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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday rejected direct negotiations with the United States as “meaningless”, after US President Donald Trump said he would prefer direct talks with the Islamic republic.Trump had called last month on Tehran to hold negotiations on its nuclear programme with Washington, but threatened to bomb Iran if diplomacy fails.On Thursday, the US president said he would prefer to hold “direct talks” with Iran.”I think it goes faster and you understand the other side a lot better than if you go through intermediaries,” he argued.But on Sunday, Araghchi said “direct negotiations would be meaningless with a party that constantly threatens to resort to force in violation of the UN Charter and that expresses contradictory positions from its various officials”.”We remain committed to diplomacy and are ready to try the path of indirect negotiations,” he added, according to a foreign ministry statement.”Iran keeps itself prepared for all possible or probable events, and just as it is serious in diplomacy and negotiations, it will also be decisive and serious in defending its national interests and sovereignty,” Araghchi said.On Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country was willing to engage in dialogue with the US “on equal footing”.He also questioned Washington’s sincerity in calling for negotiations, saying “if you want negotiations, then what is the point of threatening?”- Nuclear programme -Western countries, led by the United States, have for decades accused Tehran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.Iran rejects the allegation and maintains that its nuclear activities exist solely for civilian purposes.On Saturday Hossein Salami, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said the country was “ready” for war.”We are not worried about war at all. We will not be the initiators of war, but we are ready for any war,” the official IRNA news agency reported him as saying.In 2015, Iran reached a landmark deal with the permanent members of the UN Security Council, namely the United States, France, China, Russia, and the United Kingdom, as well as Germany, to regulate its nuclear activities.The 2015 agreement formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme to guarantee that Tehran could not develop a nuclear weapon.In 2018, during Trump’s first term in office, the United States withdrew from the agreement and reinstated biting sanctions on Iran.A year later, Iran began rolling back on its commitments under the agreement and accelerated its nuclear programme.On Monday, Ali Larijani, a close adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that while Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons, it would “have no choice but to do so” in the event of an attack against it.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to travel to Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump, discussing issues including tariffs and the “Iranian threat,” his office said Saturday.The meeting will take place on Monday, a White House official said on condition of anonymity.The two countries are dealing with a set of extremely thorny issues, including Trump’s shock imposition of 17 percent tariffs on Israeli imports, an elusive search for a ceasefire in Gaza, and mounting concern over Iran’s nuclear program.Netanyahu will meet Trump to “discuss tariffs, efforts to bring back Israeli hostages (from Gaza), Israel-Turkey relations, the Iranian threat, and the fight against the International Criminal Court,” which has accused the Israeli leader of war crimes, his Jerusalem office said in a statement Saturday.Tariff talks would make Netanyahu the first foreign leader to travel to Washington in an attempt to negotiate a better deal with Trump.Israel had attempted to duck the tariffs imposed on nearly every country by moving preemptively Tuesday — a day before Trump’s big global tariff announcement — to drop all remaining duties on the one percent of American goods still affected by them.But Trump moved ahead with the tariffs, saying the United States had a significant trade deficit with its Mideast ally and top beneficiary of military aid.Trump had said Thursday that he expected a visit soon from Netanyahu — “maybe even next week” — though the Axios website said Israeli officials and even some in the Trump administration were caught by surprise.Also on the agenda will be stalled efforts to reach a new agreement on a Gaza ceasefire deal and the return by the Hamas militants of the remaining hostages. Israel renewed military operations there last month, ending a short-lived truce.Trump meanwhile has pressed Iran, so far amid few signs of progress, for a new deal on its nuclear program. There has been widespread speculation that Israel, possibly with US help, might launch a military strike on Iranian facilities if no agreement is reached.Netanyahu’s US visit, originally expected to take place later this month, appears to have been moved up following the tariff announcement Wednesday, Axios reported. Trump and Netanyahu had spoken by phone on Thursday about Hungary’s decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the possibility of the Washington visit apparently arose at that time.burs-bbk-tgb/acb

A video recovered from the cellphone of an aid worker killed in Gaza alongside other rescuers shows their final moments, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent, with clearly marked ambulances and emergency lights flashing as heavy gunfire erupts.The aid worker was among 15 humanitarian personnel killed on March 23 in an attack by Israeli forces, according to the United Nations and the Palestinian Red Crescent.The Israeli military has said its soldiers “did not randomly attack” any ambulances, insisting they fired on “terrorists” approaching them in “suspicious vehicles”.Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said that troops opened fire on vehicles that had no prior clearance from Israeli authorities and had their lights off.But the footage released by the Red Crescent on Saturday appears to contradict the Israeli military’s initial claims, showing ambulances travelling with their headlights on and emergency lights flashing.The six minute 42 second video, apparently filmed from inside a moving vehicle, captures a red firetruck and ambulances driving through the night amid constant automatic gunfire. The vehicles stop beside another on the roadside, and two uniformed men get out. In the video, the voices of two medics are heard — one saying “the vehicle, the vehicle”, and another responding: “It seems to be an accident.”Seconds later a volley of gunfire breaks out and the screen goes black.- ‘Occupation’s brutality’ -The Red Crescent said it had found the video on the phone of Rifat Radwan, one of the aid workers killed.”This video unequivocally refutes the occupation’s claims that Israeli forces did not randomly target ambulances, and that some vehicles had approached suspiciously without lights or emergency markings,” it said in a statement.Red Crescent spokesperson Nebal Farsakh told journalists that Israeli soldiers had “opened fire frantically and hysterically” at the medics.”We then clearly heard the soldiers speaking Hebrew,” Farsakh said, adding that the fate of one medic, identified only as Assad, remained unknown.”We believe he has been arrested.”An Israeli military official told journalists late on Saturday that there were two incidents in the early hours of March 23.The first occurred at 4:00 am when troops fired at a vehicle carrying members of Hamas internal security force, killing two and detaining one, he said on condition of anonymity.The second occurred two hours later.”At 6:00 am they received a report from the aerial coverage that there is a convoy moving in the dark in a suspicious way towards them,” he said.The soldiers who were in the area felt that it was a similar incident to the earlier one, the official said.”They opened fire from far. What we see from surveillance, we see them shooting from a distance,” he said.”There were no handcuffs, no firing from a close distance… The forces are not trying to hide anything. They thought they had an encounter with terrorists.”Those killed included eight Red Crescent staff, six members of the Gaza civil defence agency and one employee of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.The bodies were found buried near Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah in what the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) described as a mass grave.Hamas accused Israeli forces of a “deliberate attempt to cover up the crime by burying the victims in mass graves and concealing the truth”.OCHA has said that the first team was targeted by Israeli forces at dawn on March 23. In the hours that followed, additional rescue and aid teams searching for their colleagues were also struck in a series of attacks.- Fear and prayers -In the video, a medic recording the scene can be heard reciting the Islamic profession of faith, the shahada, which Muslims traditionally say in the face of death.”There is no God but God, Mohammed is his messenger,” he says repeatedly, his voice trembling with fear as intense gunfire continues in the background.He is also heard saying: “Forgive me mother because I chose this way, the way of helping people.”Just before the footage ends, he is heard saying “The Jews are coming, the Jews are coming”, referring to Israeli soldiers.Seconds later, a male voice is heard speaking in Hebrew without a foreign accent. “Wait, we’re coming. We’re not responsible — you are responsible,” the voice says.The identity of the speaker and who he is addressing are unclear.The deaths of the aid workers sparked international condemnation.Jonathan Whittall, the head of OCHA in the Palestinian territories, said the bodies of the humanitarian workers were “in their uniforms, still wearing gloves” when they were found.The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, said the attack raised concerns about possible “war crimes”.

Bangladesh’s interim leader called an emergency meeting on Saturday after textile leaders in the world’s second-largest garment manufacturing nation said US tariffs were a “massive blow” to the key industry.Textile and garment production accounts for about 80 percent of exports in the South Asian country, and the industry has been rebuilding after it was hard …

Leading garment producer Bangladesh holds crisis talks on US tariffs Read More »

US President Donald Trump doubled down Saturday on sweeping tariffs he unleashed on countries around the world, warning Americans of pain ahead, but promising historic investment and prosperity.The comments came as Trump’s widest-ranging trade measures took effect in a move that could trigger retaliation and escalating economic tensions, with the British and French leaders saying …

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A video recovered from the cellphone of an aid worker killed in Gaza alongside other rescuers shows their final moments, according to the Palestine Red Crescent, with clearly marked ambulances and emergency lights flashing as heavy gunfire erupts.The aid worker was among 15 humanitarian personnel killed on March 23 in an attack by Israeli forces, according to the United Nations and the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS).The Israeli military has said its soldiers “did not randomly attack” any ambulances, insisting they fired on “terrorists” approaching them in “suspicious vehicles”.Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said that troops opened fire on vehicles that had no prior clearance from Israeli authorities and had their lights off.But the video released by PRCS on Saturday appears to contradict the Israeli military’s claims, showing ambulances travelling with their headlights on and emergency lights flashing.The video, six minutes and 42 seconds long and apparently filmed from inside a moving vehicle, captures a red firetruck and ambulances driving through the night amid constant automatic gunfire. The vehicles stop beside another on the roadside, and two uniformed men exit. Moments later, intense gunfire erupts.In the video, the voices of two medics are heard — one saying “the vehicle, the vehicle”, and another responding: “It seems to be an accident.”Seconds later a volley of gunfire breaks out and the screen goes black.- ‘Occupation’s brutality’ -PRCS said it had found the video on the phone of Rifat Radwan, one of the deceased aid workers.”This video unequivocally refutes the occupation’s claims that Israeli forces did not randomly target ambulances, and that some vehicles had approached suspiciously without lights or emergency markings,” PRCS said in a statement.”The footage exposes the truth and dismantles this false narrative.”Hamas, in a statement issued on Saturday, called the video a “damning piece of evidence of the occupation’s brutality”.”It also demonstrates a deliberate attempt to cover up the crime by burying the victims in mass graves and concealing the truth,” Hamas said.Those killed included eight PRCS staff, six members of the Gaza civil defence agency and one employee of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, also known as UNRWA.Their bodies were found buried near Rafah in what the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) described as a mass grave.OCHA has said that the first team was targeted by Israeli forces at dawn on that day. In the hours that followed, additional rescue and aid teams searching for their colleagues were also struck in a series of attacks.According to the PRCS, the convoy had been dispatched in response to emergency calls from civilians trapped under bombardment in Rafah.- Fear and prayers -In the video, a medic recording the scene can be heard reciting the Islamic declaration of faith, the shahada, which Muslims traditionally say in the face of death.”There is no God but God, Mohammed is his messenger,” he says repeatedly, his voice trembling with fear as intense gunfire continues in the background.He is also heard saying: “Forgive me mother because I chose this way, the way of helping people.”He then says: “Accept my martyrdom, God, and forgive me.”Just before the footage ends, he is heard saying “The Jews are coming, the Jews are coming”, referring to Israeli soldiers.Seconds before the footage ends, a male voice speaking Hebrew is heard saying: “Wait, we’re coming. We’re not responsible — you are responsible.”The identity of the speaker and who he is addressing remain unclear.The deaths of the aid workers sparked international condemnation.Jonathan Whittall, the head of OCHA in the Palestinian territories, said the bodies of the humanitarian workers were “in their uniforms, still wearing gloves” when they were found.The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, condemned the attack, saying it raised concerns about possible “war crimes” by the Israeli military.”I am appalled by the recent killings of 15 medical personnel and humanitarian aid workers, which raise further concerns over the commission of war crimes by the Israeli military,” Turk told the UN Security Council on Thursday.He called for an “independent, prompt and thorough investigation”.An Israeli military official said the bodies had been covered “in sand and cloth” to avoid damage until coordination with international organisations could be arranged for their retrieval.The military said it was investigating the attack.

Senior Lebanese officials said Saturday’s talks with visiting US deputy special envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus were positive, focusing on south Lebanon amid a fragile truce between Israel and Hezbollah.President Joseph Aoun and Ortagus discussed “south Lebanon, the work of the international monitoring committee and the Israeli withdrawal” from Lebanese territory, a statement from the presidency said, characterising the talks as constructive.The United States chairs a committee, which also includes France, that is tasked with overseeing the ceasefire that ended more than a year of hostilities including two months of all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah.Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s office, in a statement, also said the discussions with the envoy were “positive”.Ortagus’s second visit to Lebanon comes as Israel continues to carry out strikes in Lebanon despite a November 27 ceasefire with Hezbollah, and as its troops remain in several points in the country’s south.Under the truce, Hezbollah was to redeploy its forces north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the Israeli border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south.Israel was due to complete its withdrawal from Lebanon by February 18 after missing a January deadline, but it has kept troops in five places it deems “strategic”.Lebanon’s army has been deploying in areas the Israeli military has withdrawn from.Ortagus and Salam discussed the Lebanese army’s work in implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended a 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah and formed the basis of the November truce, his office said.The resolution says Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers should be the only forces in south Lebanon, and called for the disarmament of all non-state armed groups.- Economic issues -Salam’s office said the talks also addressed the Syrian-Lebanese border, where deadly clashes erupted last month, emphasising the importance of preventing “any tensions or chaos, and all forms of smuggling”, according to the premier’s office.Hezbollah has long exerted influence over large parts of the Lebanese-Syrian border, and Israel has repeatedly struck the area.The Lebanese and Syrian defence ministers last month signed an agreement addressing security and military issues along the border, which has no official demarcation.Aoun and Ortagus also discussed economic reforms and “combatting corruption”, his office said, a day after Lebanon’s new central bank governor Karim Souaid took office.Souaid has pledged to advance key reforms demanded by international creditors to unlock bailout funds amid a years-long economic crisis.Salam and Ortagus discussed “the need to reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund”, his office said. Ortagus also met on Saturday with parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a key Hezbollah ally, discussing “Israeli violations and attacks on Lebanon” as well as economic and administrative reforms, his office said in a statement.She also met with army chief Rodolphe Haykal.On her first visit in February, Ortagus sparked anger among Hezbollah supporters by saying the group had been “defeated by Israel” and declaring “the end of Hezbollah’s reign of terror”.The Iran-backed group was heavily weakened during the war with Israel, but remains active. Last month, Ortagus told Lebanese TV channel Al-Jadeed that the US and France had set up working groups that would address issues including the border disputes between the two countries and Israel’s continued presence south Lebanon.”We want to get a political resolution, finally, to the border disputes,” Ortagus had said.