Saudi Foreign Minister Holds Phone Talks with US Secretary of State
During the call, the two officials reviewed the bilateral relations and ways to further promote the strategic partnership between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States. They also discussed the latest regional and international developments.
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Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Trump Is Expected to Sign His Huge Bill of Tax and Spending Cuts at the White House July 4 Picnic
President Donald Trump is expected to sign his package of tax breaks and spending cuts into law Friday after his cajoling produced almost unanimous Republican support in Congress for the domestic priority that could cement his second-term legacy. Against odds that at times seemed improbable, Trump achieved his goal of celebrating a historic – and divisive – legislative victory in time for the nation's birthday. Fighter jets and stealth bombers are to streak the sky over the annual White House Fourth of July picnic where Trump plans to sign the bill. 'The legislation,' the president said, 'is going to make this country into a rocket ship. It's going to be really great.' Democrats assailed the package as a giveaway to the rich that will rob millions more lower-income people of their health insurance, food assistance, and financial stability. 'I never thought that I'd be on the House floor saying that this is a crime scene,' Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said during a record-breaking speech that delayed the bill's passage by eight-plus hours. 'It's a crime scene going after the health and the safety and the well-being of the American people.' The legislation extends Trump's 2017 multi-trillion dollar tax cuts and cuts Medicaid and food stamps by $1.2 trillion. It provides for a massive increase in immigration enforcement. Congress' nonpartisan scorekeeper projects that nearly 12 million more people will lose health insurance under the law. The legislation passed the House on a largely party-line vote Thursday, culminating a months-long push by the GOP to cram most of its legislative priorities into a single budget bill that could be enacted without Senate Democrats being able to block it indefinitely by filibustering. It passed by a single vote in the Senate, where North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis announced he would not run for reelection after incurring Trump's wrath in opposing it. Vice President JD Vance had to cast the tie-breaking vote. In the House, where two Republicans voted against it, one conservative maverick, Tom Massie of Kentucky, has also become a target of Trump's well-funded political operation. The legislation amounts to a repudiation of the agendas of the past two Democratic presidents, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, in rolling back Obama's Medicaid expansion under his signature health law and Biden's tax credits for renewable energy. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the package will add $3.3 trillion to the deficit over the decade and 11.8 million more people will go without health coverage. Trump exulted in his political victory Thursday night in Iowa, where he attended a kickoff of events celebrating the country's 250th birthday next year. 'I want to thank Republican congressmen and women because what they did is incredible,' he said. The president complained that Democrats voted against the bill because they 'hate Trump – but I hate them too.' The package is certain to be a flashpoint in next year's midterm elections, and Democrats are making ambitious plans for rallies, voter registration drives, attack ads, bus tours, and even a multiday vigil, all intended to highlight the most controversial elements. Upon his return to Washington early Friday, Trump described the package as 'very popular,' though polling suggests that public opinion is mixed at best. For example, a Washington Post /Ipsos poll found that majorities of US adults support increasing the annual child tax credit and eliminating taxes on earnings from tips, and about half support work requirements for some adults who receive Medicaid. But the poll found majorities oppose reducing federal funding for food assistance to low-income families and spending about $45 billion to build and maintain migrant detention centers. About sixty percent said it was unacceptable that the bill is expected to increase the $36 trillion US debt by more than $3 trillion over the next decade.
Asharq Al-Awsat
3 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi, Russian FMs Discuss Relations and Regional Developments
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah met on Friday with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, during an official visit to Moscow. The two officials reviewed the historical friendship and cooperation between their countries and peoples, and explored ways to further strengthen and develop these ties across various fields. The two sides held an official session of talks, during which they underscored the profound depth of relations between the Kingdom and Russia, in addition to addressing key developments in the region.
Asharq Al-Awsat
4 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
IAEA Pulls Inspectors from Iran as Standoff over Access Drags on
The UN nuclear watchdog said on Friday it had pulled its last remaining inspectors from Iran as a standoff over their return to the country's nuclear facilities bombed by the United States and Israel deepens. Israel launched its first military strikes on Iran's nuclear sites in a 12-day war three weeks ago. The International Atomic Energy Agency's inspectors have not been able to inspect Iran's facilities since then, even though IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has said that is his top priority. Iran's parliament has now passed a law to suspend cooperation with the IAEA until the safety of its nuclear facilities can be guaranteed. While the IAEA says Iran has not yet formally informed it of any suspension, it is unclear when the agency's inspectors will be able to return to Iran. "An IAEA team of inspectors today safely departed from Iran to return to the Agency headquarters in Vienna, after staying in Tehran throughout the recent military conflict," the IAEA said on X. According to Reuters, diplomats said the number of IAEA inspectors in Iran was reduced to a handful after the June 13 start of the war. Some have also expressed concern about the inspectors' safety since the end of the conflict, given fierce criticism of the agency by Iranian officials and Iranian media. Iran has accused the agency of effectively paving the way for the bombings by issuing a damning report on May 31 that led to a resolution by the IAEA's 35-nation Board of Governors declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has said he stands by the report. He has denied it provided diplomatic cover for military action. IAEA WANTS TALKS Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday Iran remained committed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). "(Grossi) reiterated the crucial importance of the IAEA discussing with Iran modalities for resuming its indispensable monitoring and verification activities in Iran as soon as possible," the IAEA said. The US and Israeli military strikes either destroyed or badly damaged Iran's three uranium enrichment sites. But it was less clear what has happened to much of Iran's nine tons of enriched uranium, especially the more than 400 kg enriched to up to 60% purity, a short step from weapons grade. That is enough, if enriched further, for nine nuclear weapons, according to an IAEA yardstick. Iran says its aims are entirely peaceful but Western powers say there is no civil justification for enriching to such a high level, and the IAEA says no country has done so without developing the atom bomb. As a party to the NPT, Iran must account for its enriched uranium, which normally is closely monitored by the IAEA, the body that enforces the NPT and verifies countries' declarations. But the bombing of Iran's facilities has now muddied the waters. "We cannot afford that .... the inspection regime is interrupted," Grossi told a press conference in Vienna last week.
