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‘Trump accounts’ app launches to manage $1,000 federal investment per child The Washington Post US Treasury rolls out Trump Accounts app nationwide Reuters Bessent says Trump Accounts app coming Thursday PBS Trump Accounts app launches to track $1,000 given to newborns in the US WMUR Trump Accounts app to go live Thursday CNN
Just nowPaul AdamsDiplomatic correspondentReutersUS President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he was "not satisfied" yet with the terms of a deal being negotiated with Iran.A ceasefire "hanging by a thread". A diplomatic process "making progress". A president "not satisfied". And explosions echoing around the Gulf.What to make of the current, confusing state of relations between the US and Iran - are we close to peace or sliding back to war?The latest word from the White House is that negotiators from both sides have agreed a framework for a 60-day extension of the ceasefire, to allow room for further talks - but that this still needs US President Donald Trump's approval. This has not been confirmed by Iran.It comes towards the end of a week that has tested the ceasefire, which came into effect on 8 April and has now lasted considerably longer than the active phase of fighting which preceded it.Iran responded to the latest US strikes - which included what US Central Command (Centcom) described as a "ground control site" in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas - with a warning that "aggression will not go unanswered".Its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) then said it had attacked an American air base. It did not say which, but Centcom later said a ballistic missile had been intercepted over Kuwait, where the US has several bases.Echoing Tehran's language, Centcom called the attack "an egregious ceasefire violation".It all sounds ominous, but this is still a far cry from the furious exchanges that characterised the first five-and-a-half weeks of this conflict. In that time, the US and Israel launched thousands of sorties against targets all across Iran, and Tehran responded with volleys of drones and ballistic missiles against US bases, Gulf countries and Israel.The US said on Thursday it had shot down five Iranian drones which "posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz", suggesting shipping - commercial or military - was once again the focus of concern.But neither side seems to regard the sort of tit for tat exchanges we have seen this week as marking a return to all-out war.All the while, a tortured diplomatic process, involving multiple actors, is playing out in the background.We get glimpses of that process from time to time, but they are partial and fleeting.On Wednesday, Iranian state media reported elements of what they described as an unofficial draft of a 14-point memorandum of understanding.The report included everything Tehran would like to see: the lifting of Washington's naval blockade of Iranian ports, the withdrawal of US forces from the "vicinity of Iran", and the restoration of non-military traffic through the Strait of Hormuz with Iran and Oman in control of the management and routing of vessels.Notably absent from the report was any talk of Iranian concessions, especially on the all-important nuclear issue.The White House issued a terse statement, calling the purported draft a "complete fabrication". Later, during the latest televised cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump said he was not yet satisfied with proposals for a deal.Trump said Iran was "starting to give us the things that they have to give us". He did not elaborate and repeated his warning that Tehran's failure to comply would trigger a return to war."If they won't, then the man on my left is going to finish them off," he said, turning to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.There were characteristic signs of impatience too. Asked about reports that Iran and Oman might seek to control the movement of ships through the strait, Trump issued a stark warning to a traditional US ally."Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we'll have to blow them up," he said.Meanwhile, the US Treasury on Wednesday sanctioned Iran's newly formed "Persian Gulf Strait Authority", set up by Tehran to oversee traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) called the scheme "a new attempt by Iran's Islamic
7 minutes agoPeter HoskinsBusiness reporterHindustan Times via Getty ImagesOil prices have fallen sharply on hopes of a deal that could bring an end to the US-Israel war with Iran.On Monday morning, global oil benchmark Brent fell 5.5% to $97.90 a barrel, and remained around $97.70 a barrel in the afternoon.US President Donald Trump had previously said the deal would include the reopening of the key Strait of Hormuz shipping route, without giving further details.While Iran says progress has been made, a government spokesman added that a deal was "not imminent". The Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) usually passes, has been effectively closed since the conflict started on 28 February."We're still a work in progress. As I said, you know, we thought we might have some news last night. Maybe today," Rubio said in the Indian capital, Delhi.His comments came after Trump said he had instructed negotiators "not to rush into a deal", after earlier suggesting one was close.Speaking after Rubio's comments, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Esmail Baqai, said agreement has been reached on a "large portion of the issues under discussion"."But to say that this means the signing of an agreement is imminent - no-one can make such a claim," he added.On Saturday, Trump said that he had had a "very good call" with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and others about a "Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to PEACE"."An agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalisation between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries, as listed," Trump said on social media."Final aspects and details of the deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly."He also said he had had a call on Saturday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which had gone "very well".Global energy markets have seen big price swings since early March after Iran threatened to attack ships trying to use the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks on the country.While crude oil prices have fallen sharply, they remain significantly higher than before the war. In the lead-up to the conflict Brent was trading at around $70 a barrel.A ceasefire was agreed in early April, and since then Washington and Tehran have engaged in talks over a long-term peace deal."There is now some light at the end of the tunnel, which will bring some near term oil price relief," Saul Kavonic, head of energy research at MST Financial."But even in the most optimistic scenario from here, oil markets will remain tight through 2027 given the time required to normalise oil flows through the Strait, repair damaged oil facilities, and rebuild global oil stocks that have seen record depletion since the war began," he added.Lars Jensen, chief executive of Vespucci Maritime and former Maersk director, said that even if a deal was announced on Monday the shipping industry would remain "very cautious and hesitant"."You are likely going to see shipping lines that have vessels stuck in the Persian Gulf try to get them out, but they will be a lot more hesitant to put ships back into the Persian Gulf in case the thing turns south again," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.Jensen pointed out that with issues such as potential sea mines in the strait and its surrounds, in a best-case scenario it would be months before supply chains were back to the way they had been before the war.On Monday, the Nikkei 225 stock index in Japan rose above 65,000 for the first time after gaining 3% on hopes that the strait would soon reopen.Japan, like nearby South Korea, has been particularly affected by the conflict as they are heavily reliant on energy from the Gulf.UK and US energy and financial markets are closed on Monday for public holidays.
India govt has dismissed viral claims of an evacuation plan via Fujairah port as false. Meanwhile, Trump has rejected Iran's peace proposal as totally unacceptable, oil prices have surged past 99 dollars a barrel, and 40 nations are meeting to plan a naval mission through the Strait of HormuzOffshore vessel 'MD ZEN 532' at the Port of Fujairah, as the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran limits marine traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, in Fujairah(REUTERS)The Indian government has moved to quash circulating claims that it is working with the United Arab Emirates to evacuate Indian nationals through Fujairah port amid the ongoing Iran war, calling the reports entirely without basis.India-UAE Fujairah Evacuation Claim Is False, Says Ministry of External AffairsAmid escalating tensions in the Middle East and rising anxiety among Indian nationals in the region, a claim circulating widely online alleged that India was coordinating with the United Arab Emirates to evacuate its citizens through Fujairah port. The Indian government has now formally denied those reports."There is no basis in fact for such a story. There is no evacuation being planned. Please stay alert against such false and baseless claims," the Ministry of External Affairs posted on X on Monday.The clarification comes as the broader Iran war enters a dangerous new phase, with peace negotiations between Washington and Tehran failing to produce an agreement and oil markets reacting sharply to the prospect of renewed conflict.Trump Rejects Iran's Peace Proposal, Calls Terms Totally UnacceptableUS President Donald Trump has rejected Tehran's response to Washington's latest peace proposal, describing Iran's counter-terms in unambiguous language on his Truth Social platform."I have just read the response from Iran's so-called 'Representatives.' I don't like it -- TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!" Trump said.Iran had on Sunday responded to the latest US proposal and warned it would not hold back from retaliating against any new US strikes, nor permit additional foreign warships into the Strait of Hormuz. Trump did not disclose the specific contents of Tehran's counter-proposal but made clear he would not accept them.The breakdown in talks rattled global energy markets almost immediately. International benchmark Brent crude surged 4.65 per cent to 99.95 dollars a barrel during Monday morning trade in Asia. The benchmark US oil contract West Texas Intermediate also climbed by just over 4 per cent to 105.5 dollars a barrel, as investors braced for further disruption to oil supplies through the strait, where Tehran has imposed a partial blockade.Netanyahu Says War Will Not End Until Iran's Nuclear Sites Are DismantledIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose forces launched the war on Iran alongside the United States on 28 February, has added a further condition to any potential end to the conflict, insisting that Iran's nuclear infrastructure must be eliminated before hostilities can cease."It's not over, because there's still nuclear material -- enriched uranium -- that has to be taken out of Iran. There's still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled," Netanyahu told CBS's 60 Minutes.The statement signals that even if Washington and Tehran were to reach a diplomatic agreement, Israel's involvement introduces an additional layer of conditions that would need to be met before a stable ceasefire could take hold.40 Nations to Outline Military Contributions for Strait of Hormuz MissionMore than 40 nations are meeting on Monday to detail their military contributions to a European-led naval mission designed to escort commercial ships safely through the Strait of Hormuz once a stable ceasefire is in place.The countries are expected to offer demining, escorting and air policing capabilities as part of a defensive operation led by the United Kingdom and France."We are turning diplomatic agreement into practical military plans to restore confidence for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz," s
15 minutes agoGeorge WrightEPAFujairah is the UAE's biggest port and oil storage facilityPresident Donald Trump says the US has struck seven Iranian "fast boats" in the Strait of Hormuz, as Washington seeks to guide stranded ships out of the Gulf through the largely closed waterway.The UAE and South Korea both reported strikes on ships in the vital channel on Monday. The UAE also said a fire broke out at the oil port of Fujairah after an Iranian attack.Shipping company Maersk told the BBC that one of its US-flagged vessels had successfully exited the strait with US military protection - under what Trump has called "Project Freedom".Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that events in the strait "make clear that there's no military solution to a political crisis".He added: "Project Freedom is Project Deadlock."Maersk said the transit of one of its commercial vessels was "completed without incident, and all crew members are safe and unharmed".The Strait of Hormuz has remained largely blocked since the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran in February. Tehran responded by blocking the crucial waterway through which 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas is meant to pass freely. In early April the US and Iran announced a ceasefire under which Iran ended its drone and missile strikes on Gulf countries including the UAE, but few vessels have been able to transit the strait since then and the US imposed its own blockade on Iranian ports.Trump said: "We've shot down seven small boats or, as they like to call them, 'fast' boats. It's all they have left." The US military said it had used helicopters to attack the boats. Iran denied such attacks had taken place.Earlier the US said navy destroyers and US-flagged merchant ships sailed through the strait on Monday. Iran called the claims "entirely false" and said its military said it fired warning shots at a US warship. The US military denied this.Later on Monday shipping firm Maersk said its US-flagged vessel the Alliance Fairfax, which had been stranded in the Gulf since the US and Israeli attack on Iran at the end of February, had exited the Strait of Hormuz.The firm had been contacted by the US and "offered the opportunity for the vessel to exit the Gulf under US military protection", the firm said. "The vessel subsequently exited the Persian Gulf accompanied by US military assets, the firm, said in a statement.Meanwhile the UAE's foreign ministry reported a tanker affiliated with Adnoc, its state-owned oil company, was hit in the Strait of Hormuz. South Korea also reported an explosion on one of its ships anchored just off the UAE.The UAE authorities also reported air defences had engaged 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four drones. Local officials said one strike caused a large fire and three injuries at its key oil port of Fujairah.The UAE called the attacks a "dangerous escalation" and said it reserved the right to respond. Iranian state TV has quoted an unnamed military official as saying that Iran had "no plans to target the UAE".The benchmark Brent crude oil price passed $115 a barrel shortly after the reports that Fujairah had come under attack, up more than 5% on the day. Fujairah lies on the east coast of the UAE, beyond the Strait of Hormuz. A pipeline from the oilfields of Abu Dhabi runs to Fujairah, allowing limited amounts of crude to be loaded on to tankers and shipped to world markets despite the strait being effectively blockaded.Neighbouring Qatar condemned the attack on the tanker affiliated with Adnoc and called for the strait's "unconditional reopening".In Oman, two people were injured when a residential building was targeted in Bukha, along the coastline of the Strait of Hormuz, state media reported on Monday.On Sunday, Trump said the US would start helping stranded vessels out of the shipping lane as part of "Project Freedom". An estimated 20,000 seafarers on 2,000 ships have been stuck since the US-Iran war began in Februar
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