Trump believes ‘maximum pressure' strategy towards Iran helped push potential nuclear deal closer

As President Trump reaches the final leg of his Middle East trip, NBC News Senior White House Correspondent Garrett Haake joins Meet the Press NOW from Abu Dhabi to discuss the president's optimism towards reaching a nuclear deal with Iran. NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel reports from Tehran about the conditions Iranian officials are prepared to agree to in exchange for sanctions relief.May 15, 2025

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Daily Mirror

28 minutes ago

• Daily Mirror

'Donald Trump is the deranged Dr Strangelove and is not to be trusted'

Warmonger Donald Trump blowing up talks between Britain, France and Germany with his Iran attack is the deranged Dr Strangelove in the White House demonstrating he is not to be trusted. Not just because he was elected vowing to keep the US out of military conflicts, although that broken promise is fuelling his oddball Maga alliance back home. Impulsive, reckless Trump is untrustworthy because one, there is no crisis he cannot make worse and, two, this toddler man President doesn't give a fig for the views and values of America's traditional allies in Europe and Nato. Flannel from Israel 's out of control Benjamin Netanyahu, a hawk on whose watch the horrific Hamas pogrom occurred and bloody Palestinian ethnic cleansing has been pursued, unintentionally confirms Trump made the wrong call. No wonder UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres branded the strikes a 'dangerous escalation' and 'direct threat to international peace'. Mercifully, the International Atomic Energy Agency detected 'no increase in off-site radiation levels' after stressing it had no evidence Iran was developing nuclear missiles. To be against military attacks on Iran is not to endorse a tyrannical regime, just as decrying the Iraq invasion was never a sympathy vote for Saddam Hussein. The issue is how to achieve a better, safer world – and Keir Starmer must keep Britain distant from such aggressors or he will trigger a blowback that could collapse his own regime. Sunderland, back in the Premier League, once conceded three own goals in seven first-half minutes against Charlton in a 3-1 home defeat to go bottom and be relegated from the top flight at the end of the season. Keir Starmer loves his football too and texted congratulations when the Mackems won promotion to the Championship three years ago, yet the Arsenal fan now in No.10 risks emulating Sunderland's 2003 fate unless he stops Labour 's own goals. Disability benefit cuts is the latest of these. Scores of unhappy MPs are threatening to abstain or rebel amid talk of as many as a dozen parliamentary aides and ministers contemplating resigning from Starmer's government. They would be following former Shadow Disabled People Minister Vicky Foxcroft in doing so. She is a politician who overcame childhood sexual and domestic abuse to champion others and so could not stand such callous cuts. Labour MPs busily writing report cards for constituents have a lot to boast about ahead of July 4's anniversary of independence from the Tories. NHS revitalisation, rising living standards, higher minimum wage, vastly improved job rights, housebuilding, rail renationalisation, a secure and renewable energy drive, trade deals, beginning to get to grips with migration and asylum, more grafters in employment and four interest rate cuts are Labour payback. I would not include squandering extra cash on defence when we already spend more than most but nearly all Labour MPs probably will. Yet scything benefits such as axing the Winter Fuel Allowance for millions, before reinstating that for the majority of pensioners, is another avoidable own goal. It's what Louise Haigh, unfairly derailed as Transport Secretary, called unpopular decisions overshadowing the good. Even George Osborne, an austerity Conservative Chancellor who imposed deeper and nastier welfare cuts, recognises they will look much less fair should current incumbent Rachel Reeves ease taxes on wealthy tycoons bleating they will quit Britain. There is no sign of Starmer repeating the winter fuel U-turn on benefits and unless he does, the winners from it will be Nigel Farage, Kemi Badenoch and Ed Davey. Putting the ball in Labour's net instead of scoring against Reform, the Conservatives and Lib Dems invites a fate I endured Sunderland suffering. The misnamed Reform-linked think-tank Centre for a Better Britain putting out feelers to Tory right-whinger Robert Jenrick is further evidence that Nigel Farage and prominent Conservatives are peas from the same political pod. Thatcherite Farage is a former Tory member with so many 'second' jobs he's Parliament's worst moonlighter. He is a City slicker peddling policies – NHS, tax, steel nationalisation – he doesn't believe in and would never implement to trick working people into making him the PM. He'll do a dirty deal with the Tories if it's in his best interests. And then like Brexit, he'd kick supporters in the wallets. Vote Reform, get conned again. Follow our Mirror Politics account on Bluesky here. And follow our Mirror Politics team here - Lizzy Buchan, Mikey Smith, Kevin Maguire, Sophie Huskisson, Dave Burke and Ashley Cowburn. Be first to get the biggest bombshells and breaking news by joining our Politics WhatsApp group here. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you want to leave our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Or sign up here to the Mirror's Politics newsletter for all the best exclusives and opinions straight to your inbox. And listen to our exciting new political podcast The Division Bell, hosted by the Mirror and the Express every Thursday.

ITV News

31 minutes ago

• ITV News

Iran conflict: What is the impact on British citizens travelling abroad?

As the world awaits Iran's promised response to US strikes on its nuclear facilities, the ongoing conflict is causing concern and travel disruption among British citizens in the wider Middle East region – and for those planning to travel there. The Foreign Office (FCDO) updated its advice for a swathe of countries over the weekend, following the news that the US had launched a series of missiles on Iranian nuclear facilities. "Ongoing hostilities in the region and between Israel and Iran have the potential to deteriorate further, quickly and without warning since US military strikes against Iran on 22 June,' the FCDO says. How has air travel been affected? Israeli airspace was closed when Israel launched strikes on Iran on June 13 and international flights have been suspended ever since. Some 'repatriation' flights were being permitted to leave Tel Aviv's international airport on Monda,y but most airlines, including British Airways, have suspended their operations to and from Israel. In addition, following the US intervention, flights to Dubai and other parts of the Middle East and Gulf region are also facing disruption. British Airways suspended flights to Dubai and Doha on Sunday and other airlines in the region have altered their schedules. Dubai and Doha are used as hubs for people travelling from the UK to the Middle East and beyond so the disruption will also impact Brits trying to leave Iraq, Syria and other hotspots. BA has also suspended flights to Bahrain and Jordan until the end of June. Flydubai has suspended all flights to and from Iran, Iraq, Israel, and Syria until the end of the month. Lufthansa has suspended flights to Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. Qatar Airways suspended flights to Iran, Iraq, and Syria until further notice. American Airlines suspended flights to Doha, Qatar until further notice. United Airlines temporarily suspended flights to Dubai, UAE, until further notice. Emirates suspended all flights from Dubai to Tehran, Baghdad and Basra until June 30. Travel experts say that as long as the conflict persists, more airlines could cancel flights or expand existing suspensions to additional countries. Israel and the Occupied Territories – can Brits get out? Israeli airspace was closed on Friday, June 13, when Israel launched attacks on Iran, and civilian flights in and out of Ben Gurion have been disrupted ever since. Some land routes are open to Jordan and Egypt and the Foreign Office is assisting people with those departures. The Foreign Office is also trying to arrange charter flights to evacuate those Brits who are unable to leave by land. However, those flights are not yet operational. Minister for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollins, said on Monday: "We know that land routes aren't available for everyone. "And that's why the Foreign Office is looking at chartering planes to leave from Tel Aviv to return people to safety. "We're working with the Israeli government to understand the airspace restrictions that are in place there. "Clearly, with missiles flying through the air, we need to make sure that any evacuation flights are safe. "And once we've managed to deconflict that, we hope those flights can take off very soon." Later, Israel said repatriation flights, operated by the Israeli airline El Al, would begin on Monday, but would be limited to 50 passengers per flight. Iran – has the advice changed? The Foreign Office has advised against travel to Iran for many years. However, on Sunday it updated its website with the following note: What about other parts of the Middle East ? The Foreign Office updated its advice for Jordan, Qatar, UEA, Saudi Arabia and others on Sunday, warning that 'ongoing hostilities in the region and between Israel and Iran have the potential to deteriorate further, quickly and without warning since US military strikes against Iran on 22 June'. It added: 'Iran aligned militia groups are also likely to continue to conduct attacks. 'The current situation has disrupted air links and may disrupt road links and border crossings. Demonstrations and protest activity may take place.' As well as keeping across Foreign Office advice, British citizens in countries affected are encouraged to

Spectator

42 minutes ago

• Spectator

Israel is right to strike Evin prison

Israeli announced today that it has launched an unprecedented strike against regime targets in central Tehran, including the notorious Evin prison. Evin is infamous for holding foreign hostages and dual nationals, many of whom are detained by the regime as part of what human rights groups call 'hostage diplomacy'. It has long been associated with arbitrary detention, torture, forced confessions and inhumane conditions, especially for political prisoners and those accused of spying or threatening national security. The facility is run by the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Intelligence and the Revolutionary Guards, serving as the central site for imprisoning those accused of anti-regime activity. Foreign and dual nationals are often arrested on vague charges such as 'espionage' or 'collaborating with hostile states'. In many cases, these charges are unsubstantiated and used as leverage in international negotiations, as was the case with British Iranian dual national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. Conditions inside Evin are harsh, including solitary confinement, denial of legal access, threats against family members and psychological and physical abuse. These strikes mark a significant widening of Israel's military focus, from largely nuclear, ballistic missile, and aerial defence targets, to those which represent the regime's ideological and repressive core: its prison system, security headquarters, and propaganda symbols. It suggests a strategic intent not merely to deter or disrupt, but to help bring down the theocratic dictatorship that holds both its own people and foreign nationals in a state of constant fear. We should be clear-eyed and unambiguous: this is a welcome development. Israel is striking not only to defend itself but to undermine one of the most repressive systems on Earth. If Evin's walls are breached and its victims walk free, that will be a day of liberation, for Iranians and for the foreign hostages whose only crime was to enter a country run by sadistic, ruthless hostage-takers. Earlier in the week it was reported that French President Emmanuel Macron had called on the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to release the two French citizens of Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, denouncing their 'inhumane detention.' France, of course, is not alone. Citizens of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Canada, the United States and others have also been taken by the regime in Iran – journalists, activists, academics, tourists – all swept into a system of arbitrary detention that has become a defining feature of the Islamic theocracy's foreign relations. Kohler, a literature teacher, and her partner Jacques Paris, a retired mathematics teacher, were arrested in 2022 while visiting Iran as tourists. Authorities loyal to the regime accused them of espionage and broadcast a forced confession video shortly after their arrest. The French government has consistently rejected the charges, insisting the pair were innocent travellers. After the US struck Iran, Macron called for the most European of demands: 'de-escalation and maximum restraint' and 'a return to the diplomatic path', but Israel's latest approach might prove more productive. These detainees remain imprisoned, almost always with little to no contact, enduring conditions their families describe as torture. Their relatives have grown increasingly frustrated, warning that high-level diplomacy has failed to secure even basic humanitarian relief, but Macron's demands have at least draw overdue attention back to the issue of foreign nationals imprisoned without due process. Iran's regime strategy of hostage-taking serves multiple aims. It provides leverage in negotiations. It intimidates dissidents and dual nationals abroad. And it signals to the world that the Islamic Republic does not recognise the basic norms of sovereignty, legality or human dignity. To speak of Iran under the Islamic regime as a state actor among others, merely difficult or obstinate, is to misunderstand it. It is an adversarial power that does not merely reject the rules-based international order, it seeks to undermine and replace it with a logic of fear and submission. The regime in Tehran does not act in isolation. It is emboldened by years of impunity The stories are harrowing. Ahmad Reza Djalali, a Swedish-Iranian academic, sentenced to death on fabricated charges, kept in solitary confinement for years. Olivier Vandecasteele, a Belgian humanitarian, given 28 years following a sham trial. Nahid Taghavi, a German-Iranian women's rights advocate, whose health is failing in prison. The mutilated corpse of Jamshid 'Jimmy' Sharmahd was recently returned to his family after the German‑Iranian journalist and software engineer had been abducted by Islamic Republic agents from Dubai in July 2020, and reportedly held in Evin prison, enduring years of torture and the denial of medical care. He was murdered in October 2024, with neither the USA nor Germany having made appropriate efforts to free him and the other hostages. The regime in Tehran does not act in isolation. It is emboldened by years of impunity. Western governments have, for too long, attempted to resolve these abductions quietly, bilaterally and often secretively. The impulse is understandable: protect the hostages, avoid provocation, preserve diplomacy. But it has failed. Indeed, it has encouraged more detentions. The Islamic regime in Iran has learned that the West will negotiate, will relent, will pay. And so it has continued. The nuclear file is not separate from the human rights file. A regime that tortures academics and tourists cannot be trusted with uranium enrichment. A state that broadcasts forced confessions cannot be relied upon to honour international agreements. The Islamic Republic regime poses a strategic and moral threat not just to its neighbours, not just to the West, but to the world. It is in this light that the boldness of Israel's ongoing actions must be understood. Confronted with an existential threat, surrounded by proxies of the Islamic Republic, and under direct threat from a regime that openly declares its intent to destroy it, Israel has acted with clarity. The broader international community must now catch up, if not for Israel's sake, for its own, and in defence of the principle that civilians are not bargaining chips. The Islamic republic has proven itself time and again to be a hostile regime waging asymmetric war against the civilised world. The time for unity, for strength, and for moral clarity has come. The prisoners in Evin, in Kerman, in undisclosed cells across Iran, deserve nothing less.