All posts tagged: @LCO26V

Trump lays out Iran deal demands, says he’s about to make ‘final determination’

Trump lays out Iran deal demands, says he’s about to make ‘final determination’

Published by Sam Flores

President Donald Trump on Friday morning said he is meeting in the Situation Room “to make a final determination” after listing everything that Iran must do for him to approve a deal to end the war. It was not immediately clear from Trump’s statement on Truth Social which of his make-or-break conditions are already part of a preliminary agreement that U.S. and Iranian negotiators are currently working on to pause the three-month-old war. Iran “must agree” to never have a nuclear weapon, and the Strait of Hormuz must be “immediately open” to unrestricted shipping traffic, with no tolls being imposed, Trump demanded in the post. He also said that the retaliatory U.S. naval blockade against Iran in the Gulf of Oman “will now be lifted,” though it was unclear if he meant that that step would only be taken if the prior conditions were met. Trump also stated that enriched material buried at the site of last year’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities will be “unearthed” by the U.S. “in close coordination and conjunction with …

U.S. threatens sanctions and military action against Oman

U.S. threatens sanctions and military action against Oman

Published by Sam Flores

A man views the Rasool al-Adham mosque from the corniche at Sultan Qaboos port in Oman’s capital Muscat on February 5, 2026. Loic Venance | Afp | Getty Images The Trump administration’s threats against Oman, a longtime U.S. ally, have thrown a country known for cultivating a reputation as the “Switzerland of the Middle East” firmly into the geopolitical spotlight. Positioned on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula and facing Iran across the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, Oman has served as a key intermediary in regional crises, including the U.S. and Israeli-led war against Iran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday warned the U.S. would “aggressively” impose sanctions against Oman if it helped Iran to establish a tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that typically handles around 20% of the world’s global oil traffic. “Oman, in particular, should know that the U.S. Treasury will aggressively target any actors involved – directly or indirectly – in facilitating tolls for the Strait and any willing partners will be penalized,” Bessent said in …

Iran reportedly launches missiles, Trump mulls war deal

Iran reportedly launches missiles, Trump mulls war deal

Published by Sam Flores

US President Donald Trump speaks during an announcement with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on May 21, 2026. Kent Nishimura | AFP | Getty Images Iran’s armed forces fired missiles at unidentified targets late Thursday local time, the state media outlet Fars reported. The latest military action in southern Iran came hours after the Pentagon said that Iran had launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait and deployed attack drones in and around the strait. Earlier Thursday, a White House official confirmed an Axios report that the U.S. and Iran have “mostly agreed” to the terms of an agreement to temporarily end the three-month-old war. But President Donald Trump has yet to give final approval to the 60-day memorandum of understanding, which would extend an ongoing ceasefire and start nuclear negotiations, that official said. Axios reported that American officials said Iran has signed off on that deal, but noted that Tehran has not confirmed that. Major stock indexes rose Thursday, following the reported …

Republicans stare down inflation abyss with midterms fast approaching

Republicans stare down inflation abyss with midterms fast approaching

Published by Sam Flores

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., talks with a reporter in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall on Friday, March 27, 2026. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images Republicans have said for months that inflation is former President Joe Biden’s problem. Now, they’re staring down the barrel of an inflation crisis of their own making just in time for the midterm election, and the blame game is just getting started. Inflation ticked up to 3.8% year-over-year in April, the highest mark since 2023. Much of that spike is coming on the back of soaring energy prices, which have persisted since President Donald Trump launched a war in Iran. Trump and congressional Republicans swept into power in 2024 by promising to defeat the inflation that dogged Biden’s presidency. But they now risk getting trounced in the 2026 midterm election due to their own inflation crisis, and they are struggling to find a clear message to battle high prices as the president pushes for a $400 million White House ballroom and a $1.8 billion taxpayer-funded legal relief …

Trump not rushing Iran deal, whacks critics as ‘losers’

Trump not rushing Iran deal, whacks critics as ‘losers’

Published by Sam Flores

President Donald Trump on Sunday urged his negotiating team not to rush a deal with Iran to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz, while appearing to slam critics of the brewing deal. Trump’s comments on Truth Social are largely a continuation of the status quo from Saturday, when Trump said that a deal with Iran was “largely negotiated.” Trump said that “time is on our side” in the push to end the nearly three-month-old conflict that has whipsawed global energy markets and spiked gasoline prices in the U.S. “The negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner, and I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side,” Trump said in the social media post. “Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes!” The president said the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports would remain in effect until “an agreement is reached, certified, and signed.” According to MS Now, the deal being negotiated would open the …

Iran deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz ‘largely negotiated’

Iran deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz ‘largely negotiated’

Published by Sam Flores

President Donald Trump said Saturday that a peace deal with Iran that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz is “largely negotiated” and will be announced shortly, a development that could end a conflict that has choked global energy markets and pushed U.S. inflation to its highest level in years. Trump said in a social media post that he held calls from the Oval Office with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, all focused on finalizing terms with the Islamic Republic of Iran. “An Agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries,” Trump said in the post. Details of the agreement are being discussed “and will be announced shortly,” he said, including reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for global energy trade. The deal under discussion includes a memorandum of understanding as a first phase, Iran’s foreign ministry said Saturday, before …

U.S. and Iran at odds over uranium enrichment, Strait of Hormuz tolls

U.S. and Iran at odds over uranium enrichment, Strait of Hormuz tolls

Published by Sam Flores

An Iranian flag flutters in the wind as ships remain anchored on May 16, 2026 in the Strait of Hormuz near Larak Island, Iran. Majid Saeedi | Getty Images News | Getty Images The U.S. and Iran have signaled progress in talks to end the war, but the combatants remain at loggerheads over Tehran’s enriched uranium stockpile and tolls on the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said there were “good signs” that an agreement to end the conflict is in sight, but warned any such deal would be “unfeasible” if Iran pursues measures to permanently control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. “No one in the world is in favor of a tolling system. It can’t happen [and] it would be unacceptable,” Rubio told reporters in Miami, Florida. “If we can’t get a good deal, the president’s been clear he has other options,” Rubio said, without elaborating. It comes shortly after Iran said the latest proposal from the U.S. had brought the two warring sides closer to …

Iran reviewing U.S. position on ending war; Trump willing to wait

Iran reviewing U.S. position on ending war; Trump willing to wait

Published by Sam Flores

Vehicles drive past a huge billboard supporting Iran’s national football team in the upcoming 2026 World Cup, installed on a building at Enghelab Square in Tehran on May 18, 2026. – | Afp | Getty Images Iran on Thursday said it is reviewing the Trump administration’s latest proposal for bringing an end to the war after the U.S. president said he was prepared to wait a few more days to “get the right answers” from Tehran. Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the Islamic Republic had received the views of the American side “and are reviewing them,” according to the state-run agency Nour News. Baghaei said Pakistan, which hosted peace talks between the U.S. and Iran last month, continues to mediate exchanges between Tehran and Washington, adding that several rounds of communication had taken place based on Iran’s original 14-point framework. Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir is expected to travel to Iran’s capital on Thursday as part of ongoing mediation talks between Washington and Tehran, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency. Talks to bring …

Putin heads to Beijing days after Trump in test of China’s direction

Putin heads to Beijing days after Trump in test of China’s direction

Published by Sam Flores

TOPSHOT – Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shows the way to Russian President Vladimir Putin after the photo session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 at the Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Centre in Tianjin on September 1, 2025. Suo Takekuma | Afp | Getty Images Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to arrive in Beijing on Tuesday for a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, visiting an ally that barely had time to clear the ceremonial trappings it laid out for U.S. President Donald Trump just days earlier. The summit, scheduled for May 19-20, marks the second time the Chinese and Russian leaders have met in the past year, as Beijing seeks to manage ties with Washington and Moscow while positioning itself as a pivotal power in global diplomacy. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 left Moscow effectively isolated and heavily reliant on Beijing for trade under Western sanctions. “We have very serious expectations for this visit,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday, describing the agenda as advancing the two countries’ …

Trump warns Iran to ‘get moving’ or ‘there won’t be anything left’

Trump warns Iran to ‘get moving’ or ‘there won’t be anything left’

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media aboard Air Force One on May 15, 2026 as he returns to the United States. Alex Wong | Getty Images President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened Iran to “get moving,” or seemingly face new consequences. “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!” Trump did not detail what exactly the consequences would be, nor what he expects Iran to do in order to avoid them. Read more CNBC politics coverage The U.S. and Iran have been at loggerheads in negotiations to end the war since a tenuous ceasefire was reached in early April. The U.S. continues to blockade Iranian ports, while Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning of the conflict. But the apparent threat is not the first time Trump has menaced Tehran in stark terms on social media. Prior to the April ceasefire, he warned that a “whole …