Latest from Nahar Net
Nahar Net
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Trump to make Iran war decision in 'next two weeks'
U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he will decide whether to join Israel's strikes on Iran within the next two weeks as there is still a "substantial" chance of talks to end the conflict. Trump's move to hit the pause button could open up space for diplomacy, after days of fevered questions about whether or not he would order U.S. military action against Tehran. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt read out a message from Trump after what she called "a lot of speculation" about whether the United States would be "directly involved" in the conflict. "Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks," Trump said in the statement. Trump has set two-week deadlines that subsequently shifted on a series of other tough topics in the past, including the Russia-Ukraine war -- but Leavitt denied he was putting off a decision. "If there's a chance for diplomacy the president's always going to grab it, but he's not afraid to use strength as well," Leavitt said. At the same time Leavitt reinforced the sense of urgency, telling reporters that Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in the space of a "couple of weeks." "Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon. All they need is a decision from the supreme leader to do that, and it would take a couple of weeks to complete the production of that weapon," she said. Iran denies seeking a nuclear weapon, saying that its program is for peaceful purposes. - 'Trust in President Trump' - Trump said on Wednesday that Iran had asked to send officials to the White House to negotiate a deal on its nuclear program and end the conflict with Israel -- although Iran denied making any such request. Washington and Tehran had continued "correspondence" since Israel first struck Iran last week, Leavitt said. She said however that there were currently no plans for Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff to join European diplomats meeting Iran's foreign minister in Geneva on Friday. Trump met his top national security team in the White House Situation Room for the third day in a row on Thursday. He will have similar meetings daily until he leaves for a NATO summit in the Netherlands on Monday, the White House said. His two-week deadline comes after a tense few days in which Trump publicly mulled joining Israel's strikes on Iran and said that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was an "easy target." Trump had spent weeks pursuing a diplomatic path towards a deal to replace the nuclear deal with Iran that he tore up in his first term in 2018. But he has since backed Israel's attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities and military top brass, while mulling whether to join in. A key issue is that the United States is the only country with the huge "bunker buster" bombs that could destroy Iran's crucial Fordo Iranian nuclear enrichment plant. "We have capabilities that no other country on this planet possesses," said Leavitt. The White House meanwhile urged Trump supporters to "trust" the president as he decides whether to act. A number of key figures in his "Make America Great Again" movement, including commentator Tucker Carlson and former aide Steve Bannon, have vocally opposed U.S. strikes on Iran. Trump's promise to extract the United States from its "forever wars" in the Middle East played a role in his 2016 and 2024 election wins. "Trust in President Trump. President Trump has incredible instincts," Leavitt said.
Nahar Net
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Qassem says Hezbollah 'not neutral,' will act as it sees fit
by Naharnet Newsdesk 19 June 2025, 23:03 Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said on Thursday that his Iran-backed group would "act as we see fit" in response to the ongoing war between Iran and Israel. In a written statement, Qassem said Hezbollah was "not neutral" in the conflict between the two regional superpowers, saying that the group would "act as we see fit in the face of this brutal Israeli-American aggression." This comes after the U.S. special envoy for Syria warned Hezbollah against getting involved in the war and after Speaker Nabih Berri said that "Lebanon will '200%' not enter the war, because it has no interest in that and would pay the price and because Iran does not need us."
Nahar Net
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Iran Guardian Council warns US of 'harsh response' if it intervenes
by Naharnet Newsdesk 9 hours Iran's deputy foreign minister warned the United States on Thursday against intervening in the war to back up its ally Israel, adding that his country was ready to defend itself in case of escalation. "If the United States wants to actively enter the field in favor of the Zionist regime, Iran will have to use its tools to both teach a lesson to aggressors and defend its national security and national interests," said deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi, according to state TV. "Naturally, our military decision makers have all the necessary options on the table," he added. - Iran Guardian Council warns US of 'harsh response' - A key Iranian body warned the United States on Thursday that any intervention in support of its ally Israel would be met with a "harsh response". "The criminal American government and its stupid president must know for sure that if they make a mistake and take action against Islamic Iran, they will face a harsh response from the Islamic Republic of Iran," the Guardian Council said in a statement carried by state television. - China says opposes 'use of force' - China said Thursday it opposed the "use of force", in response to a question about U.S. President Donald Trump warning he was weighing U.S. military action in the Israel-Iran conflict. Beijing "opposes any act that... infringes upon the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of other countries, and opposes the use or threat of use of force in international relations", foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular press briefing. China also urged countries in the Middle East, "especially Israel", to cease fighting. "China strongly calls on all parties involved in the conflict, especially Israel, to put the interests of the region's people first, immediately cease fire and stop fighting," Jiakun said. - Russia warns US against 'military intervention' - Russia's foreign ministry on Thursday warned the United States not to take military action against Iran. "We would like to particularly warn Washington against military intervention in the situation, which would be an extremely dangerous step with truly unpredictable negative consequences," the ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.
Nahar Net
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Russia, Ukraine say have completed fresh POW exchange
by Naharnet Newsdesk 19 June 2025, 15:07 Russia and Ukraine said Thursday they had completed another exchange of captured soldiers, part of an agreement reached earlier in June at peace talks in Istanbul. "Our people are returning home from Russian captivity," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media, as Russia's defence ministry also confirmed the exchange. Neither side said how many soldiers had been freed.
Nahar Net
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Putin to visit China in late Aug for summit, WWII commemorations
by Naharnet Newsdesk 19 June 2025, 13:19 Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China later this year for a regional summit, talks with leader Xi Jinping and commemorations marking 80 years since the end of World War II in Asia, the Kremlin said Thursday. Putin will attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Tianjin on August 31-September 1, before heading to the WWII events scheduled in Beijing for September 3, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.
