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Economist
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Economist
Trump must offer Iran more than bombs, rage and humiliation
DONALD TRUMP was elected to keep America out of foreign we wars. But on June 22nd American forces joined Israel's campaign against Iran, striking three nuclear sites. The president's task now is to press Iran's leaders into avoiding a ruinous regional escalation and, as a complement to that, to persuade them to abandon any thought of trying to get a nuclear weapon. Neither will be easy.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Trump's three excruciating choices on Iran
DONALD TRUMP promised to end the wars in the Middle East. Instead America's president finds himself supervising a new one. No matter: he thinks the conflict between Israel and Iran, now in its fourth day, will be simple to stop. 'We can easily get a deal done,' he wrote in a social-media post on June 15th. A few hours later he implied that peace between the two countries, bitter foes since 1979, was merely a matter of convincing them to trade more. His breezy optimism is easy to dismiss, out of place with a war that has rained air strikes on Tehran and missile barrages on Tel Aviv. But Mr Trump will nonetheless have a big say in when and how that war ends. In the coming days he will have to make several decisions that will either restrain or embolden Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister. Mr Netanyahu started the war, but he is relying on Mr Trump to end it; how the president plans to do so, though, is anyone's guess. The first decision is whether to demand a diplomatic solution. Before the war America was trying to negotiate a new nuclear pact with Iran, to replace the one Mr Trump abandoned in 2018. A sixth round of talks had been scheduled for this weekend. Unsurprisingly, it was cancelled. Still, Mr Trump continues to urge negotiations. Iran's nuclear project is the ostensible focus of Israel's war effort; an agreement to restrict it would be a key part of a ceasefire. But Mr Trump will face a string of obstacles. More on the war between Israel and Iran: For a start, neither warring party is ready to make such a deal. Israel has spent years planning this war. It will not want to stop fighting after a few days, with many of its goals unmet. And while Iran says it is willing to accept a mutual ceasefire, it is not yet prepared to make major concessions on its nuclear programme. America will want it to forswear uranium enrichment and dismantle many of its nuclear facilities, things it has resisted doing for decades. Perhaps Iran will be more willing to capitulate as the damage mounts. The regime wants to survive. But it does not trust America in general, and Mr Trump in particular: he ditched the nuclear pact in 2018, assassinated Iran's top commander in 2020 and allowed Israel to start a war. The German foreign minister has offered, alongside Britain and France, to negotiate with the Iranians. But America would still have to play a central role in the talks. No one else could assure both Israel and Iran that an agreement would stick. If it is serious about a deal, it will need to be a more competent negotiator this time around. Steve Witkoff, the president's Middle East envoy, managed just five meetings with Iran in two months, while juggling a portfolio that also included the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. He also scorned help from American allies (a European diplomat says he received more detailed readouts on the talks from Iran than from America). If Mr Trump is not serious about diplomacy, his second choice is whether America should join the war. Satellite imagery suggests that Israel has destroyed the so-called 'pilot-fuel enrichment plant' at Natanz, an above-ground facility where Iran enriched uranium to 60%, a small step below weapons-grade. But it has yet to damage the enrichment facility at Fordow, which is dug into the side of a mountain, too deep for Israeli ordnance to reach. Israel could damage the entrances and ventilation shafts, in effect entombing the facility for a time. It would rather enlist help from America, which has specialised bombs capable of burrowing deep underground. It has asked Mr Trump to join strikes on Fordow (he has not yet agreed). In the most optimistic scenario those sorties would both cripple the facility and spook Iran into submitting to a deal. Reality is rarely so tidy, however. Iran may fear that strikes on Fordow are merely the opening act in a broader campaign to topple the regime. That could lead it to retaliate against America or its allies in the region. Iran has so far refrained from such actions, fearing they would draw America into the war; if America was already involved, though, Iran may feel it had nothing to lose. Some of Mr Trump's supporters in Washington, and some analysts in Israel, suspect Mr Netanyahu has such a scenario in mind. When the war began, after all, Israel said it only needed America's permission. Now it wants America to join a limited military campaign—one that could easily morph into something bigger. The prime minister seems increasingly fixated on toppling Iran's regime. In a statement addressed to the people of Iran on June 13th he urged them to 'stand up' against their rulers. Two days later, in an interview with Fox News, he was asked if regime change was Israel's goal. 'It could certainly be the result, because the Iran regime is very weak,' Mr Netanyahu replied. Several of Mr Trump's advisers have urged him not to approve American strikes, fearing it would become an open-ended campaign. That points to Mr Trump's third choice. Israeli leaders like to say that their country defends itself by itself. But it relies on America to protect it against Iranian ballistic missiles, to share intelligence and to resupply its army. If Mr Trump stays out of the war, and if he declines to pursue serious diplomacy—or if his efforts are aimless and futile, a hallmark of his administration—he will have to decide how much continued support to give Israel. He could urge Israel to end the war anyway. Or he could allow it to continue, much as he has done in Gaza since March, when Israel abandoned a ceasefire there. Israel could probably continue its strikes in Iran for weeks, especially if Iran runs short of the ballistic missiles it uses to counter-attack. Would it eventually declare victory? Or would it keep bombing and hope it could destabilise the regime? And if Iran could no longer effectively strike back at Israel, would it widen the war to neighbouring countries? The longer the war goes on, the more unpredictable it becomes. 'There's no end game for Israel unless it draws in the US or unless the regime falls,' says a Western diplomat. 'Both are big gambles.' Eventually the only plausible way out may be a deal. But getting one will require diplomatic savvy from Mr Trump and flexibility from both Israel and Iran—things that none of them are known for. Sign up to the Middle East Dispatch, a weekly newsletter that keeps you in the loop on a fascinating, complex and consequential part of the world. Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines to 100 year archives.
The Journal
15-06-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Mass anti-Trump protests held across US as president hosts Washington military parade
DONALD TRUMP HOSTED the largest US military parade in decades on his 79th birthday, as protesters rallied across the country to accuse him of acting like a dictator. Trump hailed the United States as the 'hottest country in the world' after watching tanks, aircraft and troops file past him in Washington to honour the 250th anniversary of the US army. But it formed a stark split screen with turmoil at home and abroad, as police used tear gas to disperse protesters in Los Angeles and US ally Israel traded missile fire with Iran in a rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East. Trump's parade on an overcast night in Washington came after hundreds of thousands of 'No Kings' demonstrators thronged the streets in cities including New York, Philadelphia, Houston and Atlanta. Trump largely avoided his usual domestic political diatribes in an unusually brief speech, and instead focused on praising the US army, saying that they 'fight, fight, fight, and they win, win, win.' The display of military might comes as Trump asserts his power domestically and on the international stage. Trump salutes during the military parade in Washington. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo In his address to the parade, the US President sent a warning to Washington's adversaries of 'total and complete' defeat, with the United States increasingly at risk of getting tangled up in Israel's conflict with Iran. 'Time and again, America's enemies have learned that if you threaten the American people, our soldiers are coming for you,' Trump said. 'Happy Birthday' Trump had openly dreamed since his first term as president of having a grand military parade, of the type more often seen in Moscow or Pyongyang than Washington. The last such parade in the United States was at the end of the 1991 Gulf War. When it came, Trump stood and saluted on a stage outside the White House as tanks rumbled past, aircraft roared overhead and nearly 7,000 troops marched past. People blanket New York's 5th Avenue as far as the eye can see. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Troops and military hardware from different eras of US history passed by, with an announcer reeling off victories in battles with Japanese, German, Chinese and Vietnamese forces in past wars. The army said the parade cost up to $45 million (€38 million). But while the crowd sang 'Happy Birthday' and there were occasional chants of 'USA! USA!', the atmosphere was less intense than one of the barnstorming rallies that swept Trump to power. Advertisement The White House said that 'over 250,000 patriots showed up' for the event, without providing evidence. Communications Director Steven Cheung described the 'No Kings' protests as a 'complete and utter failure.' 'No Kings' organisers said protesters gathered in hundreds of cities, with AFP journalists seeing large crowds in several cities. Organisers said they were protesting against Trump's dictatorial overreach, and in particular what they described as the strongman symbolism of the parade. Tens of thousands of demonstrators spill onto Dearborn Street in Chicago. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'I think people are mad as hell,' Lindsay Ross, a 28-year-old musician, told AFP in New York, where tens of thousands of people rallied. Some protesters targeted Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida – while a small group even gathered in Paris. 'I think it's disgusting,' protester Sarah Hargrave, 42, said in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, describing Trump's parade as a 'display of authoritarianism.' 'Display of authoritarianism' Thousands turned out in Los Angeles to protest Trump's deployment of troops in the country's second-largest city following clashes sparked by immigration raids. After a day of largely peaceful protests, police unexpectedly began moving people away from the protest area, igniting confusion and anger among demonstrators caught off guard and unsure of where to go. Demonstrators march with a Trump balloon in Los Angeles. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Police on horseback pushed crowds back as law enforcement fired tear gas and flash-bang grenades hours ahead of an 8pm (4am Irish time) curfew. A police spokeswoman said a 'small group of agitators' had begun throwing rocks, bottles and fireworks at officers, prompting the decision to order the crowd to disperse. If people refused to leave, 'we will make arrests,' she said, adding: 'We have been patient all day.' Violence shattered the calm elsewhere, too, with a shooting at a demonstration in the western US city of Salt Lake City leaving at least one person critically injured, according to police. The killing of a Democratic lawmaker and her husband Saturday in the northern state of Minnesota – in what the governor called a targeted attack – also cast a pall over the parade. Trump was quick to condemn the attacks outside Minneapolis in which former state speaker Melissa Hortman was killed along with her husband, while another state lawmaker and his wife were hospitalized with gunshot wounds. © AFP 2025 Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Onion
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Onion
Trump's Military Parade By The Numbers
Saturday, June 14 marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army, which will be celebrated with a festival and military parade in Washington, D.C. The Onion examines the facts and figures behind the event. Repurposed Mastercard Pride floats Likelihood tanks cave in city street and plunge into center of Earth Military stars being awarded to Kid Rock Attendees who just remembered parades are kind of boring to watch Tanks it takes to spell out HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARMY AND, COINCIDENTALLY, DONALD TRUMP 250 Years Of PTSD Fireworks Show Number Of JD Vances invited Sentencing range for protesting the parade peacefully The smile on that sweet president's face
Politico
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Saturday's all-American bonanza comes to Florida
Good morning and welcome to Friday the 13th. Saturday will feature a parade. A rally. Plenty of protests. A birthday party. Really, it will be all of these things, everywhere, all at once. Let's back up: President DONALD TRUMP is hosting a multimillion-dollar military parade in Washington on Saturday to celebrate the Army's 250th birthday (which also happens to fall on his 79th birthday and Flag Day). Thousands of troops and tanks will roll down Constitution Avenue, and there will be a performance from LEE GREENWOOD, singer of 'God Bless the USA.' Trump-endorsed gubernatorial candidate BYRON DONALDS will be there, as will Rep. CORY MILLS, report POLITICO's Lisa Kashinsky, Calen Razor and Mia McCarthy. But plenty of Americans are angry about Trump's policies and the planned parade. So rival events called 'No Kings' have sprouted up, mostly organized by the progressive organization Indivisible and the anti-Trump 50501. Their main assertion is that Trump has pushed to act like a king through stretching the boundaries of the courts, on issues from deportation to civil rights. And even though the president and his supporters have declared Florida 'Trump Country' and won over a majority of voters here in 2024, at least 78 No Kings protests or rallies are happening in the Sunshine State, from Key West to Pensacola. 'The main theme has been about defending democracy,' said IRENE MARTINEZ of Indivisible Action Group in Miami-Dade. 'We are not a nation under a king. We are a nation where our leaders represent the people they serve. We want to keep those principles and that's what we are celebrating.' Each Florida event has its own style and focus. Miamians will march toward the Freedom Tower, once a processing center for Cuban refugees, in the form of a conga line. Palm Beach participants will march from West Palm Beach to Mar-a-Lago and have been encouraged to bring non-perishable foods to help area food banks that lost funding under the Trump administration's cuts. Tallahassee's crowd will meet outside the Old Historic Capitol and collect signatures to get Medicaid expansion on the ballot. Florida Democratic Party Chair NIKKI FRIED will be among the keynote speakers and FRED LEE, the son of the city's first Black police officer, will sing 'America the Beautiful,' said CLAUDIA SPERBER, president of the local Democratic Environmental Caucus. 'We are reclaiming our country,' Sperber said. 'We are reclaiming what it means to be a patriot.' In Orlando, the group's signs are likely to bring attention to numerous issues, from transgender rights to calls to 'Abolish ICE' and 'Free Palestine,' said COREY HILL, organizer for the city's 50501 chapter. 'People are very angry about what's happening, and want to be in community with other people who share their values, who share their outrage on attacks of people in our communities,' Hill said. 'So I think it's going to be big.' In Pinellas County, 'what's really resonating is immigration,' said BRANDT ROBINSON, a history teacher who's organizing a demonstration. 'There's real fear on my campus and in our communities.' The demonstrations will come after a week of protests against ICE raids in Los Angeles. Gov. RON DESANTIS has spent much of the week warning demonstrators in Florida that the state wouldn't tolerate looting or attacks on law enforcement. In one instance, he told podcaster DAVE RUBIN it would be fine if drivers were to 'hit' someone when fleeing after 'a mob comes and surrounds your vehicle and threatens you.' And Brevard County Sheriff WAYNE IVEY warned that if anyone became violent toward law enforcement, then 'we will be notifying your family where to collect your remains.' Some protesters are on edge given those comments, organizers told Playbook. But CHARMELLE GAMBILL, a core team member for Hope and Action Indivisible, said organizers stressed the need for peaceful protests and want to 'show people what America actually looks like.' Gambill expects about 1,300 protestors in Fort Lauderdale. Indivisible in St. Johns County will meet at Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, the oldest masonry fort in the U.S., said ROD SHARP, the group's spokesperson. The Lake Mary gathering will meet outside Mills' congressional office and will make a meditation expert available first thing 'for anybody who wants to get centered and helped to be made calm and focused,' said DEANA SCHOTT, one of the organizers. 'The message is no dictatorship,' said her husband, FRED SCHOTT. 'There need to be checks and balances.' CHAZ STEVENS, the leader of Revolt Training, is heading out to Fort Lauderdale with 11 other protestors to — wait for it — wear inflatable male genitalia costumes paired with masks of Trump's face. 'It's peaceful, it's not violent,' Stevens said. 'We are there smiling and taking pictures and it's the absolute essence of our constitutional rights. Plus we'll have a good time.' Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget that Playbook should look at? Get in touch at: kleonard@ ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... BUDGET VOTE HOPED FOR MONDAY — 'Florida lawmakers are running out of time to wrap up work on a new budget, but a spokesperson for Senate President Ben Albritton said the 'goal' remains to vote out a new spending plan by Monday,' reports POLITICO's Gary Fineout. 'The problem, however, is that top lawmakers have not yet finished negotiations on several key areas, including spending for environmental programs and higher education. Top negotiators have announced deals on K-12 education and transportation, as well as pay raises for state workers. … To meet [the June 18] deadline, legislators would need to have a finalized budget sometime Friday.' State Senate budget chief Ed Hooper's (R-Palm Harbor) position: 'We are hopeful that occurs. He says 'yes,' I say 'maybe,'' said Hooper, while gesturing to state Rep. Lawrence McClure (R-Dover), the House budget chief.' WHAT LAWMAKERS MET ABOUT THURSDAY — 'State legislative budget chiefs swapped a long array of new budget offers late Thursday on everything from the number of new judges to setting aside money for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States,' reports POLITICO's Gary Fineout. 'As they rush to put together a new budget, the Florida House and Senate also signed off on offers made earlier in the week in key areas such as public school funding and money for school construction projects. … the two sides did make offers to create new judgeships, 2 percent pay raises for the Supreme Court and judges, as well as a House offer to set aside $100 million for a much-debated highway extension in Miami-Dade County called the Kendall Parkway. Perez is from Miami-Dade County.' What's left to do: 'The House and Senate budget chiefs have yet to make any offers on spending on higher education, environmental programs, and agencies such as the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.' Meetings today: 'House and Senate budget negotiators may have several meetings on Friday, including one to work out the details of roughly $1.6 billion in tax cuts they want to pass before the session ends next week.' OIL DRILLING PLAN — 'Critics of a proposed oil drilling operation along the Apalachicola River say they urgently want DeSantis to sign a bill that should block a state permit for the operation,' reports POLITICO's Bruce Ritchie. 'Environmentalists, local elected officials and shellfish farmers are among those backing a bill that passed the Legislature and would ban drilling in four counties along the river. But some opponents say there are loopholes in the bill and timing elements that still could allow a permit to be issued. 'Bill supporters say the governor needs to take action now to help ensure the Department of Environmental Protection doesn't issue a permit to Clearwater Land & Minerals for the Calhoun County drilling site as it proposed last year.' LEEK'S LATE OBJECTION — Putnam County officials are calling on the Legislature to reject proposed funding for Ocklawaha River restoration after House and Senate budget negotiators last week agreed to spend $15 million in the 2025-26 state budget. State Sen. TOM LEEK (R-Ormond Beach) issued a Thursday statement supporting a Putnam County Commission resolution expressing opposition. The Senate had proposed spending $6.5 million on a plan for the partial removal of the dam that creates Rodman Reservoir, part of the ill-fated federal Cross Florida Barge Canal project halted by President RICHARD NIXON in 1971. Then-Gov. LAWTON CHILES and the Cabinet in 1992 approved a plan for restoring the river. Opposition from local legislators has been followed by inaction by the state. Leek said Thursday he supports the county's position that 'no funding be allocated for any restoration efforts on the Ocklawaha River that would involve the removal or disruption of the established ecosystem.' He could not be reached for comment in April when POLITICO first reported the Senate proposal to fund the project. — Bruce Ritchie AFTER HOUSE SETTLEMENT — 'State university leaders are proposing an emergency rule that could free up $22.5 million for Florida athletic programs amid new financial demands stemming from the House v. NCAA settlement,' reports POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury. 'The state Board of Governors is considering the measure at a meeting Wednesday, and it would go into effect immediately, putting schools ahead of the anticipated July 1 deadline for a game-changing, revenue-sharing model to take hold in college sports. The idea would allow universities to shift some money generated by auxiliaries like housing and bookstores to athletics, giving schools a new outlet to help them stay competitive.' DEVELOPMENT COMING FOR THE KEYS — 'The Florida Keys is poised to see a flurry of new development — despite warnings that island chain is already overpopulated with worsening traffic and rising flooding risks — thanks to a new bill set to become law at the end of the month,' reports Alex Harris of the Miami Herald. — 'Florida AG rolls out new anti-doxxing program for ICE agents,' reports Danielle Prieur of Central Florida Public Media. — 'Federal trial alleging illegal racial gerrymandering in Tampa Bay Senate seat concludes,' by Mitch Perry of the Florida Phoenix. PENINSULA AND BEYOND MIAMI MAYOR FOR LONGER? 'The Miami Herald has learned that, behind the scenes, Mayor Francis Suarez has been lobbying to push the proposal through [to have the city commission move the city's elections to even-numbered years],' reports Tess Riski. 'If the measure passes, Suarez — a former city commissioner who is reaching the end of his term limits as mayor — would get a 17th consecutive year in Miami City Hall.' TRANSITION TIME — MATT DAILEY will be the new communications director for Florida Senate Democrats. He joins from the Florida Democratic Party, where his title was deputy communications director. ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN LOOK WHAT YOU MADE THEM DO — Spotted at Game 4 of the Stanley Cup in Sunrise: TAYLOR SWIFT and TRAVIS KELCE. NEW TAT ALERT — In a departure from many buttoned-up, non-tattooed members of Congress, Rep. CORY MILLS (R-Fla.) recently added a dramatic tattoo to his arm showing the Capitol building surrounded by clouds and light and the words 'We the People' in red and black lettering, according to a picture of the tattoo our Daniel Lippman obtained. Asked why he got the tattoo, he said in a text message: 'As a constitutional republic our nation is founded upon our Christian Judea faith. I believe we are in spiritual warfare and need to lean on faith more now than ever. My upper arm is Archangel Michael fighting the serpent. Our Congress is meant to protect 'We The People' as a nation who fights good vs evil. I feel they both are meaningful and have importance to my beliefs.' BIRTHDAYS: Former State Sen. David Simmons … Miami Republican committeewoman Angie Wong … (Saturday) President Donald Trump … Foyt Ralston of Foyt Ralston & Associates … (Sunday) state Rep. Traci Koster … Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.
