2 weeks Ago
The US and Iran are beginning critical nuclear talks today as Trump threatens war Iran and the United States begin high-stakes talks to reach a new nuclear deal today. This comes in the wake of President Donald Trump’s threat of military strikes if Iran fails to agree to a pact — and Tehran’s warning that any attack would drag the US into a broader Middle Eastern conflict. The meeting, being held in the Gulf Arab nation of Oman, could be the first direct talks between Iranian and American officials in a decade, though Iran insists they will be indirect, with mediators acting as go-betweens for the two nations.
Trump has given Tehran a two-month deadline to accept a deal that would lead to Iran shrinking its nuclear footprint or eliminating its program altogether. “I want them not to have a nuclear weapon. I want Iran to be a wonderful, great, happy country, but they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said aboard Air Force One on his way to Florida last night.
What we’ve heard so far today: Iran is seeking an “initial understanding” with the US that could lead to a negotiations process, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is leading the Iranian delegation to the talks, said upon arriving in the Omani capital Muscat. It’s “too early” to speak about a timetable for the discussions, which depends on “sufficient will on both sides,” he said. An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said indirect talks are underway, with plans for the parties to be seated in separate rooms and convey their views to each other through the Omani foreign minister.
Trump has 90 days to do 150 trade deals. Here's where things stand after a rollercoaster week President Donald Trump and his advisers claim this was the plan all along : Announce astronomically high tariffs, get countries to come to the negotiating table, and — with the exception of China — then back off in order to work out new trade agreements. But Trump’s 90-day pause on his “reciprocal” tariffs gives the administration just three months to strike enormously complex trade deals with dozens of countries.
Financial markets aren’t buying it. Stocks have whipsawed as volatility has spiked. And other markets are sending a clear message of deep skepticism that Trump will be able to pull this one off.
Where things left off Friday: Following another steep sell-off Thursday, stocks appeared calmer — for now — and posted strong gains Friday. The Dow ended the day higher by 619 points, or 1.56%.
The S&P 500 rose 1.81% and the Nasdaq was 2.06% higher.
But warning signs continued flashing from other markets, including oil, bonds and the dollar . And investors have been trading on a knife’s edge, with any announcement from Trump liable to send stocks surging or tumbling. What comes next: The Trump administration is voicing optimism, saying dozens of countries have reached out to strike a deal.
The administration is providing few details on any ongoing talks, but has said it will favor allies like South Korea and Japan first. But trade deals are incredibly complex arrangements usually negotiated over the course of years, not months. China looms: Even if Trump struck deals with all those countries over a short period, China — the world’s biggest exporter — remains the elephant in the room .
Beijing is locked in a tit-for-tat battle with Washington, with Trump not only excluding China from his tariff pause but also raising tariffs on the country to at least 145%. Chinese leader Xi Jinping said he is “not afraid” in his first public comments on the escalating trade war, and has raised tariffs on US goods to 125%..
