Latest news with #InternationalRelations
Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Trump's Iran gambit is exposing just how irrelevant Putin and Xi really are
If you listened only to the ossified mandarins of international affairs, you'd think the age of American supremacy was already dead. ''Multipolarization' is a fact,' declared the latest report of the Munich Security Conference, a stale international relations gathering that has accomplished almost nothing in its 60 year history. Such people believe – or perhaps even hope – that American power has diminished and will continue to do so, a process some wish to hurry along by constraining Washington's freedom of action within their 'rules-based' international order. What must they be thinking now? As the White House contemplates joining Israel's strikes against Iran, observers may want to ask how many other nations maintain a long-range bomber fleet on a remote island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, capable of flying more than four thousand miles to drop the world's largest conventional bombs – 30,000 pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators – on Iran's most heavily protected nuclear facilities. They might also question what the other supposed 'poles' of the international order are doing. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who rules a country with an economy smaller than Italy's and a population lower than Bangladesh's – and who has for more than three years proved unable to win a war against a much smaller state – has been left languishing on the sidelines. Last week, he urged the two sides to reach a negotiated settlement. Recent reports suggest that Russia may be willing to play a role in such talks, but this is hardly a defiant stance for a country that in January signed with Tehran a 'comprehensive strategic partnership treaty'. The world is now seeing exactly how 'comprehensive' it truly is. Delusions of a multipolar world might also crash on reactions to the Middle East crisis in Beijing, where Chinese president Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that 'all parties should work to de-escalate the conflict as soon as possible and prevent the situation from worsening further'. A foreign ministry spokesman followed up with a public call on 'countries that have a special influence on Israel' – almost certainly meaning the United States – 'to take up their due responsibilities' and 'take immediate actions to cool down the situation'. Given such desperate pleading, clearly no Chinese expeditionary force will be rounding the mountains of Fordow to save Iran's underground uranium enrichment facility in a great power standoff against the United States. Instead, China's diplomatic chatter appears limited to urging its citizens to leave Israel and Iran as soon as possible. China's weak statements came on the same day that Trump, who made no acknowledgement of them, demanded Iran's 'unconditional surrender' and hinted that he has the ability to kill its supreme leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at will. Trump has now set a two-week deadline to decide if the US will join Israel's strikes against Iran. Regardless of what he chooses to do, however, he stands as the only world leader who can comprehensibly project either military force or diplomatic leverage into regions far from home. Those who criticise his 'America First' agenda as 'isolationist' would do well to realise that the United States continues to maintain not just Diego Garcia, where the B-2s might well be revving their engines to fly out the world's biggest bomb, but at least 120 other military bases and facilities in 55 countries. Despite Biden-era cuts, US military spending still exceeds that of the next nine nations combined and is projected to increase in the coming years. Meanwhile, despite predictions of continuing decline, US economic growth has surged ahead of that of rival countries, and far exceeds its competitors in innovation, technology, and enterprise. It should be no surprise that after just five months back in office, Trump has initiated the first meaningful peace talks between Russia and Ukraine since their war erupted in 2022, brokered a standing peace deal between India and Pakistan in another potentially nuclear hot spot, claimed trillions of dollars in new foreign investment in the United States, moved toward more equitable trade relations with other countries, and restored national borders to a historic level of security. No other 'pole' could come even close to one of those feats. Munich's ageing mandarins may not live to see it, but the real American century could well be the current one. Paul du Quenoy is a historian and president of the Palm Beach Freedom Institute
LBCI
4 hours ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Iran-Israel conflict 'reaching point of no return': Erdogan
The escalating Iran-Israel confrontation is quickly reaching "the point of no return," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday, as Washington mulled the prospect of entering the war. "Unfortunately, the genocide in Gaza and the conflict with Iran are quickly reaching the point of no return. This madness must end as soon as possible," he said, warning the consequences could affect the region, Europe and Asia "for many years." AFP
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Do Me A Favor': Trump Reacts To Putin's Israel-Iran Mediation Offer
President Donald Trump on Wednesday poured cold water on Vladimir Putin's offer to act as a mediator between Israel and Iran amid the deadly conflict, suggesting that the Russian leader should prioritize ending the war in Ukraine. Trump said he spoke to Putin on Tuesday, claiming, once more, that Russia would have never proceeded with the full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022 if he were president. While Trump did not rule out accepting Putin's help eventually, he urged his Russian counterpart to focus on ending the conflict he's an active participant in. Putin 'actually offered to help mediate, I said, 'do me a favor, mediate your own, let's mediate Russia first, okay?'' Trump told reporters. 'I said, 'Vladimir, let's mediate Russia first, you can worry about this later.'' Trump says he talked to Putin yesterday and adds that Putin offered to mediate the Iran-Israel conflict — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 18, 2025 However, Putin, who has ties to both Israel and Iran, appears to be angling to seize this moment to present himself as a mediator on the world stage after years of being isolated over the Ukraine war, while stalling peace negotiations with Kyiv and continuing to attack the country. During a press conference with international news agencies on Wednesday, Putin said his country has already put forward a settlement proposal to help bring the Israel-Iran conflict to a close. 'We are not imposing anything on anyone; we are simply talking about how we see a possible way out of the situation,' he said, according to The Associated Press. 'But the decision, of course, is up to the political leadership of all these countries, primarily Iran and Israel.' On his country's war in Ukraine, Putin baselessly suggested Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is illegitimate because his term expired last year, even though the Ukraine's Constitution clearly states that elections cannot take place while the country is under martial law. Putin added that while he is still open to negotiating with Ukraine, his country will, one way or another, have to achieve its goal of demilitarizing its neighbor. 'We will not allow Ukraine to have armed forces that would threaten the Russian Federation and its people,' he said, according to AP. 'And if we fail to reach a settlement, we will achieve our goals by military means.' Putin Says He Doesn't Want To Discuss Possible Israeli-U.S. Killing Of Iran's Khamenei Iranian Missiles Make 'Direct Hit' On Hospital In Southern Israel How The Israel-Iran Conflict Could Impact The Ukraine War
CNN
2 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Professor on his ‘fear' about Trump amid conflict between Iran and Israel
Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics Fawaz Gerges analyzes President Donald Trump's statements related to the conflict between Iran and Israel, and explains why he doesn't see a light at the 'end of this horrible war tunnel.'
The Standard
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Standard
Trump to extend TikTok sale deadline for third time, White House says
What to know about the Group of Seven summit in Canada that Trump will attend
