Senate Dem accuses Trump of being ‘unfit for office,’ joins growing call to impeach, oust president
Another Senate Democrat has called for President Donald Trump to be removed from office over the Iran war. “I certainly think the president should be removed,” Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., said. “I mean, he’s unfit for office. I think the 25th Amendment, and if not, then impeachment.” Congressional Democrats, particularly in the House, have recently escalated their position against Trump’s war in Iran, shifting from pushing for Congress to reassert its authority in declaring war to demanding that the president be ousted from office. ROGUE DEM BUCKS PARTY ON TRUMP WAR POWERS, CALLS IRAN ‘47-YEAR-OLD WAR CRIME’ Trump’s comments in the past few days, particularly his threat against Iran that a “whole civilization will die” unless the Strait of Hormuz was reopened, sparked the latest growing push to have him removed from office. While there is growing sentiment among House Democrats to jettison Trump from office, it’s not as widespread in the Senate. Still, Kim on Thursday joined a small group of Senate Democrats echoing the desires of their counterparts in the House. So far, Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.; Ed Markey, D-Mass.; and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., have all either demanded that Trump be impeached or removed through the 25th Amendment. SCHUMER BLASTS TRUMP’S IRAN WAR AS FAILURE, MOVES TO REIN IN HIS WAR POWERS AMID CEASEFIRE Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has stopped short of calling for impeachment, but instead is teeing up another war powers resolution — the fourth since the war began in February — to rein in Trump’s war authority in the region as a fragile two-week ceasefire continues. But their calls for removal likely aren’t going to go anywhere now given the political reality in Washington, D.C. Republicans control both chambers of Congress, meaning impeachment is all but a moot point. And invoking the 25th Amendment, which has never been used to remove a sitting president, is even more unlikely, given that it would require Vice President JD Vance, a majority of Trump’s Cabinet and then a two-thirds majority vote in Congress to remove him. TOP GOP HAWK GRAHAM WARNS IRAN DEAL HAS ‘TROUBLING ASPECTS’ AS CEASEFIRE BEGINS It’s also a desire that Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., contended was “not realistic right now, given his oddball Cabinet of sycophants and eccentrics.” “We’re going to have to buckle down and win this the old-fashioned way,” Whitehouse said. Democrats’ position does provide foreshadowing of what could happen if they win big in the midterm elections this fall, however. Congressional Republicans are still backing Trump’s actions in Iran despite some straying from the party line over his recent apocalyptic comments. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said, “Iran has been at war with the United States for 47 years, and it’s time for Iran to choose peace.” “They haven’t done it yet,” Barrasso added. “What we have seen is American peace through strength, and with this operation that is going on now, incredible success by the United States. “We have done what we have talked about doing. Eliminate their missiles and eliminate their missile production and eliminate their missile firing capacity, undermine their ability to ever get a nuclear weapon, and sink the navy.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment and has not yet received a reply.
Unearthed clip exposes shocking claim by Newsom’s wife about inmates at violent California prison
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, is getting raked over the coals for comments she made several years ago, suggesting criminals housed in a notorious California prison, which was known for housing violent criminals and death row prisoners, got there by “accident.” Siebel Newsom’s comments came as she was discussing a tragedy in her younger life at an event in 2016. A few days before her seventh birthday, Siebel Newsom was involved in a fatal golf cart accident that ultimately killed her sister. “I had to be very raw when we interviewed the young men who were juvenile offenders at San Quentin. I told them about my own loss, where I lost my older sister a few days before my seventh birthday and I blame myself for her death and I share that because they ultimately were accused of committing these violent crimes and sentenced for life, and I think it shocked them that this blonde lady, who was interviewing them, had a similar story – was perhaps in the wrong place at the wrong time – but wasn’t punished the way they were because clearly it was an accident, but theirs was probably an accident too,” Siebel Newsom said when discussing ways to connect with others. NEWSOM’S WIFE SLAMS TRUMP FIRINGS OF BONDI, NOEM, SPARKING PANEL DEBATE “Anyways, I share that – I guess – I quite enjoy spending time with people and being real and unmasking and showing them that it’s safe to unmask themselves.” A spokesperson for Governor Newsom’s wife clarified that the remarks in the 2016 interview with the first partner, were referring to incarcerated individuals for her 2015 documentary “The Mask You Live In.” The spokesperson did not provide an on-the-record statement but did point Fox News Digital to a social media post from Gov. Newsom’s press office calling out the media for being “focused on running nonstop hit pieces on California’s First Partner,” while the president is “threatening to obliterate a civilization tonight.” On Tuesday, the same day the clip began going viral on social media, President Donald Trump issued an ominous message on his social media platform Truth Social, indicating “a whole civilization will die tonight,” amid his threat of a looming U.S. attack against Iranian bridges and power plants. “This is the MAGA distraction machine — in full force,” concluded the social media post, which included news segments criticizing Siebel Newsom on Tuesday. GAVIN NEWSOM’S WIFE SAYS SHE GAVE HER BOYS DOLLS TO PLAY WITH IN RESURFACED CLIP However, Siebel Newsom’s resurfaced comments still garnered attention on Tuesday from conservative critics who called the California governor’s spouse out for virtue signaling. In direct response to Siebel Newsom’s claims that San Quentin inmates got in their position by “accident,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., shot back sarcastically: “Yeah, like the time that guy accidentally stabbed that dude 27 times.” “What the…” commented Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, Harmeet Dhillon, in a social media post responding to the 2016 remarks. “She represents everything that is wrong with California,” comedian Adam Carolla added. “Newsom’s wife’s latest virtue signal is telling San Quentin lifers that she faced zero consequences when her sister was killed because it was an accident, then telling them their life sentences are probably for ‘accidents’ too,” wrote conservative women’s sports activist Riley Gaines. “Peak elite tone-deafness.”
Biden-appointed judge at center of repeated clashes with Trump administration issues new immigration block
A Biden-appointed federal judge twice rebuked by the Supreme Court temporarily blocked another Trump administration immigration priority, postponing the termination of temporary protected status for Ethiopians living in the U.S. Judge Brian Murphy of Massachusetts, who has become a frequent legal hurdle for the Trump administration, found that the Department of Homeland Security did not follow proper protocols when it decided to cancel the temporary protected status (TPS) of more than 5,000 Ethiopians in the United States. DHS’ decision would have made the migrants eligible for deportation in 60 days and aligned with the Trump administration’s goal of dramatically narrowing the government’s use of TPS as part of its immigration crackdown. Conservatives lashed out at Murphy on social media for dealing another loss to the president they perceived as unjust. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said the ruling was not subject to judicial review under federal immigration law. Murphy had found that DHS did not meet the necessary conditions under the law to legally cancel TPS. DC COURT RULINGS STALL TRUMP AGENDA ACROSS IMMIGRATION, POLICING, FED — RAISING STAKES ON EXECUTIVE POWER “This Rogue Judge lacks the subject matter jurisdiction to issue this order,” Schmitt said. “The assault on the rule of law continues.” George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley pointed to his writings on Murphy, saying “this system cannot function with such rogue operators at the trial level.” Murphy emerged as a thorn to the government when he issued a series of rulings last year blocking DHS from deporting migrants to countries other than their nations of origin, leading the Supreme Court to twice reverse his rulings, including by issuing a rare 7-2 clarification saying that Murphy had flouted the high court’s order. His recent order doubling down on his prior rulings in the case was blocked by an appeals court last month. Murphy noted that he was not bucking the Supreme Court with his TPS opinion after the justices issued a string of emergency rulings green-lighting the cancellation of TPS for some countries, while holding off on addressing it for others. “Note that the Supreme Court gave no explanation for its recent stays of related, but not identical, district court orders. … Nor did the Supreme Court explain its subsequent decision not to stay the district court orders in two consolidated,” Murphy wrote, saying, therefore, that there was “no reason to assume” the Supreme Court’s opinion on TPS. Iowa Solicitor General Eric Wessan said the law did not permit judges to weigh in on TPS and noted the Supreme Court’s position. “One big problem for Murphy is the statute: It explains TPS determinations aren’t reviewable. Another is the Supreme Court, which has stopped similar orders twice!” Wessan said. “He finds neither statute nor SCOTUS stops him. I’m unconvinced.” Last month, Murphy also temporarily blocked Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine overhaul, finding Kennedy’s revised immunization plan reducing the number of vaccines required for children likely violated the law. The move prompted fierce criticism from conservatives, who accused Murphy of activism and selectively weighing “science” in the case. BIDEN-APPOINTED JUDGE TWICE SHUT DOWN BY SCOTUS FACES ‘ACTIVIST’ FIRE AFTER LATEST TRUMP POLICY BLOCK The TPS lawsuit, brought this year by an immigration advocacy group and three Ethiopians with protected status, alleged that DHS violated immigration laws and acted with animus by unconstitutionally discriminating against Ethiopian migrants. DHS canceled TPS for a string of countries, “the apparent goal of which is to significantly reduce the number of non-white and non-European immigrants in the United States,” the plaintiffs’ lawyers wrote in the complaint. “That animus and related rhetoric have been particularly stark for the nationals of majority Black countries,” the lawyers wrote. The Department of Justice could appeal Murphy’s ruling, leading to another legal escalation of a prominent case before him. Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ and Murphy’s chambers for comment.
Spanberger breaks silence on ‘sanctuary’ claims as ICE clashes heat up
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger broke her relative silence on multiple controversial issues during her first three-plus months in office, claiming the Old Dominion is not a sanctuary state and poking holes in the context surrounding a damning favorability poll. Spanberger has been under fire for undoing predecessor Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s 287(g) cooperation agreement with the Department of Homeland Security. Multiple heinous crimes have been committed in Virginia, allegedly by illegal immigrants and often under the auspices of sanctuary prosecutors. Spanberger also faces criticism over an April 21 redistricting effort she backed that would draw out all but one Republican congressman. HOMAN WARNS SPANBERGER BLOCKING ACCESS TO VIRGINIA JAILS COULD FORCE MORE ICE STREET OPERATIONS: ‘DO THE JOB’ “Virginia is not a sanctuary state — full stop,” Spanberger said shortly after exiting the executive mansion in Richmond. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there. Certainly, everything that you might read on Twitter is not real, but it’s actually pretty outrageous some of the things that have been reported along the way,” she said, pointing to her executive order on immigration enforcement cooperation. She said her directive was simply for state agencies, including VSP, not to place their troopers under DHS supervision. “And I feel very strongly about that because [VSP] is a top-notch law enforcement agency. And I don’t think it is responsible for us or me as governor or the Commonwealth of Virginia to put Virginia State Police under the supervision or direction of ICE.” According to a policy in neighboring West Virginia, only participating law enforcement personnel who are nominated, trained, certified and authorized have the authority to conduct delegated immigration officer functions under a 287(g) agreement. Only then will immigration enforcement functions be carried out under the supervision or direction of ICE. Spanberger also pushed back on reports that she has banned Virginia law enforcement from any ICE cooperation or localities from entering into their own 287(g) agreements with ICE. “That is not correct. My predecessor said they had to. I simply said I was not forcing them to,” the governor said. While Spanberger’s statement is accurate, a bill that would enact such a ban arrived on her desk March 31 from Sen. Saddam Salim, D-Dunn Loring. GOP OVERPERFORMS IN VIRGINIA SPECIAL ELECTION, FUELING EARLY MOMENTUM TALK IN BLUE-TRENDING STATE Salim’s bill bans any law enforcement agency in Virginia from engaging in 287(g) agreements unless an officer is presented with a judicial warrant, subpoena or detainer for a suspected illegal immigrant that has been signed by a judge. Spanberger said her Department of Corrections still provides a monthly list to DHS of noncitizens in its custody and that the press has incorrectly reported that Virginia can no longer coordinate with federal agencies at this juncture. “It was only the 287(g) agreements that I said state agencies cannot enter into. … Task forces work together. All of that continues to be the case, [including] JTTF.” Spanberger said that if ICE asks Richmond for help and has a warrant related to a suspect’s actions, Virginia will be glad to assist. She also pushed back on concerns over a Washington Post poll showing her with the lowest net favorability rating of any governor dating back to the 1990s. “I would say if everybody hated me, why is everybody putting my face on their mailers for the referendum would be question No. 1,” she quipped. Spanberger has been criticized for opposing gerrymandering in support of a 2019 referendum currently in effect, but she again on Wednesday endorsed Virginia Senate President L. Louise Lucas’ controversial redraw. She added that her election, a “seventeen-point swing,” is “the only poll that matters. And now I’m doing the work for Virginia.” SPANBERGER REFUSES TO HONOR ICE DETAINER IN MURDER CASE, ESCALATING SHOWDOWN WITH TRUMP DHS “What matters to me in the end is what I am delivering for people. I knew when I first was elected that I would have a big target on me,” she said. The governor added that the critiques of her work are at odds with the fact that “everybody thinks I’m a convincing character” in festooning her likeness on innumerable redistricting mailers. “I voted yes, and encourage others to do so,” she said, dismissing claims she should be “barnstorming” Virginia in favor of the redraw as Gov. Gavin Newsom did in California and saying she is a first-term governor closing out her inaugural legislative session versus a last-term governor with national aspirations. On Thursday, ICE Director Todd Lyons was asked about Spanberger and told Fox News Spanberger should “read the headlines” about what’s going on in Fairfax and elsewhere before breaking with ICE. “I never I thought, in my whole career, someone would campaign on going against law enforcement, right. … Elected officials like the governor want to give me a call and work with us, that’s what we want.” Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
Misconduct allegations dog Swalwell as Dem rivals seize opening in California governor’s race
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is facing increased scrutiny over allegations that he engaged in sexual misconduct with female staffers and other women, as several rivals take swipes at him ahead of the state’s June gubernatorial primary election. “I’m very disappointed in Eric Swalwell,” former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said on social media Wednesday. “As more and more women come forward with sexual harassment allegations, Swalwell skipped town to avoid facing tough questions about these allegations.” “If Swalwell wants voters to trust him, he needs to show up, stop hiding behind his campaign staff and social media accounts, and answer every question from reporters and the public. Voters deserve nothing less,” he added. The Swalwell campaign fired back in a statement to Fox News Digital, calling Villaraigosa’s claims that the Democratic lawmaker is inaccessible “false” and “absurd.” ADAM SCHIFF MAKES ENDORSEMENT IN CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL RACE “Congressman Swalwell spoke to more than 1,000 town hall attendees for nearly 90 minutes Tuesday in Sacramento,” Micah Beasley, a spokesperson for the Swalwell campaign, said. “Afterward, he met with members of the media to answer their questions.” Beasley added that Swalwell was unable to attend Wednesday’s candidate forum due to prior commitments, but had met with the group previously. Villaraigosa’s social media post referenced a series of accusations circulated by former Democratic congressional staffer and attorney Cheyenne Hunt and other left-leaning politicos who have alleged, without evidence, that Swalwell made sexual advances toward women employed in his office. The allegations threaten to shake up California’s gubernatorial primary, where Swalwell is vying to be among the top two vote-getters who will advance to the November general election. The crowded field also includes Trump-backed former Fox News host Steve Hilton, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and progressive billionaire Tom Steyer. Former Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., another candidate in the race, has described the allegations as “troubling” and said she is committed to supporting the accusers, who have yet to go public. “It is those women’s stories to tell when they are ready, and I hope that they feel safe and supported if they choose to do so,” Porter told CNN on Tuesday. “I believe women. I think that has to be the starting place here. So when those women speak up, I will be there, helping to amplify their truths.” SWALWELL’S ‘I SHOULD BE WORKING’ GYM, POOL VIDEOS RESURFACE AS DEM RIVAL HAMMERS HIS MISSED HOUSE VOTES Swalwell has denied any wrongdoing, and his campaign has characterized the sexual misconduct allegations as “outrageous” and implied that the accusers are tied to MAGA. Hunt, executive director of Gen-Z for Change, said she is working with multiple women to go public with their allegations against Swalwell. Hunt has not provided verifiable evidence to support the allegations, and no woman has yet come forward. “The Democratic candidate currently leading in the California governor’s race has a known history of being predatory towards women,” Hunt claimed in a post to social media in March. She posted an image of a direct message sent to her privately containing an allegation against Swalwell. “You know, Eric Swalwell has slept with many of his interns and makes them all sign [non-disclosure agreements] so they don’t speak up, right? And when I was 19, he tried hitting on me and sliding into my DMs,” the quote read. Bhavik Lathia, a Democratic operative, has also called on his party to take the allegations against Swalwell “seriously.” “Hey, I just got off the phone with a trusted friend. This is real. Take it seriously. Eric Swallwell cannot be our nominee. There is going to be a lot more coming out soon. I can’t say more right now, but stay tuned,” Lathia wrote on social media Monday. Swalwell, 45, has served in the House of Representatives since 2013, where he has emerged as a frequent Trump critic. He launched a campaign in late 2025 to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., as the Golden State’s next governor.
Foreign fugitive wanted for woman’s killing lived undetected in US for possibly years before ICE arrest
A foreign fugitive who illegally entered the U.S. and is wanted for killing a woman in Mexico was caught near the southern border after evading notice for possibly years. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Mexican illegal immigrant Jose Gustavo Angulo Bernal outside a residence in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, last week. Though Angulo Bernal had no criminal record in the U.S., he is wanted in the Mexican state of Sinaloa on homicide charges connected to the 2018 murder of a woman. He was arrested during a targeted traffic stop while driving a vehicle registered in his name. In a public statement, the Department of Homeland Security mockingly referred to Angulo Bernal as “one of the Media’s ‘Non-Criminals.’” The agency emphasized that while nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of crimes in the country, those with foreign charges are not part of that statistic. DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis commented that while “nearly 70% of ICE arrests have been convicted or charged with a crime in the United States,” the “actual arrests of public safety threats and criminals is much higher.” HOMELAND SECURITY VOWS DEPORTATION OPERATIONS ‘WILL CONTINUE’ AS ICE AGENTS HELP TSA, AGENCY DEFUNDED “Jose Gustavo Angulo Bernal is a cold-blooded killer and an example of who the media often refer to as a ‘non-criminals,’ [sic] because they only have heinous convictions in their home country,” said Bis. According to DHS, Angulo Bernal is charged with participating in the murder of a woman alongside two other accomplices in Nov. 2018. The agency said that after killing her, the trio allegedly dumped the woman’s body in the town of El Tamarindo, Sinaloa. Then, Angulo Bernal entered the U.S. at an unknown date and time. He evaded detection until recently. On March 31, ICE officers staking out a residence in Lake Havasu City observed Angulo Bernal entering his vehicle around 5:50 a.m. The federal officers conducted a targeted vehicle stop, during which Angulo Bernal was positively identified through his Mexican identification card. He was arrested and taken to ICE’s field office in Phoenix for processing. VICTIM’S FAMILY THANKS TRUMP FOR DEPORTING MIGRANT CRIMINAL DHS said he will remain in ICE custody pending the outcome of his immigration proceedings. “Thanks to ICE law enforcement, this monster wanted for murdering a woman in Mexico is off our streets. From foreign fugitives, gang members, and terrorists, ICE is getting the worst of the worst off our streets and out of our country.” MEET THE FAIRFAX KILLERS: TOP VIOLENT ILLEGAL ALIEN CRIMINALS WREAKING HAVOC ON MAJOR AMERICAN SUBURB This comes as DHS continues to undergo a lapse in funding due to a partial government shutdown. The shutdown has been brought on by disagreements in Congress over ICE and Border Patrol enforcement tactics, with Democrats making renewed funding contingent on significant changes to the agency’s current posture.
Has Iran’s 10-point plan changed, as JD Vance claims?
Confusion over competing United States and Iranian proposals to end the war is deepening uncertainty about the fragile two-week ceasefire between the longtime foes, with officials presenting sometimes differing accounts of what has been agreed. At the centre of the dispute is an Iranian 10-point plan, which is the basis for the upcoming negotiations with the US in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, this weekend. President Donald Trump has called the plan “workable”, despite initially handing Iran a 15-point plan that Tehran dismissed as “maximalist”. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list However, hours after the ceasefire, US officials, including Trump, offered mixed responses to Iran’s proposal and what Washington understood the key points of the document to be. Vice President JD Vance dismissed the publicised version as little more than a “random yahoo in Iran submitting it to public access television”. Adding to the confusion, the Persian version of the plan notably diverges from the English one on a key sticking point between Washington and Tehran – Iran’s right to enrich uranium. What was the US’s 15-point plan, and what was Iran’s response? The Trump administration presented Iran with what officials described as a 15-point framework aimed at ending the war, and potentially achieving a permanent end to hostilities between the longtime foes. While the full details have not been publicly released, reports by US media outlets and others included the following elements: Iran commits to never developing nuclear weapons. Iran must also no longer enrich uranium within the country, and hand over its stockpile of already enriched uranium to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Tehran would also commit to allowing the IAEA to monitor all elements of the country’s remaining nuclear infrastructure. Reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Ending Iran’s support for regional proxies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. A removal of all sanctions imposed on Iran, alongside the ending of the United Nations mechanism that allows sanctions to be reimposed. Limits on the range and number of Iran’s missiles. Advertisement Donald Trump on Wednesday said that “many of the 15 points” in the proposal had been agreed upon, signalling optimism about a broader deal. “We are, and will be, talking tariff and sanctions relief with Iran,” the US president added. However, Iran rejected the US framework, with its Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei confirming that Tehran had received messages from the US via intermediaries. He dismissed Washington’s demands as “maximalist” and “illogical”. Tehran advanced its own positions in a 10-point counterproposal, which included demands of compensation for damages suffered by Iran during the war, a commitment to non-aggression by the US, Iran retaining its leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, and acceptance of Iran’s nuclear enrichment. How has the US reacted to the 10-point proposal? Trump on Wednesday said the US has received a 10-point proposal from Iran, which he called a “workable basis on which to negotiate”. However, later in the day, confusion over what the official US position was started to become apparent. Trump turned to his Truth Social platform to attack those he accused of spreading inaccurate accounts of supposed agreements. “There is only one group of meaningful ‘POINTS’ that are acceptable to the United States, and we will be discussing them behind closed doors during these Negotiations,” Trump said, without providing details. “These are the POINTS that are the basis on which we agreed to a CEASEFIRE.” The US president, in a separate post, said there will be “no enrichment of Uranium, and the United States will, working with Iran, dig up and remove all of the deeply buried (B-2 Bombers) Nuclear ‘Dust’”. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed certain reports about the Iranian proposal and said that Trump would reject any uranium enrichment by Tehran. “The president’s red lines, namely the end of Iranian enrichment in Iran, have not changed,” Leavitt told reporters. While Iran says it is not seeking nuclear weapons, it insists on enriching its own uranium as a national right. Moreover, Leavitt said Iran’s initial 10-point proposal was “literally thrown in the garbage” by Trump’s team, but Tehran later put forward a revised “more reasonable and entirely different” plan, one which could be aligned with Trump’s own 15-point proposal. “The idea that President Trump would ever accept an Iranian wish list as a deal is completely absurd,” she said. Trump’s second-in-command, Vance, dismissed the publicised version as little more than a “random yahoo in Iran submitting it to public access television”. Advertisement “We don’t really concern ourselves with what they claim they have the right to do; we concern ourselves with what they actually do,” he added in remarks made to reporters in Budapest. He said he had seen at least three different drafts of the proposals. “The first 10-point proposal was something that was submitted, and we think, frankly, was probably written by ChatGPT,” Vance said. Are there different versions of Iran’s 10-point plan? In short, yes. At least two different versions of that same plan appear to exist, one in English and the other in Persian. In the Persian version, made public by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, it said the “US has, in principle, committed to” a series of demands, most notably the “acceptance of enrichment”, signalling that any deal must recognise Iran’s right to continue enriching uranium. However, this phrase was allegedly omitted from the English-language version. Iran has consistently framed uranium enrichment as a sovereign right, while the Trump administration and its ally Israel call the demand a non-starter and a red line. For years, Tehran has maintained that its nuclear activities are strictly civilian and that it has no plans to build nuclear weapons. In 2015, it reached an agreement with the US to curb its nuclear programme in return for relief from sanctions. In 2018, however, Trump pulled Washington out of that landmark accord and reimposed sanctions on Iran. Adblock test (Why?)
Israeli attacks on Lebanon aimed to undermine ceasefire, critics say
Just hours after the United States and Iran announced a ceasefire in the war that has dominated news headlines around the world and pushed oil prices to new heights, Israel bombarded Lebanon on Wednesday, killing hundreds, injuring thousands and prompting Iran to reimpose its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The bone of contention: whether or not Israel’s relentless strikes on Lebanon were included in the ceasefire at all. Pakistan, which brokered the agreement, said they were. Israel said they weren’t. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Later on Wednesday, the US sided with Israel, with President Donald Trump calling the violence in Lebanon “a separate skirmish” even though Hezbollah had entered the war in defence of Iran. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under intense political pressure since the US and Iran signed the ceasefire, which had little or no active involvement from Israel. None of Israel’s war aims, which Netanyahu had assured his country were the basis for what he framed as an existential battle with Iran, had been achieved, angering those who supported the war. Furthermore, under the terms of the truce published yesterday, a 10-point peace plan put forward by Iran has been accepted as a starting point for negotiations due to begin this weekend in Islamabad. Under early descriptions of the Iranian plan, Iran would retain its nuclear stock and could benefit financially from levies charged on shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and from tariffs and sanctions relief promised by Israel’s ally, US President Donald Trump, on his Truth Social account. Advertisement This is far from the 15-point list of demands the US previously put forward to Iran, which would have seen the strait completely reopened without conditions, and Iran giving up its enriched uranium stocks, ending its ballistic missiles programme and promising to stop arming proxy groups in the region, such as the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon and a flurry of armed groups in Iraq. Arguing that Lebanon is exempt from the ceasefire agreement, Israel launched the most extensive bombardment on its neighbour in recent months on Wednesday. In the space of about 10 minutes, the Israeli military carried out more than 100 strikes on what it claimed were Hezbollah targets, hitting Beirut, southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley, killing at least 254 people, 91 of them in the capital, Beirut, alone. The attacks have been condemned by numerous nations and international organisations, including Spain, France, the United Kingdom, the United Nations and Pakistan, which brokered the ceasefire deal and stated explicitly that Lebanon was included. Responding to the strikes, Iranian state media announced that its government was now considering walking away from the truce and has already announced that restrictions on the economically vital Strait of Hormuz will be reimposed. For its part, Israel says it is not trying to kill the ceasefire by launching strikes on Lebanon. Charles Freilich, Israel’s former deputy national security adviser, told Al Jazeera that the motivation for the strikes arose solely from the “opportunity to hit numerous mid to high-level Hezbollah fighters, not spoil the ceasefire, which both the US and Israel maintain does not include Lebanon”. ‘Provocateurs-in-chief’ Some analysts are sceptical, however. “Israeli officials will no doubt claim that this was a super sophisticated operation against necessary security targets, perhaps embellishing those arguments with claims of deep intel and technological penetration and sophistication, and you will probably have the usual mainstream Western media outlets slavishly parroting the Israeli line,” former Israeli government adviser Daniel Levy told Al Jazeera, before explaining that such operations typically combine two principal features. “The first is, sadly, an Israeli devotion to death and destruction, largely for its own sake, to spread terror and upend state capacity in various places in the region, and to upend civilian life,” he said. “And, secondly, a very transparent attempt to prolong the broader war against Iran, to collapse any ceasefire prospects, and to act as provocateurs-in-chief.” Advertisement Politically, support within Israel for the war may have weakened, however. Many of those who initially supported the war on Iran have been unsparing in their criticism of a potential pause in the conflict negotiated by the other two parties at Israel’s apparent expense. Posting on X, opposition leader Yair Lapid claimed that Prime Minister “Netanyahu has turned us into a protectorate state that receives instructions over the phone on matters pertaining to the core of our national security”. Democrats leader Yair Golan was equally scathing. “Netanyahu lied,” he wrote on X. “He promised a ‘historic victory’ and security for generations, and in practice, we got one of the most severe strategic failures Israel has ever known.” Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has been unsparing in his criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following a ceasefire he claims Israel was excluded from [Evelyn Hockstein/Pool via AP] “Netanyahu is in real trouble, and he thinks he has to wreck the ceasefire to get out of it, just as he did previously in Gaza,” Member of the Knesset Aida Touma Sliman of the left-wing Hadash party, which has opposed the war from the start, told Al Jazeera. “The ceasefire has lost him a lot of support, even among those who backed the war. None of his war aims have been achieved and it looks like he is losing control to the Trump administration,” she said. “Don’t forget, we’re heading towards elections,” she added, referring to the vote currently slated for October, “and Netanyahu’s dropping in the polls. He needs something he can claim is a victory. “And that’s why he did what he did,” she said, of Wednesday’s barrage on busy Lebanese neighbourhoods that killed hundreds, including women, children and medical workers, according to emergency workers on the ground. “He conducted a massacre in Lebanon.” Adblock test (Why?)
Can global supply chains recover from the Iran war?
Conflict upends flow of critical raw materials for manufacturing, aviation and technology. The United States and Iran may have agreed to a ceasefire for now, but the world’s supply chains will continue to feel the effects. Beyond oil and gas, Iran’s near closure of the Strait of Hormuz has blocked shipments of critical raw materials from the Gulf. Petrochemicals, helium and aluminium are just some of the products that have not been able to reach manufacturing hubs around the world. Many everyday items are affected, from plastic packaging to the advanced semiconductors in our smartphones. How will our supply chains recover, and can they become more resilient to global shocks? Published On 9 Apr 20269 Apr 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Assembly Elections 2026: Kerala voter turnout hits 33.2%, Assam records 38.9%, Puducherry at 37% so far
Polling for high-stakes electoral battles in two States and a Union Territory began on Thursday at 7 am. Voting for 126 seats in Assam, 140 in Keralam, and 30 in Puducherry is underway. The counting of votes will take place on May 4.