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Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Brazil joins Latin America's dictatorships in siding with Iran over Israel
No one's shocked to see the dictatorships of Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua lining up behind Iran's repressive theocracy in its standoff with Israel. But Brazil — South America's giant — striking a similar note is sparking outrage in Western diplomatic circles. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's government issued a statement on June 13, hours after the conflict started, expressing its 'firm condemnation' of Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. But the Brazilian foreign ministry statement didn't condemn Iran's missile attacks on Israel, its repeated vows to 'eliminate' Israel, or its history of supporting terrorist groups. Iran has financially supported Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Gaza-based Hamas organization, which invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 civilians and taking 251 others hostage. Brazil's position on the Israel-Iran conflict stands in stark contrast with that of all major Western democracies. The leaders of the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and Japan signed a joint pro-Israel statement at the G-7 summit in Alberta, Canada, on June 16. In it, they said that 'Israel has a right to defend itself' and that 'Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror.' The G-7 statement added that 'we have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.' Shortly before Israel's attack, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had warned that Iran has been secretly enriching uranium to 60% purity — just short of the 90% required for nuclear weapons. If you are not following Iran's political history closely, you may be asking yourself: Why doesn't Iran have the right to produce nuclear weapons as India, Pakistan and several other countries have done? The answer is very simple: because Iran is publicly vowing to annihilate another sovereign country — Israel — that has been recognized by the United Nations since 1948. Few countries would stand idly by if a nearby nation vowed to erase it from the face of the earth and was close to acquiring a nuclear bomb. Over the years, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has repeatedly said that Israel must be 'wiped off the map.' In a 2020 speech, he called Israel a 'cancerous tumor' that 'will undoubtedly be uprooted and destroyed,' according to the Associated Press. It's not just Iran's rhetoric that's frightening, but its actions. In addition to sponsoring terrorist attacks by its proxies against Israel, Iran was behind the Hezbollah 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which left 85 people dead, according to Argentina's government. Elliott Abrams, who served as U.S. special representative for Iran and Venezuela in the first Trump administration, told me that 'it is shocking' to see a major democracy like Brazil lending its diplomatic support to Iran. 'It suggests that Brazilian officials have not read the IAEA report about Iran's violations of international agreements and its efforts to move toward a nuclear weapon,' he said. Abrams said this may be 'an anachronistic effort by Lula to bring back memories of the non-aligned movement. But this is 2025, not 1975'. He added, 'Brazil will not gain anything in the Arab world with this statement. It will make the Ayatollah happy, but what good does that do to Brazil?' Lula, who currently chairs the BRICS group of emerging powers led by Russia, China, India, South Africa and Iran, may be trying to raise his international profile as he prepares to host the bloc's summit in Rio de Janeiro from July 6-7. But many Latin American officials and academics say the Brazilian president may be shooting himself in the foot. Brazil, and Latin America in general, are minor players in world affairs, and Lula's posturing may do his country more harm than good, they say. Andres Velasco, dean of the London School of Economics' School of Public Policy and a former finance minister of Chile, told me that the Brazilian president's flirtations with China, Russia, Iran and the BRICS 'are very bad policy' amid President Trump's global tariff wars. 'I was truly embarrassed to see President Lula recently applauding the parade of missiles on their way to killing Ukrainians at Moscow's Red Square,' Velasco said. Referring to Trump's possible reaction, Velasco added that 'these kinds of things put Latin America in the spotlight at a time when things are so heated that they invite (U.S.) retaliations. The best thing a country like Brazil could do would be to draw as little attention as possible.' Indeed, the support for Iran from Lula and much of Latin America's old-guard left is preposterous. Iran is not only a Jurassic dictatorship that puts women in jail for not covering their heads with a hijab in public and executes people for being gay. It is also a major a global sponsor of terrorism. If Iran is allowed to have a nuclear bomb, it will become much more of a global threat than it already is. Don't miss the 'Oppenheimer Presenta' TV show on Sundays at 9 pm E.T. on CNN en Español. Blog:
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Trump assurance of US support for Aukus to Starmer some consolation for Albanese after meet cancelled
US President Donald Trump (left) and British PM Keir Starmer shake hands as they speak to reporters during the G-7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada. PHOTO: AFP – A much-vaunted meeting between Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump to discuss the future of a three-way security pact that also involves Britain did not take place as planned at the Group of Seven (G-7) Summit in Calgary, after the American leader abruptly left to deal with the Israel-Iran war. Nevertheless, Canberra's concerns about the US commitment to the Aukus pact – which involves the supply of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia at a cost of A$368 billion (S$306.73 billion) – were partially assuaged when British Prime Minister Keir Starmer appeared to secure the backing of the mercurial Mr Trump for the deal. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Business Times
7 hours ago
- Business
- Business Times
Japan won't fixate on July 9 in US trade talks
[TOKYO] Japan won't fixate on the looming date for so-called reciprocal tariffs to go back to higher levels, Tokyo's top trade negotiator said, signalling that the Asian nation stands ready for the possibility that talks will drag on. 'To avoid any misunderstanding, I would like to confirm that I have not said at all that July 9 is the deadline for negotiations between Japan and the US,' Economic Revitalisation Minister Ryosei Akazawa told reporters on Friday (Jun 20) in Tokyo. 'Japan and the US are in regular communication through various channels, and we will continue to consider what is most effective and engage in appropriate consultations.' Akazawa deflected a question over whether Japan will seek an extension of the deadline for the across-the-board tariffs. The US is poised to return the duties to their original levels on July 9 for many nations, which would mean an increase to 24 per cent from 10 per cent at present for Japan. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has indicated the US may grant an extension to countries that are negotiating in good faith. Asked what Japan would do if the levy returns to 24 per cent or the US puts out a different level unilaterally past the deadline, Akazawa hinted at optimism for an extension. 'We are proceeding with the negotiations in good faith and so we understand that various matters will proceed under that premise,' he said after attending a ruling Liberal Democratic Party's tariff task force meeting. The task force didn't urge him to seek an extension of the July 9 deadline, either, Akazawa said. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up 'In negotiations, setting a deadline and trying to wrap things up by a certain date weaken your position,' he said. 'Once you try to wrap up negotiations, you will have no choice but to accept the outcome.' Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and US President Donald Trump failed to reach a deal earlier this week on the sidelines of the Group of Seven leaders' summit in Canada, despite holding three phone calls to discuss the tariffs prior to their in-person meeting. Akazawa on Friday said he's yet to schedule the next round of negotiations with his US counterparts and that Japan won't set a specific deadline for the talks. He once again described the trade discussions as similar to 'walking through fog,' a phrase he used before the G-7 gathering. The Japanese trade negotiator also hinted at some trouble in vying for time with the US when various matters including rising tensions in the Middle East compete for Washington's attention. 'It is also possible that the US side may find it difficult to allocate sufficient time domestically to make substantial progress in the Japan-US negotiations,' Akazawa said. 'This is truly the case for both sides. We are not solely doing the tariff negotiations.' Akazawa spoke a day after Ishiba met with opposition party leaders, who came away from the conference with the notion that Japan's trade surplus in autos with the US is a sticking point between the two sides. As with other nations, Japan has also been slapped with a 25 per cent tariff on cars and related parts as well as a 50 per cent levy on steel and aluminium. 'Both Japan and the US have national interests that can't be compromised,' Akazawa said. 'Protecting the profits of the automotive industry, which is our key industry, is in Japan's interest.' BLOOMBERG
India.com
a day ago
- Business
- India.com
Despite Being Fastest Growing Economy, India Has Met Green Energy Targets: Hardeep Puri
New Delhi: Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday that despite being the fastest-growing major economy in the world, India is one of the first countries to complete the Paris commitments on green energy ahead of schedule. He highlighted that during the G7 outreach session on energy security in Canada, Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the major challenges like ensuring energy security for future generations and emphasised the need for all countries to work together on Energy Transition and move forward in the spirit of 'not me, but we'. Under the guidance of PM Modi, today almost all the houses in India are connected to electricity. India is counted among the countries with the lowest per-unit electricity cost, the minister said. "We are also moving fast towards the goal of Net Zero by 2070. Moving firmly towards the target of 500 GW renewable energy by 2030, India is emphasising on green hydrogen, nuclear energy, and ethanol blending for Clean Energy,' the minister said. In his address at the G-7 outreach session, PM Modi stressed that affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy remains India's top priority in an increasingly technology-driven world. "In the last century, we saw competition for energy. In this century, we will have to cooperate for technology. Moving forward on the fundamental principles of availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability, India has chosen the path of inclusive development," the Prime Minister said. He underscored India's clean energy initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and the Global Biofuels Alliance. PM Modi noted that India has already fulfilled its Paris climate commitments ahead of schedule and is rapidly advancing toward its Net Zero target by 2070. "Currently, renewable energy accounts for around 50 per cent of our total installed capacity," he added. PM Modi also called for global cooperation to build governance frameworks around artificial intelligence that both encourage innovation and address emerging risks. 'AI itself is an energy-intensive technology. If there is any way to sustainably fulfil the energy requirements of a technology-driven society, it is through renewable energy," the Prime Minister had added.
Time Magazine
a day ago
- Politics
- Time Magazine
Trump Campaigned on Staying Out of Wars. Now He's Changing His Tune on Iran
When President Donald Trump ducked out early from a meeting with G-7 nations in the Canadian mountain resort of Kananaskis on June 16, he said he needed to get back to Washington as strikes escalated between Israel and Iran. He didn't like relying on phone calls, he told reporters on Air Force One, and he wanted to be a 'little bit, I think, more well versed.' For the normally freewheeling Trump, it was a sign of the gravity of the moment, a rare acknowledgement that he didn't have enough information to handle a hair-trigger situation. The stakes for America are high. Backed into a corner by Israel's surprisingly effective attack, Tehran could decide to turn its proxy terrorist forces against the U.S. in the region and beyond. The strategic rapprochement between Israel and Arab states hangs in the balance as conflict threatens to spread. More broadly, the outcome of the war could decide whether the U.S. commits another generation of troops to the Middle East, once again diverting American might from countering China's expansion in the Pacific. At the same time, an Israeli defeat of Iran could open a new era of Arab-Israeli cooperation, defang Tehran's regional militias, and deliver a blow to China, which had sought to bolster Tehran as a regional counterweight to the U.S. 'You've got this axis with Beijing at the core,' argues Matthew Pottinger, former Deputy National Security Adviser during Trump's first term. The U.S. could tip the balance either way, but Trump is constrained in how he manages the conflict. It's been four years since the disastrous U.S. pullout from Afghanistan. Trump campaigned on not getting the U.S. into more wars, and some of the fiercest opposition to further entanglement is coming from his own MAGA base. Trump has already beefed up the U.S. military presence around Israel and Iran, ordering another guided-missile destroyer to the waters off Israel and directing the U.S.S. Nimitz aircraft carrier and its strike group to change course in the Pacific and motor toward the Arabian Sea. Iran sits at one of the world's most important strategic crossroads. Nearly one-third of the world's crude-oil production passes through the Strait of Hormuz—and within 30 miles of Iran's coastline. Tanker ships have been warned to sail closer to the coast of Oman, on the western side of the strait. Amid the massive military mobilization, maritime alerts are warning shipping vessels that 'electronic interference' could jam their navigation equipment. For Trump, a direct Iranian attack on the U.S. would trigger a military response. Iran ordered an assassination attempt against Trump and tried to kill an Iranian-American journalist living in Brooklyn. 'The fact that they have been open in these threats tells me they don't believe they are facing credible retaliatory risk from the United States,' Pottinger says. 'The Israeli strikes might inject some reality into their calculus. But Iranians have been known to miscalculate on many occasions.' After his return to Washington, Trump issued noticeably more hostile rhetoric. He called for Iran's 'unconditional surrender' and chastised its leaders for not taking talks more seriously. 'Why didn't you negotiate with me two weeks ago? You could have done fine. You would have had a country,' he said. Now all bets are off for Iran, and the U.S.
