All posts tagged: iShares MSCI Israel ETF

‘I don’t care’ if Iran negotiations are over

‘I don’t care’ if Iran negotiations are over

Published by Sam Flores

Asked if he believed it was time to formally end the U.S.-Iran ceasefire that is nominally still in place, Trump said, “Let’s say I knew exactly what you’re asking … and I sort of do. Why would I tell you?” He also said that the U.S.’ NATO allies “should come in and help us out” because they rely on the oil that flows through the Hormuz Strait more than the U.S. does. “We don’t need it, we have a lot of oil,” he said. But when asked if he has reached out to NATO to participate in reopening the strait, Trump said, “They would if I wanted them to, but I’m not sure I want them to.” “We don’t need them. We don’t need NATO. They were very, very weak and very sad, what they said,” Trump said. “They said, ‘We’ll help you as soon as the war is over.’” PRESIDENT TRUMP Hello. EAMON JAVERS Hello, Mr. President. It’s Eamon Javers here with CNBC. How are you, sir?  PRESIDENT TRUMP Hello, Eamon. What’s going on, …

U.S. has violated ceasefire agreement, Iran parliamentary speaker says

U.S. has violated ceasefire agreement, Iran parliamentary speaker says

Published by Sam Flores

Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, accused the U.S. on Wednesday of violating the two-week ceasefire agreement. “The deep historical distrust we hold toward the United States stems from its repeated violations of all forms of commitments — a pattern that has regrettably been repeated once again,” Ghalibaf said in a statement posted on social media. Three parts of Iran’s 10-point ceasefire proposal have been violated, Ghalibaf said. The violations are Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon, the entry of a drone into Iranian airspace, and the denial of the Islamic Republic’s right to enrich uranium, he said. “In such situation, a bilateral ceasefire or negotiations is unreasonable,” the parliamentary speaker said. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Iran’s proposal was a workable basis for negotiations. Vice President JD Vance addressed Ghalibaf’s allegations while traveling in Hungary on Wednesday. “Ceasefires are always messy,” Vance said in response to the alleged drone incursion into Iran’s airspace. The vice president said the U.S. position is that Iran cannot enrich uranium. The ceasefire extending to Lebanon was never part …

Spain won’t applaud those who set the world on fire

Spain won’t applaud those who set the world on fire

Published by Sam Flores

Spain’s Prime minister Pedro Sanchez addresses parliament over the war in the Middle East at the congress in Madrid on March 25, 2026. Thomas Coex | Afp | Getty Images Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday joined a chorus of world leaders welcoming the announcement of a U.S.-Iran ceasefire but issued a thinly veiled swipe at the Trump administration for having initiated the hostilities. “Ceasefires are always good news. Especially if they lead to a just and lasting peace. But this momentary relief cannot make us forget the chaos, the destruction, and the lives lost,” Sánchez said in a social media post, according to a translation. “The Government of Spain will not applaud those who set the world on fire just because they show up with a bucket.” Sánchez, who has emerged as one of the European Union’s leading critics of U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran, called for “diplomacy, international law and PEACE” to prevail. His comments come shortly after the U.S. president said he had agreed to suspend attacks on Iranian infrastructure …

Trump faces calls for removal over threats to wipe out Iran civilization

Trump faces calls for removal over threats to wipe out Iran civilization

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., speaks to the media outside the U.S. Capitol after the House of Representatives voted to pass President Donald Trump’s sweeping spending and tax bill, in Washington, July 3, 2025. Ken Cedeno | Reuters The reticence expressed by Democrats about removing President Donald Trump from office — even after he ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and attacked Iran without seeking congressional approval — quickly fell away after his latest threat to Iran. The president’s Tuesday morning Truth Social post, which threatened “a whole civilization will die tonight” and raised the specter of nuclear war, began a chorus of calls either for Trump’s impeachment or for his removal via the invocation of the 25th Amendment. On Tuesday evening, Trump and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire. “This is a threat of genocide and merits removal from office. The President’s mental faculties are collapsing and cannot be trusted,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., posted to X on Tuesday. “To every individual in the President’s chain of command: You have a duty to refuse illegal orders. …

Pakistan seeks 2-week Iran pause after Trump warns ‘whole civilization will die’

Pakistan seeks 2-week Iran pause after Trump warns ‘whole civilization will die’

Published by Sam Flores

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday asked President Donald Trump for a two-week extension of his threat to wipe out the “whole civilization” of Iran unless Tehran strikes a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Update: Trump suspends Iran attack for two weeks, subject to Hormuz Strait opening Sharif in an X post also asked Iran’s leadership to agree to open up the strait for two weeks “as a goodwill gesture.” “We also urge all warring parties to observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war, in the interest of long-term peace and stability in the region,” Sharif wrote. The public plea from the leader of Pakistan, which has acted as a mediator between the warring powers, came hours before Trump’s 8 p.m. ET deadline for Iran to either cut a deal or face massive strikes on its civilian infrastructure — which could be considered a war crime. On Tuesday morning, Trump dramatically ramped up his threats, warning on Truth Social that “a whole …

U.S., Iran weigh peace plan as Trump’s ‘hell’ warning nears deadline

U.S., Iran weigh peace plan as Trump’s ‘hell’ warning nears deadline

Published by Sam Flores

Smoke rises after explosions struck the northeastern, western, and central areas amid Israeli attacks in Tehran, Iran on April 1, 2026. Tolga Akbaba | Anadolu | Getty Images With ⁠a U.S. deadline approaching, the United States and Iran received the framework of a plan to end their five-week-old conflict, though Tehran rejected any immediate move to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump has threatened to rain “hell” ​on Tehran if it did not make a deal ​by the end of Tuesday that would allow traffic ​to start moving again through the vital route for global energy supplies. The Pakistani-brokered plan emerged from intense overnight contacts and proposes an immediate ceasefire, followed by negotiations on a broader settlement to be concluded within 15 to 20 days, a source aware of the proposals said on Monday. Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, was in contact “all night long” with U.S. Vice President ⁠JD Vance, special ‌envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, the source said. Iran won’t reopen the Strait ⁠as part …

Trump threatens Iran’s infrastructure as reports emerge of downed U.S. F-35

Trump threatens Iran’s infrastructure as reports emerge of downed U.S. F-35

Published by Sam Flores

Significant sections of the B1 Bridge are seen destroyed after an airstrike attributed to the United States and Israel targeted the site near Tehran, in Karaj, Iran, on April 03, 2026. Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants, saying the “New Regime leadership knows what has to be done, and has to be done, FAST!” in a Truth Social post. Trump did not elaborate on what needed to be “done,” but said the U.S. “hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran.” Hours later, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reportedly claimed that a U.S. F-35 fighter jet was shot down over central Iran. Images of debris posted on Telegram included a photo that appeared to show the words “U.S. Air Forces in Europe” on what looked like a plane’s tail section. The U.S. Central Command, which oversees the region, and Iranian authorities did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication. Read more U.S.-Iran war news Trump’s latest threat …

Trump says Iran war nearly done: Speech recap

Trump says Iran war nearly done: Speech recap

Published by Sam Flores

Sen. Lindsey Graham says Trump gave a ‘compelling explanation’ about U.S. action against Iran Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaks alongside Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol Building on September 27, 2023 in Washington, DC. Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said that President Trump gave a “compelling explanation” on why the U.S. had to act against Iran’s “evil regime.” Graham said in a post on X that it was “the best speech I could’ve hoped for,” adding that it informed Americans and the world that the U.S. is “2-3 weeks from reaching our military objectives, which is the destruction of Iran’s missile and nuclear weapon programs.” He said that “the most compelling and biggest takeaway of all” was that Trump’s declaration to use military force to destroy the Iranian regime’s economy, guaranteeing “they will never go back to their old ways.” Sen. Ted Cruz in his post on X said the U.S. was “on the cusp of ending Iran’s nuclear blackmail,” which makes America “much, much …

Iran’s war propaganda homes in on Trump with Lego memes

Iran’s war propaganda homes in on Trump with Lego memes

Published by Sam Flores

Young Iranian women walk past a state building covered with a giant anti-U.S. billboard depicting a symbolic image of the destroyed USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, in downtown Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 26, 2026, the final day of Iran-U.S. talks that take place in Geneva. Morteza Nikoubazl | Nurphoto | Getty Images Wartime propaganda has evolved for the social media age, and Iran is now vying with the U.S. to be the world’s biggest keyboard warrior. As the real-world bombardment in the Middle East continues and casualties mount, both sides in the month-old war are also firing off ironic, pop-culture-steeped memes on the online battlefield. Iran’s new leaders have quickly assumed an online fighting posture, amping up their memes and pointed attacks on the U.S. and Israel. “What we’re seeing is not just a war of weapons, but it’s also a war of aesthetics,” said Nancy Snow, a professor and author who studies propaganda. “Whoever controls the meme controls the mood.” Iran’s prime target is President Donald Trump, with state media and top officials alike …

Iran president seeks ceasefire, U.S. wants Hormuz Strait open

Iran president seeks ceasefire, U.S. wants Hormuz Strait open

Published by Sam Flores

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Iran’s president has asked the U.S. for a ceasefire. But the U.S. will “consider” the offer only once the Strait of Hormuz is “open, free, and clear,” Trump said on Truth Social. “Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!” he wrote. The announcement came hours before Trump was set to deliver an “important update on Iran” in an address to the nation, according to the White House. The address is set for 9 p.m. ET. It was not immediately clear if Iran would confirm or reject Trump’s claim that Tehran’s “New Regime President” had asked for the ceasefire. The two sides have frequently contradicted each other’s claims about the existence and status of peace-deal talks since the war began on Feb. 28. It was also not clear if any ceasefire request was made directly to the U.S., as Trump’s post suggested, or if it came via an intermediary, such as Pakistan. And even if President Masoud Pezeshkian had asked …