US President Donald Trump said he was considering a limited strike on Iran after ordering a major naval buildup in the Middle East aimed at heaping pressure on Tehran to cut a deal to curb its nuclear programme.The latest threat came after Iran's foreign minister said a draft proposal for an agreement with Washington would be ready in a matter of days following negotiations between the two sides in Geneva earlier this week.Trump had suggested on Thursday that "bad things" would happen if Tehran did not strike a deal within 10 days, which he subsequently extended to 15.Asked by a reporter yesterday whether he was contemplating a limited military strike, Trump answered: "The most I can say -- I am considering it."After the talks in Geneva, Tehran said the two sides had agreed to submit drafts of a potential agreement, which Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told US media would be the "next step". **media[419097]**"I believe that in the next two, three days, that would be ready, and after final confirmation by my superiors, that would be handed over to Steve Witkoff," he said, referring to Trump's main Middle East negotiator.Araghchi also said US negotiators had not requested that Tehran end its nuclear enrichment programme, contradicting statements from American officials."We have not offered any suspension, and the US side has not asked for zero enrichment," he said in an interview released yesterday by US TV network MS NOW."What we are now talking about is how to make sure that Iran's nuclear programme, including enrichment, is peaceful and would remain peaceful forever," he added.His comments stand in contrast to information relayed by high-ranking US officials, including Trump, who has repeatedly said Iran must not be allowed to enrich uranium at any level.Western countries accuse the Islamic republic of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, which Tehran denies, though it insists on its right to enrichment for civilian purposes.Iran, for its part, is seeking to negotiate an end to sanctions that have proven to be a massive drag on its economy.Economic hardships sparked protests in December that evolved into a nationwide anti-government movement last month, prompting a crackdown from authorities that left thousands dead, rights groups say.The two nations held an initial round of discussions on February 6 in Oman, the first since previous talks collapsed during the 12-day Iran-Israel war last June, which the US joined by striking Iranian nuclear facilities.Washington has pursued a major military build-up in the region in tandem with the talks, and both sides have traded threats of military action for weeks.On Thursday, Trump again suggested the US would attack Iran if it did not make a deal within the timeframe he laid out."We have to make a meaningful deal otherwise bad things happen," Trump told the inaugural meeting of the "Board of Peace", his initiative for the post-war Gaza Strip.Iran's ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, warned that US bases, facilities and assets would be "legitimate targets" if the United States followed through on its threats.Araghchi, however, insisted that "there is no ultimatum"."We only talk with each other how we can have a fast deal. And a fast deal is something that both sides are interested about," he said."We are under sanctions, (so) obviously any day that sanctions are terminated sooner it would be better for us," he said, adding Iran had "no reason to delay".Washington has repeatedly called for zero enrichment, but has also sought to address Iran's ballistic missile programme and its support for fighter groups in the region -- issues which Israel has pushed to include in the talks.The Israeli army said yesterday that it was on "defensive alert" regarding the situation with Iran, but that its guidelines for the public remained unchanged.Ratcheting up the pressure, Trump has deployed a significant naval force to the region.After sending the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and escort battleships to the Gulf in January, he ordered a second carrier, the Gerald Ford, to depart for the Middle East.Iranian naval forces also conducted military drills this week in the Gulf and around the strategic Strait of Hormuz in their own show of force.

President Donald Trump vowed yesterday to impose a 10% tariff on all imports into the United States after the Supreme Court issued a ruling yesterday striking down the sweeping global tariffs. The conservative-majority top court ruled (six-three) that a 1977 law known as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) Trump has relied on "does not authorize the president to impose tariffs."Trump, who had nominated two of the justices who repudiated him, responded furiously, alleging without any evidence that the court was influenced by foreign interests. "I'm ashamed of certain members of the court, absolutely ashamed, for not having the courage to do what's right for our country," Trump told reporters.Trump said he would use a separate authority to impose a uniform tariff of 10% -- after he spent the past year imposing various rates spontaneously to cajole and punish other countries. "In order to protect our country, a president can actually charge more tariffs than I was charging in the past," Trump said, insisting that the ruling left him "more powerful."Business groups largely cheered the ruling, with the National Retail Federation saying this "provides much-needed certainty" for American firms and manufacturers. "We urge the lower court to ensure a seamless process to refund the tariffs to US importers," the federation said. But the justices did not address the degree to which importers can receive refunds. This will likely be litigated.Delighted Democratic leaders pounced on the ruling, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer lauding the outcome as a "win for the wallets" of US consumers. But top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee Elizabeth Warren cautioned there remains "no legal mechanism for consumers and many small businesses to recoup the money they have already paid." The Budget Lab at Yale University estimates consumers face an average effective tariff rate of 9.1 % with Friday's decision, down from 16.9 percent. But it said this "remains the highest since 1946," excluding 2025.The European Union said it was studying the court ruling and will remain in close contact with the Trump administration. Britain plans to work with the United States on how the decision affects a trade deal between both countries, while Canada said the decision affirms that Trump's tariffs were "unjustified."California Governor Gavin Newsom, who is widely expected to seek the Democratic presidential nomination to succeed Trump, called for refunds to Americans over the "illegal cash grab." "Every dollar unlawfully taken must be refunded immediately - with interest. Cough up!"

Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned remarks by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who said it would be "fine" if Israel took control of the entire Middle East, describing the comments as reckless and a flagrant violation of international law.The controversy erupted after Huckabee, an evangelical Christian Zionist and former governor of Arkansas, made the remarks on Friday during a wide-ranging interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson. Carlson pressed Huckabee to identify the exact borders of land to which he responded: "It would be fine if they took it all," before later adding that Israel was not actively seeking to expand across the Middle East and had a right to live in the land it currently holds.The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said the remarks "contradict religious and historical facts, international law, and the position expressed by US President Donald Trump rejecting the annexation of the West Bank."There was no immediate comment from Israel or the US State Department, which CNN said it had contacted for a response.In a strongly worded statement, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it "categorically denounced" the comments, rejecting what it described as "irresponsible statements, which constitute a violation of international laws, the Charter of the United Nations, and diplomatic norms."Riyadh warned that the remarks represented a dangerous precedent, particularly given that they came from a serving US official, and amounted to a disregard for Washington's relations with countries across the region.The backlash was swift and region-wide. Egypt's foreign ministry called Huckabee's comments a "blatant violation" of international law, stating that "Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory or other Arab lands," while the League of Arab States said the remarks were "extremist and lacking any sound basis" and would "serve only to inflame sentiments and stir religious and national emotions."Jordan's Foreign Ministry labelled the remarks "absurd and provocative," stating they violate the UN Charter and contradict President Trump's own official stance on rejecting West Bank annexation.The remarks come at a particularly volatile moment. The UN human rights office, just days earlier, accused Israel of committing war crimes and said practices displacing Palestinians and altering the demographic composition of the West Bank "raise concerns over ethnic cleansing."Israel has also encroached on more land since the start of its war with Hamas in Gaza, and under the current ceasefire, still controls more than half of Gaza's territory.Saudi Arabia called on the US State Department to formally clarify its position, stressing that the proposal was "opposed by all peace-loving nations." Reiterating its long-held stance, Riyadh stressed that "the only path to achieving a just and comprehensive peace is ending the occupation on the basis of the two-state solution and establishing an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital."