely picked up by US media. “We’re talking about people’s right to vote.” The Trump administration is expected to appeal to the Supreme Court against Talwani’s new order, which extends her previous block. Rules in limbo Trump’s March executive order would req­u­­ire states to provide the US Postal Service with lists of eligible mail voters through a new federal portal. Ballot envelopes would also need individual barcodes and other desi­­gn features, with USPS empowered to refuse mailings that fail to meet its requirements. The administration says the rules are meant to protect election integrity, although it has produced no evidence of significant fraud through mail voting. Trump has repeatedly denounced the practice as corrupt while using it himself — including to vote in Florida’s Republican primary just last month. The uncertainty comes on top of a voting sys­­t­­em that already differs dramatically fr­­om state to state. Some automatically send ballots to registered voters, others require vot­­­­e­­rs to request them, while identification requ­­irements, return deadlines and rules for counting late-arriving ballots vary across the country. Election officials now face the additional prospect of federal requirements changing while voting is already underway. “The states set the time, place and manner of elections in this country, not the president,” Marc Elias, the founder of voting rights platform Demo­cracy Docket, said on his YouTube show. “In fact, the Congress can override the states in many instances, but in no instance can the president. The president is given no power over federal elections.” North Carolina officials said Friday’s mailings would proceed normally and that the state has no plans to use the federal portal at the center of the dispute. But time is rapidly running out for any nationwide overhaul. ‘Rushed, chaotic’ Friday marks 60 days before Election Day — the deadline Trump’s order itself envisioned for states to submit voter information — while another 18 states are expected to begin distributing ballots roughly 45 days before Nov 3. That leaves little room for officials to redesign envelopes, update computer systems, train workers and upload voter data if the courts suddenly allow the restrictions to take effect. Concerns intensified this week after an anonymous USPS whistleblower alleged that the ballot portal had been developed through a “rushed, chaotic, and fundamentally flawed” process. The official warned that under a proposed “zero-percent failure” policy, one barcode that fails to scan or match could result in an entire batch containing thousands of ballots being rejected until it is checked again. USPS said no mandatory verification procedures were being performed and that election officials would initially use its portal only voluntarily. The fight — alongside disputes over partisan redistricting in around a dozen states — comes with high political stakes. Republicans hold narrow congressional majorities, but Democrats are favored to capture the House as Trump’s approval ratings remain weak and voters voice frustration over living costs and the continuing war with Iran. A new Cornell University forecast gives Democrats an eight-in-10 chance of taking the chamber, projecting a roughly 226-209 majority. Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2026

What the US midterms could mean for Trump’s power

What the US midterms could mean for Trump’s power Expert comment LToremark 8 September 2026 The Democrats are projected to make big gains in November’s midterm elections. But this will not necessarily constrain President Trump. As President Trump gathers Republicans this week for their first-ever midterm convention, election campaigning is in full swing. The results of the November midterm elections will shape Trump’s remaining tenure and the 2028 presidential cycle. As it stands, Democrats are projected to take the House of Representatives, while the Senate is a closer call. Either way, Republicans will likely lose the governing trifecta – House, Senate and presidency – that has enabled Trump’s agenda and removed constraints on his authority. But that will not automatically result in durable guardrails or clear policy shifts. Even with control of one or both congressional chambers, many Democratic efforts to frustrate administration policies or impose oversight will run into structural hurdles. Instances of hard leverage are few, predominantly around funding the government, but they can be used to extract concessions – even as Republicans rally to defang them before the new Congress takes office in January. Outside fiscal negotiations – and nominations, if the Democrats also take the Senate – opposition will be more about optics than hard constraints. This is especially true on foreign policy, where Trump enjoys practical, legal and structural advantages that empower him to act. Areas of potential Democratic leverage With a majority in either or both houses, Democrats can block Republican legislative moves. This would likely push the White House to double down on its executive authority claims, including executive orders, emergency declarations and regulatory actions. But the inverse is not true. Even with both chambers, Democrats would struggle to drive policy through legislation. A war powers vote to curtail military engagement in the Gulf or resolution disapproving of a foreign arms sale, for instance, would face presidential vetoes and Democrats would not have the supermajorities needed to overcome them. Related work Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act mortgages America’s economic future Another area of potential leverage is withholding approval for presidential appointments – especially for a Supreme Court or Federal Reserve vacancy. However, this only works if Democrats retake the Senate, which confirms nominees. An area where Democrats have real leverage is fiscal matters – even if they only take the House. President Trump needs congressional action to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling, which limits government borrowing. Congress raised the debt ceiling by $5 trillion in 2025 and the limit is now expected to be reached by mid-2027, after which Treasury Department accounting manoeuvres to avoid default – known as extraordinary measures – could buy an additional six to nine months. Failure to raise the limit in time to meet the government’s debt obligations could trigger a calamitous market shock. How Republicans navigate the period after the midterms and before the new Congress takes office will determine whether the debt limit remains as a negotiating lever. Trump is pushing Republicans to use the budget reconciliation process – which requires only simple majorities in both houses – to lift the debt limit by another $5 trillion through the remainder of his term, and secure funding including $60 billion for defence and $12 billion in aid for farmers hit by tariff retaliation and Hormuz disruption. But time is of the essence, as reconciliation requires a budget resolution adopted by both chambers, so a Democratic House alone would rule it out. Ironically, Republicans themselves might provide the most immediate obstacle to Trump’s wishes. Rapid debt accrual – some $2.9 trillion of the $5 trillion added to the debt limit in 2025 had evaporated by June – has made fiscal hawks like Senator Rand Paul unwilling to proceed without spending cuts. Failure to extend the limit would yield a negotiation in 2027 or early 2028, with presidential primaries in sight and little incentive to compromise. Unlike the debt limit, reconciliation cannot be used for regular appropriations, the annual bills that fund federal agencies. As it stands, Republicans will need Democratic support to find a solution before funding expires on 11 December. This negotiation will set the timing and parameters for starker confrontations in the new year, including opportunities to attach conditions for how funding is spent. But as the Trump administration asserts unilateral authority over spending, such conditions may have less relevance. For their part, Democrats must weigh their negotiation priorities and appetite for a potential government shutdown – during which the federal government withholds services, data and paycheques – which will inevitably raise the question of blame. Investigations and impeachment 3.0? Related work Has Trump made the presidency too powerful? Any change of control in the US Congress would also precipitate widespread investigations, including into Trump family business dealings and the Iran war. However, the levers of Congress – for instance, the power to subpoena testimony and documents – will quickly run into enforcement challenges. This Trump administration is more capable of resisting scrutiny than the version Democrats confronted after retaking the House in 2018. It has used non-compliance, taken advantage of slow-moving court proceedings, and expanded claims of executive privilege to resist disclosing certain documents and communications. In August, Justice Department lawyers issued a non-binding advisory opinion stating that executive privilege extends to presidential communications with private individuals if they relate to his decision-making, which could vastly expand the scope of privileged information. Nevertheless, there are signs that the White House is preparing for Democratic investigations by hiring lawyers and briefing staff. And Americans see ample cause for such investigations. A Gallup poll found that 89 per cent of Americans, including lopsided majorities in both parties, believe government corruption is widespread. But the challenges of reaching into the executive branch may change the shape and targets of investigations, with spillover falling onto Trump’s family members, business associates and outsiders who lack similar procedural tools and protections. Some corporate leaders could find themselves squeezed between a White House claiming privilege and Congress demanding cooperation. Presidential impeachment is another potential flashpoint likely to resurface. Congressional Democratic leadership may try to resist a third attempt to impeach Trump but pressure from individual members could build. Although any impeachment – whether of Trump or alternative targets like cabinet secretaries or judges – would energize the Democratic base, it could also invite criticism of overreach. Both oversight and impeachment can be costly and time-consuming but may fail to deliver concrete results. Ultimately, the most significant constraints on Trump’s remaining tenure may be practical rather than political. In a combative political environment, a crisis would put serious pressure on an outgoing presidency and diminished state capacity. A financial shock or recession would stress already strained fiscal capacity, perhaps alongside contentious negotiations; an additional military operation would draw on waning munitions stocks and a burdened force; and a natural disaster or health emergency would call on a severely depleted civil service to act. This is to say nothing of the disruption stemming from artificial intelligence, which Congress and the White House remain poorly positioned to address. For US allies and partners, there is an uncomfortable asymmetry. A president who has made it his business to be a shock to the system retains the capacity to deliver one. Meanwhile, America itself is less capable of repair and resilience. Whatever happens in November will not change that.

Trump center stage at RNC in midterms gamble – US politics live

President to give speeches on both days of unprecedented gathering Republican midterm convention will be ‘Trumpist pageantry’ – at the party’s own risk Sign up for US Breaking News email Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. Donald Trump is due to address Republicans tonight at the party’s first ever national convention ahead of the crucial midterm elections, with the GOP hoping to energize voters as it fights to hold its narrow congressional majorities. Clashing court rulings plunged Missouri’s congressional elections into uncertainty. The US Supreme Court decided not to intervene to reinstate a Donald Trump-backed US House map, upholding a a ruling from the state’s highest state court that prevented the use of the map in the November elections. But shortly after a federal judge temporarily barred the state from using its old congressional maps in November. The US military destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after a US navy warship was targeted with ballistic missiles. Iran had targeted the warship twice over two days, the US Central Command said. The US will ban Canadian dairy products, motorcycles and most alcoholic beverages. The move marked an escalation in the ongoing trade war between the North American countries, and comes just after Canada announced retaliatory tariffs on $20bn in US goods. Congressman Chris Pappas beat back progressive challenger Karishma Manzur in the New Hampshire Democratic primary for US Senate. Former senator John E Sununu, who is backed by Trump, won the state’s Republican Senate primary. Lonnie G Bunch III announced he is stepping down as secretary of the Smithsonian Institution after seven years in the role amid Donald Trump’s unprecedented crackdown on the world’s largest museum’s autonomy. Continue reading...

Republicans put Trump centre stage in US midterms gamble

US Republicans open an extraordinary midterm convention in Dallas on Wednesday, betting that putting Donald Trump at the centre of their campaign can rescue a party facing grim election forecasts — despite the president’s deeply negative approval ratings. The two-day gathering, dubbed “Trumpapalooza,” is designed to persuade the Republican leader’s supporters that he is effectively on the ballot on November 3, when Republicans risk losing the House of Representatives and face a fierce fight to retain the Senate. “So what I really want you to do is pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot,” Trump said recently at a rally in South Carolina. “Just come and vote. It’s so important.” Decision Desk HQ projects Democrats to win the House 230-205 and the Senate to finish 51-49 in their favour — revising its 50-50 prediction as the outlook continues to worsen for Republicans. Trump, whose approval rating stood at just 33 per cent in recent polling, will speak on both convention nights at the American Airlines Centre. U.S. President Donald Trump walks to board Marine One, en route to Dallas, Texas, at the Ellipse near the White House in Washington, DC, the US on September 9, 2026. — Reuters His challenge is to mobilise voters personally loyal to him without further alienating independents already souring on his presidency amid inflation woes, gasoline prices topping $4 a gallon and the continuing war on Iran. “Many Trump supporters only vote when he’s on the ballot,” Matthew Green, a politics professor at the Catholic University of America, told AFP. “They’re not diehard Republican voters; they’re diehard Trump voters. So, in that respect, it makes some sense to feature Trump in the hopes of getting those folks to turn out in November.” But Green was sceptical that asking those supporters to imagine Trump on their ballots could overcome his broader weakness. “When you’re in the low- to mid-30s, that’s traditionally associated with a very bad midterm for your party,” he said of the 80-year-old’s approval ratings. Trump show The gathering is the first Republican national convention held specifically for a midterm election, although no candidates will be nominated and no formal party business is planned. Instead, organisers have constructed what amounts to a two-night television rally touting Trump’s record and Republican candidates. More than 100 House members and candidates are expected, with over 50 speakers or presentations scheduled each night. Rubber ducks shaped as US President Donald Trump are seen at a store outside of the American Airlines Centre ahead of the 2026 Republican National Committee (RNC) Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas on September 08, 2026. — AFP Trump delivers Wednesday’s keynote and returns for Thursday’s finale after Vice President JD Vance speaks. Cabinet members, congressional leaders and candidates in closely watched House and Senate races are also on the program. Republicans plan to highlight tax cuts, immigration enforcement, manufacturing and prescription drug prices, while depicting Democrats as dangerously far to the left. Some Republicans, however, are privately hoping Trump sticks to that script rather than the personal grievances and off-message subjects that regularly dominate his appearances. Staying home Not everyone is coming. Numerous lawmakers in competitive races have decided that, less than two months from Election Day, their time is better spent campaigning at home. House Speaker Mike Johnson has acknowledged the dilemma, saying some members need to remain home because it is a “critical time” immediately before early voting accelerates nationwide. And even Trump’s promised national television showcase faces an unusually formidable rival. Both convention nights coincide with the opening games of the NFL season. “Spending three or four days away from your district to go to a convention is not a good way to spend your time if you’re facing a tight re-election,” Green added. Democrats were also making their presence felt in Dallas, with the party sending out some of its most high-profile speakers for public events. “Americans are being crushed by rising costs,” Colorado Congressman Jason Crow posted on X. “Republicans don’t care — they’re in Dallas, celebrating an out-of-touch President whose tariffs and wars are making things worse. We’re going to hold them accountable.”

Defiant Iran seeks to bruise Trump ahead of midterms

Iran is intensifying confrontational actions against the United States in the hope of further raising the cost of the conflict for President Donald Trump less than two months ahead of the US midterm elections, analysts say. Over half a year after the war erupted on February 28 with US-Israeli attacks that killed supreme leader Ali Khamenei, Iran is upping the ante, even risking a return to all-out fighting, rather than dialling down and looking into diplomacy.

Loyalists at Republican convention question Trump-centric midterm strategy

DALLAS: President Donald Trump used the Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention this week to make a risky appeal to voters: treat November’s midterm elections as a referendum on him. Trump urged voters to “pretend that I’m on the ballot” during the two-day gathering that kicked off what Republicans hope will be a Trump-focused campaign aimed at galvanising the party’s base and recreating the turnout that powered his 2016 and 2024 election victories. But interviews with Republicans gathered in Dallas underscored unease about that strategy. Even some attendees who strongly support Trump questioned whether a president weighed down by voter concerns over inflation and the Iran war was the party’s strongest messenger in competitive races. The scepticism was notable given the convention attracted Trump’s most committed supporters and echoed the concerns raised by some Republican lawmakers running in competitive districts. “He’s definitely energising the base and I think the convention was a good idea, but I’m not entirely sure if this pitch is going to work for everybody,” said Len Heritage, a Republican donor from Washington state who said he contributed money to help fund the convention. Heritage said he came away from Trump’s keynote address on Wednesday night with a greater appreciation for Trump, but he was still torn over whether to believe him to be the party’s best messenger. Trump said little in his speeches on both nights of the convention to address voters’ top concern of the high cost of living that has helped to drive his approval ratings to historic lows as Americans sour on his economic leadership. He said food prices were rapidly declining, despite government data to the contrary. He did promise every American adult a $5,000 “Trump dividend” if Republicans retain control of Congress, although he did not say how that would be funded. The arena floor was full by the time Trump delivered his keynote address on Wednesday, but much of the upper deck and hundreds of side seats in the 21,000-seat American Air­lines Center remained vacant, undercutting the convention’s effort to showcase Trump’s political strength ahead of the midterms. Trump, who has long fixated on crowd size, repeatedly described the arena as packed. The Trump gamble Trump’s standing has held up far better among Republicans than among voters outsi­­de the party. His overall approval stood at 33pc in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted Aug 28-31, the lowest level of his presidency. Among Republicans, his approval had slipped from 91pc in the first days of his term to 82pc. Among independents, it had fallen much more sharply, from 39pc to 22pc over the same period. Opinion polls also suggest Democrats enter the midterms with a more energized voter base than Republicans. Brian Darling, a Republican strategist and former Senate aide, said Trump’s most devoted voters can be difficult to mobilise without him on the ballot. Shaping the Republican campaign around Trump was “obviously a risky strategy,” he said, “but I do think that it’s better than the alternative.” They argue that Trump’s plea to voters to “pretend that I’m on the ballot” plays into their effort to make the election a referendum on his handling of the economy and the Iran war. Christine Gardner, a retired intellectual property lawyer from Texas attending the convention, said any downside from Trump’s prominence could be outweighed by what she sees as Democrats’ shift to the left, including the rise of candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, a left-wing political group now playing a prominent role in the Democratic Party. “I think the thing that’s going to help us more than he (Trump) could possibly hurt us is those DSAs, because the independents are gonna go, ‘Wait a minute, that’s a little bit way too far,’” Gardner said. “And it’s almost like OK, the devil you know is better.” Speakers at the convention sought to portray Democrats as dangerous anti-American extremists who would threaten Americans’ way of life if they won power, part of a Republican strategy to energize their voters by casting the election as a battle for the country’s identity and values. Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2026

Trump personality cult alive and well in Dallas – will it power Republican midterm success?

President the star of the show at two-day convention, but party’s plan to treat November elections as referendum on Trump himself poses grave risks “We’re going to have a good time listening to music,” Donald Trump told thousands of supporters in downtown Dallas before handing the mic to an opera singer, “because I’m getting a little bit tired of politics now.” Millions of Americans seem tired of politics after a decade dominated by Trump. So the US president’s decision to close out this week’s first ever Republican midterm convention with a plea – treat November’s congressional elections as a referendum on Trump himself – was received by his Democratic opponents with glee. Continue reading...

Trump’s mail-in voting restrictions blocked by a second judge – US politics live

The US Supreme Court is ​still weighing the administration’s ⁠request to ​overturn a separate ​order ​blocking the ​rule Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. A second ⁠federal ⁠judge has prevented ⁠Donald Trump’s administration from implementing ⁠a ​new ‌US ‌Postal Service ‌rule that would tighten mail-in voting requirements. Trump on Sunday called on Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries and other infrastructure used to produce and distribute diesel, saying the attacks are causing a global shortage. He spoke after diesel prices in the US hit a record on Friday, soaring past $6 a gallon on average. British ministers face calls to act after US authorities secretly flew out of the UK a diplomat accused of possessing indecent images of children. US officials reportedly raided the diplomat’s London flat in August before taking him to an American airbase and flying him out of the country, without warning the Metropolitan police. A newly unveiled statue of the rightwing activist Charlie Kirk was vandalized at the Turning Point USA headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona. The statue was found with red spray-paint. A nearby poster memorial in front of the statue was vandalized with red paint as well. A coroner in Pennsylvania announced the death of a 40-year-old woman associated with the state’s ongoing measles outbreak. The death appears to mark the third in the US state’s ongoing outbreak. Two previous deaths in the state were in infant children. In one case, the infant was born with a genetic defect that made her vulnerable to infection. The second infant child was infected with measles, and died of a ruptured spleen. A Republican congressman said he had to swim to safety after a plane he was traveling in made an emergency landing in a lake late Saturday. Representative Tom Tiffany says he was returning from the La Crosse county Lincoln Day Dinner when the light aircraft lost power as it approached Wausau downtown airport. The pilot made an emergency landing in Lake Wausau. They both ended up in the water and swam to safety. Barack Obama urged Democrats to prioritize a “public conversation” about AI management and safety in a closed-door Manhattan fundraiser last week. The comments by the former US president reportedly urged the party to create a sweeping framework for everything from a safety “slow-down” to domestic job losses and children’s wellbeing. Continue reading...

Ahead of Xi-Trump summit, China urges Iran, US to return to Islamabad pact

In meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi, China’s top diplomat says prolonged US-Iran conflict 'not in common interest' of parties, international community

What the US Fed hike could mean for Pakistan's economy

The US Federal Reserve has raised interest rates in the world’s largest economy by 25 basis points (bps), the first hike in three years. The decision aims to tackle stubbornly high inflation that has been exacerbated by rising oil prices amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. Making the announcement, US Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh stre­ssed that the hike was not influenced by financial markets. However, will the effects of the decision reverberate in Pakistan? Dawn takes a look at how it may impact Pakistan’ economy, with analysts voicing caution for the country’s own policy rate and external debt servicing. US media outlet CNBC, citing experts, noted that for global markets, a “renewed US tightening cycle could mean a stronger dollar, greater pressure on currencies elsewhere and less room for other central banks to ease monetary policy”. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, told CNBC that the US hike and signals for another one were putting some upward pressure on the dollar and downward pressure on other currencies. This was already evident on Thursday, with the US dollar hitting a seven-week high. Shares in Asia, including MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan and Japan’s Nikkei, also edged up. Similarly, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) opened in the positive and gained 0.83 per cent by 12pm. Commenting on what the US hike could mean for Pakistan, Ammar H Khan, assistant professor of practice at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), said: “On a forward-looking basis, we may either increase the interest rate by 50-100bps, or the PKR may depreciate.” Waqas Ghani Kukaswadia, research head at JS Global, also said the US Fed hike could add “some pressure on the rupee and tighten global financial conditions, while making future external borrowing expensive”. “However, Pakistan’s near-term financing is relatively insulated, as the $3 billion Eurobond issued in September is already locked in. The bigger immediate risk remains elevated oil prices, given their direct impact on Pakistan’s import bill and external account,” he noted. Business journalist and Dawn columnist Khurram Hussain quipped that the hike was “large enough to annoy” US President Donald Trump but “too small to help bring down yields in 10-year and 30-year paper”. However, he added, there was “nothing major” in terms of the impact on Pakistan. He explained that the exposure for the country was “not that large”. “It will mean some increase in external debt service costs, in line with the 0.25pc increase. But that’s more or less it,” Hussain said. Financial analyst Jibran Sarfraz, however, expressed concern over the Fed rate hike. He said the 25bps surge could hurt the fiscal scenario of emerging markets like Pakistan to a severe extent. “The South Asian nation could face capital flight as investors shift their capital into US treasuries due to higher yields, leading to PKR depreciation as Pakistan could face reduced dollar supply,” he said. Sarfraz added to Hussain’s concerns, noting that Pakistan held significant external debt in dollars and therefore, the rate hike could spike the servicing and make payments costlier. “However, the major threat to the entire mantra would be the escalating inflation due to a rise in the import cost of essential items, especially food products, and the cumulative inflation — which is already in double digits — could worsen numerically.”

The cost of the war against Iran clouds Trump’s prospects ahead of the midterms

A congressional report estimates that spending had approached $40 billion by August, while the Pentagon’s inspector general has acknowledged shortages in munitions stockpiles

What the US Federal Reserve hiking interest rates could mean for Pakistan's economy

The US Federal Reserve has raised interest rates in the world’s largest economy by 25 basis points (bps), the first hike in three years. The decision aims to tackle stubbornly high inflation that has been exacerbated by rising oil prices amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. Making the announcement, US Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh stressed that the hike was not influenced by financial markets. However, will the effects of the decision reverberate in Pakistan? Dawn takes a look at how it may impact Pakistan’s economy, with analysts voicing caution for the country’s own policy rate and external debt servicing. US media outlet CNBC, citing experts, noted that for global markets, a “renewed US tightening cycle could mean a stronger dollar, greater pressure on currencies elsewhere and less room for other central banks to ease monetary policy”. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, told CNBC that the US hike and signals for another one were putting some upward pressure on the dollar and downward pressure on other currencies. This was already evident on Thursday, with the US dollar hitting a seven-week high. Shares in Asia, including MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan and Japan’s Nikkei, also edged up. Similarly, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) opened in the positive and gained 0.90 per cent by 1pm. Commenting on what the US hike could mean for Pakistan, Ammar H Khan, assistant professor of practice at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), said: “On a forward-looking basis, we may either increase the interest rate by 50-100bps, or the PKR may depreciate.” Waqas Ghani Kukaswadia, research head at JS Global, also said the US Fed hike could add “some pressure on the rupee and tighten global financial conditions, while making future external borrowing expensive”. “However, Pakistan’s near-term financing is relatively insulated, as the $3 billion Eurobond issued in September is already locked in. The bigger immediate risk remains elevated oil prices, given their direct impact on Pakistan’s import bill and external account,” he noted. Business journalist and Dawn columnist Khurram Husain quipped that the hike was “large enough to annoy” US President Donald Trump but “too small to help bring down yields in 10-year and 30-year paper”. However, he added, there was “nothing major” in terms of the impact on Pakistan. He explained that the exposure for the country was “not that large”. “It will mean some increase in external debt service costs, in line with the 0.25pc increase. But that’s more or less it,” Husain said. Financial analyst Jibran Sarfraz, however, expressed concern over the Fed rate hike. He said the 25bps surge could hurt the fiscal scenario of emerging markets like Pakistan to a severe extent. “The South Asian nation could face capital flight as investors shift their capital into US treasuries due to higher yields, leading to PKR depreciation as Pakistan could face reduced dollar supply,” he said. Sarfraz added to Husain’s concerns, noting that Pakistan held significant external debt in dollars and therefore, the rate hike could spike the servicing and make payments costlier. “However, the major threat to the entire mantra would be the escalating inflation due to a rise in the import cost of essential items, especially food products, and the cumulative inflation — which is already in double digits — could worsen numerically.”

Trump says to make 'big decision' on Iran as war at pivotal point

The US president said the United States "is approaching a critical juncture in the Iran war over whether to restart massive attacks in an effort to bring the conflict to a close"

Artificial intelligence looms large ahead of Xi-Trump summit

WASHINGTON: Artificial intelligence is set to loom large when Chinese President Xi Jinping meets counterpart Donald Trump in Washington next week, but for all the urgency surrounding the technology, the rivals remain far from agreeing on anything substantial. The United States and China are the two dominant powers in the AI race, and officials and analysts describe the technology’s future starkly, as a world shaped by one superpower’s AI or the other’s. China, long seen as trailing the United States on frontier AI, has been closing that gap fast. Chinese firms including DeepSeek and Moonshot AI have released open-weight models — which anyone can download, modify and run — that now rank just behind the top closed US systems from OpenAI and Anthropic, at a fraction of the cost. Moonshot’s Kimi K3, released this summer, is seen by analysts as the clearest sign yet of that narrowing gap. Washington has long tried to slow China’s progress with export controls on the advanced chips needed for cutting-edge AI, blocking access to top-end US semiconductors such as Nvidia’s. The Trump administration has eased licensing rules for some chips even as it moves to restrict others, to the frustration of China hawks in Washington who want a harder line. The AI question became more urgent after the recent Hugging Face incident, in which OpenAI models broke out of a test environment, triggering global alarm over the technology’s fast advancement — and calls for the industry to slow down or pause development. ‘Lose the race’ The AI debate in the US remains dominated by the idea that the country’s leading developers — OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Meta — cannot afford to slow their pace of innovation, whatever the risks, for fear that China will pull ahead. “If Congress just races in and does some sort of emergency session to try to regulate AI, we will lose the race to China, and that is a threat to every single American,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said this week. Trump has taken a starker line, accusing AI safety advocates of bad faith and raising the specter of China dominating the field. “There is a SICK conspiracy going on against AI and Data Centers, and the only one that is happy about it is China,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform. Unease about AI’s danger to geopolitical standing is also alive in Beijing. Minister of State Security Chen Yixin on Sunday described AI as “the main battleground” for global competition “and a new track for major power strategic rivalry.” Despite the heated rhetoric, hope remains that the two global rivals can agree on something regarding the technology when the leaders meet in Washington. But anything ambitious, like agreeing to slow development or craft global safeguards, is likely out of reach. The US and China are stuck in “a prisoner’s dilemma at two levels,” said Aalok Mehta of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), arguing that neither individual AI labs nor individual countries can afford to slow down unilaterally as long as they fear their rivals will not. “What would it mean if the US were to slow its pace at a time China doesn’t?” asked Jennifer Huddleston of the Cato Institute, framing the dilemma facing US policymakers. “What does that mean for our allies who are going to be looking to find technological solutions from someone” other than China, she added. Others were skeptical that even modest cooperation was likely. Jona­than Czin of the Brookings Institution said the dim prospects for cooperation reflect divisions on both sides. “There’s not a consensus, by any means, that’s crystallised in the United States on what, if anything, to do about AI,” he said. On the Chinese side, he said, there is “a deeply ingrained suspicion” that any dialogue on restraint is “just going to be a trap” designed to slow China down. Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2026

Japan raises interest rates to 31-year high to curb impact of rising prices

Increase from 1% to 1.25% follows US Federal Reserve and European Central Bank tightening monetary policy Business live – latest updates Japan’s central bank has increased interest rates to a fresh 31-year high as it attempts to combat high global inflation linked to the war in Iran. The Bank of Japan voted to raise its target interest rate from 1% to 1.25%, the highest level since 1995. Continue reading...

What Trump’s attacks on mail-in voting mean for the midterms

The extraordinary danger is that a president who believes he is the law, and the law is him, remains intent on disrupting the electoral process This was originally published in The Stakes 2026, a newsletter about the midterm elections. Sign up to get it in your inbox For the millions of Americans who vote by mail – almost a third of the country – the week began with significant uncertainty that they would be able to easily submit their ballot this fall, thanks to a March executive order from Donald Trump that aimed to restrict mail-in ballots. By Monday night, the supreme court restored a measure of order by rebuking the president and rejecting his plan – but Trump’s frothing response portends more danger for the rapidly approaching midterms. Trump’s March order forbade the US Postal Service from delivering mailed ballots to anyone the administration deemed ineligible. The Department of Homeland Security, working with the Social Security Administration, would have devised that list of supposedly ineligible, noncitizen voters. On its face, the move appeared plainly illegal. One expert told the Guardian’s Sam Levine, “This is a wholly unconstitutional EO,” because ultimately the federal government cannot set election rules; only states can. Continue reading...

Early voting begins in midterms as campaign shifts focus to cost of living and Iran war – US politics live

Campaigning or control of Congress is expected to ramp up as some states open early voting For the millions of Americans who vote by mail – almost a third of the country – the week began with significant uncertainty that they would be able to easily submit their ballot this fall, thanks to a March executive order from Donald Trump that aimed to restrict mail-in ballots. By Monday night, the supreme court restored a measure of order by rebuking the president and rejecting his plan – but Trump’s frothing response portends more danger for the rapidly approaching midterms. Trump’s March order forbade the US Postal Service from delivering mailed ballots to anyone the administration deemed ineligible. The Department of Homeland Security, working with the Social Security Administration, would have devised that list of supposedly ineligible, noncitizen voters. On its face, the move appeared plainly illegal. One expert told the Guardian’s Sam Levine, “This is a wholly unconstitutional EO,” because ultimately the federal government cannot set election rules; only states can. Continue reading...

Iran war live: Trump extends sanctions on Iran, Houthi supporters in Sanaa

Thousands take to the streets in support of Houthis in Sanaa, Trump extends sanctions on Iran.

Trump lists 25 'top achievements' as midterms loom

President Donald Trump claimed he halted all refugee admissions and made English the official language of the United States in a long list of what he called his top achievements, as difficult midterm elections loom. Trump is scrambling to boost his low approval ratings ahead of November’s vote, with polls showing the unpopular war in Iran and the fuel and other price rises it has caused are hurting his Republican Party. Polls say the party could well lose control of the House and perhaps even the Senate, a setback which would pose a major challenge for Trump and his America-first agenda in the last two years of his second term. Trump said Friday he “achieved the most secure border in history” in a lengthy social media post on Truth Social that focused on immigration, foreign policy and the economy. “ZERO illegal aliens admitted to the United States in the past 16 months,” he wrote, adding that his administration had slashed refugee admissions from “dangerous places”. Trump has presided over an often violent immigration crackdown which involves frequent deportations and shipping people whom the US cannot legally send home to third countries, which are sometimes compensated with money. He also claimed the US had “obliterated Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity” to ensure the Islamic republic “will NEVER have a nuclear weapon”. This was one of Trump’s often-changing justifications for going to war in February. The US-Israeli strikes on Tehran have rocked the global economy and engulfed the Middle East in war, proving a quagmire for a president who promised not to get America involved in any more foreign wars. Trump also flaunted hefty tariffs slapped on US trading partners, which he said were to “bring back American manufacturing”.

Trump said to defend his global policy in UN speech

United States President Donald Trump will defend his global policy, mainly the war with Iran, in his UN General Assembly speech, while "airing out his core grievances," the Daily Mail reported on Sunday, citing insider sources.

US, China agree AI dialogue ahead of Trump-Xi summit

Chinese and US negotiators made progress on artificial intelligence (AI) and trade ahead of President Xi Jinping’s visit to the White House later this week. “We had a very successful engagement with the Chinese on trade and AI,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters following Sunday’s eight-hour-long negotiations at JPMorgan Chase’s head office in New York. The talks had a “good atmosphere” and were “not bad”, said China’s Li Chenggang. Li’s promotion to international trade...

US, China need nuclear-style AI safeguards, congressman says before Xi-Trump summit

The US and China should agree on international regulatory standards for artificial intelligence (AI), akin to atomic-era guardrails, said Ro Khanna, the ranking member of the US House Select Committee on China, in New York on Monday ahead of the two countries’ high-stakes summit. The remarks come two days before Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to arrive in Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump for a closely watched summit where AI is expected to be on the agenda after the two...

China’s Leader Xi Seeks to Extend Truce with Trump During U.S. Summit

Facing an American president constrained by war and politics, China’s leader may seek to lock in a tactical truce while he shores up a fragile economy at home.

Trump’s U.N. Speech Comes at a Time of Tumult

The president, who has been dogged by the war in Iran and eroding alliances, is also expected to sign a security deal on Greenland and meet with world leaders.

Trump carries his battles to the United Nations General Assembly

The US president plans to expand sanctions on the International Criminal Court as domestic problems pile up and the war in Iran drags on

Trump-Xi summit puts AI, trade, rare earths at centre of new US-China contest

On the eve of the September 24 meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, representatives of both sides sat down for a closed-door "technical" session. On the American side were Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and on the Chinese side, Vice Premier of the State Council He Lifeng. Their goal was to find common ground on the issues that matter most, namely the trade imbalance, artificial intelligence, and rare earth elements and critical minerals. And while this meeting carries obvious weight for the two countries themselves, given the geopolitical stature of those at the table and the sharp rhetoric of the ongoing trade wars, its consequences reach far beyond Washington and Beijing. The rest of the world has a stake in how this plays out.

Nigeria: Tinubu, Shettima and the United Nations Assembly, By Reuben Abati

[Premium Times] Nigeria loses nothing by being represented by its vice president. Besides, Senator Shettima has proven to be well-suited for international engagements.

Trump admin's hardline deportation policy an 'attempt to break the global refugee and asylum system'

François Picard is pleased to welcome Washington Post national security reporter Adam Taylor. The Forbidden Stories consortium, involving France 24 and 25 other media outlets, has spent six months investigating the thousands of people abruptly deported from the United States to third countries, amid concerns over due process and their ability to challenge their removal. The investigation examines how the Trump administration has made deportation a major focus of both US immigration and foreign policy.

Trump–Xi summit: Why the US and China should not underestimate each other

Trump–Xi summit: Why the US and China should not underestimate each other Expert comment LToremark 22 September 2026 The US and China both face serious domestic strains. As Trump and Xi meet this week to discuss trade, AI and Taiwan, neither side should mistake the other’s weaknesses for strategic decline. A superpower summit is a big deal. As US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping meet in Washington this week, they have a lot to cover. They will try to extend a trade truce that expires in November, including China’s pause on rare earth export controls and America’s delay on chip restrictions. The leaders will also tackle Taiwan, where Beijing wants Washington to halt a $14 billion arms package, as well as China’s purchases of Iranian oil and a proposed dialogue on the national security risks of artificial intelligence (AI). In their negotiations, each side may be tempted to focus on the other’s weaknesses. But underestimating the other’s power would be unwise. China has many weaknesses – but should not be underestimated Many observers argue that China’s economic vulnerabilities will limit its international ambitions. Its growth model is faltering; its households still are not spending, so Beijing continues to push surplus production overseas. This has provoked a backlash of trade barriers from the US, EU and beyond. The property sector – once a quarter of the economy – is in its fifth year of slump, while a mountain of hidden local government debt threatens to drag down China’s growth for years to come. Meanwhile Xi’s government has become steadily more restrictive: tightening political control (such as the new travel restrictions) and placing national security at the centre of economic life. But Washington should not misjudge Chinese power. China possesses formidable industrial might, with dominance in areas such as electric vehicles, batteries, solar power, drones and telecommunications equipment. China also rivals the US in AI: its models now match leading American systems at a fraction of the cost and are used by developers worldwide (including many in the US). Although gaps in Chinese technology remain – notably in advanced semiconductors – there, too, Chinese firms are likely to grow increasingly competitive. Many observers will again be tempted to predict that Xi’s tightening grip will choke Chinese innovation. But it is time to bin the argument that authoritarian China can only copy and cheaply produce what other countries invent. Indeed, many of China’s recent innovations have come amid tightening control. The AI sector took off only after Xi came to power and flourished despite his regulatory crackdown on technology firms and entrepreneurs. Want to hear more on the future of global trade? Join us at our Global Trade Conference for expert analysis on the shifting rules of the global economy. China’s innovation model is simply different. The state picks strategic sectors and drenches them in cheap capital, subsidies and guaranteed demand. Fierce competition among firms, a vast domestic market and the world’s deepest manufacturing base bring research into mass production faster than anywhere else. This approach has its problems; not least that it is wasteful and prone to overcapacity. As an autocracy, Chinese innovation may never outpace that of the United States. But even in second place, China is a daunting technological competitor. The US should thus adopt policies to support domestic innovation and help US firms keep their lead for as long as possible. China’s economic weaknesses also do not imply strategic weakness. When Trump escalated the trade war last year, Beijing targeted US dependence on Chinese rare earths. The threat of Chinese export controls forced Washington into a truce, agreed when Trump and Xi met in Busan last October. Extending that truce will be high on this summit’s agenda. China has also spent decades developing considerable military capabilities that have shifted the balance of power in Asia. Beijing has made clear its long-term intentions to control Taiwan – and economic costs are unlikely to deter it from pursuing this goal. Indeed, before China cracked down on Hong Kong, many observers argued this move was unlikely because it would be economically unwise for China. Military costs, however, are a different matter and likely have already deterred Beijing from the overt use of force. The strength of Taiwan’s defences – such as through US arms sales – will continue to influence Beijing’s calculations. Continuing US arms sales are vital, not a bargaining chip that might be traded away for something else (as Trump has suggested). American dysfunction does not equal decline Just as Washington should not mistake China’s problems for strategic weakness, Beijing should not mistake US dysfunction for decline. Xi will see a weakened superpower: with historically unprecedented deficit spending and a burgeoning debt of $40 trillion. Washington now spends more on interest on its debt than on its military. Its dire finances are raising its borrowing costs and jeopardizing the future of the US dollar as the global reserve currency. By 2032, social security will be underfunded and Medicare will soon follow. Neither Republicans nor Democrats are willing to cut benefits or raise taxes but the money will have to come from somewhere. As the largest item in the US discretionary budget, defence may be the obvious place. The US ability to address this and other problems is hindered by domestic political polarization. Xi – like any visitor to Washington – will see a profoundly divided city. Nationally, Trump’s approval rating is at its lowest point in his second term. But Democrats are ill-poised to lead: the party is divided by the fault line of Israel. With its fiscal pressures and disunity, the US hardly seems poised to embark on a costly containment – or war fighting – adventure against a rising superpower. Related work Trump’s approach to Taiwan could jeopardize its future. Indo-Pacific allies are taking note Indeed, the US has shown itself unable to focus on China’s rise. For decades it has vowed to ‘pivot’ to Asia, but not even an administration that campaigned on ending wars in the Middle East could avoid starting one. Xi may therefore be tempted to conclude that America is a mess – and that Asia is China’s for the taking. But underestimating the US would be foolhardy for China too. The US economy is performing well, and the country remains the global innovation leader dominating emerging technologies. Its alliances and partnerships are built on shared interests and seem to be enduring despite recent upheaval. The US also remains the world’s military superpower. It has longstanding ties to Taiwan, and its foreign policy establishment favours US intervention if China invades Taiwan. US alliances in Asia enjoy robust popular support, and American foreign policy leaders would not want to see a China-led Asia, given a perceived threat to US prosperity and security. Xi should remember that the US has historically paid high costs to prevent a country from dominating either Asia or Europe. Trump and Xi would thus be wise to sit down at the table with a great deal of respect for the power and influence of the country represented by the man on the other side. Only then can they address what is perhaps the most important issue of all – making progress towards a US–China modus vivendi. US–China relations – and the world as a whole – would benefit from an arrangement that acknowledges each country’s core security needs, prevents war and encourages cooperation on shared interests: rebuilding the global trading system, managing the risks of AI and tackling climate change. They will never get there by underestimating each other.

Live Coverage: General Assembly Begins General Debate

As world leaders gather in New York for the opening of the eighty-first session of the United Nations General Assembly, the general debate will unfold at a moment of profound global uncertainty and transformation. Under the theme “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all”, Heads of State and Government will take the iconic UN podium to outline their priorities and visions for addressing today’s most pressing challenges. From conflicts and humanitarian crises to runaway artificial intelligence (AI), climate action, sustainable development and economic resilience, this year’s debate is expected to spotlight the urgent need for renewed multilateral cooperation in an increasingly fragmented world.

Trump to use UN speech to defend Iran war, tout peace efforts

By Gram Slattery and Humeyra Pamuk UNITED NATIONS, Sept 22 (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump will use a UN General Assembly address on Tuesday to argue that the war with Iran prevented Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to tout what he sees as progress toward peace and a global order increasingly aligned with American interests, according to a White House official.

Trump to tout deals, defend war with Iran in UN speech

The keynote speech at the start of the UN General Assembly High-level week will provide the U.S. President with a big platform to also renew his frequent assaults on the global body

Trump defends Iran war, touts ‘America is back’ agenda in UN speech

US President Donald Trump addressed the global community on Tuesday morning with a speech before the UN General Assembly that sought to justify his war with Iran, touted how he has “made peace” and argued that his “make America great again” policies benefited the world. His speech came as the world grapples with years of conflict in Ukraine, Iran, Gaza, Sudan, Yemen and Lebanon, with no relief in sight. “I can report to you with pride that America is back, and our country is stronger today than...

'Terrific man' Shehbaz gets special mention during Trump's UNGA speech

United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday called Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif a “terrific man” during his address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as he once again mentioned his role in ending the Pakistan-India conflict in May 2025. During a speech that covered the conflict in Iran, artificial intelligence and criticism of the UN, Trump once again listed conflicts that he had played a role in ending. “Since I took office, it has been my honour to help settle eight wars, and in so doing, become friendly with the leaders of many of those countries,” Trump said. “It was a great honour to do it,” he added. He highlighted that he had been able to settle these conflicts via his “great relations”, as well as the use of tariffs. Listing off the countries, he noted “Pakistan and India” as a conflict he settled, alongside Thailand and Cambodia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the Gaza conflict, among others. He noted that almost all of these countries had written him letters of thanks for his role. “The prime minister of Pakistan — terrific man — said that Donald Trump was responsible for saving 30 million lives and probably many more than that,” he added. Tensions between India and Pakistan had flared in April 2025 when a deadly terror attack on tourists in occupied Kashmir was, without evidence, blamed on Islamabad, which strongly refuted the allegations. The two sides traded a series of tit-for-tat blows that ended in May with the declaration of a ceasefire by Trump, who has since repeatedly talked about his role in ending the military escalation between the two countries. He has also praised Chief of the Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir on several occasions, calling him a “highly respected general”, a “great fighter” and “my favourite”. Trump warns he could ‘annihilate’ Iran without peace deal Trump also used his speech to argue that the war with Iran prevented Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and warn that he could “annihilate the Islamic Republic” if no deal is reached to end the conflict. While predicting his administration would strike a peace deal with Iran following the November 3 US midterm elections, Trump called on other nations to join America in isolating Iran economically to force it to the negotiating table. “I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before?” Trump said. “Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?” Trump added: “Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations? But I believe we’ll make a deal right after the election.” The remarks marked the latest justification Trump has offered for the war with Iran. He has previously cited a range of reasons for the February US-Israeli strikes, including Tehran’s nuclear programme, its support for regional proxy groups and the prospect of regime change. Iran has consistently denied seeking to develop nuclear weapons. “I believe we’ll make a deal right after the election because it doesn’t make sense for them not to. They’re waiting to see how I do in the midterm election,” Trump said in his speech.

Trump says deciding between deal or driving Iran ‘into hell’

U.S. President Donald Trump told the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 22 that he had to choose whether to “annihilate” Iran if it fails to make a deal to end the Middle East war.

REPLAY: Trump defends Iran war, attacks ICC in UN speech

US President Donald Trump called Tuesday for all nations that are part of the International Criminal Court to quit the body, calling it "out of control." He also used the speech to argue that the war with Iran prevented Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and warn that he could "annihilate the Islamic Republic" if no deal is reached to end the conflict. Watch his speech in full above.

Trump gives Iran stark choice: Deal or 'annihilation'

UNITED NATIONS: US President Donald Trump told the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday that he had to choose whether to “annihilate” Iran if it fails to make a deal to end the Middle East war.

U.N. Live Updates: Trump Says He Faces Choice to Make a Deal or ‘Annihilate’ Iran

President Trump delivered the remark before a gathering where world leaders typically present themselves as champions of global harmony. Earlier, António Guterres, the U.N. secretary general, called on leaders to end conflicts.

Trump's world? Leaders navigate consequences of US policy

A year ago, Donald Trump went to the rostrum of the United Nations General Assembly - and after taxing an axe to US aid and development funding, read the world the riot act. One Iran war later, the US president sticking to script with a speech that borrowed much of the language of last year. With citizens on five continents now feeling the pain at the pump, we'll ask what it will take to tame a global energy crisis whose potential spiral mirrors the contagion of hostilities from the Strait of Hormuz to the mouth of the Red Sea?

Trump’s threat to annihilate Iran to UN general assembly is stunning, even for him

US president may have upstaged the ghost of Soviet leader Khrushchev by musing destruction of fellow member state Donald Trump has a habit of discomfiting delegates to the United Nations general assembly. But this year, he may have upstaged the ghost of former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev by openly contemplating the annihilation of a fellow UN member state. Eleven minutes into a 40-minute address, the US president announced he had “a big decision to make” over Iran, which has staged a much more determined resistance than Trump anticipated when he decided to go to war against the country in February. Continue reading...

Trump praises PM Shehbaz as ‘terrific man’, recalls India-Pakistan mediation at UNGA

Says Shehbaz called him responsible for saving millions of lives after the India-Pakistan conflict

Trump threatens Iran with 'hell' but unveils fresh talks

President Donald Trump told the United Nations on Tuesday he was deciding whether to "annihilate" Iran -- before revealing that US and Iranian officials had held talks for the first time in months. Trump's carrot-and-stick approach came as he delivered a bombastic speech to the UN General Assembly in New York focused heavily on his stalled, unpopular war against the Islamic Republic.

Trump threatens Iran with 'hell' but reveals fresh talks

President Donald Trump revealed that US and Iranian officials held talks Tuesday for the first time in months, even as he told the United Nations he was still deciding whether to "annihilate" Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Trump's roving envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Trump's carrot-and-stick approach began with a bombastic speech to the UN General Assembly in New York focused heavily on his stalled, unpopular war against the Islamic Republic.

In UN speech, Trump threatens to 'annihilate' Iran if no deal reached

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Tuesday to “annihilate” Iran if diplomatic efforts to end his nearly seven-month-old war do not succeed. Speaking to the United Nations General Assembly, he also touted both his peacemaking record and an increasingly belligerent U.S. foreign policy stretching from the Middle East to Venezuela to Greenland. Trump presented the past year as proof that military force and economic pressure could resolve conflicts that diplomacy had failed to settle. “As president of the most extraordinary nation in history, I have no interest in leaving dangers to grow for another day,” he declared. “I do not believe in letting problems fester; they only become harder to solve. So while others have talked, I have acted.” The leading example of this approach, Trump said, was Iran, which, in his telling, has rejected Washington’s diplomatic overtures that had pushed Trump to take military action with Israel in June 2025 and then launch a much larger-scale war beginning at the end of February. “I have a big decision to make,” Trump said of the current status of the war. “Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before (...) Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly?” Trump has made several similarly dark threats against Iran during the conflict, but they have done little to alter Tehran’s negotiating position, and the two sides appear stuck in a standoff, with some fearing that the operation is doomed to become another American “forever war”. The president, however, predicted that the two sides will reach an agreement after November’s midterm elections, because “it doesn't make sense for” Iran not to. “They're waiting to see how I do in the midterm election, what they don't realize is that I'm not running,” he added, saying that national security questions, not political considerations will drive his calculus. But the war does seem to be affecting the president’s popularity. A recent poll by CNN shows that opposition to Trump’s approach to the war continues to grow, with only 26% saying that they support the president’s approach, and nearly 80% saying he is not doing enough to bring the war to an end. Trump blasted the “cowards and traitors” who say that U.S. munitions stockpiles are dwindling to a dangerous extent. The Congressional Budget Office recently found that it could take five years to replenish them. Elsewhere, Trump said he would “continue to seek and end the disastrous war between Russia and Ukraine,” while threatening to use the “enormous” new tariff authorities granted to him by the Russia sanctions package that passed Congress last week. He also said that he would sign the recently announced deal with Denmark and Greenland that would increase the U.S. military presence in Greenland later Tuesday. Trump closed his remarks by downplaying the growing worries over artificial intelligence’s threat to humanity, instead presenting the race to “superintelligence” as part of a competition with China. “Whoever wins superintelligent wins,” he said. “That's the group that wins, and we're leading now over China by a lot, and everyone else, and we're going to keep it that way.”

Trump tells UN he has 'big decision' on whether to 'annihilate' Iran or make peace deal

His tone contrasted with remarks earlier from UN Secretary General António Guterres, who warned global divisions were deepening.

Trump to meet Venezuela's Rodriguez for first time since Maduro's capture

NEW YORK, Sept 22 - US President Donald Trump will meet Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez later on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, their first meeting since American forces captured then-President Nicolas Maduro in a January raid.

As Trump Lobs Threats, Other World Leaders Mostly Avoid Talk of Iran

Some leaders criticized the global impact of the war and called for negotiations to resume, but they stopped short of criticizing President Trump’s remarks.

Trump says US-Iran talks have 'momentum', could lead to deal

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that talks with Iran had gained momentum and could lead to a deal, but warned that the United States could take additional military action against Iranian nuclear facilities if necessary, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

UNGA: Trump and world leaders discuss global conflicts

Donald Trump hailed his own record and hinted at a chance for peace in Iran and Ukraine. Turkey's president called for more pressure on Israel. UN leaders called for more global interdependence. DW has the latest.

Iran war live: Trump threat ‘demonstrates America’s strategic dead end’

Tehran says latest threats by US president 'demonstrate America’s strategic dead end' to the nearly seven-month war.

US President Trump threatens "annihilation" of Iran despite successful talks

The day began with Donald Trump threatening to annihilate Iran but ended with a three-hour meeting between US and Iranian mediators, which Trump described as “very good.” Trump also held a high-level meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with both sides saying they wanted the war in Ukraine to end before winter. Today, as the UN General Assembly continues, Zelensky and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are among those expected to address the assembly, as world leaders seek ways to end the two conflicts dominating international politics. First, Morgan Ayre reports on the latest developments in the Middle East.

Oil prices fall after Trump hails 'good' talks with Iran

Oil prices fell on Wednesday after President Donald Trump said US and Iranian representatives had met for "very good" talks at the United Nations. International benchmark Brent crude and main US contract West Texas Intermediate were below the symbolic $100 mark that has been repeatedly breached since the Middle East war began in February. Brent hit $98.41 and WTI lowered to $89.23 per barrel in afternoon Asian trading.

UNGA: World leaders discuss AI, global conflicts

As the UN General Assembly starts its second day, much attention will turn to the war in Iran, artificial intelligence and climate change. Follow live.

US President warns Tehran at UN but says talks ongoing

The day began with Donald Trump threatening to annihilate Iran but ended with a three-hour meeting between US and Iranian mediators, which Trump described as “very good.” Trump also held a high-level meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with both sides saying they wanted the war in Ukraine to end before winter. Today, as the UN General Assembly continues, Zelensky and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are among those expected to address the assembly, as world leaders seek ways to end the two conflicts dominating international politics. France 24 International Affairs Editor Kethevane Gorjestani shares further insights.

World leaders weigh AI worries, regulations

AI leaders are due to brief the UN Security Council at an emergency session later today. The meeting comes after weeks of warnings about the potentially uncontrollable risks posed by artificial intelligence. Delano D’Souza reports.

First US-Iran talks in months raise hopes for progress despite no concessions

By Parisa Hafezi, Humeyra Pamuk and Jana Choukeir UNITED NATIONS/DUBAI, Sept 23 (Reuters) - The first shuttle talks between the United States and Iran for months raised hopes on Wednesday that the adversaries could make progress towards ending the Middle East war, although neither side spelled out any change in its position. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner communicated through mediators on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, the first such contacts since an interim ceasefire agreement collapsed in July.

UN General Assembly: Leaders discuss AI, global conflicts

As the UN General Assembly starts its second day, much attention will turn to the war in Iran, artificial intelligence and climate change. Follow live.

Iran's president says Tehran will not surrender in war with US, but believes in diplomacy

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 23 - Iran will not surrender in the war with the United States, but believes in diplomacy to try to end the conflict, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations on Wednesday.

Zelenskiy says Ukraine ready for maritime truce and puts onus on Russia to respond

By Tom Balmforth UNITED NATIONS, Sept 23 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told leaders at the United Nations on Wednesday that Ukraine was ready for a maritime truce in the Black Sea based on proposals by Egypt, India and Turkey and said it was now up to Russia to respond. Zelenskiy spoke at Ukraine's Crimean Platform summit on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly gathering of world leaders and ahead of a Security Council meeting on Russia's war in Ukraine, which is now in its fifth year.

Iran’s Pezeshkian accuses Trump of ‘bullying mentality’, vows no surrender

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused US President Donald Trump of a “bullying mentality” at the United Nations on Wednesday, saying Iran would not surrender in the war with the US but remained open to diplomacy to end the conflict. In a wartime address to the 193-member UN General Assembly, Pezeshkian said threats would only ‌harden Iran’s resolve, rejecting Trump’s warning that he could annihilate Iran if no deal were reached. “The remarks made by the US president yesterday … are a sign...

Iran's Pezeshkian accuses Trump of 'bullying mentality,' vows no surrender

By Parisa Hafezi and Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused US President Donald Trump of a "bullying mentality" at the United Nations on Wednesday, saying Iran would not surrender in the war with the US but remained open to diplomacy to end the conflict. In a wartime address to the 193-member UN General Assembly, Pezeshkian said threats would only harden Iran's resolve, rejecting Trump's warning that he could annihilate Iran if no deal were reached.

Pezeshkian accuses Israel, US of 'double standards' over Iran's nuclear programme

Iranian president says Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons, has 'inherent' right to peaceful nuclear technology

Rubio, after Lavrov talks, says Russia has also voiced interest in 'limited ceasefire'

By Tom Balmforth, Antoni Slodkowski and Simon Lewis UNITED NATIONS, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Ukraine and Russia have both voiced an interest in a limited ceasefire involving grain and energy-related targets, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York. Ukraine and its allies have pressed for a moratorium in attacks on energy infrastructure and for guarantees on Black Sea shipping, fearing Russia could target power and heating facilities this winter.

Venezuela seeking rebirth after political crisis and devastating earthquakes, President tells UN

Venezuela is seeking to rebuild after a period of political upheaval and the destruction caused by twin earthquakes earlier this year, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez told world leaders at the United Nations on Wednesday.

Israel ready to resume strikes on Iran as regime aims to rebuild nuclear program - report

"We will move to strike nuclear facilities and any site belonging to them again if Tehran crosses any of the red lines, whether with or without the participation of the US," an Israeli official said.

US and Iran discuss phased deal to reopen Hormuz and end US blockade, sources say

By Samia Nakhoul, Parisa Hafezi and John Irish Sept 24 (Reuters) - US and Iranian negotiators in New York are exploring a phased path out of war that would involve Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Washington lifting its economic blockade of Iran, sources close to the talks said. The strait has become the central bargaining chip in efforts to end the nearly seven-month US-Iran conflict, with Iran seeking relief from the US blockade that is choking its economy and Washington seeking free passage for ships on the global oil supply route now blocked by Tehran.

‘Washington, Tehran exploring phased way out of war’

• Reports suggest Tehran could reopen Hormuz, may drop toll demand for blockade relief; but ‘neither side wants to move first’ • Gulf states press Trump for post-midterms war strategy; 80 countries call for full restoration of Gulf shipping • UAE bars Iranian airline flights WASHINGTON: US and Iranian negotiators in New York are exploring a phased path out of war that would involve Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Washington lifting its economic blockade of Iran, sources close to the talks said. The strait, through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes, has become the central bargaining chip in efforts to end the war. Iran wants relief from a blockade that is strangling its economy; Washington wants free passage restored for ships on the vital oil route that Tehran has kept closed. Talks are complicated by a familiar diplomatic problem: neither side wants to move first. Two Iranian sources, two regional officials and two Western diplomats said the most workable option now on the table was a staged arrangement — Iran allowing ships through Hormuz in return for an end to the blockade and, potentially, access to frozen assets. “One way forward would be to solve the crisis in stages. The first would be to end the blockade and reopen Hormuz,” a senior Iranian official said on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Such a deal would require Donald Trump to accept another interim arrangement, after a previous understanding collapsed in July. The US president has suggested a fuller agreement might only be reached after November’s midterm elections. A senior European official said Iranian negotiators arrived in New York “with a very long list of demands”. The White House, for its part, has shown little urgency. “Iran is desperate for a deal, President Trump holds all the cards and will make whatever decision is best for the United States,” a White House official said, adding that “crushing sanctions” and “one of the most successful blockades in history” had left Tehran “completely broke”. Trump, the official suggested, was content to let an “inevitable Iranian collapse” continue rather than be rushed into concessions. Dennis Ross, a former US negotiator, put the chances of a deal before the midterms at roughly 30 per cent, though he noted both sides had reasons to want an agreement sooner rather than later. “The blockade is what’s really squeezing the Iranians. It’s strangling them,” he said. A pre-election deal could suit Trump too, easing Gulf tensions and helping bring down petrol prices at home. After the vote, Ross said, the president may feel freer to escalate pressure or consider military options. Tehran, meanwhile, is hedging. Even as it explores a diplomatic exit, Iran is preparing for the possibility of renewed conflict, accusing Washington of using the blockade and the threat of force as instruments of coercion. “Our fingers are on the trigger,” the senior Iranian official said. “The Americans know what they need to do but, because of their excessive demands, the chances of diplomacy resolving this are extremely low.” Regional sources said Iran was prepared to drop, or at least set aside, its demand for transit fees on shipping through Hormuz in order to prioritise ending the blockade. “Iran is not primarily focused on imposing tolls in Hormuz but on preserving its administrative control of the waterway,” the senior official said. “Iran may be willing to defer the toll issue, but they are not going to give up administrative control of the strait.” At the heart of the diplomacy in New York is a fundamental tension. Washington wants pressure to produce concessions, Tehran wants pressure removed before making them, and the Gulf states want the conflict resolved without allowing the region’s strategic waterways to become enduring bargaining chips. In a separate meeting in New York, Gulf leaders pressed Trump for clarity on his strategy beyond the midterms, including whether Washington would resume military action if Iran refused to negotiate. They made clear their rejection of any Iranian control over Hormuz, insisting freedom of navigation be restored and that the strait must not become a tool of coercion — while also urging de-escalation, reflecting Gulf states’ desire to stay out of further confrontation. “It’s still not clear what Trump’s endgame is, or what the alternative to the pressure campaign would be,” said Ebtessam al-Ketbi, president of the Emirates Policy Center in Abu Dhabi. “The Iranians, by contrast, know what they want. They’re reshaping the regional landscape through Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb with a clear objective, while Washington has yet to define its roadmap.” Alan Eyre, another former US negotiator, warned that the blockade’s pressure could backfire: rather than softening its position, he said, Tehran was more likely to escalate, believing that any sign of weakness would prove fatal to the regime. Adding to the diplomatic pressure, a coalition of 80 countries called at the UN on Thursday for the full restoration of maritime navigation in the Gulf. “We call for the full restoration of navigational rights and principles without delay,” said Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani, reading a joint statement to journalists. UAE suspends Iranian airline flights In a further sign of tightening pressure, the United Arab Emirates announced on Thursday that it would no longer accept flights operated by Iranian carriers, aligning itself with US sanctions targeting Iran’s aviation sector. Dubai has long been a key destination for Iranian airlines, serving multiple daily flights and a large Iranian community with close business ties to the emirate. The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority said the suspension was “based on the US sanctions imposed on Iranian airlines preventing them from using airports around the world”. The UAE, which was hit by thousands of Iranian missiles and drones early in the war, suspended trade and financial exchanges with Iran last month. On Wednesday its central bank blocked transactions with Iran’s Bank Melli, citing breaches of money-laundering, terrorism-financing and arms-proliferation rules. One passenger told AFP an Iran Airtour flight from Tehran to Dubai was cancelled shortly before departure on Thursday, after tickets had already been issued. Washington imposed sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector in early September, giving airlines until Wednesday to comply — including by halting the refuelling of Iranian aircraft — or risk being cut off from the dollar-based financial system. Iran’s main carriers were forced to cancel international flights this week as neighbouring states adopted similar restrictions; Turkmenistan turned back a flight from Tehran to Dushanbe on Thursday, an Iranian aviation official said, because it had not authorised the airline to fly. A handful of smaller Iranian carriers continue to operate abroad, notably to Armenia and to China, which has declined to follow Washington’s sanctions. Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2026

Iran has no plans to develop nuclear weapons, Pezeshkian says

Iran has never sought to develop nuclear weapons and is prepared to comply with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in an interview with Fox News.

Trump faces tough choices as Iran dangles deal to reopen Hormuz before US midterms

Iran’s seven-day timetable would restart nuclear talks, but will the US be willing to deliver on terms that include reining in Israel in Lebanon? Iran’s seven-day timetable to reopen the strait of Hormuz and start talks on its nuclear programme has been pitched as a deal that could rapidly extricate Donald Trump from a political crisis but requires the US president to make difficult concessions. In the five days left before the proposed reopening of the strait, which is expected to relieve pressure on global energy markets, Trump would need to lift Iranian asset freezes, permit Iran to export its oil and, probably most difficult of all, order Benjamin Netanyahu to end Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, thus achieving the “ceasefire on all fronts”. Continue reading...

Iran will make no nuclear concessions, Iranian official says

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 25 - Iran will show no flexibility over its nuclear program even if the United States accepts its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which calls for steps including the lifting of a US naval blockade on Iranian ports, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Friday.

The race to build a new American way of war

Tehran will make no nuclear concessions, Iranian official says

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The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the waterway would remain closed until "all of Iran's conditions are met" by the United States.

Trump rejects Iranian ceasefire proposal, expects war to continue after midterm elections - report

A US official said on Friday that the United States is having positive, constructive discussions with Iran through mediators and continues to discuss nuclear issues.

Iran awaits US move after WSJ report says Trump rejects peace plan

CAIRO/UNITED NATIONS, Sept 26 - Iran on Saturday awaited an official US response to its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting in the wider Middle East war after the Wall Street Journal reported that US President Donald Trump had rejected the deal.

Trump reportedly rejects Iran’s seven-day peace deal to reopen strait of Hormuz

Tehran awaits official response to plan, but US president is said to expect renewed strikes after midterms Iran is ⁠awaiting an official US response to its proposal to reopen the strait of Hormuz within a week and resume nuclear talks in return for the lifting of the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, as Donald Trump was reported to have rejected the deal. Although Iran is yet to receive his official response, the US president is said to be privately sceptical Iran would meet his demands to dismantle its nuclear programme, according to unnamed US officials cited by the Wall Street Journal. Continue reading...

Trump rejects Iran’s seven-day roadmap to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Tehran submitted a proposal via Qatar to reopen the strait and resume nuclear talks within a week if Washington agreed.

Iran says only diplomacy can end Hormuz crisis after Trump rejects deal

Iran on Sunday insisted that only diplomacy can solve its conflict with the United States and Israel after US President Donald Trump said he rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting. “Our conditions are clear and any move towards reopening the Strait of Hormuz is contingent on these conditions being met,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on social media. “Only a negotiated solution can get them out of ‌this deadlock.” Iran announced a peace...

US military rejects Iranian claims of controlling Strait of Hormuz

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Correspondent Barak Ravid specified that the US might unfreeze Iran's immobilized assets

"Hoax": Trump Denies Report On Iran Sanctions Relief

The Axios story reported that Trump "is willing to give Iran sanctions relief and release Iranian frozen funds in return for concrete Iranian steps regarding the nuclear program." It quoted unnamed US officials.

Khamenei unbowed as Iran sees no direct talks with US

• Supreme leader says US will be forced out of Mideast after ‘painful blows’ • Washington, Tehran set to hold separate talks with mediators • US officials say Trump would ease sanctions for ‘concrete’ Iranian nuclear steps • Iraqi Airways resumes flights between Najaf, Iranian airports TEHRAN: Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed on Monday that the United States would be driven out from the region after suffering “painful blows”, as Tehran’s delegation at the UN General Assembly in New York said it had no plans for further talks with Washington. Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since the start of the Middle East war in late February, made the remarks despite attempts to revive talks aimed at ending the fighting. “Today, having suffered painful blows at the hands of valiant fighters and the guardians of the Strait of Hormuz, they do not venture beyond the Arabian Sea,” Khamenei said according to a statement carried by state television, without explicitly mentioning the United States. “Whenever they have braved this risk, they have only brought harm upon themselves. It will not be long before the Arabian Sea, too, would rid itself of their presence.” In a series of posts on X, Khamenei said that the country’s “enemy” had tried to “erode the social bedrock of the Islamic system”. “But today, people from all walks of life stand resolutely in defending their righteous positions, including their determination to safeguard the Strait of Hormuz,” he said, adding that for the last seven months, Iranian compatriots had struck fear into the enemy while fighting for Islam. Diplomacy Meanwhile, Iran’s delegation in New York for the UN General Assembly is not planning further talks with the United States, the state news agency IRNA reported on Monday. “Iran’s delegation in New York has no plans for negotiations with the United States,” IRNA quoted an unnamed source close to the delegation as saying. “Iran’s views and positions were conveyed clearly and explicitly to the US side via a Qatari mediator.” The Iranian delegation will return to Tehran on Tuesday, the news agency added. Despite the stall in direct engagement, US President Donald Trump is willing to give Iran sanctions relief and release frozen Iranian funds in return for “concrete Iranian steps” regarding its nuclear programme, US officials told the news outlet Axios. Trump publicly rejected Iran’s latest proposal for ending the war on Saturday but told Axios on Sunday that he expected talks to resume in the coming days. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that US officials had talked with mediators trying to end the war, adding that Washington would win “very soon”. “We’re going to win, as far as I’m concerned, it’s going to be one way or the other,” Trump said. “It’s going to go pretty quickly.” He also said gas prices would come down once the United States wins the war. Trump did not say which mediators US officials had spoken with. Earlier, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters that Qatari mediators were likely to hold talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in New York and separately with the US side on Monday or Tuesday in a fresh push to end the war. Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency later confirmed that Araghchi would meet the Qatari mediators, who are acting as intermediaries between Iran and the United States, on Monday morning. The two sides will “examine the latest proposals and views regarding the current situation”, ISNA reported. The meeting is expected to focus on messages exchanged with the United States regarding the conditions set by Iran for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. However, the spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry, Esmaeil Baqaei, told IRNA that Araghchi’s stay in New York has not been extended for indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington, noting the minister would proceed according to his previously planned schedule. Last week’s indirect discussions were held by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner with Araghchi. The talks are expected to focus on an amended version of a seven-day proposal that Iran presented last week. As a precondition for ending its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s plan envisages a seven-day cease-fire across the Middle East, including in Lebanon, where its ally Hezbollah has been battling Israeli forces. It is also demanding the unfreezing of billions of dollars worth of Iranian assets, the lifting of sanctions on its oil sector, and an end to the US naval blockade on Iranian ports. Tehran would then allow the reopening of the strait, and the two sides would resume talks on Iran’s nuclear programme. Araghchi said on Sunday that mediators had not formally conveyed a US rejection to Tehran and that Iran was awaiting Washington’s definitive position before deciding its next steps. “Our conditions are clear, and any move toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz is contingent on these conditions being met,” Araghchi said, adding that only a negotiated solution could resolve the impasse. Najaf-Iran flights resume In a separate development, Iran has lodged a complaint with the United Nations over US sanctions against its aviation sector that have forced the cancellation of flights, state media reported Monday. The United States recently imposed restrictions on the entire aviation industry in Iran and vowed to take a hard line against companies that assist it. “To defend the legitimate rights of the aviation industry and counter illegal restrictions imposed by America, Iran has drafted and submitted a formal protest to the International Civil Aviation Organisation,” civil aviation chief Abouzar Shiroudi told IRNA. “In cooperation with the foreign ministry, we have also filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice at The Hague,” Shiroudi added. Amid the aviation restrictions, Iraqi Airways resumed flights between Iraq’s holy city of Najaf and Iranian airports on Monday. Iraq had halted flights to and from Iran on Friday in line with US sanctions. The resumption comes as the Trump administration was set to grant a limited waiver to its Iran sanctions programme on Monday to allow for flights carrying Shia Muslim religious pilgrims between Iran and Iraq, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said. The source said the US Treasury Department waiver would allow Iraqi Airways to fly back and forth between Iran and Najaf for one month, with a more permanent waiver potentially following. Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2026

Trump'tan İran'a "taviz" iddiasına yanıt

ABD Başkanı Trump, Tahran'ın nükleer tavizleri karşılığında İran'a yönelik yaptırımların hafifletilmesini ve dondurulmuş fonların serbest bırakılmasını teklif ettiği iddialarını reddetti. Trump, sosyal medya hesabından "Bu doğru değil. Onlara HİÇBİR ŞEY teklif etmedim" paylaşımında bulundu

ABD medyasının İran iddiasına Trump'tan jet yalanlama

ABD basınında yer alan haberde, Trump yönetiminin İran'ın nükleer programına ilişkin tavizler karşılığında Tahran'a ekonomik rahatlama sağlamayı değerlendirdiği öne sürüldü. Trump ise söz konusu iddiayı yalanlayarak İran'a bu konuda hiçbir teklif sunmadığını açıkladı.

Trump, İran'a yönelik yaptırımları hafifletmeye istekli olduğu iddialarını yalanladı

ABD Başkanı Donald Trump, İran'ın nükleer programına ilişkin somut adımlar atması karşılığında yaptırımların hafifletilmesine ve İran'ın dondurulmuş fonlarının serbest bırakılmasına hazır olduğu yönündeki iddiaları yalanladı.

Trump denies offering Iran sanctions relief for nuclear concessions – US politics live

President uses social media post to deny reports that he was willing to ease sanctions in return for ‘concrete’ steps over its nuclear program Sign up to the US Breaking News email Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. President Donald Trump said he has offered Iran nothing to end the war, rejecting media ⁠reports that cited US officials saying ⁠he was willing to ​ease sanctions and release frozen funds for “concrete” steps regarding Iran’s nuclear program. Anthropic will caution investors that artificial intelligence could pose “catastrophic or existential risks to humanity” in its IPO prospectus. As Anthropic prepares for an IPO listing, which could value the AI company at a monumental $2tn, it dedicated almost a third of its prospectus to discussing concerns around AI safety. The news comes as OpenAI has halted the release of its next AI model over safety concerns, the Wall Street Journal reports. Trump will be on the campaign trail this week – hosting rallies in Durant, Oklahoma, on Thursday, Mobile, Alabama, on Friday and Vandalia, Ohio, on Saturday. The first two states are GOP strongholds, and Trump has pushed voters to turn out to the polls and pretend the president was at the top of the ballot this midterm cycle. Pete Hegseth ordered the defense department to “protect and uphold the reliability of America’s voting mechanisms against external manipulation and disruption from foreign actors” in a 22 September memo. Hegseth’s order comes as concerns about artificial intelligence are on the rise, but also as the Trump administration has spread misinformation about voter fraud. In July, Trump accused China of interfering in the 2020 election, which he lost. Andrew Bailey said he is stepping down as one of the FBI’s two deputy directors after just over a year in the role – a short tenure that unfolded as he helped oversee several of Trump’s election‑related investigations. Bailey was appointed in August 2025 to serve alongside Dan Bongino at a moment of sharp tension between the FBI and justice department leadership over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Pope Leo addressed concerns about artificial intelligence and the war in Ukraine during a press conference onboard the papal plane today. Saying that concerns about AI are not “fake news”, the first US pope appeared to criticize Trump, who called concerns about AI a “hoax” during a UN address last week. Continue reading...

Trump denies offering Iran sanctions relief, Tehran says it is ready for talks

Sept 29 (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump said he has offered Iran nothing to end the war, rejecting media reports that cited US officials saying he was willing to ease sanctions and release frozen funds for "concrete" steps regarding Iran's nuclear programme. "This is untrue. I offered them NOTHING," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday.

US sanctions 10 over allegedly procuring weapons for Iran

WASHINGTON, Sept 29 - The United States has sanctioned 10 individuals and entities including some based in China, Hong Kong and Pakistan, for helping Iran's Ministry of Defense procure weapons and components, the US Treasury Department said Tuesday.

US sanctions 10 international entities over allegedly procuring weapons for Iran's Defense Ministry

The sanctions, part of Operation Economic Outcast, include entities based in China, Hong Kong, and Pakistan.

Trump says Iran 'will give up,' compares its nuclear ambitions with North Korea

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US imposes sanctions on 13 tied to Iran weapons procurement

By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON, Sept 29 - The US government announced fresh sanctions on Tuesday against 13 individuals and entities, including some based in Russia, China, Hong Kong and Pakistan, saying they helped Iran procure weapons and components. The sanctions announced by the Treasury and State departments are part of the Trump administration's effort to isolate Iran economically and force it to negotiate an end to the war that began with a US-Israeli strike on Iran on February 28.

Trump calls Kim Jong Un his friend, when asked why North Korea can have nuclear bomb

The US President noted that the North Korean leader respects him

Qatari mediators press peace deal between US, Iran

Qatar said it hopes that shuttle diplomacy between Iran and the US can lead to a breakthrough despite US President Donald Trump's denial of media reports that he was willing to ease sanctions and release frozen funds in exchange for Iranian concessions on its nuclear program.

US imposes sanctions against Russian companies tied to Iran weapons procurement

The measures target 13 individuals and entities in Russia, Hong Kong, China, and Pakistan as the United States continues to exert economic pressure on Tehran under "Operation Economic Outcast" amid its months-long war with Iran.

US imposes sanctions on 13 individuals, entities tied to Iran weapons procurement

The individuals and entities sanctioned include some based in Russia, China, Hong Kong and Pakistan.

Trump calls Kim Jong Un a ‘friend’ and plays down N Korea’s nuclear arsenal

US president's comments came after he was asked why North Korea can have nuclear weapons when Iran cannot.

Trump draws distinction between North Korea and Iran over nuclear weapons

US President Donald Trump has described North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as his friend, saying their relationship is one reason he views North Korea’s possession of nuclear weapons differently from Iran’s.

Islamabad hints at cautious shift on US sanctions against Iran

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday signalled a cautious shift in its approach to the newly imposed US sanctions on Iran, saying it would adhere to “all applicable sanctions regimes” under international and domestic law, a formulation that goes beyond Islamabad’s earlier emphasis on international law and bilateral trade commitments with Tehran. “Pakistan is a responsible member of the international community and adheres, and shall continue to adhere, to all applicable sanctions regimes in accordance with international and domestic laws,” Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said at the weekly media briefing. The spokesperson did not explain what Islamabad considers “applicable” even though there is a fine difference between restrictions being legally applicable or practically applicable. The shift is nevertheless significant because when the US announced its latest sanctions against Iran, the then FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi had said: “About trade with Iran, Pakistan is following international law and our bilateral trade agreements with Iran.” FO reiterates commitment to strategic ties with Washington, rules-based international system Technically, the earlier formulation placed the emphasis on Pakistan’s international legal obligations and its bilateral commitments to Iran while the new one is broader, bringing “all applicable sanctions regimes” and “domestic law” into the framework. That does not mean US unilateral sanctions automatically become binding international law for Pakistan, but it’s an acknowledgement that their practical reach can extend to Pakistani banks and companies because they operate within the international financial system and depend on access to dollar clearing, correspondent banking and financial messaging networks. SWIFT, the international financial network, neither works as a sanctions authority nor does it decide whether transactions are lawful, but it says responsibility for compliance rests with the financial institutions handling transactions and the relevant national and international authorities. SWIFT, which is incorporated under Belgian law, has previously disconnected Iranian banks to comply with European sanctions. This showed how sanctions adopted by a jurisdiction to which SWIFT is legally subject can affect a bank’s access to the international financial messaging network. For Pakistan, the issue is therefore less about complying with US sanctions and more about the financial consequences of dealing with Iranian entities because US secondary sanctions can expose foreign financial institutions to restrictions on their access to the US financial system, including correspondent or payable through acc­ounts. Washington has specifically warned of such exposure as part of its expanded Iran sanctions campaign. Therefore, the new Foreign Office formulation appears to leave Islamabad room to take those risks into account without explicitly accepting the US unilateral sanction as legally binding. Here the assertion about compliance with domestic laws comes into play as this potentially gives Islamabad regulatory space to restrict or limit Iran-related transactions on the basis of Pakistani banking, foreign exchange and AML requirements. For instance, State Bank’s Pakistan-Iran trade mechanism expressly requires clarity that transactions with Iran do not involve entities subject to international sanctions. Due to this clause, the businesses have been generally cautious about transacting with Iran, even before the latest sanctions. However, the government has per se not announced a suspension of trade with Iran or any decision to join the US sanctions campaign. The Foreign Office spokesman also sought to underline Pakistan’s relationship with Washington. “Pakistan highly values its enduring and multifaceted strategic partnership with the United States and remains fully committed to further strengthening its long-standing diplomatic, economic and security ties with Washington,” Mr Khan said. At the same time, Islamabad reaffirmed its commitment to multilateralism and international law. “Pakistan reaffirms its commitment to a rule-based international system rooted in multilateralism and international law,” Mr Khan said, adding that Islamabad remained in “constant and constructive communication with all relevant stakeholders”. The balancing act comes at a time when Pakistan is trying to preserve its role as an intermediary between the US and Iran. Mr Khan said Pakistan would continue urging US and Iran to exercise restraint and settle their differences through diplomacy. “Pakistan, being a mediator in communication between Iran and the United States, believes that it is important to continue urging both sides to exercise restraint, resolve outstanding issues through dialogue and diplomacy, and honour their respective commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding,” he said. Pakistan believes this remains the “only viable pathway” to resolving the conflict peacefully, he added. Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2026

Trump says Iran has 'virtually given up' any plans for nuclear weapons

Tehran has long denied accusations by US and Israel that it seeks to develop nuclear weapons

Trump says Iran dropped nuclear weapon plans

US President Donald Trump said on Oct. 3 Iran has virtually abandoned its drive to develop nuclear weapons because severe financial exhaustion and regional setbacks crippled Tehran's strategic leverage.

Kremlin threatens Lithuania over plans to allow stationing nuclear weapons

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has warned that Russia will take "necessary measures" after Lithuania moved to allow hosting nuclear weapons.

United States does not need Iranian oil, President Donald Trump declares

The US leader separately stated that Washington had prevented Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons

Trump purchased up to $25M in Meta stock in August

United States President Donald Trump bought up to $25 million in Meta Platforms Inc. stock in August, a new financial disclosure shared by CNBC on Thursday showed.