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Iran, Saudi Arabia tensions grow with Trump visit

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9 years ago

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Iran, Saudi Arabia tensions grow with Trump visit

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Tehran tells Trump to ask Riyadh for help in preventing another 9/11

By Abu Turab

West Asia seems to be on the road to confrontation on sectarian lines. The region has witnessed two major developments during last two days. US President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia attracted world media attention where he emphasised to work together against terrorism by highlighting Iran’s “destabilizing role” in the region. But, just one day prior to Trump’s address to 55 Muslim heads of states in Riyadh, Hassan Rouhani, the re-elected President of Iran, clearly communicated that his country “does not want to accept any humiliation or threat”.

During his 34-minute, 3,416-word speech, Trump mentioned Iran 10 times, while describing the growing menace of terrorism in the region. Trump said, “No discussion of stamping out of this threat would be complete without mentioning the government that gives terrorists all three: safe harbor, financial backing and the social standing needed for recruitment. It is a regime that is responsible for so much instability in the region. I am speaking, of course, of Iran.”

He elaborated, “From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militants and other extremist groups and spread destruction and chaos across the region. For decades, Iran has fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror.”

While describing recent US strikes against Syria, President Donald Trump said, “Among Iran’s most tragic and destabilizing interventions have been in Syria. Bolstered by Iran, (President) Assad has committed unspeakable crimes and the US has taken firm action in response to the use of banned chemical weapons by Assad regime- launching 59 tomahawk missiles at the Syrian air base from where that murderous attack originated.” Trump mentioned Saudi Arabia, the host of the summit, just nine times.

On May 20, Hassan Rouhani, while addressing the nation after being re-elected for another four years as President, sent a clear message to the outside world. He was quoted as saying, “Our nation wants to live in peace and friendship with the world but, in the meantime, does not want to accept any humiliation or threat.” He further asserted, “This is the most important message that our nation expects to be heard clearly by all governments, neighbors and, especially world powers.”

Without mentioning the names of regional monarchies, Rouhani said, “Our election announced to our neighbours and the region that the way of ensuring security in the region is strengthening democracy and respecting people’s votes, but not relying on foreign powers.”

Rouhani did not name Saudi Arabia or the United States throughout his speech.

Javad Zarif, Iran’s Foreign Minister, in an editorial published by London-based al-Araby al-Jadeed website, advised Trump to discuss how to avoid another September 11 terrorist attack with the Saudi hosts in his first official visit abroad.

He wrote “(Trump) must enter into dialogue with them about ways to prevent terrorists and Takfiris from continuing to fuel the fire in the region and repeating the likes of September 11 by their sponsors in Western countries.”

Most of the 19 terrorists who killed nearly 3,000 people in New York in 2001 were Saudi citizens and there have been repeated accusations that members of the Saudi monarchy were complicit in the attack.

Among the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, Saudi Arabia and Oman are absolute monarchies, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain are constitutional monarchies while United Arab Emirates, composed of seven member states, is a federal monarchy. All are US allies.

Meanwhile, in another development, Sana’a, the capital of Yemen, witnessed a massive demonstration on Saturday against President’s Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia. Martin Smith of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), an American public broadcaster, reported that posters were marked with slogans “down with America, “down with Israel.”

Martin said, “There were a series of speakers of anti-American chants, anti-Saudi chants. They are particularly upset that President Trump arrived in Riyadh to sign a $ 110 billion arms deal. These arms will go to the Saudis, and they will use these arms in their war in Yemen. And the country’s been through two years of war, and the people feel broken.”

The American journalist quoted WHO estimates that the cholera epidemic will probably infect two to three lakh Yemenis. UNICEF says that 70 percent of Yemenis were in need of some kind of humanitarian assistance. Nineteen million people were in need of food.

On May 19, just a few hours prior to Trump’s arrival in Saudi Arabia, Yemen’s Ansarullah fighters, headed by Abdul Malik al-Houthi, and their allies in the army (headed by former President Saleh Abdullah) had reportedly fired Volcano 2, a long range ballistic missile at Riyadh. A statement by Yemeni army said that the missile strike conveyed “a clear and important message that we are all ready to the aggression”.

However, Saudi military announced that it had intercepted and destroyed a projectile some 200 km west of Riyadh, without giving more details.

Earlier on March 8, Ansarullah had claimed of launching a missile attack at King Salman Air Base in the vicinity of Riyadh.

According to Press TV, Yemenis are particularly angry at Washington for being complicit in the Saudi crimes against Yemeni nation by providing Saudi Arabia with conventional and banned weapons.

It would be reasonable to recall that after the US invasion of Iraq, Iranian influence has grown in the region. Tehran is the closest ally of Baghdad government headed by Shias, despite US pressure. It is considered to be playing important role in combating Daesh (IS) terrorists in Syria and Iraq. It had also influenced Hezbollah of Lebanon to help Assad regime in its fight against all terror groups. Saudi Arabia alleges that Iran was supporting Ansarullah in Yemen and opposition forces in Bahrain.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Trump rejects Iran’s 7-day peace plan, says deal can come after US polls

US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s seven-day proposal to end hostilities and indicated that a deal could come after the US midterm elections in November.

Published

10 hours ago

on

September 26, 2026

By

Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s latest proposal aimed at bringing an end to the ongoing conflict, while indicating that a possible agreement could come after the US midterm elections in November.

Iran had proposed a seven-day framework under which hostilities could be brought to an end, the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and negotiations over its nuclear programme could resume.

Iran’s seven-day proposal

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had put forward the proposal through intermediaries. Under the plan, the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened by the end of the seventh day if specified conditions were met, while broader nuclear discussions would restart.

The proposal was based largely on an earlier understanding reached between Washington and Tehran, but Iran sought to implement the latest framework much faster. The earlier arrangement had provided a longer period for negotiations.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important waterway for global energy shipments, making its reopening a key element of any effort to ease the wider conflict.

Trump points to US midterm elections

Trump, speaking at the United Nations, showed no indication that he was ready to immediately resume negotiations on the terms proposed by Tehran.

He called for the economic isolation of Iran and said he believed a deal could be reached after the US midterm elections in November. Trump also said Iran was waiting to see how he performed in the midterm elections.

The remarks came as Iranian officials signalled that they remained open to diplomacy and described the UN General Assembly as an opportunity to revive negotiations.

Nuclear talks remain part of Iran proposal

Iran’s latest plan links the easing of hostilities with the resumption of negotiations over its nuclear programme.

The proposal follows the collapse of an earlier US-Iran arrangement. According to reporting on the latest proposal, the new framework is intended to compress the timeline for implementing commitments that had previously been discussed by the two sides.

For now, Trump’s remarks indicate that Washington is not accepting Tehran’s seven-day framework as presented, while Iran continues to put diplomacy and negotiations forward as part of its proposal.

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Iranian President Pezeshkian at UN says Iranians have been victims of US terrorism

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at the UN General Assembly that Iranians had been victims of US terrorism and insisted that Iran had acted in self-defence.

Published

3 days ago

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September 23, 2026

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of subjecting Iranians to what he described as terrorism while addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

Pezeshkian said Iran had defended itself against attacks and rejected the characterisation of the country as a terrorist actor. His remarks came during a rare wartime appearance at the UN as tensions between Iran and the United States remain high.

Pezeshkian accuses US and Israel of attacks

Speaking at the General Assembly, Pezeshkian said Iranian civilians had been targeted by attacks and described the actions against his country as aggression.

“We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” he said, according to the report.

Pezeshkian also accused the United States and Israel of attacking Iran, while maintaining that Tehran’s response was an act of self-defence.

The Iranian president displayed photographs of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolchildren who, according to his account, were killed during the early days of the conflict.

Iran’s message at the UN

Pezeshkian’s address came against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and heightened tensions in the region.

Iranian officials had indicated ahead of the UN visit that they intended to highlight what Tehran considers attacks against its people and raise concerns over the international response to the conflict.

The Iranian delegation’s visit to New York also comes amid restrictions imposed by the United States on the delegation’s movement and other aspects of its stay, according to reporting ahead of the address.

Pezeshkian says Iran defended itself

Pezeshkian’s central message at the UN was that Iran’s military actions should be viewed as a response to attacks rather than terrorism.

His description of the conflict and the allegations against the United States and Israel represent the Iranian government’s position. They should therefore be attributed to Pezeshkian rather than presented as independently established facts.

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PM Modi’s Canada visit could help wrap trade talks, says Canada PM Mark Carney

Canadian PM Mark Carney said he is looking forward to hosting PM Narendra Modi, with both countries aiming to conclude their ongoing trade negotiations.

Published

3 days ago

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September 23, 2026

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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he is looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as India and Canada continue efforts to advance their bilateral relationship and conclude ongoing trade negotiations.

The two countries have been working towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with both sides previously setting a target to conclude the negotiations in 2026.

Carney and Modi have held discussions on strengthening economic ties between India and Canada, including trade and investment. Their engagement has gained momentum following Carney’s visit to India earlier this year.

India-Canada trade talks

India and Canada formally resumed efforts towards a broader trade agreement after a period of strained bilateral ties. The two sides have committed to advancing negotiations on a CEPA covering their economic relationship.

In June, Carney and Modi reviewed progress in bilateral economic cooperation during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France. They expressed satisfaction with the progress in CEPA negotiations and reaffirmed their shared objective of concluding the talks in 2026.

During Carney’s visit to India in March, the two leaders had also agreed to accelerate negotiations on the CEPA and work towards finalising the agreement during 2026.

Modi’s proposed Canada visit

Carney had invited PM Modi to visit Canada in 2026, and the two leaders agreed to remain engaged through diplomatic channels to work towards a mutually convenient date for the visit.

The proposed visit comes as New Delhi and Ottawa seek to build on renewed diplomatic and economic engagement, with trade negotiations remaining a key part of the relationship.

The focus on completing the trade talks comes as both countries look to expand commercial ties and establish a broader economic framework through the proposed CEPA.

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