Latest news with #StevenWitkoff
BBC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Trump meets with Netanyahu amid Gaza ceasefire talks
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Tuesday evening for the second time in as many days to discuss the ongoing war in meeting comes after Trump's Middle East envoy Steven Witkoff said Israel and Hamas could be close to agreeing on a 60-day ceasefire arrived at the White House shortly after 17:00 EST on Tuesday (00:00 GMT on Wednesday) for the meeting, which was not open to members of the on Tuesday, Netanyahu met with vice-president JD Vance. He also met with Trump for several hours during a dinner at the White House on Monday. It marks Netanyahu's third state visit to the US since Trump's second term. Netanyahu also met with the Republican House of Representative Speaker Mike Johnson. After that meeting, the Israeli Prime Minister said he did not believe Israel's military campaign in Gaza was done, but that negotiators are "certainly working" on a ceasefire."We still have to finish the job in Gaza, release all our hostages, eliminate and destroy Hamas' military and government capabilities," Netanyahu later said that Israel and Hamas were closing the gap on issues that previously prevented them from reaching a deal, and that he hoped a temporary, 60-day ceasefire will be agreed on this added that the draft deal would also include the release of 10 hostages who are alive, and the bodies of nine who are told reporters on Monday evening that ceasefire talks are "going very well". But Qatar, which has played a mediator role in negotiations, said on Tuesday morning that more time was needed for negotiations. "I don't think that I can give any timeline at the moment, but I can say right now that we will need time for this," Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari they met for dinner on Monday, Trump and Netanyahu were asked about Israeli and US proposals suggested earlier this year to permanently relocate Palestinians from said he had co-operation for this from countries neighbouring Israel, while Netanyahu said he was working with the US on finding countries that will "give Palestinians a better future"."If people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave," Netanyahu to force Palestinians out of Gaza has been met by condemnation from the UN, Arab leaders, human rights organisations, and Western countries, led by Egypt, have suggested an alternative plan involving massive reconstruction in Gaza while Palestinians stay there in temporary housing UN has warned that the deportation or forcible transfer of an occupied territory's civilian population is strictly prohibited under international law and "tantamount to ethnic cleansing".Before discussions resumed on Tuesday, a Palestinian source familiar with the talks told the BBC they have not made any latest round of negotiations between Hamas and Israel began on Sunday. The ongoing Gaza war began on 7 October 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 57,500 in Gaza according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
Bloomberg
03-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Oil Holds Decline After Report US Set to Resume Talks With Iran
Oil was little changed after slipping on Thursday on an Axios report that the US plans to restart nuclear talks with Iran. West Texas Intermediate traded above $67 a barrel after losing 0.7%, while Brent closed below $69. The news service said US Middle East envoy Steven Witkoff plans to meet with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Oslo next week. Meanwhile, the US took fresh steps to restrict the trade of the Islamic Republic's oil, keeping up pressure on Tehran.
Al Arabiya
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
US intel says strikes did not set back Iran's nuclear program despite Trump claims
A classified preliminary US intelligence report has concluded that American strikes on Iran set back Tehran's nuclear program by just a few months – rather than destroying it as claimed by President Donald Trump. US media on Tuesday cited people familiar with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) findings as saying the weekend strikes did not fully eliminate Iran's centrifuges or stockpile of enriched uranium. The aerial bombardments and missile strikes sealed off entrances to some facilities without destroying underground buildings, according to the report. US media coverage of the DIA assessment appeared to anger Trump, who insisted news outlets like CNN and The New York Times were out to 'demean' the military strike by saying it only set back Iran's nuclear program by a few months. 'THE NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED!' Trump posted in all caps on his Truth Social platform. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the authenticity of the DIA assessment but said it was 'flat-out wrong and was classified as 'top secret' but was still leaked' in an attempt to undermine Trump and discredit the military operation. 'Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration,' Leavitt posted on X. Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steven Witkoff, appeared on Fox News to trumpet the White House version. 'The reporting out there that in some ways suggests that we did not achieve the objective is just completely preposterous,' he said Tuesday. Witkoff repeated the assertion that the nuclear facilities at Natanz, Isfahan and Fordo had been 'obliterated.' 'All three of those had most if not all of the centrifuges damaged or destroyed,' he said. 'In a way it will be almost impossible for them to resurrect that program for -- in my view and in many other experts' views who have seen the raw data, it will take a period of years.' US B-2 bombers hit two Iranian nuclear sites with massive GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs over the weekend, while a guided missile submarine struck a third with Tomahawk cruise missiles. Trump called the strikes a 'spectacular military success' and said they had 'obliterated' the nuclear sites, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington's forces had 'devastated the Iranian nuclear program.' General Dan Caine, the top US military officer, has offered a more cautious tone, saying the strikes caused 'extremely severe damage' to the Iranian facilities. Iran's government said Tuesday it had 'taken the necessary measures' to ensure the continuation of its nuclear program. 'Plans for restarting (the facilities) have been prepared in advance, and our strategy is to ensure that production and services are not disrupted,' the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Mohammad Eslami, said in a statement aired on state television. An adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei meanwhile said his country still had stocks of enriched uranium and that 'the game is not over.' Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign targeting Iranian nuclear sites, scientists and top military brass on June 13 in a bid to set back Tehran's nuclear efforts. Trump had spent weeks pursuing a diplomatic path to replace the nuclear deal with Tehran that he tore up during his first term in 2018, but he ultimately decided to take military action. The US operation was massive, with Caine saying it involved more than 125 US aircraft including stealth bombers, fighters, aerial refueling tankers, a guided missile submarine and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US intel says strikes did not destroy Iran nuclear program
A classified preliminary US intelligence report has concluded that American strikes on Iran set back Tehran's nuclear program by just a few months -- rather than destroying it as claimed by President Donald Trump. US media on Tuesday cited people familiar with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) findings as saying the weekend strikes did not fully eliminate Iran's centrifuges or stockpile of enriched uranium. The aerial bombardments and missile strikes sealed off entrances to some facilities without destroying underground buildings, according to the report. US media coverage of the DIA assessment appeared to anger Trump, who insisted news outlets like CNN and The New York Times were out to "demean" the military strike by saying it only set back Iran's nuclear program by a few months. "THE NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED!" Trump posted in all caps on his Truth Social platform. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the authenticity of the DIA assessment but said it was "flat-out wrong and was classified as 'top secret' but was still leaked" in an attempt to undermine Trump and discredit the military operation. "Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration," Leavitt posted on X. Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steven Witkoff, appeared on Fox News to trumpet the White House version. "The reporting out there that in some ways suggests that we did not achieve the objective is just completely preposterous," he said Tuesday. Witkoff repeated the assertion that the nuclear facilities at Natanz, Isfahan and Fordo had been "obliterated." "All three of those had most if not all of the centrifuges damaged or destroyed," he said. "In a way it will be almost impossible for them to resurrect that program for -- in my view and in many other experts' views who have seen the raw data, it will take a period of years." US B-2 bombers hit two Iranian nuclear sites with massive GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs over the weekend, while a guided missile submarine struck a third with Tomahawk cruise missiles. Trump called the strikes a "spectacular military success" and said they had "obliterated" the nuclear sites, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington's forces had "devastated the Iranian nuclear program." General Dan Caine, the top US military officer, has offered a more cautious tone, saying the strikes caused "extremely severe damage" to the Iranian facilities. Iran's government said Tuesday it had "taken the necessary measures" to ensure the continuation of its nuclear program. "Plans for restarting (the facilities) have been prepared in advance, and our strategy is to ensure that production and services are not disrupted," the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Mohammad Eslami, said in a statement aired on state television. An adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meanwhile said his country still had stocks of enriched uranium and that "the game is not over." Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign targeting Iranian nuclear sites, scientists and top military brass on June 13 in a bid to set back Tehran's nuclear efforts. Trump had spent weeks pursuing a diplomatic path to replace the nuclear deal with Tehran that he tore up during his first term in 2018, but he ultimately decided to take military action. The US operation was massive, with Caine saying it involved more than 125 US aircraft including stealth bombers, fighters, aerial refueling tankers, a guided missile submarine and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. wd/des/mlm/sla
Bloomberg
17-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Trump Leaves G-7 a Day Early as Israel-Iran Conflict Continues
By and Omar El Chmouri Save Good morning. Donald Trump leaves the G-7 a day early but the exact reason remains a mystery. Meta has found an 'AI whisperer.' And how to take on a party dominated by a loud billionaire (clue: find one of your own). Listen to the day's top stories. Donald Trump left the G-7 meeting in Canada a day early but denied suggestions it was to work on a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, instead saying his reason was 'much bigger than that.' He said he may send JD Vance or Steven Witkoff to meet with Iranian officials, but denied reports he had reached out to Iran for peace talks. Earlier, Trump briefly spooked markets by calling for the evacuation of Tehran. Israel continued to bombard Iran, which fired missiles and drones in retaliation.
