TikTok ban delayed again as Trump grants 90-day extension for US sale
President Donald Trump has given social media platform TikTok another 90 days to find a non-Chinese buyer or be banned in the United States.
'I've just signed the Executive Order extending the Deadline for the TikTok closing for 90 days (September 17, 2025),' Trump posted on his Truth Social platform
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RNZ News
38 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Who are Iran's allies? Would any help if the US joins Israel in its war?
By Ali Mamouri of Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian sign a strategic partnership treaty during a ceremony following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on 17 January, 2025. Photo: AFP / SPUTNIK / VYACHESLAV PROKOFYEV Analysis - As Israel continues its attacks on Iran, US President Donald Trump and other global leaders are hardening their stance against the Islamic Republic. While considering a US attack on Iran's nuclear sites, Trump has threatened Iran's supreme leader, claiming to know his location and calling him "an easy target". He has demanded "unconditional surrender" from Iran. Meanwhile, countries such as Germany, Canada, the UK and Australia have toughened their rhetoric, demanding Iran fully abandon its nuclear programme. As the pressure mounts on Iran, has it been left to fight alone? Or does it have allies that could come to its aid? Iran has long relied on a network of allied paramilitary groups across the Middle East as part of its deterrence strategy. This approach has largely shielded it from direct military strikes by the US or Israel, despite constant threats and pressure. This so-called 'axis of resistance' includes groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) in Iraq, the Houthi militants in Yemen, as well as Hamas in Gaza, which has long been under Iran's influence to varying degrees. Iran also supported Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, before it was toppled last year. These groups have served both as a regional buffer and as a means for Iran to project power without direct engagement. However, over the past two years, Israel has dealt significant blows to the network. Hezbollah - once Iran's most powerful non-state ally - has been effectively neutralised after months of attacks by Israel. Its weapons stocks were systematically targeted and destroyed across Lebanon, and the group suffered a major psychological and strategic loss with the assassination of its most influential leader, Hassan Nasrallah. In Syria, Iranian-backed militias have been largely expelled, following the fall of Assad's regime, stripping Iran of another key foothold in the region. That said, Iran maintains strong influence in Iraq and Yemen. The PMF in Iraq, with an estimated 200,000 fighters, remains formidable. The Houthis have a similarly sized contingent of fighters in Yemen. Should the situation escalate into an existential threat to Iran - as the region's only Shiite-led state - religious solidarity could drive these groups to become actively involved. This would rapidly expand the war across the region. For instance, the PMF could launch attacks on the 2500 US troops stationed in Iraq. Indeed, the head of Kata'ib Hezbollah, one of the PMF's more hardline factions, promised to do so. "If America dares to intervene in the war, we will directly target its interests and military bases spread across the region without hesitation." Iran itself could also target US bases in the Persian Gulf countries with ballistic missiles, as well as close the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world's oil supply flows. Several regional powers maintain close ties with Iran. The most notable among them is Pakistan - the only Islamic country with a nuclear arsenal. For weeks, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has tried to align Iran more closely with Pakistan in countering Israel's actions in Gaza. In a sign of Pakistan's importance in the Israel-Iran war, Trump has met with the country's army chief in Washington, as he weighs a possible strike on its neighbour. Pakistan's leaders have also made their allegiances very clear. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has offered Iran's president "unwavering solidarity" in the "face of Israel's unprovoked aggression" and Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif recently said, in an interview, Israel would "think many times before taking on Pakistan". Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Photo: AFP These statements signal a firm stance, without explicitly committing to intervention. Yet, Pakistan has also been working to de-escalate tensions. It has urged other Muslim-majority nations and its strategic partner, China, to intervene diplomatically, before the violence spirals into a broader regional war. In recent years, Iran has also made diplomatic overtures to former regional rivals, such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, in order to improve relations. These shifts have helped rally broader regional support for Iran. Nearly two dozen Muslim-majority countries - including some that maintain diplomatic relations with Israel - have jointly condemned Israel's actions and urged de-escalation. It's unlikely, though, that regional powers such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey would support Iran materially, given their strong alliances with the US. Iran's key global allies - Russia and China - have also condemned Israel's strikes. They have previously shielded Tehran from punitive resolutions at the UN Security Council. However, neither power appears willing - at least for now - to escalate the confrontation by providing direct military support to Iran, or engaging in a standoff with Israel and the US. Theoretically, this could change, if the conflict widens and Washington openly pursues a regime change strategy in Tehran. Both nations have major geopolitical and security interests in Iran's stability. This is due to Iran's longstanding 'Look East' policy, and the impact its instability could have on the region and the global economy. However, at the current stage, many analysts believe both are unlikely to get involved directly. Moscow stayed on the sidelines, when Assad's regime collapsed in Syria, one of Russia's closest allies in the region. Not only is it focused on its war in Ukraine, Russia also wouldn't want to endanger improving ties with the Trump administration. China has offered Iran strong rhetorical support, but history suggests it has little interest in getting directly involved in Middle Eastern conflicts. * Ali Mamouri is a Research Fellow of Middle East Studies at Deakin University. This story first appeared on The Conversation .
1News
7 hours ago
- 1News
Columbia protester Mahmoud Khalil freed from immigration detention
Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil was released today from federal immigration detention, freed after 104 days by a judge's ruling after becoming a symbol of US President Donald Trump 's clampdown on campus protests. The former Columbia University graduate student left a federal facility in Louisiana today. He is expected to head to New York to reunite with his US citizen wife and infant son, born while Khalil was detained. 'Justice prevailed, but it's very long overdue,' he said outside the facility in a remote part of Louisiana. 'This shouldn't have taken three months.' The Trump administration is seeking to deport Khalil over his role in pro-Palestinian protests. He was detained on March 8 at his apartment building in Manhattan. Khalil was released after US District Judge Michael Farbiarz said it would be 'highly, highly unusual' for the government to continue detaining a legal US resident who was unlikely to flee and hadn't been accused of any violence. ADVERTISEMENT 'Petitioner is not a flight risk, and the evidence presented is that he is not a danger to the community,' he said. 'Period, full stop.' During an hourlong hearing conducted by phone, the New Jersey-based judge said the government had 'clearly not met' the standards for detention. The government filed notice Friday evening that it's appealing Khalil's release. Khalil was the first person arrested under Trump's crackdown on students who joined campus protests against Israel's devastating war in Gaza. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Khalil must be expelled from the country because his continued presence could harm American foreign policy. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. (Source: Associated Press) The Trump administration has argued that noncitizens who participate in such demonstrations should be deported as it considers their views antisemitic. Protesters and civil rights groups say the administration is conflating antisemitism with criticism of Israel in order to silence dissent. Farbiarz has ruled that the government can't deport Khalil on the basis of its claims that his presence could undermine foreign policy. But the judge gave the administration leeway to continue pursuing a potential deportation based on allegations that he lied on his green card application, an accusation Khalil disputes. ADVERTISEMENT The international affairs graduate student isn't accused of breaking any laws during the protests at Columbia. He served as a negotiator and spokesperson for student activists and wasn't among the demonstrators arrested, but his prominence in news coverage and willingness to speak publicly made him a target of critics. The judge agreed today with Khalil's lawyers that the protester was being prevented from exercising his free speech and due process rights despite no obvious reason for his continued detention. The judge noted that Khalil is now clearly a public figure. Khalil said today that no one should be detained for protesting Israel's war in Gaza. He said his time in the Jena, Louisiana, detention facility had shown him 'a different reality about this country that supposedly champions human rights and liberty and justice'. 'Whether you are a US citizen, an immigrant or just a person on this land doesn't mean that you are less of a human,' he said, adding that 'justice will prevail, no matter what this administration may try to portray' about immigrants. The La Salle Detention Facility is seen in Jena, Louisiana. (Source: Associated Press) Khalil had to surrender his passport and can't travel internationally, but he will get his green card back and be given official documents permitting limited travel within the country, including New York and Michigan to visit family, New Jersey and Louisiana for court appearances and Washington to lobby Congress. In a statement after the judge's ruling, Khalil's wife, Dr Noor Abdalla, said she can finally 'breathe a sigh of relief' after her husband's three months in detention. 'We know this ruling does not begin to address the injustices the Trump administration has brought upon our family, and so many others,' she said. 'But today we are celebrating Mahmoud coming back to New York to be reunited with our little family.' The judge's decision comes after several other scholars targeted for their activism have been released from custody, including another former Palestinian student at Columbia, Mohsen Mahdawi; a Tufts University student, Rumeysa Ozturk; and a Georgetown University scholar, Badar Khan Suri.
Scoop
11 hours ago
- Scoop
Christopher Luxon Concludes China Trip: 'No Evidence' Of Collaboration With Russia, Iran Or North Korea
Christopher Luxon has wrapped up his trip to China, dismissing suggestions the superpower is working with Russia, Iran or North Korea to undermine the West - as alleged by NATO's top official. The prime minister says he also stressed to China's leaders that engagement in the Pacific must advance the region's interests, but refused to say whether the recent Cook Islands crisis was raised by either side. Speaking late Friday at New Zealand's embassy in Beijing, Luxon said he was leaving "very, very convinced" the bilateral relationship was in "a really strong place and in good heart". The comments followed a day of top-level meetings at the Great Hall of the People, capping a three-day visit to China, Luxon's first as prime minister. The prime minister and his officials now fly on to Belgium and then to the Netherlands, where he will attend the annual NATO summit. Asked about NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte's recent warning that China is working together with Russia, Iran and North Korea, Luxon noted the "Dutch directness" - but indicated a "difference of opinion". "We haven't seen evidence of those four powers coordinating in a way, actively against the West," Luxon said. "We've seen bilateral associations, say, between Russia and North Korea, with respect to the war in Ukraine. We've seen bilateral arrangements between Iran and Russia as well, but we haven't seen evidence of a wholesale force." The rest of the delegation was now returning to New Zealand on the air force 757. Cook Islands questions linger The talks came a day after revelations NewZealand suspended nearly $20 million in funding to the Cook Islands, after its agreements with China earlier this year. Luxon repeatedly refused to say whether that issue, or any other, was discussed behind closed doors. "We need to respect that they are private diplomatic conversations that need to be respected in the privacy of the sanctum." A media statement issued at the end of the trip said Luxon had raised "the need for engagement in the Pacific to take place in a manner which advances Pacific priorities". Pressed to clarify, Luxon said the concern had been well-canvassed: "Making sure that… all major powers that aren't part of the Pacific family… respect the centrality of the Pacific Island Forum." While none of China's leaders directly mentioned the Cook Islands crisis, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun earlier said China's cooperation with the Pacific nation "should not be disrupted or restrained by any third party". Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown on Friday labelled the funding pause "patronising" and pointed out he had not been consulted on any agreements New Zealand entered with China this trip. Luxon denied any double standard, but said he had "nothing more to add" on the subject. "I'm not going to get into it. I've spoken ad nauseam about the Cooks and the challenge." The prime minister's statement also said he raised "rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific" including the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Final talks with Xi and Li Before speaking to reporters, the prime minister took part in an official welcome ceremony at the Great Hall and then a sit-down with his counterpart, Premier Li Qiang. In opening remarks, Li spoke of global turbulence and the need for "mutually beneficial cooperation". He said he had been "deeply impressed" by Luxon's friendship and hospitality during his 2024 visit to Wellington. In response, Luxon said the international challenges made ongoing dialogue more important "even where we differ". The meeting ended with the signing of 11 agreements, promising cooperation in areas including customs, food safety, and tourism. Luxon - and the wider business delegation - then stayed on for a banquet dinner at the Great Hall. Earlier on Friday, Xi said the bilateral relationship had experienced "many ups and downs" but remained respectful and at the forefront of China's Western ties. Luxon meanwhile described the bilateral relationship as "long-standing" and of "great consequence" to New Zealand. "The world looks to China as a major global power to play a constructive role in addressing many of the challenges that are facing us all," he said. Speaking to RNZ before departure, Luxon said he had established "good rapport" with both leaders during their previous meetings. The prime minister last met Xi in November at the APEC summit in Peru. At the time, Luxon characterised their conversation as "warm, positive and constructive" but noted clear differences over the AUKUS defence pact and missile testing in the Pacific.
