Latest news with #NationalSecurityPresidentialMemorandum
United News of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Cuban FM calls new tightening of US sanctions 'criminal policy'
Mexico City, July 1 (UNI) US President Donald Trump's memorandum on tightening Washington's policy towards Havana demonstrates a criminal policy that violates the rights of the entire Cuban people, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla said. "The presidential memorandum against Cuba, released today by the US government, intensifies the aggression and economic blockade that punishes the entire Cuban people and is the main obstacle to our development. It is a criminal policy that violates the rights of an entire nation," Rodriguez Parilla said on X. According to a statement on the White House website, the National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) signed by Trump restores and strengthens the hard line towards Cuba that was in effect during his first term, reversing the normalization steps taken under the Biden administration. The document prohibits any direct or indirect financial transactions with companies controlled by the Cuban military, including the GAESA conglomerate and its subsidiaries. Exceptions are allowed only for transactions that contribute to the achievement of US foreign policy objectives or support the Cuban population. The memorandum strengthens control over tourist travel: the ban on tourism from the United States remains in place, mandatory audits and requirements for storing financial documentation related to travel to Cuba for at least five years are introduced. At the same time, Trump confirmed the abandonment of the policy previously aimed at stimulating migration from Cuba to prevent illegal migration. The document also assumes the continuation of the blockade and countering attempts to lift it within the UN and other international organizations. It also talks about supporting a "free Cuba," the development of an independent private sector and human rights — including through expanding access to the Internet, freedom of the press and association. According to the memorandum, the United States plans to conduct a comprehensive review of human rights violations in Cuba, including cases of illegal detentions and ill-treatment of prisoners, as well as compile a list of persons hiding from US justice and sheltered by the Cuban authorities. UNI SPUTNIK GNK 0821
IOL News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Iran blames the US for Israeli airstrikes amid escalating tensions
Iran facing Israeli airstrike over the allegation of developing nuclear weapons. Image: Independent Media Archives The Iranian government has blamed the United States of America for the Israeli airstrike on its country this week. In a statement released on Friday through its embassy in Pretoria, Iran's Foreign Affairs Ministry said the Zionist regime's aggressive actions against Iran could not have happened without US coordination and approval. 'Consequently, the US government, as the primary patron of this regime, will also bear responsibility for the dangerous repercussions of the Zionist regime's reckless actions,' read the statement. In February, US President Donald Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM), calling on Iran to be stopped from engaging in any nuclear programmes. He said Iran should be denied a nuclear weapon and intercontinental ballistic missiles, and that its terrorist network should be neutralised and its aggressive development of missiles, as well as other asymmetric and conventional weapons capabilities, be countered. The memorandum read: 'In 2020, President Trump declared that as long as (he is) President of the United States, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.' International media reported on Friday that the Israeli military attacked Iran's nuclear and military sites, killing senior military officials and nuclear scientists. According to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), among those who were killed in the early hours of Friday in Tehran, Iran's capital, was Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Major-General Hossein Salami. In another statement released on Thursday, the Iranian government said the country only has a 'peaceful nature of its nuclear programme'. It said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s Board of Governors had been misled by France, the UK, Germany, and the US to cast doubt about the nature of its nuclear programme. The Ministry stated that Israeli attacks on Iran constitute a violation of Article 2(4) of the United Nations (UN) Charter. 'In accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, Iran reserves the legitimate and legal right to respond to this aggression. The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to defend Iran's sovereignty with full strength and in the manner they deem appropriate,' read Friday's statement. The Ministry also called on the UN to carry out its mandate of preventing aggression, breach of peace, and threats to peace. 'The Islamic Republic of Iran underscores the Security Council's obligation to take immediate action against this violation of international peace and security, stemming from the Zionist regime's blatant aggression. 'We call upon the President and members of the Council to act without delay in this regard,' the Ministry said. FDD said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the airstrike on Iran through the operation 'Rising Lion' as aimed at rolling back the Iranian threat to Israel's survival. FDD said Netanyahu said the strikes will 'continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat'. It said Netanyahu stressed his gratitude to Trump 'for his steadfast stance', against Iran's nuclear weapons. In defence of Israeli action, FDD Chief Executive Officer Mark Dubowitz said the Israeli inaction would have had a far greater cost. 'Israel did what had to be done: defend itself, the West, and ultimately the Iranian people from the genocidal ambitions of the mullahs. 'Nuclear talks were heading to collapse under Tehran's defiance, and sanctions alone couldn't stop Iran's race toward multiple nuclear weapons,' said Dubowitz. However, South Africa's former member of the IAEA Board of Directors, Dr Abdul Samad Minty, told the International Union of Scientists publication early this year that the IAEA had previously found no evidence that Iran was developing nuclear weapons. 'When I was on the board of the IAEA, I was able to expose in many cases that Iran was complying with the peaceful requirements of the IAEA, but the Western countries continued to support Israel's case that Iran was developing nuclear weapons. 'There was no evidence at that time that Iran was developing nuclear weapons, but they thought that all nuclear cooperation with Iran should be stopped, because it had the potential in the end to develop nuclear weapons,' the publication quoted Minty.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US unveils new sanctions over Iran missile program
The State Department said Wednesday they would sanction six entities and six individuals based in Iran and China for supporting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) ballistic missile development. 'Today's action, which targets this network that has facilitated the procurement of sodium perchlorate and dioctyl sebacate from China to Iran, is taken in support of the United States' maximum pressure campaign to curtail Iran's ballistic missile program and disrupt the activities of the IRGC, as outlined in the President's National Security Presidential Memorandum,' State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement. Sodium perchlorate is used to produce ammonium perchlorate. Both ammonium perchlorate and dioctyl sebacate are chemicals usable in solid propellant rocket motors, which are commonly used for ballistic missiles, according to the Treasury Department. 'Iran's aggressive development of missiles and other weapons capabilities imperils the safety of the United States and our partners,' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. 'It also destabilizes the Middle East, and violates the global agreements intended to prevent the proliferation of these technologies. To achieve peace through strength, Treasury will continue to take all available measures to deprive Iran's access to resources necessary to advance its missile program,' he continued. In March, the State Department announced it would offer a $15 million reward for information linked to four Chinese nationals it says have helped the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) procure U.S. military equipment and drone technology. Officials said individuals would facilitate the sale of U.S. goods to front companies based in China that would send the technology to Iran. Iran would then transport products to the IRGC and its linked companies which Bruce said would soon end. 'The United States will continue to hold accountable those who seek to advance Iran's ballistic missile program, to include its procurement of propellant ingredients used for ballistic missiles,' the State Department spokesperson said in her Wednesday statement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
30-04-2025
- Business
- The Hill
US unveils new sanctions over Iran missile program
The State Department said Wednesday they would sanction six entities and six individuals based in Iran and China for supporting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) ballistic missile development. 'Today's action, which targets this network that has facilitated the procurement of sodium perchlorate and dioctyl sebacate from China to Iran, is taken in support of the United States' maximum pressure campaign to curtail Iran's ballistic missile program and disrupt the activities of the IRGC, as outlined in the President's National Security Presidential Memorandum,' State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement. Sodium perchlorate is used to produce ammonium perchlorate. Both ammonium perchlorate and dioctyl sebacate are chemicals usable in solid propellant rocket motors, which are commonly used for ballistic missiles, according to the Treasury Department. 'Iran's aggressive development of missiles and other weapons capabilities imperils the safety of the United States and our partners,' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. 'It also destabilizes the Middle East, and violates the global agreements intended to prevent the proliferation of these technologies. To achieve peace through strength, Treasury will continue to take all available measures to deprive Iran's access to resources necessary to advance its missile program,' he continued. In March, the State Department announced it would offer a $15 million reward for information linked to four Chinese nationals it says have helped the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) procure U.S. military equipment and drone technology. Officials said individuals would facilitate the sale of U.S. goods to front companies based in China that would send the technology to Iran. Iran would then transport products to the IRGC and its linked companies which Bruce said would soon end. 'The United States will continue to hold accountable those who seek to advance Iran's ballistic missile program, to include its procurement of propellant ingredients used for ballistic missiles,' the State Department spokesperson said in her Wednesday statement.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rachel Maddow Calls Trump's 170-Mile U.S. Border-Mexico Military Base a ‘Big Red Flag' of ‘Authoritarian Takeover'
MSNBC's Rachel Maddow called out President Donald Trump's administration for quietly turning 170 miles of the United States border into a military base, which is the latest move in Trump's efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, saying his effort is huge warning sign of authoritarian rule. The journalist jumped right into her take on Trump's second 100 days in office on Monday night's episode of 'The Rachel Maddow Show' by outlining the details of Trump's military zone, which she said has yet to become a 'major issue' but soon will be. 'I want to put a little focus on things that have not yet emerged as major issues, but heads up, they're coming,' Maddow prefaced, sharing that this month Trump signed off on what's being called a National Security Presidential Memorandum, a message declaring that three neighboring states — New Mexico, Arizona and California — are now part of a military base. 'In this memo, Trump ordered the Pentagon, the Defense Department, to start taking control of this land. So now the U.S. military has taken control of 170 miles of land, starting in New Mexico, along new New Mexico's southern border,' Maddow explained. 'And they have declared that that land is now part of Fort Huachuca, which is a U.S. army base that's not even in New Mexico. It's in Arizona. Why would you take 170 miles of land in three different states and say all that land is now part of an army base somewhere very far away? It's because he wants active duty service members to start arresting people on U.S. soil.' She went to explain that as of last week, the military now has the power to 'arrest anyone who steps foot on that 170-mile-long strip of land.' Per a note from the U.S. Northern Command, soldiers can 'temporarily detain trespassers,' 'conduct cursory searchers of trespassers' and 'conduct crowd control measures.' That's when she shared that she believes the orders are some of the early signs of Trump's attempts to turn the U.S. into an authoritarian-operated nation. 'We may not think of this as something that matters for broader U.S. politics, or indeed the health of our political system,' Maddow said. 'But if you're looking for big red flags in terms of authoritarian takeover in a democratic rule of law country, when you've got U.S. troops searching and arresting people and doing 'crowd control' on U.S. soil, you're kind of there.' Maddow goes on to explain that while the Posse Comitatus, a 19th century law that blocks the military from participating in everyday civil law enforcement, Trump has appeared to have found a loophole, as he has designated three states as a military zone. 'Under American law, the Posse Comitatus Act is supposed to prevent the U.S. government from using U.S. soldiers on U.S. soil,' Maddow said. 'Theoretically, if somebody wonders onto a military base they can be arrested as trespassers on military property. So the idea here, I think, the neat trick that Trump has pulled here is that he's just turned hundreds of miles of American soil into what is technically a military base. So hey, presto, that's one unique trick to give the U.S. the power to search and arrest people on U.S. soil. And right now, they are only doing it at the edges, the physical edges of our country. But that is how you start.' You can watch the full 'Rachel Maddow Show' clip in the video above. The post Rachel Maddow Calls Trump's 170-Mile U.S. Border-Mexico Military Base a 'Big Red Flag' of 'Authoritarian Takeover' | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
