Iran War Live Updates: Israel Says It Killed Iranian Naval Commander as Trump Raises Pressure on Tehran

Here’s the latest.

Nato chief says Trump responsible for alliance - Europe live

The US president said that the US ‘needs nothing’ from the alliance after world leaders refused to help open the strait of HormuzMeanwhile, the US president, Donald Trump, has once again lashed out against Nato allies saying in a social media post that they have “done absolutely nothing to help” in Iran campaign.“The USA needs nothing from Nato, but ‘never forget’ this very important point in time,” he warned.“NATO NATIONS HAVE DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO HELP WITH THE LUNATIC NATION, NOW MILITARILY DECIMATED, OF IRAN. THE U.S.A. NEEDS NOTHING FROM NATO, BUT “NEVER FORGET” THIS VERY IMPORTANT POINT IN TIME! President DONALD J. TRUMP” Continue reading...

Middle East crisis live: Israel says it has killed Iranian naval chief as Trump repeats claim Tehran ‘begging’ for deal

Israeli defence minister says Alireza Tangsiri was responsible for blocking the strait of HormuzAnalysis: Trump pitches peace plan but military buildups rarely veer to off-rampAn Iranian envoy has said South Korean ships can pass through the strait of Hormuz only after coordinating with Tehran, the Yonhap News Agency has reported.Such an agreement had to be reached in advance of the transit, said Saeed Khuzechi, the Iranian ambassador to South Korea, at a press conference in response to a question about guarantees for South Korean vessels to navigate the vital conduit for oil. Continue reading...

Nearly 500 airport security staff quit as DHS shutdown drags on with no end in sight – US politics live

Negotiations to end funding standoff sparked by Trump administration’s immigration crackdown fail to find a breakthroughSign up for the Breaking News US emailAs travelers continue to face sprawling security lines across the US, one company is thriving amid the ongoing chaos.Clear Secure, a biometric firm that allows travelers to bypass Transportation Security Administration (TSA) lines at more than 60 airports in the US, has reportedly seen a jump in new sign-ups this month amid the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown.There has been unnecessary speculation in the media regarding peace talks to end ongoing conflict in the Middle East. In reality, US-Iran indirect talks are taking place through messages being relayed by Pakistan. In this context, the United States has shared 15 points, being deliberated upon by Iran. Continue reading...

North Korea’s Kim meets Lukashenko, slams ‘pressure ​on Belarus from West’

Putin's allies mark a 'fundamentally new ‌stage' in relations with a friendship treaty during Pyongyang meeting.

U.S. Military Kills 4 People in Boat Strike in Caribbean

At least 163 people have been killed in the Trump administration’s campaign against suspected drug smuggling.

Labour MP joins Tories in suggesting truth being hidden about Morgan McSweeney’s phone – UK politics live

A Labour MP joined the Conservatives in accusing McSweeney of a cover-upYesterday the Conservative party said that it wanted to ban political parties from distributing campaign literature in a foreign language. Announcing a plan to propose an amendement to the representation of the people bill to make this law, the shadow communities minister Paul Holmes said:Campaigning in a foreign language as the Greens did in Gorton and Denton only fosters greater division. A coherent national culture relies on shared values, and an inclusive electoral process relies on a common tongue.I think it’s for political parties to choose how they campaign and communicate with British voters. If they’re using British money that is funding their campaigns and they’re speaking to people who have the right to vote, then why would you not show those voters the respect of communication?What fuels division is Nick Timothy standing up and singling out Muslim forms of worship for a ban when he’s not applying that to forms of worship that other religions are talking about.It just doesn’t compute, does it? I worked in Number 10. Briefly, I had a Number 10 phone. There was a paranoia about devices like that falling into other people’s hands.And so whether it was the Met Police, whether it was Morgan McSweeney, and what sounds like pretty evasive set of reporting, even when you look at that transcript, or whether it was the Number 10 security team following up something that at the time they could not have been sure had not been taken by a state actor, a phone with all sorts of government secrets potentially in it, that’s precisely why people in government have two separate phones.I don’t believe McSwindle had his iPhone stolenHonest believe, Matt. It’s smacks of the liar Johnson defence of ‘lost all my WhatsApp messages’. We mustn’t take the public for fools. And I am afraid this smacks of too convenient by far. I won’t do it. I will say what I actually think. And I don’t believe it. End of!I believe the report was made. McSwindle didn’t mention that he was the chief of staff to the PM. A significant omission of he’d wanted the police to prioritise the offence. Continue reading...

Pro-Israel Democrats decry settler violence in West Bank amid attacks on Palestinians

Aipac-backed lawmakers denounce ‘extremist’ violence in West Bank as support for Israel becomes a political liabilityAs Israeli settlers ramp up violent attacks on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, often as Israeli forces stand by, denunciations are mounting in the US, even from Democratic legislators and public figures who are typically staunch defenders of Israel.In recent days, dozens of settlers have torched homes and vehicles and attacked Palestinians in apparently coordinated attacks. Since the start of the month, Israeli settlers and police have killed at least 10 Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank, including two young brothers and their parents as they returned from a Ramadan shopping trip. Continue reading...

After ‘Sausage Making,’ European Lawmakers Approve U.S. Trade Deal

The trade deal that President Trump struck with the European Union has cleared a major hurdle that delayed it for months.