Trump kicks off high-stakes mideast trip in Saudi Arabia
President Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia and touted $600 billion in new Saudi investment in the U.S. But, he's facing growing criticism over his decision to accept an offer from Qatar for a replacement Air Force One jet. NBC News' Garrett Haake reports.
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The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Europeans back higher defence spending amid Russia threat, poll finds
Faced with an unpredictable Donald Trump and an aggressive Russia, Europeans favour increased spending on defence and, in some countries, compulsory military service. A survey of 12 countries for the European Council on Foreign Relations showed majorities for increased defence spending in Poland (70%), Denmark (70%) and the UK (57%). Support was softer elsewhere, but large minorities in Germany (47%), Spain (46%) and France (45%) also backed bigger military budgets. Italy was an outlier: only 17% favoured higher spending, with 57% against. Europeans in several countries supported reintroducing mandatory military service, with the crucial exception of 18- to 29-year-olds – those most likely to be called up in any armed conflict. People in France (62%), Germany (53%) and Poland (51%) were the strongest supporters of military service. Opposition to the idea outweighed support in countries including Italy (50% against), the UK (53%), Spain (56%) and Hungary (58%). Older people were keenest on the draft. In Germany, for example, a net total of 49% of over-70s supported military service, while a net total of 46% of 18- to 29-year-olds opposed the idea. The research also found the European public divided sharply over Trump, whose return to the US presidency has scrambled traditional allegiances to Washington. Countries with traditionally strong ties with the US are becoming increasingly sceptical of the US system: in the UK and Germany, majorities of 74% and 67% think it is broken. 'EU-US relations are now increasingly ideological,' the ECFR's Ivan Krastev and Mark Leonard wrote in a paper to accompany the findings. 'In many respects the relations of the far-right parties to Trump start to resemble the relationship of former communist parties to the Soviet Union in the cold war. They feel obliged to defend Trump and to imitate him.' European far-right parties, which often took inspiration from Vladimir Putin's Russia, now look to Trump's system as a model, the authors suggest. In contrast, voters for mainstream parties are critical of Trump and the US political system. Far-right and national populist allegiance to Trump exists, despite sizeable minorities of voters for those parties seeing his re-election as bad news for Americans. For instance, 34% of AfD voters in Germany, 28% of France's National Rally supporters and 30% of Reform UK voters consider Trump's re-election as 'very bad' or 'rather bad' for Americans. The findings come on the eve of a Nato summit this week where members of the alliance will be asked to raise defence spending to at least 5% of GDP a year by 2032. Spain has already rejected the target as 'unreasonable' and 'counterproductive'. Italy wants to delay the deadline until 2035. Voters in most countries polled are sceptical that Europe can be independent of the US. Citizens in Germany, Spain, Poland and Italy were more likely to say it would be very difficult or practically impossible for the EU to become independent of the US in defence and security. Only in Denmark did a slim majority (52%) consider it was possible for the EU to achieve autonomy in defence and security. Denmark, which is directly threatened by Trump's claims over Greenland, also showed the highest antipathy towards the US president: 86% believe the US political system is broken, while 76% rated Trump's re-election as a bad thing for US citizens. Several European publics support developing an alternative national nuclear deterrent that does not rely on the US, with the strongest support in Poland (60%), Portugal (62%) and Spain (54%). In Germany, support for such an idea was only 39%. The chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has proposed that his country could share nuclear weapons with France and Britain but also said this could not replace the US's protective shield over much of Europe. Sign up to Headlines Europe A digest of the morning's main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day after newsletter promotion In an encouraging sign for Kyiv, most Europeans oppose following the US if Trump pushes Ukraine to cede occupied territories or lifts economic sanctions against Russia. Even in Hungary, which has a government that has consistently slowed agreement on EU sanctions, 40% oppose copying any US move to lift sanctions, while 38% were in favour. In other countries there were strong majorities against emulating any pro-Russia policy on Ukraine that may come from the US. The report's authors suggest two explanations for this support for Ukraine. 'A benevolent interpretation is that Europeans support an autonomous European policy to support Ukraine and they don't want to blindly follow Trump's lead. But another reading of that data is that Europeans want Ukrainians to continue fighting on their behalf.' Leonard said: 'Our poll shows that Europeans feel unsafe and that Trump is driving demand for increased defence spending, the reintroduction of military service and an extension of nuclear capabilities across much of Europe.' Krastev, who is chair of the Centre for Liberal Strategies, said: 'The real effect of Trump's second coming is that the United States now presents a credible model for Europe's far right. To be pro-American today mostly means to be sceptical of the EU; to be pro-European means being critical of Trump's America.' Pollsters commissioned by ECFR spoke to 16,440 adults last month.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
The strait of Hormuz: what is it, and why does it matter to global trade?
President Donald Trump's unprecedented decision to bomb three Iranian nuclear sites has deepened fears of a widening conflict in the Middle East. Joining Israel in the biggest western military action against the Islamic Republic since its 1979 revolution, the world is now bracing for Iran's response. One way Iran could retaliate, analysts say, is to close off the strait of Hormuz, a vital trade route, through which over a fifth of the world's oil supply, 20m barrels, and much of its liquified gas, passes each day. Iran has in the past threatened to close the strait, which would restrict trade and impact global oil prices, but has never followed through on the threat. Among the world's most important oil chokepoints, the strait of Hormuz is geo-strategically important to the United States and beyond, as the strength of the global economy is heavily dependent on the flow of oil. The strait lies between Oman and Iran and links the Gulf to the north with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond. It is 33km wide at its narrowest point, with the shipping lane just 3km wide. About one-fifth of the world's total oil consumption passes through the strait. Between the start of 2022 and last month, approximately 17.8 million to 20.8m barrels of crude, condensate, and fuels flowed through the strait daily, according to data from analytics firm Vortexa. Members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) – Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq – export most of their crude via the strait, mainly to Asia. The US Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, is tasked with protecting commercial shipping in the area. Closing the strait has the advantage of being a means to impose a direct cost on Trump, as it would trigger an oil price spike with a near immediate inflationary effect in the US and across the globe. But it would also be an act of dramatic economic self-harm. Iranian oil uses the same gateway, and shutting Hormuz risks bringing Gulf Arab states, who have been highly critical of the Israeli attack, into the war to safeguard their own interests. In particular, closing the strait would significantly harm China. The world's second-largest economy buys almost 90% of Iran's oil exports, which are subject to international sanctions. US secretary of state Marco Rubio has called on China to help stop Iran from closing it, telling Fox news: 'I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that, because they heavily depend on the strait of Hormuz for their oil.' 'If they do that, it will be another terrible mistake,' he added, 'It's economic suicide for them if they do it.' There are already reports that some supertankers have U-turned in the strategic waterway following the US strikes. Iran's Press TV reported at the weekend that the Iranian parliament approved a measure to close the strait of Hormuz, but ultimately the decision will come down to Iran's top leaders. On Sunday Iran's foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, hinted at what could be an open-ended retaliation when he said that Trump's decision to bomb Iran 'will have everlasting consequences'. In his first comments since the US joined Israel's war on his country, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Israel has made a 'grave mistake' and 'must be punished', but did not make any specific reference to the strait of Hormuz.
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Trump calls for ‘regime change' to ‘make Iran great again' after ‘monumental' nuke blitz as Tehran vows to revenge
DON'S MIGA CALL Trump calls for 'regime change' to 'make Iran great again' after 'monumental' nuke blitz as Tehran vows to revenge Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DONALD Trump has floated the idea of a regime change in Tehran to "Make Iran Great Again" after bombing the Islamic Republic. Less than a day after the US military blitzed three key facilities central to the Iranians' nuclear ambitions, Trump hinted that the Mullahs' regime could well be toppled. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 United States President Donald J Trump addressed the nation after bombing Iran Credit: AP 4 Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could be toppled, Trump suggested 4 Crowds holding Iranian flags gather in the Revolution Square in the capital Credit: Getty 4 Inspired by his Make America Great Again (MAGA) political movement, the president called for "Make Iran Great Again" (MIGA) - and hinted that the autocratic Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could be ousted. Trump wrote on Truth Social: "It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!" Trump's post came despite his MAGA administration repeatedly saying the US is not looking for a regime change in Iran. Though the Israelis have expressed great interest in toppling the top Islamist leadership in Tehran, something they think would bring peace in the Middle East. Trump's No2 JD Vance yesterday said that the administration's view "has been very clear that we don't want a regime change." He told NBC's Meet The Press: "We do not want to protract this or build this out any more than it's already been built out. We want to talk to the Iranians about a long-term settlement here." Speaking of the US bombings in Iran, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said: "This mission was not and has not been about regime change." Trump last night hailed the US military bombing on Iran's key nuclear facilities, saying the strikes "obliterated" Tehran's doomsday program. He said that the US military took the "bomb out of Iran's hands" and caused "monumental" damage to Tehran's nuclear ambitions. But the Islamic Republic - hurt and wounded - has vowed to retaliate by striking US targets in the Middle East. Tehran retaliated to the US bombing by approving steps to close the Strait of Hormuz - a bottleneck entrance to the Gulf where nearly a quarter of the oil shipped around the world passes through narrow waters. Attempting to choke off Gulf oil by closing the strait could send global oil prices skyrocketing and derail the world economy. It would also invite an almost certain conflict with the US Navy's massive Fifth Fleet based in the Gulf, which is tasked with keeping it open. Meanwhile, Ali Akbar Velayati, an advisor to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said bases used by US forces could be attacked in retaliation. 'Any country in the region or elsewhere that is used by American forces to strike Iran will be considered a legitimate target for our armed forces,' he said in a message carried by the official IRNA news agency. 'America has attacked the heart of the Islamic world and must await irreparable consequences.' Tehran has so far not followed through on its threats of retaliation against the US - either by targeting its military bases or trying to choke off global oil supplies. But that may not hold up. Trump warned that further action could be taken if Tehran doesn't agree to an adequate peace deal, or tries to harm American interests. He said in a nationally televised speech at the White House: "Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier." "There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days." Stay up to date with the latest on Israel vs Iran with The Sun's live blog below...
