Trump addresses troops at US's largest Middle East military base
NewsFeed Trump addresses troops at US's largest Middle East military base
US President Donald Trump, who promised to end America's foreign military campaigns, has paid a visit to US troops stationed in Qatar. Trump praised the US's deadly arsenal, hit out at his predecessor and made fun of France.
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Qatar Tribune
an hour ago
- Qatar Tribune
Trump extends TikTok ban deadline for 3rd time
Agencies President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday extending TikTok's operations in the U.S. for another 90 days, granting his administration additional time to negotiate a deal to transfer the social media platform into American ownership. Trump disclosed the executive order on the Truth Social platform Thursday morning. 'As he has said many times, President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark. This extension will last 90 days, which the administration will spend working to ensure this deal is closed so that the American people can continue to use TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement on Tuesday. It is the third time Trump has extended the deadline. The first one was through an executive order on Jan. 20, his first day in office, after the platform went dark briefly when a national ban – approved by Congress and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court – took effect. The second was in April, when White House officials believed they were nearing a deal to spin off TikTok into a new company with U.S. ownership that fell apart after China backed out following Trump's tariff announcement. It is not clear how many times Trump can – or will – keep extending the ban as the government continues to try to negotiate a deal for TikTok, which is owned by China's ByteDance. While there is no clear legal basis for the extensions, so far there have been no legal challenges to fight them. Trump has amassed more than 15 million followers on TikTok since he joined last year, and he has credited the trendsetting platform with helping him gain traction among young voters. He said in January that he has a 'warm spot for TikTok.' TikTok praised Trump for signing an extension Thursday. 'We are grateful for President Trump's leadership and support in ensuring that TikTok continues to be available for more than 170 million American users and 7.5 million U.S. businesses that rely on the platform as we continue to work with Vice President Vance's Office,' the company said in a statement. As the extensions continue, it appears less and less likely that TikTok will be banned in the U.S. any time soon. The decision to keep TikTok alive through an executive order has received some scrutiny, but it has not faced a legal challenge in court – unlike many of Trump's other executive orders. Jeremy Goldman, analyst at Emarketer, called TikTok's U.S situation a 'deadline purgatory.' The whole thing 'is starting to feel less like a ticking clock and more like a looped ringtone. This political Groundhog Day is starting to resemble the debt ceiling drama: a recurring threat with no real resolution.' That's not stopping TikTok from pushing forward with its platform, Forrester analyst Kelsey Chickering says. 'TikTok's behavior also indicates they're confident in their future, as they rolled out new AI video tools at Cannes this week,' Chickering notes. 'Smaller players, like Snap, will try to steal share during this 'uncertain time,' but they will not succeed because this next round for TikTok isn't uncertain at all.'
Qatar Tribune
an hour ago
- Qatar Tribune
B-2 bombers moving to Guam amid Middle East tensions
Agencies WASHINGTON The United States is moving B-2 bombers to the Pacific island of Guam, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Saturday, as President Donald Trump weighs whether the United States should take part in Israel's strikes against Iran. It was unclear whether the bomber deployment is tied to Middle East tensions. The B-2 can be equipped to carry America's 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, designed to destroy targets deep underground. That is the weapon that experts say could be used to strike Iran's nuclear program, including Fordow. The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, declined to disclose any further details. One official said no forward orders had been given yet to move the bombers beyond Guam. They did not say how many B-2 bombers are being moved. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Experts and officials are closely watching to see whether the B-2 bombers will move forward to a U.S.-British military base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia. Experts say that Diego Garcia is in an ideal position to operate in the Middle East. The United States had B-2 bombers on Diego Garcia up until last month, when they were replaced with B-52 bombers. Trump has said he would take up to two weeks to decide whether the United States should enter the conflict on Israel's side, enough time 'to see whether or not people come to their senses,' he said. Reuters reported this week the movement of a large number of tanker aircraft to Europe and other military assets to the Middle East, including the deployment of more fighter jets. An aircraft carrier in the Indo-Pacific is also heading to the Middle East.
Qatar Tribune
an hour ago
- Qatar Tribune
Oil prices down as US sanctions ease fears of escalation in Iran
Oil prices fell on Friday after the U.S. imposed new Iran-related sanctions, signaling a diplomatic approach that boosted hopes for a negotiated resolution. The move came after President Donald Trump said he could take up to two weeks to decide on U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict. Brent crude futures settled down $1.84, or 2.33%, to $77.01 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for July dropped 21 cents, or 0.28%, to close at $74.93. Brent rose 3.7% on the week, while front-month U.S. crude futures increased 2.7%. The Trump administration issued fresh Iran-related sanctions, including on two entities based in Hong Kong, and counter-terrorism-related sanctions, according to the U.S. Treasury Department website. The sanctions target at least 20 entities, five individuals and three vessels, according to Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control. Although a major escalation is yet to occur, risks to supply from the region remain high, still hinging upon the potential for U.S. involvement. Iran in the past has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for Middle East oil exports. Oil exports so far have not been disrupted and there is no shortage of supply. Elsewhere, the EU has abandoned its proposal to lower the price cap on Russian oil to $45, Bloomberg reported. U.S. energy firms this week cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating for an eighth week in a row for the first time since September 2023. Asian spot LNG prices at 4-month high on supply concerns Asian spot LNG prices rose to their highest level in four months this week on concerns over disruptions to supply due to the Israel-Iran conflict. The average LNG price for August delivery into north-east Asia was at $14.00 per mmBtu, up 11% from $12.60 per mmBtu last week and the highest level since February 21, industry sources estimated. Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying Tehran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Iran, which says its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes, retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. Prices have risen sharply over the last few days as traders are pricing in potential supply disruptions in the Middle East and war premiums are going up as the conflict carries on. There has not been any significant disruption to physical LNG cargoes so far, however, some buyers could bid higher relative to European buyers to attract Atlantic basin cargoes due to disruption at Hormuz. In Europe, gas prices at the Dutch TTF hub eased on Friday after hitting a fresh 11-week high on Thursday but remain volatile. TTF price settled at $13.82 per mmBtu. The U.S. arbitrage to north-east Asia via the Cape of Good Hope is now more strongly pointing to Europe, while the arbitrage via Panama continues to point to Asia. In the LNG freight market, Atlantic rates recorded its largest week-on-week increase since October 2023 at $49,750 per day on Friday, while Pacific rates remained steady at $32,000 per day. — By The Al-Attiyah Foundation
