In Historic First, US Deploys Stealth Fighters In Israel Amid Iran Tensions

WASHNGTON, Feb 26: The US has already gathered a fleet of aircraft and warships in the Middle East as a war looms over Iran. However, for the first time, the US has deployed combat aircraft to Israel for a potential war mission, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The F-22 Raptors deployed to Israeli air bases will help the US in defending Israeli territory and American troops from Iran's retaliation.

"Operating aircraft from Israeli bases is a first," said Dennis Ross, a former senior US official, to The Wall Street Journal.

The deployment of the combat aircraft comes in the backdrop of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates refusing to allow any forces to use their airspace. This has limited US options for basing their aircraft needed for a major operation.

Elliott Abrams, former special envoy for Iran during the first Trump administration, told the publication that the deployment "is the product of two developments: the growing cooperation between the United States and Israel, and the refusal of so many countries to allow the US to use their bases."

He added, "I have to wonder if, over time, Americans will wonder why we have bases in countries that don't cooperate when we ask."

The stealth fighters were spotted taking off from the Lakenheath airbase in the United Kingdom on the morning of February 24 before they flew to Israel, the Israeli daily said, citing open-source flight tracking data and aircraft spotters.

Israeli officials are said to believe that a US strike is inevitable, and top military brass from the two countries have reportedly been in contact. One official quoted by Channel 12 news on Tuesday said that a diplomatic resolution to the conflict would be the "surprise of the year."

For decades, Washington deliberately kept its military footprint in Israel limited, wary that permanently stationing offensive aircraft could inflame regional tensions. Israel was therefore placed under the US European Command to manage diplomatic sensitivities in the Middle East.

That calculus shifted after the Abraham Accords. In 2021, Israel was reassigned to US Central Command, a change that quietly removed long-standing operational barriers and opened the door to far closer US-Israeli military integration.

'US Was A Dead Country, Now We Are Hottest': Trump's State Of Union Speech

WASHINGTON, Feb 25: US President Donald Trump delivered a triumphant assessment of his first year back in the White House, declaring, "This is the golden age of America." Delivering his annual State of the Union address, Trump said he inherited a 'dead' nation, but now America is the hottest country in the world.

He opened the main section of his speech to the US Congress by saying, "Members of Congress and my fellow Americans, our nation is back, bigger, better, richer, and stronger than ever before."

"One year ago we were a dead country; now we are the hottest country anywhere in the world," Trump said.

The president touched on issues of inflation, gas prices, and jobs and said, "The state of our union is strong."

"In 4 long years, the last administration got less than $1 trillion dollars in new investment in the United States... In 12 months, I secured commitments for more than $18 trillion dollars pouring in from all over the globe," he said.

Trump said his administration is building an America where every child has the chance to reach higher and go further--where government answers to the people, not the powerful--and where the interests of hard-working American citizens are always our first and ultimate concern.

"That is the debt we owe to the heroes who came before us--and that is the promise we must keep to America for our 250th Year," he said.

Trump slammed the Democrats for not supporting his economic agenda and said, "Last year, I urged this Congress to begin that mission by passing the largest tax cuts in American history, and our Republican majorities delivered..."

"All Democrats--every single one of them--voted against these...They wanted large-scale tax increases...but we held strong."

Trump also called out Democrats for jacking up the price of healthcare and making insurance companies rich with Obamacare. "I want to stop all payments to big insurance companies and instead give that money directly to the people so that they can buy their own healthcare, which will be better healthcare at a lower cost," he said.

The 79-year-old hoped the primetime stage will help him to sell voters on the achievements of a breakneck and deeply divisive first year back in power.

Trump is deep underwater in opinion polls and Republicans fear they could lose their tiny majority in the House to the Democrats -- paralyzing the rest of Trump's second term and exposing him to a possible third impeachment.

The Republican however struck a defiant tone in the first official State of the Union of his second term.

"Tonight, after just one year, I can say with dignity and pride that we have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before, and a turnaround for the ages," Trump said.

Trump's new India-Pak truce claim, says Sharif told him 35 million would've died

WASHINGTON, Feb 25: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday repeated his claim that he had stopped eight wars, including a “nuclear war” between India and Pakistan -- offering little new. However, in a first, he also claimed that Shehbaz Sharif told him 35 million people would have been killed during Operation Sindoor had he not stepped in.

"In my first 10 months, I ended eight wars... Pakistan and India would have had a nuclear war. 35 million people, said the Prime Minister of Pakistan, would have died if it were not for my involvement," he said.

Trump made these claims while highlighting his achievements during his first State of the Union address of his second term, saying he had ended eight wars in his first 10 months in the Oval Office.

The conflicts he has claimed to have resolved include those between Israel and Hamas, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, India and Pakistan, Serbia and Kosovo, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and Cambodia and Thailand.

Following the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 last year, targeting Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Trump’s rare admission on Wednesday has left Pakistan red-faced. After all, it was Islamabad that had nominated the US President for the Nobel Peace Prize last year for his “diplomatic intervention,” which it claimed helped stop the war.

Trump's Higher Tariff Warning For Countries Wanting To 'Play Games'

WASHINGTON, Feb 24: US President Donald Trump on Monday warned countries against backing away from recently negotiated trade deals with the US after the Supreme Court struck down his emergency tariffs, saying that he would hit them with much higher duties under different trade laws.

Trump, in a series of social media posts, said he also may impose license fees on trading partners as uncertainty over his next tariff moves gripped the global economy and sent stocks lower.

"Any Country that wants to 'play games' with the ridiculous supreme court decision, especially those that have 'Ripped Off' the USA for years, and even decades, will be met with a much higher Tariff, and worse, than that which they just recently agreed to. BUYER BEWARE!!!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump said that despite the court's decision to invalidate his tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, its decision affirmed his ability to use tariffs under other legal authorities "in a much more powerful and obnoxious way, with legal certainty, than the Tariffs as initially used."

He suggested that the US could impose new license fees on trading partners, but did not provide any details.

A spokesperson for the US Trade Representative's office did not immediately respond to a request for further comment on Trump's plans.

In Brussels, the European Parliament decided on Monday to postpone a vote on the European Union's trade deal with the US after Trump imposed a new temporary import duty of 15% on imports from all countries.

EU goods under the deal would face a 15% US tariff 15%, with exemptions for hundreds of food items, aircraft parts, critical minerals, pharmaceutical ingredients and other goods, while the EU would remove duties on many imports from the US, including industrial goods.

Trump on Friday initially announced the temporary duty under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 at 10%, but raised it to 15%, the maximum allowed under the statute, on Saturday.

The new duty is set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. EST (0501 GMT) on Tuesday. At that same moment, the US Customs and Border Protection agency said it would stop collecting the now-illegal IEEPA duties, more than three days after the Supreme Court's ruling.

India, U.S. to reschedule chief negotiators meet on interim trade deal: Sources

WASHINGTON, Feb 22: India and the U.S. have decided to reschedule the proposed meeting of their chief negotiators in Washington to finalise the text of the interim trade pact, sources said on Sunday.

“With regards to the visit of Indian team of negotiators to the U.S. for the India U.S. Trade Deal, the two sides are of the view that the proposed visit of Indian Chief Negotiator and the team be scheduled after each side has had the time to evaluate the latest developments and its implications. The meeting will be rescheduled at a mutually convenient date.”

The Indian team was scheduled to start the three-day meeting on February 23.

The development is important following the U.S. Supreme Court verdict against the earlier sweeping tariffs of the Trump administration. Trump on Friday imposed 10% tariffs on all countries, including India, from February 24 for 150 days. On Saturday, he announced to hike the duty to 1%.

Trump Hikes Global Tariffs From 10% To 15% Day After Supreme Court Order

WASHINGTON, Feb 21: US President Donald Trump on Saturday raised the global tariffs from 10 per cent to 15 per cent after a big setback in the Supreme Court on Friday.

Taking to Truth Social, Trump wrote, "Based on a thorough, detailed, and complete review of the ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American decision on Tariffs issued yesterday, after MANY months of contemplation, by the United States Supreme Court, please let this statement serve to represent that I, as President of the United States of America, will be, effective immediately, raising the 10% Worldwide Tariff on Countries, many of which have been “ripping” the U.S. off for decades, without retribution (until I came along!), to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level."

"During the next short number of months, the Trump Administration will determine and issue the new and legally permissible Tariffs, which will continue our extraordinarily successful process of Making America Great Again - GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE!!! Thank you for your attention to this matter," he added.

In a major setback for US President Donald Trump, the Supreme Court on Friday struck down sweeping tariffs imposed by his administration, ruling that the president had exceeded his authority by using emergency powers meant for national crises. The court said Trump relied on a law designed for national emergencies to justify broad trade tariffs, which judges concluded went beyond presidential powers.

The administration had imposed tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a law used during extraordinary national emergencies. The Supreme Court ruled that the use of this law to impose wide-ranging trade tariffs was an overreach of executive authority.

Trump given options to kill Khamenei and son in targeted Iran strikes: Report

WASHINGTON, Feb 21: US President Donald Trump has been presented with military options that include the targeted killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his son Mojtaba Khamenei, according to an Axios report, citing senior administration sources.

One of the scenarios discussed would “take out the ayatollah and his son and the mullahs,” a senior Trump advisor was quoted as saying, referring to Khamenei and Mojtaba, who is widely seen as a potential successor to his father.

However, the advisor stressed that no final decision had been made. “The President hasn’t decided to strike yet. I know that because we haven’t struck. He might never do it. He might wake up tomorrow and say, ‘That’s it,’” the source said, underscoring the fluid nature of the deliberations.

According to the report, the US Defence Department has laid out multiple military options before Trump. “They have something for every scenario,” the advisor said, adding that the ultimate course of action remains uncertain. “What the President chooses no one knows. I don’t think he knows.”

A second source confirmed that a plan involving the killing of Khamenei and his son had been floated to Trump several weeks ago, indicating that such a possibility has been under consideration for some time.

Another senior advisor said Trump is deliberately maintaining strategic ambiguity. “Trump is keeping his options open. He could decide on an attack at any moment,” the official said.

Responding to media speculation, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly declined to comment on specific military plans. “The media may continue to speculate on the President’s thinking all they want, but only President Trump knows what he may or may not do,” she said.

Any direct strike on Iran’s top leadership would mark a dramatic escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran and could have far-reaching consequences for regional stability in the Middle East.

US Supreme Court Strikes Down Global Tariffs

WASHINGTON, Feb 20: The US Supreme Court struck down tariffs on Friday. The court ruled that Trump exceeded his authority when he imposed sweeping tariffs. The ruling stated that Trump pursued tariffs under a law that was meant for use in national emergencies.

The justices were divided 6-3 on Trump's approach to tariffs and held that the imposition of these levies was not permitted under the 1977 law called the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

Quoting the Constitution's allocation of taxing authority, the Court noted that the Framers gave Congress "alone . . . access to the pockets of the people," and that the executive has no inherent peacetime authority to impose tariffs.

The court stated that "had Congress intended to convey the distinct and extraordinary power to impose tariffs" with IEEPA, "it would have done so expressly, as it consistently has in other tariff statutes."

The US Constitution grants Congress, and not the president, the authority to issue taxes and tariffs. However, Trump has leveraged tariffs as a key economic and foreign policy tool.

The Supreme Court's three liberal justices joined three conservatives in Friday's ruling, which upheld lower court decisions that tariffs Trump imposed under IEEPA were illegal.

Conservative Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented.

Trump Says ‘11 Expensive Jets Shot Down’ During India-Pakistan Conflict

WASHINGTON, Feb 20: US President Donald Trump on Friday claimed that “11 expensive jets were shot down" during the 2025 India-Pakistan tensions, as he also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “a great man".

The US President once again asserted that he personally intervened to stop a potential war, and that he had spoken directly with leaders of both countries at a time when hostilities were escalating, a claim that New Delhi has previously rejected.

Referring to the situation, Trump said, “That war was raging. Planes were being shot down. And I got on the phone with both of them, and I knew them a little bit. I knew Prime Minister Modi very well, actually."

Trump claimed that his intervention helped prevent a large-scale conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours and said economic pressure played a key role in persuading both sides to step back.

“I called them, and I said, listen, I’m not doing trade deals with you two guys if you don’t settle this up," he said.

He further added that he warned both countries of serious economic consequences, stating, “If you fight, I’m going to put 200 per cent tariffs on each of your countries."

According to Trump, the threat of financial losses led to rapid de-escalation.

“They both wanted to fight. But when it came to money, there’s nothing like money. When it came to losing a lot of money, they said, I guess we don’t want to fight," he said, claiming that “we solved that deal in two, three days."

The US President also repeated his assertion that millions of lives were saved due to the intervention.

Quoting remarks he said were made by Pakistan’s leadership, Trump stated that he was told he had “saved 25 million lives" by stopping the conflict.

He further claimed that the confrontation had intensified significantly, saying, “Eleven jets were shot down, very expensive jets. They were all in."

Trump emphasised the risks posed by escalation between India and Pakistan, describing them as “two very powerful nations" and “two nuclear nations," adding, “I don’t wanna say what was gonna happen, but, you know, bad things happen."

“Pakistan and India, thank you very much. I spoke to Prime Minister Modi.

He’s excited. He’s watching us right now," the US President added.

India participated as an ‘observer’ in Board of Peace meeting: MEA

NEW DELHI, Feb 20: A day after an Indian diplomat participated in the first meeting of the Board of Peace for Gaza in Washington D.C., the External Affairs Ministry said India was there as an “observer”.

In addition, the official spokesperson of the Ministry, Randhir Jaiswal, reiterated India’s position on the Palestinian issue and said India stood for a “sovereign, independent, and viable State of Palestine based on 1967 borders”.

“India attended the Board of Peace meeting held in Washington D.C. as an observer. India has supported the Gaza Peace Plan initiative of President Trump and the efforts underway due to UNSC resolution 2803,” said Jaiswal in response to a question on India’s presence in the meeting. India was represented by Deputy Chief of Mission of the Indian Embassy in Washington D.C. Namgya Khampa.

Jaiswal explained India’s multiple moves on the Israel-Palestine conflict over the past few days that received sharper focus because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled February 25-26 visit to Israel.

Make a deal now or bad things will happen: Trump's Iran ultimatum amid build-up

WASHINGTON, Feb 19: US President Donald Trump on Thursday sharpened his warning to Iran, saying Tehran must agree to a meaningful nuclear deal or "bad things will happen", even as indirect negotiations continue in Switzerland amid heightened military tensions in the Middle East.

Speaking at the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace in Washington, Trump stressed that diplomacy remains open but not indefinite.

"We have to make a meaningful deal with Iran," he said. "Good talks are being had. It’s proven to be, over the years, not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran. We have to make a meaningful deal, otherwise bad things happen".

"Iran must make a deal or bad things will happen," he added and urged Tehran to "join us on a path to peace".

The Republican leader's remarks come as US and Iranian officials pursue indirect talks in Geneva aimed at easing a deepening nuclear standoff.

American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have been engaging, through mediators, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in an effort to prevent the crisis from spiralling into open confrontation.

The US is pressing Iran to dismantle or significantly curb its nuclear programme, arguing that Tehran’s enrichment activities and stockpiles pose a proliferation risk.

Iran has repeatedly denied seeking a nuclear weapon and insists its programme is for civilian energy and research purposes. Tehran has also rejected demands to fully abandon enrichment, describing it as a sovereign right.

Despite the hardened rhetoric, officials on both sides have signalled that discussions remain active. A senior US official said Iran is expected to submit a written proposal outlining how it plans to address American concerns. That document could determine whether negotiations move toward a framework agreement or stall.

However, diplomacy is unfolding against a backdrop of significant US military mobilisation across the region.

Washington has deployed more than 50 advanced fighter aircraft — including F-22s, F-35s and F-16s — to the Middle East in recent days, along with additional naval assets and air defence systems.

The build-up is being described by US officials as a deterrent posture meant to protect American forces and reassure regional allies.

Trump announces nine Board of Peace members agree to pledge $7 billion for Gaza relief package

WASHINGTON, Feb 19: President Donald Trump announced on Thursday at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting that nine members of the body have agreed to pledge $7 billion toward a Gaza relief package.

Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, UAE, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait are the countries that are making pledges, Trump added.

“But every dollar spent is an investment in stability and the hope of new and harmonious (region),” said Trump, thanking the donors.

The amount, while significant, represents a fraction of the estimated $70 billion needed to rebuild the Palestinian territory decimated after two years of war.

Trump also announced the U.S. was pledging $10 billion for the Board of Peace but didn't specify what the money will be used for.

“The Board of Peace is showing how a better future can be built, starting right here in this room,” Trump said.

Trump moves closer to a major war with Iran

WASHINGTON, Feb 18: The United States could be closer to launching a full-scale attack in the Middle East than most Americans think. A report on Axios citing sources mentions that a US military operation in Iran would be a "massive, weeks-long campaign" and not a short, targeted one like the one in Venezuela.

A Trump advisor told the publication that there is a 90 per cent chance of a military action being launched in the next few weeks. "The boss is getting fed up. Some people around him warn him against going to war with Iran, but I think there is 90% chance we see kinetic action in the next few weeks," the advisor said.

The operation is likely to be a joint US-Israel campaign that will be broader than the last 12-day strike on Iran in June and could threaten the Iranian leadership. Moreover, the report states that the war could even impact US President Donald Trump's remaining presidency. Despite it being a high-stakes matter, there has been little public discussion with the Congress.

In January this year, Trump reportedly nearly authorised military strikes against Iran after a deadly crackdown on protesters and escalating tensions over its nuclear programme. Although there had been no strikes, the Trump administration adopted a two-pronged approach - building the military while continuing nuclear talks.

By doing this, the Trump administration expects to display what an operation will look like if a deal is not reached.

On Tuesday, Trump's advisers Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for three hours in Geneva. Even though both sides said that progress was made, the Axios report states that the "gaps" in the talks are wide and US officials are not optimistic about the deal working out.

US Vice President JD Vance told Fox News that there are "red lines" set by Trump that the Iranians are not willing to resolve.

Meanwhile, the United States military is steadily building its air and naval assets near Iran, even as Tehran officials agreed to return to negotiating with a new proposal in two weeks. Over 50 US fighter jets, including F-35s, F-22s, and F-16s, have moved to West Asia over the last 24 hours, Axios reported.

The US leader has already sent its aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, to the Arabian Sea at the end of January amid increasing tensions. Later, in the first week of February, the BBC reported that a dozen F-15 fighter jets, an MQ-9 Reaper combat drone, and several A-10C Thunderbolt II ground attack aircraft also reached the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.

The satellite imagery also showed the guided-missile destroyer ship, USS Delbert D Black, was also sailing through the Suez Canal in Egypt from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, and a US Navy MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone was operating over the Gulf. The presence of an E-11A communications aircraft, a P-8 Poseidon, and an E-3G Sentry surveillance and some reconnaissance planes were also reported in the region earlier. The US has also sent a second aircraft carrier to the region.

US officials have stated that Iran needs to come up with a detailed proposal within two weeks. In June last year, Trump set a two-week window to decide between continuing talks or launching a military attack. However, three days later US attacked Iran.

According to Israeli officers, the government is preparing for a war within days.

Board of Peace members have pledged $5 billion for Gaza: Trump

WASHINGTON, Feb 15: U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said member states of the so-called Board of Peace, which he heads, have pledged more than $5 billion for Gaza humanitarian relief and reconstruction efforts, and committed thousands of personnel to a proposed force that would assume security responsibilities in the war-ravaged Palestinian enclave.

“The Board of Peace has unlimited potential. Last October, I released a Plan for the permanent end to the Conflict in Gaza, and our Vision was unanimously adopted by the United Nations Security Council. Shortly thereafter, we facilitated Humanitarian Aid at record speed, and secured the release of every living and deceased Hostage,” Trump wrote in a social media post.

A ceasefire came into effect in Gaza in October 2025 after Trump unveiled his 20-point peace plan, but Israel, which controls more than half of Gaza’s territory, continued to bomb the enclave. At least 12 Palestinians were killed on Sunday morning in Gaza in an Israeli strike, according to Palestinian health officials. In the two years of war in Gaza, which was triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel in which some 1,200 people were killed, at least 75,000 Palestinians were killed, a vast majority of them women and children.

“Just last month, two dozen distinguished Founding Members joined me in Davos, Switzerland, to celebrate its official formation, and present a bold Vision for the Civilians in Gaza, and then, ultimately, far beyond Gaza — WORLD PEACE!” wrote Trump. Leaders and Foreign Ministers of at least 19 countries, besides the U.S., attended the Davos ceremony. The Board has announced 26 founding members in total, including Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE. India, which has been invited to join the Board, says it is “reviewing” the invitation.

Trump said the Board’s members would join him at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace in Washington on February 19, 2026. At the meeting, “we will announce that Member States have pledged more than $5 BILLION DOLLARS toward the Gaza Humanitarian and Reconstruction efforts, and have committed thousands of personnel to the International Stabilization Force and Local Police to maintain Security and Peace for Gazans,” he added.

According to Trump’s 20-point plan, the ISF would be deployed to take charge of Gaza’s security and train Palestinian police personnel, while the enclave would be administrated by a new technocratic government, under the guidance of the Board of Peace. The Board’s executive core has eight members, including Chairman Trump. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair are among the executive members.

The Trump peace plan also calls on Hamas to disarm itself, a call Trump repeated on Sunday. “Very importantly, Hamas must uphold its commitment to Full and Immediate Demilitarization. The Board of Peace will prove to be the most consequential International Body in History, and it is my honor to serve as its Chairman,” he added.

Separate talks on Iran and Ukraine-Russia set for Tuesday in Geneva, source says

WASHINGTON, Feb 14: Two ⁠sets of diplomatic negotiations, on Ukraine and Iran, are set to ‌take place in Geneva on Tuesday, according to a source ‌briefed on the ‌matter.

A U.S. ⁠delegation including Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will meet with the Iranians ‌on Tuesday morning, the source said. Representatives from Oman will be on hand ‌and mediate the U.S.-Iran contacts, the source said.

Witkoff and Kushner will then ⁠participate in trilateral talks with representatives from Russia and ‌Ukraine in the afternoon, the source said.

President Donald Trump is pressuring the Iranian government in the wake of its violent crackdown ‌on protesters and has amassed a large U.S. naval presence in the region.

He ⁠is also trying to coax ⁠Ukraine and Russia into an agreement to end ‌Moscow’s four-year-old invasion of Ukraine.

Second U.S. aircraft carrier heading to West Asia as Iran tensions run high

WASHINGTON, Feb 1: The United States will send the world's largest aircraft carrier to the West Asia to back up another already there, a person familiar with the plans said on Friday, putting more American firepower behind President Donald Trump's efforts to coerce Iran into a deal over its nuclear program.

The USS Gerald R. Ford's planned deployment to the West Asia comes after Trump only days earlier suggested another round of talks with the Iranians was at hand. Those negotiations didn't materialise as one of Tehran's top security officials visited Oman and Qatar this week and exchanged messages with the U.S. intermediaries.

Already, Gulf Arab nations have warned any attack could spiral into another regional conflict in a West Asia still reeling from the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Iranians are beginning to hold 40-day mourning ceremonies for the thousands killed in Tehran's bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month, adding to the internal pressure faced by the sanctions-battered Islamic Republic.

The Ford's deployment, first reported by The New York Times, will put two carriers and their accompanying warships in the region. Already, the USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying guided-missile destroyers are in the Arabian Sea.

It marks a quick turnaround for the Ford, which Trump sent from the Mediterranean Sea to the Caribbean last October as the administration build up a huge military presence in the lead-up to the surprise raid last month that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Trump tells Netanyahu Iran nuclear talks must continue

WASHINGTON, Feb 12: US President Donald Trump said he insisted talks with Iran continue during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but warned he may take action against Tehran if a nuclear deal is not reached.

The leaders met at the White House as tensions continue to rise across the Middle East and negotiations intensify over curbing Iran's nuclear weapons programme.

Netanyahu was expected to press Trump to pursue a deal that would not only halt Iran's uranium enrichment, but cut its ballistic missile programme and support for proxy groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.

Iran has suggested it is ready to limit its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief, but has rejected other demands.

Ahead of the White House meeting, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned his country would "not yield to their excessive demands".

Netanyahu's visit marks his sixth trip to the US since Trump's return to office - more than any other world leader.

The leaders spoke for nearly three hours in an unusually low-key meeting in which Netanyahu was brought in through a side entrance, out of view of the cameras.

Trump did not hold a press conference with him afterwards.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the meeting between the leaders had been "very good".

"There was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a deal can be consummated," he said.

He added a deal was his "preference" but if one could not be reached "we will just have to see what the outcome will be".

Netanyahu's office said the leaders had discussed "the security needs of the State of Israel in the context of the negotiations" and agreed to continue their "close coordination and relationship".

A close Trump ally, Netanyahu has long argued that Iran represents an existential security threat to Israel and has pushed the US to curb Tehran's influence in the region.

"The prime minister believes that any negotiations must include limiting ballistic missiles and ending support for the Iranian axis," Netanyahu's office said in a statement ahead of his trip.

After arriving in Washington on Tuesday, Netanyahu met Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner. The pair "provided an update on the first round of negotiations they held with Iran last Friday", according to the prime minister's office.

Netanyahu's visit comes as the US increases its military presence in the Middle East, with Trump warning Tehran of strikes if it fails to reach a deal on its nuclear programme and to stop killing protesters.

On Tuesday, the president said that he was "thinking" about sending a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East.

The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group was sent to the region last month after Trump threatened to strike Iran to stop a government crackdown on mass protests in which thousands of people were killed.

"We have an armada that is heading there and another one might be going," Trump said in an interview with Axios. He said Iran "wants to make a deal very badly", adding that a diplomatic solution remained possible.

Trump told Fox Business that a good deal would mean "no nuclear weapons, no missiles".

India and Pakistan war could have been nuclear, 10 planes were shot down: Trump

WASHINGTON, Feb 11: U.S. President Donald Trump repeated the claim that he stopped the war between India and Pakistan last year, which he said could have turned nuclear, through tariffs.

"I settled eight wars. Of the eight wars, at least six were settled because of tariffs. In other words, I said, ‘if you don't settle this war, I'm going to charge you tariffs, because I don't want to see people getting killed,” Trump said in an interview to Fox Business Tuesday.

"And they said, ‘Well, what does this have to do?’ I said, ‘you're going to be charged’. Like India and Pakistan. It would have been a nuclear war, in my opinion. They were really going at it, 10 planes were shot down. They were going at it,” Trump said.

He added that the Prime Minister of Pakistan said, ‘President Trump saved at least 10 million lives when he got us to stop fighting’. Because they were going to go nuclear, [in] my opinion. Without tariffs, that wouldn't happen,” Trump said.

Trump has claimed credit for stopping the India-Pakistan conflict more than 80 times since May 10 last year, when he announced on social media that the two neighbours had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after talks mediated by Washington.

India has consistently denied any third-party intervention.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 last year, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.

After Trump's 'Zero Tariff' Claim, A White House Factsheet On India-US Deal

WASHINGTON, Feb 10: The Donald Trump administration has termed the new India-United States trade deal a "historic" step, which, according to the White House, will open the Indian market of over 1.4 billion people to American products. The White House has also released a statement defining the key terms of the deal, under which the US has agreed to lower the reciprocal tariff on India from 25 per cent to 18 per cent.

The statement brought clarity on several aspects of the deal, especially on President Trump's claim of India agreeing to cut “tariffs and non-tariff barriers against the United States to ZERO”. It also specified that Trump has agreed to remove the additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian imports in recognition of New Delhi's commitment to stop purchasing Russian oil.

Key Terms Of The Deal

The White House said that India has agreed to "eliminate or reduce tariffs" on all US industrial goods and a wide range of US food and agricultural products, including "dried distillers' grains (DDGs), red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, certain pulses, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products."

It noted that India has committed to buying more American products and purchasing over $500 billion of US energy, information and communication technology, agricultural coal, and other products.

The statement stressed that New Delhi has also agreed to address non-tariff barriers that affect bilateral trade in priority areas.

Moreover, India will also remove its digital services taxes and has committed to negotiating a robust set of bilateral digital trade rules that address discriminatory or burdensome practices and other barriers to digital trade, including rules that prohibit the imposition of customs duties on electronic transmissions.

The statement added that the United States and India have also agreed to "negotiate rules of origin that ensure that the agreed benefits accrue predominantly to the United States and India."

Both nations were also committed to strengthening economic security alignment to enhance supply chain resilience and innovation through complementary actions to address non-market policies of third parties, as well as cooperating on inbound and outbound investment reviews and export controls," it said.

The United States and India will significantly increase bilateral trade in technology products and expand joint technology cooperation, the White House said.

Trump had claimed that India has agreed to “reduce Tariffs and Non-Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO”. Largely, Trump's language signified an in-principle commitment to lower or phase out duties on selected US products rather than an immediate elimination of all import duties. However, the assertive phrasing of the claim brought anxiety among Indian traders.

The statement followed a call between President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, in which the leaders reached a framework for an interim agreement on reciprocal trade and reaffirmed their commitment to broader US-India Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) negotiations.

The statement said that in the coming weeks, Washington and New Delhi will promptly implement this framework and work toward finalising the interim agreement with a "view to concluding a mutually beneficial BTA to lock in benefits for American workers and businesses."

"In line with the roadmap set out in the Terms of Reference for the BTA, the United States and India will continue negotiations to address the remaining tariff barriers, additional non-tariff barriers, technical barriers to trade, customs and trade facilitation, good regulatory practices, trade remedies, services and investment, intellectual property, labour, environment, government procurement, and trade-distorting or unfair practices of state-owned enterprises," it added.

Ambassador Sergio Gor Credits Modi-Trump Friendship For India-US Trade Deal

NEW DELHI, Feb 9: US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Monday lauded the growing India-US partnership and highlighted the role of the friendship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump for the conclusion of the framework of the India-US interim trade agreement, announced last week.

During a reception hosted at the residence of the US Ambassador in the national capital, Gor said that the Trump administration at the White House "is paying attention" to India, thanking the strong ties between PM Modi and President Trump for the conclusion of the interim trade agreement.

"I've been here just a little over a month, and we hit the ground running. The White House is paying attention to India. Our President is paying attention to India. And thanks to the friendship of President Trump with Prime Minister Modi, we were able to get the trade deal across eventually," Gor said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also attended the reception hosted by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor at the envoy's residence.

This comes days after the conclusion of the India-US interim trade agreement framework last week, underscoring the two countries' shared interests and continued partnership.

'It's In India's Interest To Buy US Oil,' Piyush Goyal Responds To Trump Condition

NEW DELHI, Feb 8: Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday addressed questions regarding the ongoing US-India trade deal, carefully sidestepping direct comments on the purchase of Russian oil. When asked about US President Donald Trump’s warning that India could face a 25% tariff if it resumed Russian oil imports, Goyal emphasized that sourcing oil from the US is in India’s strategic interest.

“Purchasing crude oil, LNG, or LPG from the US is in India's strategic interests as we diversify our oil sources,” the minister said. He further added that issues related to Russian oil fall under the purview of the Ministry of External Affairs. On whether bilateral agreements on Russian oil or defense could affect the trade deal, Goyal clarified, “No, not at all. Trade deals don't determine who buys what from whom. Trade deals facilitate trade and ensure preferential access.

The very purpose of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is to provide preferential access. When we get an 18% reciprocal tariff, we gain an advantage over other developing countries, which are usually our competitors.”

Earlier, Trump’s executive order directed the US Commerce Secretary to monitor India’s energy imports, warning that tariffs could be reimposed if India resumed purchasing Russian oil.

However, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that India’s decisions on energy purchases are guided by the needs of its 1.4 billion population, and that Russian oil is not mentioned in the US trade deal.

Trump threatens tariffs for countries trading with Iran

WASHINGTON, Feb 7: US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order threatening to impose additional tariffs on countries that continue to trade with Iran.

The order, issued on Friday, does not specify the rate that could be imposed, but uses 25% as an example. It says the tariff could apply to goods imported into the US from any nation that "directly or indirectly purchases, imports, or otherwise acquires any goods or services from Iran".

Trump has not directly commented on the order but reiterated "no nuclear weapons" for Iran when speaking from Air Force One on Friday night.

It came after talks between senior US and Iranian officials in Oman, following several weeks of threats from both sides.

Trump threatened a 25% tariff of countries doing business with Iran earlier this year, in a post to Truth Social.

On 12 January, he wrote: "Effective immediately, any country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America."

At the time, no further detail was provided on how the tariffs would work in practice.

The White House said that this latest executive order reaffirmed the "ongoing national emergency with respect to Iran" and noted that the president may modify it of circumstances change.

It read: "The President is holding Iran accountable for its pursuit of nuclear capabilities, support for terrorism, ballistic missile development, and regional destabilisation that endanger American security, allies, and interests."

Separately, the US state department announced on Friday that it was sanctioning 15 entities "that have traded in Iranian-origin crude oil, petroleum products, or petrochemical products".

Trump urges new nuclear treaty after Russia agreement ends

WASHINGTON, Feb 6: U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday called for a brand new nuclear treaty after the last agreement with Russia expired, prompting fears of a new global arms race.

The Trump administration has repeatedly pressed for a new treaty to include China, whose arsenal is growing but still significantly smaller than those of Russia and the United States, but Beijing has publicly rejected the pressure.

Trump had been mostly mum on Russian calls to extend New START, the 2010 treaty that imposed the last restrictions on the two largest nuclear powers after decades of agreements dating from the Cold War.

But hours after it expired, Trump said that the treaty, signed by predecessor Barack Obama and extended by Joe Biden, was "badly negotiated" and "is being grossly violated."

"We should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future," he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Asked if Washington and Moscow had agreed to stick to the terms of the expired START treaty while negotiations on a new accord are ongoing, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said: "Not to my knowledge."

Russia had refused inspections under New START as relations deteriorated with the Biden administration.

It said on Wednesday that it no longer considered itself bound on the number of nuclear warheads due to the expiration of New START.

Despite the stalemate on New START, Trump has enthusiastically restarted diplomacy with Russia and invited President Vladimir Putin to Alaska last August.

The United States announced on Thursday that it was resuming military dialogue with Russia after three-way talks in Abu Dhabi on the Ukraine war.

Campaigners have warned that the end of the New START treaty could trigger a global arms race, and urged nuclear powers to enter negotiations.

India-U.S. trade deal: Joint statement in ‘four to five days’, legal agreement by mid-March, says Piyush Goyal

NEW DELHI, Feb 5: India and the U.S. will “finalise and sign” a joint statement regarding the first tranche of a Bilateral Trade Agreement in the next 4-5 days, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday. He added that the U.S.’ reduction of tariffs on India from 50% to 18% will come through an executive order issued by the U.S. President following this joint statement.

India, on the other hand, will be legally allowed to reduce tariffs on U.S. imports only after the signing of the legal and formal agreement, which is expected to take place in mid-March, Goyal and Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said.

“Meaningful talks are going on between India and the U.S. on the decisions that were announced by the leaders of the two countries,” Goyal told reporters on Thursday. “The first tranche of the Bilateral Trade Agreement is nearly ready. Our hope is that a joint statement between India and the U.S. will be finalised and signed in the next 4-5 days.

Goyal added that the formal, legal agreement is also simultaneously being readied, but could take longer to be finalised.

“We estimate that the formal agreement will be signed in mid-March,” Goyal said. “However, the 18% U.S. tariffs will become operational following an executive order [by the U.S. President] after the signing of the joint statement.”

Also speaking to the media at the same event, Agrawal, who was the chief negotiator of the deal until he took over as Commerce Secretary in October 2025, said that each free trade agreement by India has been followed closely by a joint statement once negotiations have been finalised.

“Once the joint statement is there, it needs to be converted into a legal agreement,” Agrawal explained. “The legal agreement will give us the authority to reduce our tariffs. Their tariffs are executive tariffs [and so can be amended by executive orders]. Our tariffs are Most-Favoured Nation (MFN) tariffs that can only be cut after the legal agreement has been signed.”

MFN tariffs are those that World Trade Organisation (WTO) members impose on goods from other member nations.

Regarding India’s commitment to buy $500 billion of goods from the U.S., Goyal said that India’s growth would require large volumes of energy, data centre equipment, information and communication technology (ICT) products, and aircraft and their parts.

“Therefore, when we estimated what we would need from the U.S., we came to a figure of at least $500 billion, which we can clearly see before our eyes as potential that we can import from the U.S. over the next 5 years,” Goyal said.

He said that India’s current orders and those soon to be placed with U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing stands at about $70-80 billion.

“You add the engines and other spare parts and it will probably cross $100 billion,” Mr. Goyal asserted. “Data centres have been given huge concessions in the Budget. Now imagine if we get $100-150 billion of investments in data centres, we would obviously need equipment for those data centres.”

Agrawal, too, added that India’s current imports of all of these critical items from the world stand at more than $300 billion.

“In the next five years, these purchases are going to be over $2 trillion,” Agrawal said. “If we are able to buy $500 billion from the U.S., this will only add to our diversification.”

Trade deal done, India gets behind US's critical minerals bloc to counter China

WASHINGTON, Feb 5: Days after securing a trade deal, India and the US seem to be moving forward together on yet another avenue - the Critical Minerals Ministerial, aimed at countering China's global dominance. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the critical minerals summit where India was among 54 countries hosted by the Trump administration.

The summit was convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US vice-president JD Vance also outlined plans for the new trading zone. "Over time, our goal within that zone is to create diverse centers of production, stable investment conditions and supply chains that are immune to the kind of external disruptions we have already talked about,” Vance said.

During a media interaction later, Jaishankar said that the conference was the primary reason behind his US visit. He also said that India was supporting the Forum on Resource, Geostrategic Engagement (FORGE), an initiative that was unveiled at the critical minerals summit.

“The discussion was very good, critical minerals is a very important subject, the US has been partner for some years,” said Jaishankar.

He also addressed the summit in Washington DC during which he highlighted the risks of excessive concentration and the importance of de-risking supply chains through international cooperation.

The 2026 Critical Minerals Ministerial is a Trump admistration intiative aimed to reshape the global market for critical minerals and rare earths, an area where China currently finds big dominance.

China leads the production of 30 minerals designated as critical by the US Geological Survey and accounts for approximately 70% of global rare earth mining and over 90% of processing capacity.

“Critical minerals and rare earths are essential for our most advanced technologies and will only become more important as AI, robotics, batteries, and autonomous devices transform our economies,” the US state department said in a release.

Through this bloc, the US and its partner countries whose representatives were hosted at the critical minerals summit would attempt to build secure and resilient critical mineral supply chains.

I The Trump administration's move comes days after India announced plans to give a boost to its government's rare earths scheme. During the Union Budget 2026-27 presentation on February 1, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the government would support mineral-rich states like Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Odisha to develop dedicated rare earth corridors.

She also announced the Indian Semiconductor Mission 2.0, aimed at expanding the country's semiconductor mission and give China's competitive semiconductor industry a tough fight and break its monopoly.

Even as Jaishankar addressed ministeral meeting in the US, he highlighted India’s efforts in the critical minerals domain through initiatives including National Critical Minerals Mission and rare rarth corridors.

India's backing of the US's latest initiative to counter China's global dominance on critical minerals also assumes significance because it comes days after New Delhi and Washington sealed a trade deal. As part of the agreement, the existing US tariffs on Indian imports were cut down to 18% from 50%.

Trump Says India Trade Deal Done, Cuts Reciprocal Tariffs From 25% To 18%

By Deepak Arora

WASHINGTON: In a post in Truth Social, US President Donald Trump has announced that India and the US have "agreed to a Trade Deal" under which the US will cut reciprocal tariff from 25 per cent to 18 per cent. His post was followed by one from Prime Minister Narendra Modi who conveyed his "Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement"....more

Modi Thanks Trump For Reducing Tariffs

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today thanked US President Donald Trump - "on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India" - for reducing tariffs on Indian goods from 25 per cent to 18 per cent. "Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent," Modi said in a post on X, minutes after Trump announced the tariff cut on Truth Social....more

New era of India-US relations: Ambassador Sergio Gor

NEW DELHI: US Ambassador Sergio Gor has described the recently announced India-US trade deal, cutting India’s tariffs from 50% to 18%, as marking a “new era of India-US relations.” He added that “both US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are great leaders.” “All the credit goes to President Trump and PM Modi. The two leaders have a great personal relationship, which has carried the deal forward. The number that will be finalised will be 18%," Gor said....more

Trump Says US Talking With 'Highest People' In Cuba To Strike Deal

WASHINGTON, Feb 4: US President Donald Trump said Sunday that Washington was negotiating with Havana's leadership to strike a deal, days after he threatened Cuba's reeling economy with a virtual oil blockade.

Trump's second administration has ratcheted up pressure on the communist-run island nation since the January 3 US ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, whose country was a close ally of Havana and a crucial source for oil exports to Cuba.

"Cuba is a failing nation. It has been for a long time, but now it doesn't have Venezuela to prop it up," Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

"So we're talking to the people from Cuba, the highest people in Cuba, to see what happens. I think we're going to make a deal with Cuba," he added, giving no indication what such a deal would look like.

Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not confirm the US president's remarks in a statement released on its website on Sunday, but took the opportunity to once again reject that the island is a "threat to the security of the United States."

It specifically asserted that Cuba does not "host any foreign military or intelligence bases", but added that it is willing to "maintain a respectful and reciprocal dialogue," with the United States.

On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order threatening to impose additional tariffs on countries that sell oil to Cuba.

The following day, Cubans were queueing in long lines at gas stations in Havana.

US chief of mission in Cuba Mike Hammer said that while visiting the Trinidad province in central Cuba over the weekend that he encountered residents who "shouted some insults" at him.

"I think they belong to a certain party, but I know they do not represent the Cuban people, the ordinary Cubans," Hammer said in a video posted to X, in reference to the Cuban Communist Party.

Meanwhile, the US State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said in a statement on X: "The illegitimate Cuban regime must immediately stop its repressive acts of sending individuals to interfere with the diplomatic work of CDA Hammer and members of the @USembcuba team."

"Our diplomats will continue to meet with the Cuban people despite the regime's failed intimidation," the agency added.

Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Miami-born son of Cuban exiles, have made no secret of their desire to bring regime change in Havana.

After Maduro's fall, the US president warned Havana to "make a deal soon" or face unspecified consequences.

"NO MORE OIL OR MONEY FOR CUBA: ZERO!" Trump had stated earlier, claiming Cuba was "ready to fall."

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Sunday her administration was planning to send humanitarian aid to Cuba, including "food and other products," while working on a diplomatic solution to continue sending oil to the island despite Trump's threatened tariffs.

"We never discussed with President Trump the issue of oil with Cuba," Sheinbaum added, after the two leaders had spoken by phone Thursday.

India-U.S. trade deal will not include sensitive agricultural items and dairy: Goyal

NEW DELHI, Feb 3: The trade deal with the United States, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media late Monday night, will exclude sensitive agricultural items and dairy, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday, adding that the details of the deal would be made public “soon”.

Under the deal, the U.S. has agreed to lower its 25% ‘reciprocal’ tariffs on India to 18% and entirely remove the additional ‘penalty’ tariffs of 25% it had imposed on India for its import of Russian oil.

The trade deal with the United States, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media late Monday night, will exclude sensitive agricultural items and dairy, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday, adding that the details of the deal would be made public “soon”.

“The trade deal finalised by India with the U.S. is the best among India’s neighbours and its competitors,” Goyal asserted while speaking at a press briefing. “PM Modi has always protected the agriculture and dairy sectors and has never compromised on their interests. In the U.S. trade deal as well, India’s sensitive sectors of agriculture and dairy have been excluded,” he said.

Beyond this, Goyal did not specify any other details of what India had conceded to the U.S. Nor did he address Trump’s claims that India would stop buying Russian oil, increase oil purchases from Venezuela, and increase overall purchases from the U.S.

He also attacked Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi, the Congress, and its allies, saying it was because of their actions in Parliament on Monday that he was conveying the information on the trade deal via a press conference and not on the floor of the House.

“Ordinarily, we would have wanted to speak in Parliament about this,” he said. “But, as you all saw, the way the Opposition, especially the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress party and their allies, the DMK, the Trinamool Congress, and the SP, behaved in Parliament, reaching the Speaker’s dias and insulting him, we have had to speak before you outside the House.”

Goyal said that the deal was in the “final stages of detailing” between the negotiating teams of the two countries.

“As soon as the final understanding of the deal is inked, the joint statement is finalised, and technical processes are completed, full details will be shared,” the Minister said.

In a rare public admission, Goyal acknowledged the impact of the U.S. tariffs on several sectors.

“Our farmers and exporters were all affected by the 50% tariffs,” he said, adding, “Our marine exporters were facing difficulties. The textile sector had also been facing the need for reduced tariffs. This is a deal that will protect the interests of every Indian and provide huge opportunities for all the people of India, and will protect the sensitive sectors, including agriculture and dairy.” Mr. Goyal said, “It will open up huge opportunities for our labour-intensive export sectors such as textiles, apparel, plastics, home decor, leather and footwear, gems and jewellery, organic chemicals, rubber goods, machinery, and aircraft components.”

Goyal also sought to address questions from the Opposition as to why the deal was first announced by Mr. Trump. “The reciprocal tariff was set by the U.S., and they were the ones who had to reduce tariffs, so when they did reduce it to 18%, that news would obviously come from the U.S,” he explained.

In his post on Truth Social, Trump also made several assertions about what Modi had allegedly agreed to on India’s behalf. One of these was that India would buy “over $500 billion dollars [sic] worth of U.S. energy, technology, agricultural, coal, and many other products”.

According to sources in the Indian Government, the $500 billion worth of purchases is to be spread over five years from when the deal comes into effect, and is a sign of “India’s intent to import” equipment for data centres, increase civil nuclear cooperation, and increase the imports of advanced AI chips.

US military says it shot down an Iranian drone in Arabian Sea

WASHINGTON, Feb 3: The United States military says it shot down an Iranian drone that approached a US aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, amid continued efforts by regional powers to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran.

In a statement on Tuesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson Tim Hawkins said a US fighter jet from the USS Abraham Lincoln “shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board”.

The Shahed-139 drone was shot down by an F-35C from the Lincoln, which CENTCOM said was sailing about 800km (500 miles) from Iran’s southern coast.

CENTCOM said the drone “aggressively approached” the aircraft carrier with “unclear intent” and it “continued to fly toward the ship despite de-escalatory measures taken by US forces operating in international waters”.

There was no immediate comment from the Iranian authorities on the incident.

In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, “is set to have conversations with the Iranians later this week”.

“Those are still scheduled as of right now,” Leavitt said.

India to buy Venezuelan oil instead of Iranian crude, claims Trump

WASHINGTON, Feb 1: U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that India will be purchasing oil from Venezuela instead of Iran.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while flying to Palm Beach in Florida on Saturday (January 31, 2026), Trump made the remarks while responding to a question on whether China would recover money it had lent to Venezuela in exchange for oil supplies.

“China is welcome to come in and would make a great deal on oil. We welcome China. We’ve already made a deal. India is coming in, and they’re going to be buying Venezuelan oil as opposed to buying it from Iran. So we’ve already made that deal, the concept of the deal,” he said.

There was no immediate reaction from New Delhi on Trump’s comments.

India had been a major buyer of Iranian oil until 2019, when imports were significantly reduced following the reimposition of U.S. sanctions on Tehran.

Trump’s comments come against the backdrop of U.S. sanctions on Iran and Venezuela and its pressure on major energy-importing countries to avoid buying crude from nations under restrictions.

In recent years, India significantly increased its purchases of discounted Russian crude, making Russia one of its largest oil suppliers.

The U.S. has imposed 50% tariffs on India, including 25% for its purchases of Russian oil.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a telephone conversation with Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, during which both leaders agreed to further deepen and expand bilateral ties.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement that the two leaders agreed to further expand and deepen the India-Venezuela partnership in all areas, including trade and investment, energy, digital technology, health, agriculture and people-to-people ties.

“Both leaders exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest and underscored the importance of their close cooperation for the Global South,” the MEA had said.