Paris: Countries in the Middle East and around the world voiced fear of a regional conflagration after the United States and Israel carried out long-feared strikes on Iran on Saturday. Russia: Talks a &#39;cover&#39;&nbsp;Russia called on its citizens to leave Iran, with former president Dmitry Medvedev saying that talks with the United States had just been a &quot;cover&quot;. &quot;The peacekeeper is at it again,&quot; Medvedev, now the chair of Russia&#39;s security council, said in a post on X. &quot;The talks with Iran were just a cover. Everyone knew that. So who has more patience to wait for the enemy&#39;s sorry end now?&quot; he added. Qatar: &#39;secure&#39;&nbsp;Qatar, which hosts a US military base, initially said it was secure after the US and Israeli attacks on neighbouring Iran but was monitoring developments closely. An official later told AFP that Qatari defence systems had intercepted an Iranian missile, and the defence ministry said it had repelled &quot;a number of attacks&quot;. EU: &#39;perilous&#39;&nbsp;The European Union warned the situation in the region was &quot;perilous&quot; and called for civilians to be protected in any ensuing conflict. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, on X, urged &quot;all parties to exercise restraint&quot;, stressing it was &quot;critical&quot; to &quot;ensure nuclear safety&quot; after the US indicated Iran&#39;s nuclear sites were in its crosshairs. EU&#39;s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, who said the situation was dangerous, announcing the withdrawal of the bloc&#39;s non-essential personnel from the region. UK: avoid &#39;wider conflict&#39;&nbsp;The UK government feared the strikes could blow up into a broader Middle East conflict, and urged its citizens in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE to find shelter. &quot;We do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict,&quot; a government spokesperson said, adding that the UK&#39;s &quot;immediate priority&quot; was the safety of its citizens in the region. Shah&#39;s son: &#39;final victory&#39; near&nbsp;Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran&#39;s last shah and a leading critic of Tehran, said that &quot;we are very close to final victory&quot; following the strikes. &quot;I want to be by your side as soon as possible so that together we can take back and rebuild Iran,&quot; Pahlavi -- who lives in exile in the Washington area -- said in a message to Iranians. Jordan: protect skiesJordan&#39;s military said its air force was at work on Saturday to protect the kingdom and its people while the strikes were ongoing. A military official later said that two ballistic missiles targeting the kingdom&#39;s territory &quot;were successfully intercepted by Jordanian air defence systems&quot;. Ukraine: Iran at fault&nbsp;Ukraine argued that the Iranian government&#39;s &quot;violence against its own people and other countries&quot; had triggered the US and Israeli attacks against Tehran. &quot;The reason for the current events is precisely the violence and arbitrariness of the Iranian regime, in particular the murders and repressions against peaceful protesters, which have become particularly large-scale in recent months,&quot; the foreign ministry said in a statement. France: safety a priority&nbsp;France, which has several military bases in the Middle East, notably in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, said that Paris&#39;s priority was the safety of its citizens. &quot;Obviously our priority in these sort of cases is the protection of our nationals, the protection of our forces in the region and the monitoring of the situation in real time, which we are doing,&quot; Alice Rufo, a deputy defence minister, told France 2 television. African Union: stability at risk&nbsp;The African Union called &quot;for restraint, urgent de-escalation and sustained dialogue&quot; after the strikes, warning that conflict could risk harming people on the continent. &quot;Further escalation risks worsening global instability, with serious implications for energy markets, food security, and economic resilience -- particularly in Africa, where conflict and economic pressures remain acute,&quot; said the pan-African body&#39;s head, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.

Middle East

Countries across the World have voiced serious concerns over a regional conflict after US and Israel carried out strikes on Iran

World warns against Mideast war as US, Israel strike Iran

LONDON: The UK government expressed the fear Saturday that the military strikes pitting the United States and Israel against Iran could blow up into a broader Middle East conflict. &quot;We do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict,&quot; a government spokesperson said. They said that the UK&#39;s &quot;immediate priority&quot; was the safety of its citizens in the region. The spokesperson also said that the UK has &quot;a range of defensive capabilities in the region, which we have recently bolstered. We stand ready to protect our interests.&quot; A government source noted, however, that Britain was not involved in the US and Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was understood to be chairing an emergency meeting of his key cabinet ministers during the day. Separately, the British government, in a message on X, urged its citizens in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and United Arab Emirates to &quot;immediately shelter in place&quot; because of reported missile attacks on sites in those countries.

UK PM Keir Starmer said that Britain was not involved in the US-Israel attack on Iran and that it stands to protect its interests in the region.

UK fears US-Iran conflict spiralling into Mideast war

LONDON: The US and Israeli strikes against Iran could severely disrupt the global supply of crude oil and send prices soaring to levels not seen in years. AFP looks at the risks. Major producer Iran remains just inside the world&#39;s top 10 oil producers even though its output has fallen sharply since the 1970s, hit in particular by rounds of US sanctions. &quot;In 1974, Iran was the third-biggest producer in the world after the US and Saudi Arabia, and ahead of Russia, producing some six million barrels per day,&quot; Arne Lohmann Rasmussen, chief analyst at Global Risk Management, told AFP. Today, Iran produces about 3.1 million barrels per day, according to the oil-producing cartel OPEC, of which Iran is a member. This remains a significant amount, and the Islamic republic is believed to hold the world&#39;s third-largest crude reserves, cementing its strategic importance. Additionally, Iran&#39;s oil industry is in far better shape than that of Venezuela, another country hit by years of US sanctions. Strait of Hormuz The main risk to the oil market remains a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has frequently threatened to paralyse. This waterway is by far the main shipping route connecting the wealthy oil-producing countries of the Middle East to the rest of the world. Approximately 20 million barrels of crude oil passed through it daily in 2024, equivalent to nearly 20 percent of global liquid oil consumption, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). The strait is particularly vulnerable owing to its narrow width, around 50 kilometres (30 miles), and its shallow depth, which does not exceed 60 metres (200 feet). &quot;Even a doubt about security in the Strait would prompt many vessels, for insurance reasons, to face difficulties transiting, as premiums would rise sharply,&quot; said Rasmussen. According to Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen, &quot;only Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates possess meaningful bypass infrastructure&quot;. The route could transport a maximum of 2.6 million barrels daily, noted the EIA. Highly profitable oil Iranian crude is relatively easy and cheap to extract, with production costs as little as $10 per barrel, making it particularly profitable, Rasmussen said. Only Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates enjoy similarly low production costs. By comparison, major Western producers like Canada and the United States typically face costs of $40 to $60 per barrel. With such low costs, Iran gains disproportionately from high global prices, a crucial factor for an economy heavily reliant on oil revenues. US sanctions imposed since the 1979 Islamic Revolution have left Iran with few export options -- especially after Trump revived a &quot;maximum pressure&quot; policy on Tehran upon his return to the White House. Last year, Washington targeted Chinese &quot;teapot&quot; refineries, which operate independently of state-owned oil companies, accusing them of buying Iranian crude. China, however, continues to buy Iranian oil at below-market prices. Iran exports between 1.3 and 1.5 million barrels daily, with more than 80 percent of the total bound for Chinese refineries owing to US sanctions, according to Hansen. Impact on Iran neighbours Iran&#39;s neighbours, from Gulf states to Turkey and Pakistan, fear an Iranian response since their hosting of US military sites places them in the firing line. They &quot;know they are vulnerable because the Iranians have enough basic intermediate-range missiles that allow them to strike vital points&quot; in the worst-case scenario, noted Pierre Razoux, director of studies at the Mediterranean Foundation for Strategic Studies. At-risk infrastructure includes hydrocarbon hubs as well as electrical power and seawater desalination plants, he added. Soaring oil prices, meanwhile, risk a return to soaring inflation, hurting the global economy. Crude reaching $100 per barrel for the first time since the start of Russia&#39;s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 could also hurt Trump in the midterm elections at the end of the year, especially as he has promised American voters cheap energy.

As the US and Israel launch "preventative" strikes on Iran, a major oil producer, oil markets will are set to receive shocks. 

How will US, Israeli strikes on Iran affect oil markets?

WASHINGTON: Iran agreed in talks with the United States never to stockpile enriched uranium, mediator Oman&#39;s top diplomat said Friday, in what he called a breakthrough that he hoped would prevent war.&nbsp;Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, whose country brokered&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-urges-us-to-drop-excessive-demands-to-reach-deal" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">talks between the United States and Iran</a>&nbsp;in Geneva on Thursday, said he believed all issues in a deal could be resolved &quot;amicably and comprehensively&quot; within three months.&nbsp;&quot;If the ultimate objective is to ensure forever that Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb, I think we have cracked that problem through these negotiations by agreeing on a very important breakthrough that has never been achieved any time before,&quot; Albusaidi told the CBS News program &quot;Face the Nation.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;I think if we can capture that and build on it, I think a deal is within our reach,&quot; he said.&nbsp;The minister added that Iran would not be able to stockpile enriched uranium and that there would be verification.&nbsp;He said Iran would also degrade its current stockpiles to &quot;the lowest level possible&quot; so that it is &quot;converted into fuel, and that fuel will be irreversible.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;This is something completely new. It really makes the enrichment argument less relevant, because now we are talking about zero stockpiling,&quot; said Albusaidi, who met earlier Friday with US Vice President JD Vance.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-not-thrilled-with-iran-but-undecided-on-attack" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">President Donald Trump&#39;s administration</a>&nbsp;accuses Tehran of intending to build a nuclear weapon. But &quot;if you cannot stockpile material that is enriched, then there is no way you can actually create a bomb,&quot; Albusaidi told CBS.&nbsp;In a 2015 agreement negotiated by former president Barack Obama, Iran agreed to keep enrichment only to a low level that is well below weapons grade.&nbsp;Trump ripped up the deal in his first term and imposed sanctions, and in recent weeks has deployed the US military in the region to levels not seen in years.&nbsp;Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted that any deal cover not just the nuclear program but also Iran&#39;s missiles.&nbsp;Asked about the missile issue, Albusaidi said: &quot;I believe Iran is open to discussing everything.&quot;

A handout picture provided by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on February 26, 2026, shows Iranian diplomats and a delegation during the Iran-US talks in Geneva, Switzerland. (Photo: AFP/File)

Its foreign minister says talks between the United States and Iran in Geneva on Thursday, said he believed all issues in a deal could be resolved 'amicably and comprehensively' within three months.


Iran agreed not to stockpile enriched uranium: mediator Oman

TEHRAN: Iran&rsquo;s foreign ministry has sharply rejected accusations by former US President Donald Trump that Tehran is developing missiles capable of striking the United States, calling the allegations &ldquo;big lies.&rdquo; In a statement posted on X, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Washington was repeating unfounded claims about <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-to-submit-draft-nuclear-proposal-as-us-military-presence-grows" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Iran&rsquo;s nuclear</a> and ballistic missile programs, as well as casualty figures from recent unrest. &ldquo;Whatever they&rsquo;re alleging regarding Iran&#39;s nuclear program, Iran&#39;s ballistic missiles, and the number of casualties during January&#39;s unrest, is simply the repetition of &lsquo;big lies&rsquo;,&rdquo; Baqaei wrote. Although Baqaei did not directly reference Trump, his remarks came hours after the former president claimed that Iran was seeking to develop long-range missiles capable of reaching American soil. In a February interview with Al Jazeera, Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Minister <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-fm-says-agreed-with-us-on-guiding-principles-for-deal" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Abbas Araghchi</a> said Tehran did not possess the capability to target the United States directly. However, he warned that Iran would retaliate against American military bases in the Middle East if Washington launched an attack. During his recent State of the Union address, Trump reiterated that Iran would &ldquo;never be allowed&rdquo; to build a nuclear weapon, accusing Tehran&rsquo;s leadership of once again pursuing what he described as &ldquo;sinister nuclear ambitions.&rdquo; Iran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons, maintaining that its nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful energy purposes and that it has a sovereign right to develop civilian nuclear technology. Trump also alleged that Iranian authorities were responsible for the deaths of 32,000 people during a wave of <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-arrests-four-political-figures-over-disruption-of-political-social-order" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">protests</a> that began in December and peaked on January 8 and 9. Iranian officials have acknowledged more than 3,000 deaths during the unrest but attribute the violence to what they describe as &ldquo;terrorist acts&rdquo; backed by the United States and Israel.

The building of Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Iran rejected US allegations about missile and nuclear ambitions, disputed protest death toll estimates and warned it would strike American bases in the Middle East if attacked by Washington.

Iran rejects US claims on missile program as 'big lies'

BRUSSELS: The EU&#39;s trade chief said Tuesday his US counterparts had told him Washington stands by a key trade deal with the bloc, following an adverse Supreme Court decision on President Donald Trump&#39;s tariffs.&nbsp;After the Supreme Court ruled last week that Trump lacks authority to impose levies under a 1977 law, the US leader responded with fresh tariffs of 10% on imported goods -- which Trump has vowed to hike further to 15%.&nbsp;That raised complex questions about what the new duties mean for the EU deal clinched last year with Trump, which imposed 15% tariffs on most EU goods.&nbsp;&quot;I have been in constant touch with my counterparts, and they both reassured me they stand by the deal with the European Union,&quot; Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic told EU lawmakers.&nbsp;The top trade negotiator also touched on another sensitive topic in transatlantic ties: Trump&#39;s 50% duties on steel and aluminium imports, which the EU has been pushing to bring down.&nbsp;The president expanded levies on the metals in August to include several hundred products that contain steel or aluminium.&nbsp;Sefcovic said he discussed how to address the issue with his US counterparts.&nbsp;&quot;I hope we can find solutions in this matter very soon,&quot; he told the European Parliament&#39;s trade committee.&nbsp;The bloc&#39;s parliament put the EU-US deal on ice Monday as it sought more clarity on the fallout from the Supreme Court ruling, only a day before the committee was due to give its green light.&nbsp;Sefcovic said he understood the body&#39;s decision, but added: &quot;It is imperative we keep the process moving forward in implementing our commitments.&quot;&nbsp;EU member states&#39; representatives in Brussels heard from the EU executive on Monday, and a European diplomat said everyone agreed &quot;a deal is a deal&quot;.&nbsp;The EU executive told senior diplomats that if imports face a blanket 10% levy, pre-existing duties could mean some products are taxed at a higher rate than the trade deal&#39;s 15%.&nbsp;Another concern is that Trump&#39;s new flat levy could apply indifferently to the EU and to countries that made fewer trade concessions to Washington -- and were therefore previously taxed at a much higher rate.&nbsp;&quot;The EU now loses a comparative advantage vis-a-vis other countries, which was what made the deal palatable in the first place,&quot; the diplomat told AFP.

Americas

Europe

The EU says US officials reaffirm commitment to last year’s trade deal despite a Supreme Court ruling limiting tariff powers.

US told EU it 'stands' by tariff deal: trade chief

PARIS: Iran said Monday that a US attack of any scale would spur the Islamic republic to respond &quot;ferociously&quot;, after President Donald Trump said he was considering&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-says-considering-limited-military-strike-on-iran" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">limited strikes against</a>&nbsp;the country.&nbsp;The United States has built up forces in the Middle East to pile pressure on Iran to make a deal at negotiations due to restart on Thursday, with Trump weighing a limited strike if no agreement is reached.&nbsp;On Monday Iran&#39;s foreign ministry reiterated that any strike, even limited, would be &quot;would be regarded as an act of aggression. Period&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;And any state would react to an act of aggression as part of its inherent right of self-defence ferociously so that&#39;s what we would do,&quot; ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said at a briefing in Tehran attended by an AFP journalist.&nbsp;The two countries concluded a second round of indirect talks in Switzerland on Tuesday under Omani mediation.&nbsp;Further talks, confirmed by Iran and Oman but not by the United States, are scheduled for Thursday.&nbsp;The European Union, which has been sidelined in mediation on Iran, called for a diplomatic solution ahead of the talks.&nbsp;&quot;We don&#39;t need another war in this region. We already have a lot,&quot; EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers.&nbsp;&quot;It is true that Iran is at its weakest point that they have been. We should be really using this time to find a diplomatic solution.&quot;&nbsp;Iran&#39;s clerical authorities have faced recent steep challenges, including a wave of mass protests that peaked in January, last year&#39;s 12-day war with Israel, and the weakening of Iran&#39;s regional proxies.&nbsp;Fears of conflictIran has, however, insisted only discussions on the country&#39;s nuclear programme are on the table at mediated talks. The West believes the programme is aimed at making a bomb, which Tehran denies.&nbsp;Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is leading the negotiations for Iran, while the United States is represented by envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner.&nbsp;Trump is wondering why Iran has not &quot;capitulated&quot; in the face of Washington&#39;s military deployment, Witkoff said in an interview with Fox News broadcast over the weekend.&nbsp;Baqaei responded Monday by saying that Iranians had never capitulated at any point in their history.&nbsp;Trump had initially threatened military action over the violent crackdown on the protests that rights groups say saw thousands of people killed by security forces, but his attention soon shifted to Iran&#39;s nuclear programme.&nbsp;Scattered anti-government protests have continued in the country, despite the threat of suppression and arrests.&nbsp;Students rallied to commemorate those killed in competing pro- and anti-government demonstrations as the university semester restarted over the weekend.&nbsp;Iranians&#39; fears of a new conflict have grown and the concerns have also prompted several foreign countries to urge their citizens to leave Iran.&nbsp;India on Monday joined Sweden, Serbia, Poland and Australia in calling for its citizens -- estimated at 10,000 in the country by the foreign ministry -- to leave Iran.

Central Asia

Iran says that US attack of any scale would spur the Islamic republic to respond "ferociously", after President Donald Trump said he was considering limited strikes against the country

Iran says would respond 'ferociously' to any US attack, even limited strikes

Web Desk

TEHRAN: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that recent talks between Iran and the United States had produced &ldquo;encouraging signals,&rdquo; but stressed that Tehran remains prepared for any possible scenario.&nbsp;&ldquo;Iran is committed to peace and stability in the region. Recent negotiations included the exchange of practical proposals and yielded encouraging signals. However, we continue to closely monitor US actions and have made all necessary preparations for any potential scenario,&rdquo; Pezeshkian wrote on X.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 320px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2025631856285057217&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=7bf5e8c4d6cf2c3dac0caee1fbff48c1f0da1814&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Iran and the United States have held two rounds of talks this month focused on Tehran&rsquo;s nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions on the Islamic republic.&nbsp;The discussions, held in Oman on Feb. 6 and in Switzerland on Feb. 17, marked the first such engagement since the 12-day war launched by Israel in June last year, which the United States later joined.&nbsp;Amid the negotiations, Washington has deployed aircraft carriers and other military assets to the region, while warning Tehran of possible military action.&nbsp;Earlier, Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iranus-talks-expected-thursday-despite-fears-of-strikes" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">likely to meet US Special Envoy</a> Steve Witkoff in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday for a new round of negotiations. Speaking to CBS News on Sunday, Iran&#39;s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said details of a possible deal were being drawn up ahead of the renewed talks on Tehran&#39;s nuclear program, after Washington&#39;s envoy Steve Witkoff had publicly wondered why Tehran had not yet &quot;capitulated.&quot; Badr Albusaidi, foreign minister of regional mediator Oman, said talks would resume on Thursday in Geneva &quot;with a positive push to go the extra mile towards finalizing the deal.&quot; US threats of military action have multiplied since a nationwide protest movement in Iran sparked a crackdown that rights groups say killed thousands. On Sunday, Iranian students held competing pro- and anti-government protests, with critics of the clerical leadership risking arrest or worse if they are caught. &quot;If the US attacks us, then we have every&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/fm-says-iran-has-right-to-selfdefence-if-us-attacks" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">right to defend ourselves</a>,&quot; Araghchi said, alluding to American interests in the region as potential targets. Still, he said, &quot;there is a good chance to have a diplomatic solution.&quot;

Says the country continues to monitor US actions closely and has made all necessary preparations for any potential scenario.

Iranian president says recent talks with US show encouraging signals

BEIJING: China urged the United States on Monday to cancel unilateral tariffs announced by President Donald Trump after the US Supreme Court struck down many of his measures. The court ruled six to three on Friday that Trump does not have the authority to impose tariffs under a 1977 law he has relied on to impose sudden levies on individual countries, upending global trade. Trump reacted furiously, announcing first a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-vows-10-global-tariff-after-stinging-court-rebuke" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">10% global duty</a> on imports under a different legal authority, before&nbsp;raising it to 15%&nbsp;on Saturday. China&#39;s commerce ministry said on Monday it was conducting a &quot;comprehensive assessment&quot; of the ruling&#39;s impact, and called on Washington to lift the tariffs. &quot;China urges the United States to cancel its unilateral tariff measures on its trading partners,&quot; the ministry said in a statement. &quot;There are no winners in a trade war, and that protectionism leads nowhere.&quot; The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-announces-hike-in-us-global-tariff-rate-from-10-to-15" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">new 15% global duties</a> are due to kick in on Tuesday and are expected to last 150 days, with exemptions for some products. The Chinese foreign ministry also noted that it was paying &quot;close attention&quot; to potential moves by the United States to maintain increased tariffs. &quot;The United States is currently planning alternative measures, such as trade investigations, to maintain increased tariffs on trading partners. China will continue to pay close attention to this and resolutely safeguard China&#39;s interests,&quot; it said. The Supreme Court ruling was a stunning rebuke to Trump from a judicial body that has largely sided with him since his return to office. It marked a major political setback in striking down his signature economic policy that has roiled the global trade order. Several countries have said they are studying the Supreme Court ruling and Trump&#39;s subsequent tariff announcements. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told US media on Sunday that the country&#39;s trade deals with China, the European Union and other partners will remain in force despite the ruling.

BUSAN: US President Donald Trump (L) and China's President Xi Jinping greet each other as they arrive for talks at the Gimhae Air Base, located next to the Gimhae International Airport in Busan on October 30, 2025. -- Photo by AFP/File

Asia

Commerce ministry says it is conducting a 'comprehensive assessment' of the ruling's impact, and calls on Washington to lift the tariffs.

China urges US to cancel unilateral tariffs after Supreme Court ruling

WASHINGTON: The estate of convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has agreed to pay up to $35 million to settle the outstanding legal claims of potentially dozens of victims, according to a court filing Thursday. The agreement must be approved by a federal judge in New York before it can become final. The settlement is related to victims who said they were &quot;sexually assaulted or abused or trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein between January 1, 1995, and through August 10, 2019,&quot; the date of the disgraced financier&#39;s death in prison, the proposed plan said. Epstein&#39;s estate would pay $35 million if there are 40 or more people eligible in the class and $25 million if there are fewer than 40. The co-executors of the settlement are Darren Indyke, Epstein&#39;s former lawyer, and Richard Kahn, the financier&#39;s former accountant. Both have denied any wrongdoing through their association with the convicted sex offender and have not been accused of any sexual abuse crimes or witnessing of sexual abuse. But the settlement, if confirmed, will bring to a close the initial lawsuit filed in 2024 in which the pair of advisors were accused of enabling Epstein&#39;s illicit activities through their legal and business services. The judgment filed in federal court in Manhattan on Thursday said the agreement does not mean the co-executors admit fault or are liable to further legal action from victims. The law firm representing the class of victims, Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how many people were part of the lawsuit. Bloomberg News reported late Thursday that the firm was confident they had at least 40 victims who had not yet settled with Epstein&#39;s estate. Daniel H. Weiner, the lawyer representing the co-executors, did not immediately reply to a comment request. The settlement comes after the release by the US Justice Department of millions of documents, photographs and videos related to the investigation into Epstein. Epstein cultivated a global network of powerful politicians, business executives, academics and celebrities -- many of whom have been tainted by their association with him.

Epstein's estate has agreed to pay up to $35 million to settle the outstanding legal claims of victims

Articles tagged with "US, Israeli Strikes Against Iran"

World warns against Mideast war as US, Israel strike Iran

UK fears US-Iran conflict spiralling into Mideast war

How will US, Israeli strikes on Iran affect oil markets?

Iran agreed not to stockpile enriched uranium: mediator Oman

Iran rejects US claims on missile program as 'big lies'

US told EU it 'stands' by tariff deal: trade chief

Iran says would respond 'ferociously' to any US attack, even limited strikes

Iranian president says recent talks with US show encouraging signals

China urges US to cancel unilateral tariffs after Supreme Court ruling

Epstein estate agrees to settle victim claims for up to $35 mn

World warns against Mideast war as US, Israel strike Iran