Iran Accuses US of ‘Excessive Demands’ as Tehran Weighs Fresh Peace Proposal - Newstrends
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Iran Accuses US of ‘Excessive Demands’ as Tehran Weighs Fresh Peace Proposal

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Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi

Iran Accuses US of ‘Excessive Demands’ as Tehran Weighs Fresh Peace Proposal

Iran has accused the United States of making “excessive demands” as leaders in Tehran consider a new peace proposal aimed at ending months of conflict that have destabilised the Middle East and rattled global energy markets.

The latest diplomatic developments come amid growing speculation that Washington could launch fresh strikes on Iran if ongoing negotiations fail to produce a breakthrough.

Tensions escalated after reports emerged that US President Donald Trump abruptly cancelled plans to attend his son’s wedding in order to remain in Washington due to what aides described as “circumstances pertaining to government.”

The move fuelled speculation that discussions surrounding the Iran conflict had entered a critical stage.

The war began on February 28 following coordinated US-Israeli strikes on Iran, triggering retaliatory measures by Tehran and a prolonged standoff around the strategic Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes.

Since an April 8 ceasefire agreement, diplomatic efforts involving regional and international actors have failed to secure a permanent resolution to the conflict or fully restore unrestricted maritime access through the strait.

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The disruption has significantly affected global oil supplies and contributed to volatility in international financial markets.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, during a telephone conversation with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, accused Washington of undermining diplomacy through what he described as contradictory policies and aggressive demands.

According to Iran’s foreign ministry, Araghchi said Tehran remained committed to diplomatic engagement despite “repeated betrayals of diplomacy and military aggression against Iran, along with contradictory positions and repeated excessive demands” by the United States.

US media organisations including Axios and CBS News reported that the White House was considering new strikes against Iran, although no final decision had reportedly been reached.

The reports indicated that senior US officials were reviewing military options in the event negotiations collapse.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged that there had been “some progress” in negotiations but stressed that major differences remained unresolved.

Speaking on the sidelines of a NATO conference in Sweden, Rubio said Washington was still dealing with “a very difficult group of people,” adding that President Trump had “other options” if diplomacy failed.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, arrived in Tehran on Friday as part of mediation efforts aimed at preventing further escalation.

Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported that Munir held late-night talks with Araghchi focused on diplomatic initiatives to end the conflict.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, however, cautioned against optimism, saying deep disagreements still existed between Tehran and Washington.

He noted that Qatar had also sent a delegation to hold discussions with Iranian officials as regional powers intensified efforts to broker peace.

“In recent days, many countries — both regional and non-regional — have been trying to help bring the war to an end,” Baqaei said, while emphasising that Pakistan remained the official mediator.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also travelled to China — Iran’s largest trading partner — for high-level discussions expected to include the Middle East crisis.

A major sticking point in the negotiations remains the status of the Strait of Hormuz and retaliatory measures affecting Iranian ports.

Iran has warned that continued pressure could further disrupt maritime operations in the region, raising concerns over the impact on global trade and energy supply chains.

European Union member states on Friday condemned Iran’s blockade measures as contrary to international law and expanded sanctions targeting individuals allegedly linked to the closure of shipping routes.

Despite ongoing tensions, global markets showed cautious optimism that diplomacy could eventually succeed.

Wall Street closed higher on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average recording another all-time high as investors reacted positively to signs of continued negotiations.

However, oil prices also rose amid fears that prolonged instability around Hormuz could worsen global inflation and increase pressure on household incomes worldwide.

The conflict has also continued to spill into neighbouring Lebanon, where fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement has persisted despite ceasefire efforts.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that Israeli forces carried out multiple airstrikes near the Syrian border targeting areas believed to house Hezbollah positions.

Iranian officials insisted that any comprehensive peace agreement must include an end to hostilities in Lebanon and other conflict zones linked to the war.

Lebanon’s health ministry said more than 3,100 people had been killed in the country since fighting escalated earlier this year, including civilians caught in cross-border attacks.

Iran Accuses US of ‘Excessive Demands’ as Tehran Weighs Fresh Peace Proposal

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Kemi Badenoch: I Don’t Want Migrants Turning UK Into Nation Of ‘Little Ghettos’

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Kemi Badenoch: I Don’t Want Migrants Turning UK Into Nation Of ‘Little Ghettos’
Leader of the UK Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch

Kemi Badenoch: I Don’t Want Migrants Turning UK Into Nation Of ‘Little Ghettos’

UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has warned against the emergence of what she described as “little ghettos” of separatist migrant communities in Britain, arguing that newcomers must integrate and respect the country’s culture and values.

Badenoch made the remarks while opening the Conservative Party’s annual conference in Birmingham, where she set out her vision for rebuilding the party and Britain.

Speaking about immigration and integration, the Conservative leader said she wanted Britain to remain a “high-trust” society in which people coming into the country accept the social expectations and responsibilities that come with living there.

“I don’t want lots of little ghettos of separatist communities where they are recreating the place that they came from. That will ruin the United Kingdom,” Badenoch said.

She added that Britain was “not a dormitory” or “a hotel” and argued that migrants who come to the country, including those who come primarily to work, should respect British culture and values.

Badenoch stressed that she was not advocating race-based citizenship, saying Britain had never operated such a system. However, she argued that British culture, norms and expectations remained important to maintaining social cohesion.

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“It is not just about the values and the principles,” she said, arguing that the way people conduct themselves and the expectations they share also form part of British culture.

The remarks form part of Badenoch’s broader attempt to establish a tougher Conservative Party position on immigration, integration and national identity as the party seeks to regain political ground.

She has also acknowledged failures by previous Conservative governments to deliver promised reductions in immigration. In her newly published policy document, The Right Way, she argues that the party needs clearer principles and a more consistent approach to government.

The Conservatives are also proposing tougher conditions for migrants seeking permanent settlement in the UK, including changes to the rules governing indefinite leave to remain.

Badenoch’s comments have drawn attention because of the sensitivity surrounding immigration and multiculturalism in Britain, with critics arguing that language about migrant communities risks stigmatising minority groups.

Her supporters, however, say the emphasis on integration rather than race is intended to reinforce a shared national identity and social cohesion.

The debate comes as immigration remains a major political issue in the UK, with the Conservatives facing pressure from Reform UK over migration while the Labour government continues to face questions over legal and irregular immigration.

Badenoch, who became Conservative leader in November 2024, used the conference to present her party as a political alternative focused on economic growth, stronger national security, reduced bureaucracy and stricter immigration policies.

Her comments on migrant communities are expected to remain a significant part of the Conservatives’ political message as the party seeks to redefine its approach to immigration, integration and British identity.

Kemi Badenoch: I Don’t Want Migrants Turning UK Into Nation Of ‘Little Ghettos’

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Trump Approves Firing Squad Execution For Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan

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Trump Approves Firing Squad Execution For Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan

Trump Approves Firing Squad Execution For Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan

President Donald Trump has approved the execution by U.S. Army firing squad of former Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who was sentenced to death for the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, that left 13 people dead and 32 others wounded.

The Pentagon announced the decision on Monday, saying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had recommended the firing-squad execution and Trump approved it.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the Secretary of the Army would determine the date and location of the execution.

Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, opened fire at a medical facility at Fort Hood on November 5, 2009, shortly before he was due to deploy to Afghanistan.

The attack killed 12 active-duty soldiers and one retired serviceman, while 32 others were wounded. Hasan was shot and seriously injured by a responding civilian police officer and has been partially paralysed since the attack.

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A military jury convicted Hasan in 2013 of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder and sentenced him to death.

During his court-martial, Hasan represented himself and did not call witnesses in his defence. He acknowledged that he carried out the shooting and argued that his actions were intended to protect Muslims whom he believed were being targeted by U.S. military operations.

Hasan has remained on military death row at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, while pursuing legal challenges to his conviction and sentence.

Trump’s approval does not mean the execution will take place immediately. Further legal and administrative procedures remain, and Hasan could seek relief through the federal courts, potentially delaying the execution.

If carried out, Hasan’s execution would be an extraordinary event in the history of the U.S. military justice system.

The U.S. military has not carried out an execution since 1961, when Army Private John Bennett was hanged. The last known U.S. military execution by firing squad took place in 1945.

The decision also comes amid renewed debate in the United States over methods of execution. The Trump administration has expanded the available methods for carrying out federal executions, while recent difficulties surrounding lethal injection have intensified scrutiny of capital punishment.

Hasan’s case has remained one of the most prominent military death-penalty cases in the United States since the Fort Hood attack nearly 17 years ago.

The Army is now expected to determine when and where the execution will take place, subject to the remaining legal process.

Trump Approves Firing Squad Execution For Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan

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UK Threatens to Expel 27 Israeli Diplomats as Jerusalem Consulate Standoff Escalates

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UK Threatens to Expel 27 Israeli Diplomats as Jerusalem Consulate Standoff Escalates

UK Threatens to Expel 27 Israeli Diplomats as Jerusalem Consulate Standoff Escalates

The UK-Israel diplomatic crisis has escalated to its most dangerous level in decades, with Britain threatening to expel 27 Israeli diplomats if Israel proceeds with its plan to shut down the British consulate in East Jerusalem this Thursday. The extraordinary standoff—sparked by UK sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements—now threatens to sever one of the West’s most strategically important bilateral relationships. According to reports confirmed by The Jerusalem Post and The New Arab, British Ambassador to Israel Simon Walters personally delivered the warning to Israeli officials: for every British diplomat forced out of the East Jerusalem consulate, London will expel one Israeli diplomat from its embassy in London. With 27 British staff members facing expulsion, Israel’s London embassy—which has already been without an ambassador since September 2025—could be effectively gutted. The UK Foreign Office declined to comment on the reported threat, while Israeli diplomatic sources told The Jerusalem Post there was “no reason for us to address speculation regarding decisions other countries might make in the future.”

Behind the scenes, UK National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell made a quiet visit to Israel last week in a desperate attempt to prevent the closure, three sources told Reuters. The talks failed to produce an agreement to keep the consulate open, and the British government did not disclose the visit.

The confrontation traces back to September, when UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced sweeping trade sanctions on goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. In a dramatic statement to Parliament, Miliband accused the Israeli government of turning a “blind eye” to what he called “ethnic cleansing” by settler terrorists. “The British government agrees that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank, perpetrated by settler terrorists,” Miliband said. “All too often the Israeli government has turned a blind eye to this, and worse members of it have made statements and taken actions to support the forced displacement of Palestinians.” The UK settlement sanctions, announced in coordination with France and Canada, will ban imports from illegal settlements and target companies and individuals providing “construction, infrastructure, financing, or real estate for settlement expansion.” According to the House of Commons Library, the measures will take effect within six to nine months, with the import ban applied geographically based on settlement postcodes. Britain specifically cited the Israeli government-backed E1 settlement project—which would effectively sever the West Bank from East Jerusalem—as a key factor undermining the two-state solution.

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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced a series of countermeasures on September 8, calling the UK sanctions “morally distorted” and accusing Britain’s ruling Labour Party of interfering in Israel’s upcoming October 27 general election. The Israeli retaliation included closing the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem within 30 days, removing British representatives from the US-led International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat, ending British participation in training Palestinian Authority security forces in Ramallah, and barring 12 British officials deemed “anti-Israel” from entering Israel, including 11 MPs and a lawyer. Sa’ar framed the measures as a necessary response to what he called a “hostile Labour government.” “Israel has nothing against the British people,” he said. “Unfortunately, a hostile Labour Government is in office, systematically acting against the State of Israel, and it has left us with no choice but to finally respond.”

The British Consulate General in East Jerusalem is not a routine diplomatic post. Established in 1838—110 years before the founding of Israel—it operates separately from the UK embassy in Tel Aviv and handles relations with Palestinians in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza. The consulate is located in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. The UK, like most of the international community, does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in 1967 and later annexed in a move not recognized internationally.

The UK sanctions on Israel have drawn fierce criticism from within the British Jewish community. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis called the measures a “dark day for British Jews,” warning they could “embolden those, at home and abroad, who use hatred as a weapon against Jews.” Miliband, who describes himself as a “proud British Jew,” rejected the chief rabbi’s claim directly. Asked on BBC Radio 4 whether Mirvis was wrong, Miliband replied: “Yes, I am saying I don’t agree with the chief rabbi, somebody over whom I have great respect.” He added: “Anyone who holds British Jews, or indeed Jews around the world, responsible for the actions of the Israeli government is engaging in antisemitism, pure and simple.” The Board of Deputies of British Jews said it followed the announcement with “deep regret,” warning that deteriorating UK-Israel relations could “further inflame community tensions.”

The standoff has been further inflamed by domestic political developments in Britain. On Sunday, the UK Green Party voted to declare Zionism a form of racism, passing the motion by 1,022 votes to 813 at its annual conference. Israel’s foreign ministry declared the resolution “a clear antisemitic text” and announced that Foreign Minister Sa’ar was barring Green Party leader Zack Polanski from entering Israel. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the Green Party decision “a disgrace,” while Labour Party chair Bridget Phillipson described it as “shameful.”

With the consulate closure deadline set for Thursday, both sides appear entrenched. Israel’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed the consulate will close “as announced.” Two sources told Reuters that while talks were still ongoing, an agreement before the deadline was unlikely. If Israel proceeds and the UK follows through on its threat, the expulsion of 27 Israeli diplomats would mark an unprecedented rupture in British-Israeli relations. Israel’s embassy in London has already been without an ambassador since September 2025. The loss of 27 additional diplomats would effectively gut the mission. A Western diplomat told The Guardian that the closure would set a “dangerous precedent” for the status of diplomatic missions monitoring the status quo in Jerusalem, emphasizing that the UK does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the city under international law. The coming days will determine whether this UK-Israel diplomatic crisis escalates further—or whether a last-minute compromise can pull both nations back from the brink.

UK Threatens to Expel 27 Israeli Diplomats as Jerusalem Consulate Standoff Escalates

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