US Treasury chief says extension of tariff relief possible for some
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that an extended pause on higher tariff rates is possible for some countries as a deadline approaches for dozens of economies to face steeper levies.
"It will be up to President (Donald) Trump, but I believe that if someone is negotiating in good faith, that an extension will be possible," Bessent told lawmakers. Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs on most trading partners in April but halted higher rates on many countries until early July, pending ongoing negotiations.
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Ya Libnan
12 hours ago
- Ya Libnan
Israelis to be ready for a ‘prolonged campaign' in Iran, military chiefs warn
Israel's military chief on Friday said Israelis 'must be ready for a prolonged campaign' in Iran as the deadly conflict between the two countries entered its second week. As Iran's foreign minister met with European counterparts, he said Iran would not resume nuclear negotiations with the US until Israel stopped its attacks on the Islamic Republic. Iran said Friday it would not resume nuclear negotiations with the United States until Israel halts its attacks, as Israel 's military chief warned the week-old war will be 'prolonged'. A series of blasts were heard in Tehran on Friday as Iran's Fars news agency said air defences had been activated, as Israel kept up its bombardment and Iran launched missiles at its arch enemy. 'We must be ready for a prolonged campaign,' Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir told Israelis in a video statement, eight days after his country launched a massive wave of strikes it said were aimed at stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons – an ambition Tehran has denied. 'The campaign is not over. Although we have made significant achievements, difficult days still lie ahead,' he said. MIDDLE EAST Israel's military chief on Friday said Israelis 'must be ready for a prolonged campaign' in Iran as the deadly conflict between the two countries entered its second week. As Iran's foreign minister met with European counterparts, he said Iran would not resume nuclear negotiations with the US until Israel stopped its attacks on the Islamic Republic. Issued on: 20/06/2025 – 11:25Modified: 20/06/2025 – 21:14 5 min Reading time By: FRANCE 24 / FRANCE 24 Iran said Friday it would not resume nuclear negotiations with the United States until Israel halts its attacks, as Israel 's military chief warned the week-old war will be 'prolonged'. A series of blasts were heard in Tehran on Friday as Iran's Fars news agency said air defences had been activated, as Israel kept up its bombardment and Iran launched missiles at its arch enemy. 'We must be ready for a prolonged campaign,' Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir told Israelis in a video statement, eight days after his country launched a massive wave of strikes it said were aimed at stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons – an ambition Tehran has denied. 'The campaign is not over. Although we have made significant achievements, difficult days still lie ahead,' he said. Israeli forces cordon off an area in the coastal city of Haifa after Iranian missile fire. © Fadel Senna, AFP As US President Donald Trump mulls the prospect of entering the war As US President Donald Trump mulls the prospect of entering the war between the two foes, top diplomats from Britain, France and Germany met with their Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Geneva. Referring to nuclear negotiations with Washington that had been derailed by the war, Araghchi said after the meeting that 'Iran is ready to consider diplomacy once again and once the aggression is stopped'. Tehran did 'support the continuation of discussion with' the European countries and was willing 'to meet again in the near future', Araghchi told reporters. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said 'we invited the Iranian minister to consider negotiations with all sides, including the United States, without awaiting the cessation of strikes, which we also hope for'. Barrot said there 'can be no definitive solution through military means to the Iran nuclear problem' and warned that it was 'dangerous to want to impose a regime change' in Iran, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not rule out killing supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei On the streets of Tehran, many shops were closed and normally busting markets largely abandoned on Friday, an AFP journalist reported. 'I'm not afraid of the war, I stay open but business is really bad,' said a vendor at the Tajrish market who declined to give his name for security reasons. Nearby, police set up a checkpoint while workers repaired a road damaged in a recent Israeli strike. Since Israel launched its offensive on June 13, targeting nuclear and military sites but also hitting residential areas, Iran has responded with barrages which Israeli authorities say have killed at least 25 people. A hospital in the Israeli port of Haifa reported 19 injured, including one person in serious condition, after the latest Iranian salvo. Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not updated the toll since. A US-based NGO, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, provided a toll on Friday based on sources and media reports, saying at least 657 people have been killed in Iran, including 263 civilians. Israel's military said it struck missile launchers in southwestern Iran after overnight air raids on dozens of targets including a nuclear research centre In Israel, sirens sounded in the afternoon after missiles were launched from Iran for the second time on Friday. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted military sites and air force bases. Trump said on Thursday he will decide 'within the next two weeks' whether to involve the United States in the fighting. A US Navy official said Friday that an aircraft carrier will be moved closer to the Middle East next week, making it the third in or near the region. 'This is a perilous moment, and it is hugely important that we don't see regional escalation of this conflict,' said Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who earlier stated 'Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon'. Western governments suspect Iran of seeking a nuclear weapons capability. 'So, saying how long it would take for them, it would be pure speculation because we do not know whether there was somebody … secretly pursuing these activities,' the agency's chief Rafael Grossi told CNN. 'We haven't seen that and we have to say it.' In an interview with German publication Bild, Israel's top diplomat Gideon Saar said he did not 'particularly' believe in diplomacy with Iran. 'All diplomatic efforts so far have failed,' said Saar, whose country had supported Trump's 2018 decision to abandon a previous nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the escalating confrontation is quickly reaching 'the point of no return', saying 'this madness must end as soon as possible'. Iranians rally in support of their leaders, in Tehran. © AFP UN chief Antonio Guterres meanwhile pleaded with all sides to 'give peace a chance'. Any US involvement in Israel's campaign would be expected to involve the bombing of an underground uranium enrichment facility in Fordo, using powerful bunker-busting bombs that no other country possesses. Switzerland announced it was temporarily closing its embassy in Tehran, adding that it would continue to fulfil its role representing US interests in Iran. (FRANCE 24 with AFP) .
LBCI
13 hours ago
- LBCI
US sanctions target those providing Iran with 'defense machinery,' Houthi oil trading
The Trump administration said on Friday it had issued fresh Iran-related sanctions targeting eight entities, one vessel and one person for their alleged role in providing sensitive machinery for Tehran's defense industry. "The United States remains resolved to disrupt any effort by Iran to procure the sensitive, dual-use technology, components, and machinery that underpin the regime's ballistic missile, unmanned aerial vehicle, and asymmetric weapons programs," U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. "Treasury will continue to degrade Iran's ability to produce and proliferate these deadly weapons, which threaten regional stability and global security," he added in a statement announcing the action. Two of the entities include shipping companies based in Hong Kong: Unico Shipping Co Ltd and Athena Shipping Co Ltd, the statement said. The Treasury Department on Friday also issued counterterrorism-related sanctions targeting Yemen's Houthis over alleged illicit oil trading and shipping, it said in a separate statement. Those sanctions target four individuals, 12 entities, and two vessels over imported oil and other illicit goods to support the Houthis, the department said. Reuters
LBCI
13 hours ago
- LBCI
Two weeks, one choice: Can diplomacy stop a US-Iran clash?
Report by Toni Mrad, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian Two weeks—or a fortnight. It seems this isn't the first time U.S. President Donald Trump has given a two-week deadline. This time, he needs it to decide whether to enter the war against Iran directly. But why did Trump grant a two-week deadline? According to some observers, he chose this specific time frame—not shorter—to give diplomacy enough time to work. Trump is trying to send a message: he does not rush into decisions about war but rather gives diplomacy priority before resorting to military action. According to Reuters, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff held several calls with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in an attempt to reach a diplomatic solution to the crisis. They also discussed a U.S. proposal to establish a regional consortium—including Iran and Saudi Arabia—that would enrich uranium in a neutral third country under international supervision to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program. Tehran has so far rejected the proposal, preferring that the consortium be based on its own soil. Araghchi, however, denied that the call even took place. If diplomacy fails, the military option moves to the forefront. The two-week deadline could be enough time to complete military preparations, including the deployment of U.S. assets to the region. According to Politico, if Washington decides to strike only the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, the situation might be contained and escalation avoided. But if the U.S. opts for broader strikes, Iran faces two choices: return to the negotiating table or escalate by targeting oil facilities belonging to Washington's allies and potentially closing the Strait of Hormuz. Still, Politico notes that military force alone cannot eliminate Iran's ability to produce a nuclear weapon. That would require an agreement with Tehran. In the end, all options remain on the table during these two weeks. The deadline ends July 3—just one day before the U.S. Independence Day.
