Iranian Foreign Minister to meet European officials in Geneva on Friday
Major Iranian rocket attack hits Israel's central and southern areas
Iran will pay 'full price' after hospital strike, Netanyahu says
Israel warns Iranians to leave area near Arak heavy water reactor
Trump considers joining as Israel-Iran war enters seventh day
Iran offline for more than 12 hours, monitor says
In pictures: Israel-Iran conflict
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Middle East Eye
41 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
Israel bombs Syrian government buildings in Damascus
Israeli air strikes hit Damascus on Wednesday, reportedly targeting the Syrian defence ministry, military headquarters and the vicinity of the presidential palace. Footage released on local TV showed an explosion in central Damascus, with huge plumes of smoke enveloping the area around Ummayad Square. Sana, the Syrian state news service, said there were casualties but did not elaborate. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz posted footage of the bombing on X, writing: "heavy blows have started". Israel has launched strikes in Syria in recent days in what it says are attempts to protect members of the Druze minority, who are engaged in clashes with the government's soldiers in southern Sweida province, as well as preventing security threats on its northern border. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Turkey's foreign ministry condemned the Israeli attacks, saying they were an attempt to "sabotage" the country's recovery after 14 years of war. LIVE: Damascus skyline after Israeli strikes target Syrian defence ministry — Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) July 16, 2025 "The Syrian people have a historic opportunity to live in peace and integrate with the world," Turkey said. "All stakeholders who support this opportunity should contribute to the Syrian Government's efforts to establish peace." More to follow...
Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Khaleej Times
Indonesia hails 'new era' with US after Trump trade pact
Indonesia's president on Wednesday hailed a "new era" of trade relations with the United States, after Donald Trump said he would slash tariffs faced by Southeast Asia's biggest economy from 32 per cent to 19 per cent. The Trump administration has been under pressure to wrap up trade pacts after promising a flurry of deals, as countries sought talks with Washington to avoid the US president's threatened tariffs ahead of an August 1 deadline. "I had a very good call with President Donald Trump. Together, we agreed and concluded to take trade relations between Indonesia and the United States into a new era of mutual benefit," President Prabowo Subianto wrote on Instagram. Prabowo confirmed the new tariff rate after landing back in Indonesia from Europe. "We agreed... the tariffs to be lowered from 32 (per cent) to 19 (per cent)," he told reporters, adding he could visit Washington in September or October. Prabowo, a populist former general, posted pictures of himself laughing on the phone with Trump, but did not give any specifics about their trade deal. Prabowo's presidential spokesperson confirmed the 19 per cent rate and said it was struck after direct negotiations. "It is an extraordinary negotiation conducted directly by our president with President Donald Trump," spokesperson Hasan Nasbi said, adding that the deal was "progress that cannot be called small". Trump said the rate reduction was in return for significant purchase commitments from Jakarta, including a pledge to buy 50 Boeing jets. Indonesia has committed to spending billions to increase energy, agriculture and merchandise imports from the United States. Trump and Prabowo have developed a warm relationship since the US leader first clinched the presidency in 2016. Washington invited then-defence minister Prabowo to visit in 2020, lifting a de facto visa ban, which had been in effect over alleged crimes committed during the reign of Indonesia's late dictator Suharto. After Trump announced the tariffs in April, Prabowo sent his top economic minister to Washington, and also suggested that Trump was maybe helping Jakarta by causing it to rethink its trade surplus with the world's top economy. Data from the US Trade Representative office shows Washington's goods trade deficit with Indonesia was $17.9 billion in 2024, up 5.4 per cent from the year before. The deal struck with Indonesia would be slightly better than the 20 per cent given to Southeast Asian neighbour Vietnam. Both Indonesia and Vietnam are key markets for the shipment of Chinese goods. Trump said the deal with Indonesia would include a penalty for goods transiting Indonesia from China. But experts said the Indonesia pact appeared one-sided. "The 19 per cent tariff on Indonesian exports to the US, while the US can enjoy 0 per cent, actually poses a significant risk to Indonesia's trade balance," said Bhima Yudhistira Adhinegara, executive director of the Center of Economic and Law Studies. "Do not be too reliant on exports to the US, because the result of the tariff negotiation is still detrimental to Indonesia's position."
Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Trump sets 19% tariff on Indonesia goods in latest deal, EU readies retaliation
President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the U.S. would impose a 19% tariff on goods from Indonesia under a new agreement with the Southeast Asian country and more deals were coming, while offering fresh details on planned duties on pharmaceuticals. Trump announced the pact with Indonesia, a relatively minor U.S. trading partner, as he continued to press for what he views as better terms with trading partners and ways to shrink a huge U.S. trade deficit. Letters setting tariff rates for dozens of smaller countries were also coming soon, he said on Tuesday. The deal with Indonesia is among the handful struck so far by the Trump administration ahead of an August 1 deadline when duties on most U.S. imports are due to rise again. The accord came as the top U.S. trading partner - the European Union - readied retaliatory measures should talks with Washington fail. As that deadline approached, negotiations were under way with other nations eager to avoid more U.S. levies beyond a baseline 10% on most goods that has been in place since April. Trump's roll-out of the policies has often been chaotic. His moves have upended decades of negotiated reductions in global trade barriers, unsettling international financial markets and threatening a new wave of inflation. Based on Trump tariff announcements through Sunday, Yale Budget Lab estimated the U.S. effective average tariff rates will rise to 20.6% from between 2% and 3% before Trump's return to the White House in January. Consumption shifts would bring the rate down to 19.7%, but it's still the highest since 1933. Trump outlined an Indonesia deal similar to a preliminary pact struck recently with Vietnam, with a flat tariff on exports to the U.S. roughly double the current 10% and no levies on U.S. exports going there. It also included a penalty rate for so-called transhipments of goods from China via Indonesia and a commitment to buy some U.S. goods. "They are going to pay 19% and we are going to pay nothing ... we will have full access into Indonesia, and we have a couple of those deals that are going to be announced," Trump said outside the Oval Office. Trump later said on his Truth Social platform that Indonesia had agreed to buy $15 billion of U.S. energy products, $4.5 billion of American farm products and 50 Boeing jets, though no time frame was specified. He told reporters the deal with Vietnam was "pretty well set" but said it was not necessary to release details. India talks Indonesia's total trade with the U.S. - totalling just under $40 billion in 2024 - does not rank in the top 15, but it has been growing. U.S. exports to Indonesia rose 3.7% last year, while imports from there were up 4.8%, leaving the U.S. with a goods trade deficit of nearly $18 billion. The top U.S. import categories from Indonesia, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from the International Trade Centre's TradeMap tool, last year were palm oil, electronics equipment including data routers and switches, footwear, car tires, natural rubber and frozen shrimp. Susiwijono Moegiarso, a senior official with Indonesia's Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, told Reuters in a text message: "We are preparing a joint statement between U.S. and Indonesia that will explain the size of reciprocal tariff for Indonesia including the tariff deal, non-tariff and commercial arrangements. We will inform (the public) soon." Trump had threatened the country with a 32% tariff rate starting August 1 in a letter sent to its president last week. He sent similar letters to about two dozen trading partners this month, including Canada, Japan and Brazil, laying out tariff rates ranging from 20% to 50%, plus a 50% tariff on copper. Speaking in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Trump said he favored blanket tariffs over complicated negotiations, but his Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick were keen to land more trade agreements. Upon his arrival back in Washington, Trump told reporters that letters would be going out soon for many smaller countries, suggesting they would face a tariff of "a little over 10%." He said his administration would also announce tariffs on pharmaceuticals imported into the United States, probably at the end of the month, starting with what he called a low tariff rate to give companies time to move manufacturing to the U.S. before imposing a "very high tariff" in a year or so. The August 1 deadline gives targeted countries time to negotiate about lower tariff rates. Some economists have also noted Trump's pattern of backing off his tariff threats. Since launching his tariff policy, Trump has clinched only a few "framework" agreements, falling short of earlier promises to land "90 deals in 90 days." So far, such deals have been reached with the United Kingdom and Vietnam, and an interim deal has been struck with China to forestall the steepest of Trump's tariffs while negotiations continue between Washington and Beijing. Trump said talks with India were moving "along that same line," saying the agreement would give U.S. firms access to the large Indian market. EU readies retaliation The breakthrough with Indonesia came as the European Commission, which oversees trade for the EU, prepared to target 72 billion euros ($84.1 billion) worth of U.S. goods - from Boeing aircraft and bourbon whiskey to cars - for possible tariffs if trade talks with Washington fail. Trump has threatened a 30% tariff on imports from the EU from August 1, a level European officials say is unacceptable and would end normal trade between two of the world's largest markets. The list, sent to EU member states and seen by Reuters on Tuesday, pre-dated Trump's move over the weekend to ramp up pressure on the 27-nation bloc and responded instead to U.S. duties on cars and car parts and a 10% baseline tariff. The package also covers chemicals, medical devices, electrical and precision equipment as well as agriculture and food products - a range of fruits and vegetables, along with wine, beer and spirits - valued at 6.35 billion euros.
