Latest news with #USinvolvement
CNN
22-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
On GPS: A new era in the Middle East?
In the second part of this conversation, Fareed asks Johns Hopkins' Vali Nasr and Columbia University's Nadav Eyal about how the US' direct involvement in the conflict could transform the geopolitics of the Middle East.
CNN
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
CNN Speaks to Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht- Ravanchi - Amanpour - Podcast on CNN Audio
CNN Speaks to Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht- Ravanchi Amanpour 42 mins First: Christiane's exclusive conversation with the Iranian deputy foreign minister on how it could respond to U.S. involvement and still holding out hope for nuclear negotiations once this war is over. Then: If regime change is also Israel's goal. Who is waiting in the wings to take over? Christiane speaks with former State Department adviser and Iran expert Vali Nasr. Also: From her archives, Christiane looks back at a moment of hope inside and outside Iran for a peaceful transition to freedom and stability. Dreams well and truly dashed in the intervening years. And: Film director Wes Anderson speaks with Christiane about his new film "The Phoenician Scheme," the inescapable signature style of all his movies, and hiring Kate Winslet's daughter. Finally: As Berlin pays tribute to the legendary artwork of wrapping the Reichstag by Christo and Jean-Claude this week, Christiane revisits her conversation with Christo and what he told her about the project and how his own history as a refugee informed his art and unstoppable drive.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nebraska federal delegation supports defending Israel, even if it means U.S. joins war with Iran
Israel has asked the Trump administration to broaden the U.S. involvement in the war in order to eliminate Iran's nuclear program. (Courtesy of U.S. Navy, Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Janweb B. Lagazo) LINCOLN — As President Donald Trump decides whether the U.S. will play a larger role in the decades-long conflict between Israel and Iran, the Nebraska federal delegation says it will support whatever the president decides. Israel launched an attack last week with aerial attacks in Iran's capital targeting its nuclear and military infrastructure. Since then, Israel and Iran have continued to exchange bomb strikes with no end in sight. Israel has asked the Trump administration to broaden U.S. involvement in the war to eliminate Iran's nuclear program. The Nebraska federal delegation says they support Trump's handling of the conflict and that Iran can't have a nuclear weapon, though there's no public evidence that Iran is currently building one. U.S. intelligence officials have said Iran could shift toward producing a nuclear weapon. Unlike other federal lawmakers and some prominent populist pundits, the delegation hasn't joined in the Republican rift between isolationists and the more hawkish wings of the Trump coalition. Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District Rep. Don Bacon hinted at a preference as he told the Nebraska Examiner, 'It is preferable for us to stay out of the offensive operations over Iran and reduce risk of escalation.' Bacon said it depends on whether Iran stops its 'nuclear weapons program' and whether Israeli forces can destroy the country's nuclear facilities on their own. The reason Israeli officials are lobbying for more U.S. involvement is because only the U.S. has the military capacity to destroy more of Iran's nuclear program with its 30,000-pound bombs – often referred to as 'bunker busters.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that his country has the capability to achieve its goals alone. 'We may have no other choice than to finish the job,' Bacon said. 'A nuclear-armed Iran is a dire threat to America and our allies.' After days of speculation and conflicting reporting, White House's Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump would decide over the next two weeks whether the U.S. will strike Iran. Leavitt also told reporters that Iran 'has never been closer to a nuclear weapon.' 'Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon … All they need is a decision from the supreme leader to do that, and it would take a couple of weeks to complete the production of that weapon,' Leavitt said. In March, the U.S. intelligence community said Iran was not building a nuclear weapon, according to the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. Trump dismissed her comments this week, saying he doesn't 'care what she thinks' and believes Iran is 'very close to having one.' U.S. Rep Mike Flood, R-Neb., who represents eastern Nebraska's 1st District, said he supports Trump on this 'significant decision,' because he has access to intel that could help inform America's strategy in the conflict. 'We must ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon,' Flood said. U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, who represents Nebraska's largely rural 3rd District, said, 'If Iran's nuclear ambitions were realized, it would be catastrophic for both Israel and the United States.' Because of recent developments in the conflict, U.S. intelligence officials have said Iran could shift toward producing a nuclear weapon if the U.S. attacked its central nuclear facility or if Israel killed the nation's supreme leader. But it would take months, not days — as Israel's intelligence claims — to make a weapon. U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts told Fox News earlier this week that Trump would 'absolutely' have his support to use military action if negotiations failed. Ricketts also told reporters Wednesday that the decision should be Trump's. U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer said the U.S. 'must continue to stand strong with Israel as [it works] to ensure that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon.' Even Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen released a video on social media emphasizing that 'it is imperative for global peace that Iran never possesses a nuclear weapon,' and he had to cancel a scheduled trip to Israel because of the renewed conflict. The possible threat of an autocrat having access to a weapon of mass destruction could lead to the widening of another foreign war, like the precursor to the invasion of Iraq over two decades ago. The newly established two-week timeline from the White House gives more time for diplomacy as Europe makes a late push to de-escalate the conflict. 'I fully support our defensive operations helping Israelis shoot down Iranian missiles and drones. I also support Israel's actions to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons that would threaten all of us. It is preferable for us to stay out of the offensive operations over Iran and reduce risk of escalation. But if it turns out that only our bunker-busting bombs can destroy the deep underground nuclear facilities and that Iran refuses to stop its nuclear weapons program, then we may have no other choice then to finish the job. A nuclear-armed Iran is a dire threat to America and our allies.' – U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb. 'We must be clear-eyed about the threat posed by Iran and adversaries globally and on the home front … I am grateful President Trump and negotiators from his administration have been robustly engaged in neutralizing Iran's nuclear program and Iran's funding for its allied enemies of Israel. If Iran's nuclear ambitions were realized, it would be catastrophic for both Israel and the United States, who their leaders have sworn to destroy.' – U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., from a recent column 'I support President Trump as he weighs this significant decision. He has access to intel that will help inform America's strategy — we must ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.' — U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb. 'As President Trump weighs all options on the table, we must continue to stand strong with Israel as they work to ensure that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon.' — U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb. 'We cannot allow Iran to have an enrichment program or to be able to get a nuclear bomb and Iran was just using the same old tactics of delaying the peace talks,' — U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Iran–Israel: Everything investors need to know
Investors weigh the market impact of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran as US President Trump considers US involvement. Yahoo Finance Senior Reporter Allie Canal outlines the latest and examines what experts have told Yahoo Finance. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Market Domination here. Geopolitical tensions, we know in the Middle East, are putting Wall Street on edge. Joining us now is Yahoo Finance senior reporter, Ally, now with our weekly investor playbook. Yeah, uncertainties are building when it comes to whether or not the U.S. will enter the Israel-Iran conflict. The White House saying that President Trump will make his decision in roughly two weeks time. Markets have not really done much since the escalation of this conflict outside of that spike that we've seen in oil prices, but even oil prices haven't risen to the upside to the level that's concerning here. Goldman Sachs had a new note published earlier this week. They cited poly-market data that showed markets were pricing in about a 65% chance that the U.S. military takes action against Iran by July. At the same time though, there's also about a 50% chance that both sides can strike some sort of a deal or agreement by this year. Here's a bit more when it comes to what Wall Street strategists had to say. It's trending in a better direction. Markets are comfortable with where it's heading. I think investors' default mode on these things is just to say they don't really matter in the long term. There are two conditions where that's, where that's a different story. One is if you have direct U.S. involvement in the conflict, and the other one that we haven't seen, you know, really in any material way, would be a sustained spike in oil prices. I don't think there is a way to fully assess what Donald Trump is going to do because he himself has said he's not going to know what he does up until the moment he makes that decision. Expect the unexpected. That seems to be the theme right now for Wall Street at large. Now I mentioned oil prices, and we have secured three weeks straight of gains there. Brent, the international benchmark, that's hovering around $77 a barrel. Crude is at roughly $75, but again, that's not significant enough to lead to greater concerns when it comes to the inflationary spiral that that could create. Wall Street strategists have said that we need to see around 120 to about 130 bucks a barrel until we see some of those concerns. So until that happens, until the U.S. definitively enters this conflict and markets need to recalibrate some of that risk, I think we will continue to see this shrug from investors, and that's really been the general nonchalant mood for a lot of overhanging risks out there, not just tensions over in the Middle East, but also tariffs, deficit concerns. A large reason why it's because we have a lot of unanswered questions, and as we've seen throughout the entire year, things can just change so quickly. Just playing a little here, Ally, where it's 75. I wonder, you know, you never, you never want this to come across as cold, but I just wonder if the markets ultimately conclude, listen, as long as this stays limited, as long as it stays contained, the market is willing to look through it and get back to focusing on earnings and the economy. Yes, that really seems to be what it is, and you were just hearing from Ed Mills over at Raymond James there. He was saying that the prolonged risk of this conflict, that's not being accurately reflected in stock prices right now. So if we don't see that, then markets are saying, well, there's other things we should be focusing on like you were saying, Josh, earnings, what happens with the Fed, right? We just received that Fed forecast. They're still pricing in two rate cuts later this year, but Jerome Powell even warned that inflation, that should edge higher later this summer as a result of the tariffs. So what do we see on that front? I think that is top of mind for markets right now. Of course, if we do see tensions escalate, if it is becoming more obvious that this is going to be a longer-term problem, that's when I think you could see the decline on the price of stocks, but for now they're largely looking this, as looking at this as a short-term issue right now. All right. Thank you, Ally. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Irish Times
20-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Markets mixed after US indicates it will hold back from any immediate action in Iran
Global markets were mixed in choppy trading on Friday, as inflation concerns and uncertainty around US involvement in the Iran-Israel war offset relief over president Donald Trump holding back from any immediate action. Dublin PTSB was the standout performer on the day in Dublin as it climbed 4 per cent while the Euronext Dublin index was unchanged. Its peers AIB and Bank of Ireland were flat. Dalata, the biggest hotel operator in the State, finished up 3 per cent at €6.40 after a Scandinavian consortium circling the group signalled an interest in potentially making an improved offer for the business, after its €1.3 billion bid was rejected earlier this month. Oslo-based investment firm Eiendomsspar and Swedish hotel company Pandox, in which it owns an almost 25 per cent stake, said they have bought 1.69 million shares in Dalata at €6.30 – marking a premium to the €6.05-a-share non-binding offer it made previously. READ MORE Elsewhere, food giant Kerry Group underperformed as it finished down 1.8 per cent after earlier announcing it has initiated a €300 million share buyback programme that will run until February 27th, 2026. The airlines were a mixed bag, with Ryanair up 0.5 per cent, while longer-haul peers Lufthansa and Aer Lingus parent International Airlines Group were up 2 per cent and 1.5 per cent respectively. London Britain's FTSE 100 snapped a five-week winning streak, closing out a week marred by a wave of global risk aversion amid the conflict between Israel and Iran, while a slew of interest rate verdicts were also assessed. The blue-chip FTSE 100 dipped 0.2 per cent to hit a more than two-week low, while the midcap index ended 0.4 per cent higher, though with marginal weekly losses. Drugmakers GSK and AstraZeneca were among the top drags on the FTSE 100, down 2.3 per cent and 1.5 per cent respectively. Heavyweight energy shares gave back some of their gains from earlier this week as crude oil prices also edged lower. BP lagged with a 2.1 per cent decline. Among headlining stocks, Berkeley dropped 8.2 per cent after the home builder reported results and forecast fiscal 2026 and 2027 profits below market expectations and proposed the appointment of CEO Rob Perrins as executive chair. Europe Euro zone government bond yields were on track for a weekly decline. German 10-year government bond yields, which serve as the benchmark for the wider euro zone, fell 0.5 basis points to 2.51 per cent and were set to end the week 1.5 basis points lower. In the stock markets, the Europe-wide Stoxx 600 finished down 1.5 per cent. The Cac 40 in Paris closed up 0.3 per cent, and the Dax 40 in Frankfurt ended 1.3 per cent higher. New York Wall Street indexes tracked modestly higher as markets took comfort after the White House said Trump will decide in the next two weeks whether the US will join Israel in attacking Iran. Six of the 11 major S&P 500 subsectors rose. Utilities led sector gains with a 1 per cent rise. On the flip side, communication services stocks lost 1.2 per cent. All three main indexes were set for weekly gains. Investors are also bracing for any potential spike in volatility from Friday's 'triple witching' – the simultaneous expiration of single stock options, stock index futures, and stock index options contracts that happens once a quarter. Among megacap stocks, shares of Google parent Alphabet fell 2.5 per cent while chipmaker Nvidia, and Meta were down about 1 per cent each. Kroger rose 9.3 per cent after the grocery chain increased its annual identical sales forecast. GMS shares rose 28.3 per cent after QXO made an offer on Wednesday to acquire the company for about $5 billion in cash. Shares of QXO were up 4.1 per cent. Accenture fell 6.3 per cent after the IT services provider said new bookings decreased in the third quarter. – Additional reporting: Agencies
