TEHRAN: Iran&rsquo;s foreign ministry has sharply rejected accusations by former US President Donald Trump that Tehran is developing missiles capable of striking the United States, calling the allegations &ldquo;big lies.&rdquo; In a statement posted on X, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Washington was repeating unfounded claims about <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-to-submit-draft-nuclear-proposal-as-us-military-presence-grows" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Iran&rsquo;s nuclear</a> and ballistic missile programs, as well as casualty figures from recent unrest. &ldquo;Whatever they&rsquo;re alleging regarding Iran&#39;s nuclear program, Iran&#39;s ballistic missiles, and the number of casualties during January&#39;s unrest, is simply the repetition of &lsquo;big lies&rsquo;,&rdquo; Baqaei wrote. Although Baqaei did not directly reference Trump, his remarks came hours after the former president claimed that Iran was seeking to develop long-range missiles capable of reaching American soil. In a February interview with Al Jazeera, Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Minister <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-fm-says-agreed-with-us-on-guiding-principles-for-deal" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Abbas Araghchi</a> said Tehran did not possess the capability to target the United States directly. However, he warned that Iran would retaliate against American military bases in the Middle East if Washington launched an attack. During his recent State of the Union address, Trump reiterated that Iran would &ldquo;never be allowed&rdquo; to build a nuclear weapon, accusing Tehran&rsquo;s leadership of once again pursuing what he described as &ldquo;sinister nuclear ambitions.&rdquo; Iran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons, maintaining that its nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful energy purposes and that it has a sovereign right to develop civilian nuclear technology. Trump also alleged that Iranian authorities were responsible for the deaths of 32,000 people during a wave of <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-arrests-four-political-figures-over-disruption-of-political-social-order" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">protests</a> that began in December and peaked on January 8 and 9. Iranian officials have acknowledged more than 3,000 deaths during the unrest but attribute the violence to what they describe as &ldquo;terrorist acts&rdquo; backed by the United States and Israel.

The building of Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Middle East

Iran rejected US allegations about missile and nuclear ambitions, disputed protest death toll estimates and warned it would strike American bases in the Middle East if attacked by Washington.

Iran rejects US claims on missile program as 'big lies'

BRUSSELS: The EU&#39;s trade chief said Tuesday his US counterparts had told him Washington stands by a key trade deal with the bloc, following an adverse Supreme Court decision on President Donald Trump&#39;s tariffs.&nbsp;After the Supreme Court ruled last week that Trump lacks authority to impose levies under a 1977 law, the US leader responded with fresh tariffs of 10% on imported goods -- which Trump has vowed to hike further to 15%.&nbsp;That raised complex questions about what the new duties mean for the EU deal clinched last year with Trump, which imposed 15% tariffs on most EU goods.&nbsp;&quot;I have been in constant touch with my counterparts, and they both reassured me they stand by the deal with the European Union,&quot; Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic told EU lawmakers.&nbsp;The top trade negotiator also touched on another sensitive topic in transatlantic ties: Trump&#39;s 50% duties on steel and aluminium imports, which the EU has been pushing to bring down.&nbsp;The president expanded levies on the metals in August to include several hundred products that contain steel or aluminium.&nbsp;Sefcovic said he discussed how to address the issue with his US counterparts.&nbsp;&quot;I hope we can find solutions in this matter very soon,&quot; he told the European Parliament&#39;s trade committee.&nbsp;The bloc&#39;s parliament put the EU-US deal on ice Monday as it sought more clarity on the fallout from the Supreme Court ruling, only a day before the committee was due to give its green light.&nbsp;Sefcovic said he understood the body&#39;s decision, but added: &quot;It is imperative we keep the process moving forward in implementing our commitments.&quot;&nbsp;EU member states&#39; representatives in Brussels heard from the EU executive on Monday, and a European diplomat said everyone agreed &quot;a deal is a deal&quot;.&nbsp;The EU executive told senior diplomats that if imports face a blanket 10% levy, pre-existing duties could mean some products are taxed at a higher rate than the trade deal&#39;s 15%.&nbsp;Another concern is that Trump&#39;s new flat levy could apply indifferently to the EU and to countries that made fewer trade concessions to Washington -- and were therefore previously taxed at a much higher rate.&nbsp;&quot;The EU now loses a comparative advantage vis-a-vis other countries, which was what made the deal palatable in the first place,&quot; the diplomat told AFP.

Americas

Europe

The EU says US officials reaffirm commitment to last year’s trade deal despite a Supreme Court ruling limiting tariff powers.

US told EU it 'stands' by tariff deal: trade chief

PARIS: Iran said Monday that a US attack of any scale would spur the Islamic republic to respond &quot;ferociously&quot;, after President Donald Trump said he was considering&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-says-considering-limited-military-strike-on-iran" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">limited strikes against</a>&nbsp;the country.&nbsp;The United States has built up forces in the Middle East to pile pressure on Iran to make a deal at negotiations due to restart on Thursday, with Trump weighing a limited strike if no agreement is reached.&nbsp;On Monday Iran&#39;s foreign ministry reiterated that any strike, even limited, would be &quot;would be regarded as an act of aggression. Period&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;And any state would react to an act of aggression as part of its inherent right of self-defence ferociously so that&#39;s what we would do,&quot; ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said at a briefing in Tehran attended by an AFP journalist.&nbsp;The two countries concluded a second round of indirect talks in Switzerland on Tuesday under Omani mediation.&nbsp;Further talks, confirmed by Iran and Oman but not by the United States, are scheduled for Thursday.&nbsp;The European Union, which has been sidelined in mediation on Iran, called for a diplomatic solution ahead of the talks.&nbsp;&quot;We don&#39;t need another war in this region. We already have a lot,&quot; EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers.&nbsp;&quot;It is true that Iran is at its weakest point that they have been. We should be really using this time to find a diplomatic solution.&quot;&nbsp;Iran&#39;s clerical authorities have faced recent steep challenges, including a wave of mass protests that peaked in January, last year&#39;s 12-day war with Israel, and the weakening of Iran&#39;s regional proxies.&nbsp;Fears of conflictIran has, however, insisted only discussions on the country&#39;s nuclear programme are on the table at mediated talks. The West believes the programme is aimed at making a bomb, which Tehran denies.&nbsp;Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is leading the negotiations for Iran, while the United States is represented by envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner.&nbsp;Trump is wondering why Iran has not &quot;capitulated&quot; in the face of Washington&#39;s military deployment, Witkoff said in an interview with Fox News broadcast over the weekend.&nbsp;Baqaei responded Monday by saying that Iranians had never capitulated at any point in their history.&nbsp;Trump had initially threatened military action over the violent crackdown on the protests that rights groups say saw thousands of people killed by security forces, but his attention soon shifted to Iran&#39;s nuclear programme.&nbsp;Scattered anti-government protests have continued in the country, despite the threat of suppression and arrests.&nbsp;Students rallied to commemorate those killed in competing pro- and anti-government demonstrations as the university semester restarted over the weekend.&nbsp;Iranians&#39; fears of a new conflict have grown and the concerns have also prompted several foreign countries to urge their citizens to leave Iran.&nbsp;India on Monday joined Sweden, Serbia, Poland and Australia in calling for its citizens -- estimated at 10,000 in the country by the foreign ministry -- to leave Iran.

Central Asia

Iran says that US attack of any scale would spur the Islamic republic to respond "ferociously", after President Donald Trump said he was considering limited strikes against the country

Iran says would respond 'ferociously' to any US attack, even limited strikes

Web Desk

TEHRAN: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that recent talks between Iran and the United States had produced &ldquo;encouraging signals,&rdquo; but stressed that Tehran remains prepared for any possible scenario.&nbsp;&ldquo;Iran is committed to peace and stability in the region. Recent negotiations included the exchange of practical proposals and yielded encouraging signals. However, we continue to closely monitor US actions and have made all necessary preparations for any potential scenario,&rdquo; Pezeshkian wrote on X.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 320px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2025631856285057217&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=7bf5e8c4d6cf2c3dac0caee1fbff48c1f0da1814&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Iran and the United States have held two rounds of talks this month focused on Tehran&rsquo;s nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions on the Islamic republic.&nbsp;The discussions, held in Oman on Feb. 6 and in Switzerland on Feb. 17, marked the first such engagement since the 12-day war launched by Israel in June last year, which the United States later joined.&nbsp;Amid the negotiations, Washington has deployed aircraft carriers and other military assets to the region, while warning Tehran of possible military action.&nbsp;Earlier, Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iranus-talks-expected-thursday-despite-fears-of-strikes" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">likely to meet US Special Envoy</a> Steve Witkoff in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday for a new round of negotiations. Speaking to CBS News on Sunday, Iran&#39;s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said details of a possible deal were being drawn up ahead of the renewed talks on Tehran&#39;s nuclear program, after Washington&#39;s envoy Steve Witkoff had publicly wondered why Tehran had not yet &quot;capitulated.&quot; Badr Albusaidi, foreign minister of regional mediator Oman, said talks would resume on Thursday in Geneva &quot;with a positive push to go the extra mile towards finalizing the deal.&quot; US threats of military action have multiplied since a nationwide protest movement in Iran sparked a crackdown that rights groups say killed thousands. On Sunday, Iranian students held competing pro- and anti-government protests, with critics of the clerical leadership risking arrest or worse if they are caught. &quot;If the US attacks us, then we have every&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/fm-says-iran-has-right-to-selfdefence-if-us-attacks" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">right to defend ourselves</a>,&quot; Araghchi said, alluding to American interests in the region as potential targets. Still, he said, &quot;there is a good chance to have a diplomatic solution.&quot;

Says the country continues to monitor US actions closely and has made all necessary preparations for any potential scenario.

Iranian president says recent talks with US show encouraging signals

BEIJING: China urged the United States on Monday to cancel unilateral tariffs announced by President Donald Trump after the US Supreme Court struck down many of his measures. The court ruled six to three on Friday that Trump does not have the authority to impose tariffs under a 1977 law he has relied on to impose sudden levies on individual countries, upending global trade. Trump reacted furiously, announcing first a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-vows-10-global-tariff-after-stinging-court-rebuke" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">10% global duty</a> on imports under a different legal authority, before&nbsp;raising it to 15%&nbsp;on Saturday. China&#39;s commerce ministry said on Monday it was conducting a &quot;comprehensive assessment&quot; of the ruling&#39;s impact, and called on Washington to lift the tariffs. &quot;China urges the United States to cancel its unilateral tariff measures on its trading partners,&quot; the ministry said in a statement. &quot;There are no winners in a trade war, and that protectionism leads nowhere.&quot; The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-announces-hike-in-us-global-tariff-rate-from-10-to-15" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">new 15% global duties</a> are due to kick in on Tuesday and are expected to last 150 days, with exemptions for some products. The Chinese foreign ministry also noted that it was paying &quot;close attention&quot; to potential moves by the United States to maintain increased tariffs. &quot;The United States is currently planning alternative measures, such as trade investigations, to maintain increased tariffs on trading partners. China will continue to pay close attention to this and resolutely safeguard China&#39;s interests,&quot; it said. The Supreme Court ruling was a stunning rebuke to Trump from a judicial body that has largely sided with him since his return to office. It marked a major political setback in striking down his signature economic policy that has roiled the global trade order. Several countries have said they are studying the Supreme Court ruling and Trump&#39;s subsequent tariff announcements. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told US media on Sunday that the country&#39;s trade deals with China, the European Union and other partners will remain in force despite the ruling.

BUSAN: US President Donald Trump (L) and China's President Xi Jinping greet each other as they arrive for talks at the Gimhae Air Base, located next to the Gimhae International Airport in Busan on October 30, 2025. -- Photo by AFP/File

Asia

Commerce ministry says it is conducting a 'comprehensive assessment' of the ruling's impact, and calls on Washington to lift the tariffs.

China urges US to cancel unilateral tariffs after Supreme Court ruling

WASHINGTON: The estate of convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has agreed to pay up to $35 million to settle the outstanding legal claims of potentially dozens of victims, according to a court filing Thursday. The agreement must be approved by a federal judge in New York before it can become final. The settlement is related to victims who said they were &quot;sexually assaulted or abused or trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein between January 1, 1995, and through August 10, 2019,&quot; the date of the disgraced financier&#39;s death in prison, the proposed plan said. Epstein&#39;s estate would pay $35 million if there are 40 or more people eligible in the class and $25 million if there are fewer than 40. The co-executors of the settlement are Darren Indyke, Epstein&#39;s former lawyer, and Richard Kahn, the financier&#39;s former accountant. Both have denied any wrongdoing through their association with the convicted sex offender and have not been accused of any sexual abuse crimes or witnessing of sexual abuse. But the settlement, if confirmed, will bring to a close the initial lawsuit filed in 2024 in which the pair of advisors were accused of enabling Epstein&#39;s illicit activities through their legal and business services. The judgment filed in federal court in Manhattan on Thursday said the agreement does not mean the co-executors admit fault or are liable to further legal action from victims. The law firm representing the class of victims, Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how many people were part of the lawsuit. Bloomberg News reported late Thursday that the firm was confident they had at least 40 victims who had not yet settled with Epstein&#39;s estate. Daniel H. Weiner, the lawyer representing the co-executors, did not immediately reply to a comment request. The settlement comes after the release by the US Justice Department of millions of documents, photographs and videos related to the investigation into Epstein. Epstein cultivated a global network of powerful politicians, business executives, academics and celebrities -- many of whom have been tainted by their association with him.

Epstein's estate has agreed to pay up to $35 million to settle the outstanding legal claims of victims

Epstein estate agrees to settle victim claims for up to $35 mn

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Thursday he is ordering federal agencies to begin &quot;identifying and releasing&quot; government files related to UFOs and aliens, a move sought for decades by some Americans. &quot;Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs),&quot; Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. While he did not specify whether classified documents would be released to the public, Trump added that the files should include &quot;any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters.&quot; Earlier in the day the Republican president claimed that one of his Democratic predecessors, Barack Obama, had revealed &quot;classified&quot; information in his recent viral podcast remarks about the existence of extraterrestrial life. &quot;They&#39;re real, but I haven&#39;t seen them and they&#39;re not being kept in... Area 51,&quot; Obama told host Brian Tyler Cohen, referring to the top-secret US military facility in Nevada at the heart of many UFO conspiracy theories. &quot;There&#39;s no underground facility. Unless, there&#39;s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States.&quot; Asked on Thursday about the comments, Trump told reporters that Obama &quot;gave classified information, he is not supposed to be doing that.&quot; The president did not specify what part of Obama&#39;s remarks were classified, but claimed &quot;he made a big mistake.&quot; For his own beliefs about aliens, Trump, 79, said &quot;I don&#39;t know if they are real or not.&quot; No evidence has been produced of intelligent life beyond Earth. Interest in UFOs and UAP has been renewed in recent years as the US government probed numerous reports of seemingly supernatural aircraft, amid worries that adversaries could be testing highly advanced technologies. In March 2024, the Pentagon released a report saying it had no proof that UAP were alien technology, with many suspicious sightings turning out to be merely weather balloons, spy planes, satellites and other normal activity.

US President Donald Trump has said he will order the Secretary of War to release all data on extra-terrestrial life and UFOs 

X files? Trump says he's ordering release of data on UFOs and aliens 

ISLAMABAD: The United States has bolstered its military presence in the Middle East in recent days ahead of what Israeli media reports describe as &quot;preparations for a potential joint US-Israeli military campaign against Tehran.&quot;&nbsp; Israeli outlets, including The Times of Israel, cited security sources as saying the emerging plan would likely go beyond limited, symbolic strikes and instead involve coordinated American and Israeli action. Sources quoted in the reports indicated the operation could surpass the scale of the 12-day Israeli-led bombing campaign carried out last June, the operation the US later joined under the codename Midnight Hammer, which targeted Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. According to Israeli reports, the confrontation could begin sooner than many anticipate and may be far broader in scope than previous escalations. US media echoes the sameIt is not only the Israeli media; the US media have also echoed similar reports about a potential campaign against Iran.&nbsp; CBS News was the first major American outlet to report on Wednesday that top national security officials have told President Donald&nbsp;Trump the military is ready for potential strikes on Iran as soon as Saturday. CNN also reported on Thursday that the US military has been placed on high readiness to strike Iranian targets this weekend. Still, President Trump has not yet made a final call on authorizing military action. But one source cautioned that Trump has privately argued both for and against military action and has polled advisers and allies on the best course of action, CNN said. Military buildup and strategic postureOver the past week, US military assets in the Middle East have increased. Reports indicate deployments include aircraft&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-aircraft-carrier-located-near-iran-as-washington-increases-military-pressure" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">carrier</a>&nbsp;strike groups, advanced fighter aircraft, aerial refueling tankers, and support units, a buildup described as one of the most significant in the region in years. The New York Post reported that President Trump is sending the USS Gerald R Ford, along with F-22 and F-35 fighter aircraft and refuelling tankers, toward the region. The naval news outlet US Naval Institute reported that the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and its strike group departed the Atlantic and were heading toward the Mediterranean via the Strait of Gibraltar. BBC Verify said on Tuesday it has tracked 12 US ships in the Middle East in recent weeks, including destroyers positioned in Bahrain, the eastern Mediterranean near the Souda Bay base, and the Red Sea. Iran&#39;s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday posted on X, saying, &quot;The US President constantly says that the US has sent a warship toward Iran. Of course, a warship is a dangerous piece of military hardware&quot;. &quot;However, more dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea.&quot;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2023707826011378060&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F4286%2F&sessionId=95318898e0030ebf9e8668c5941f779cfe26e718&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 321px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The USS Gerald R Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike groups, along with accompanying vessels, would provide both offensive and defensive capabilities if operations are authorized. CBS also reported that the Pentagon is temporarily relocating some US personnel from parts of the Middle East, primarily to Europe or back to the United States, as a precaution ahead of potential Iranian retaliation if military action proceeds. Diplomacy still in playDespite the heightened military posture, there has been no public confirmation from the White House or Pentagon of an imminent strike order. US officials&nbsp;have maintained that diplomatic engagement remains the preferred course. Indirect talks in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-us-hold-new-geneva-talks-as-khamenei-warns-of-sinking-us-warship" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Geneva</a>&nbsp;between US negotiators and Iranian representatives concluded this week, with Iranian officials saying progress was made on broad principles, though significant differences remain. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing on Wednesday that there are &ldquo;many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran,&rdquo; but stressed that diplomacy remains President Trump&rsquo;s first option. &ldquo;Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with his administration,&rdquo; she said. As of Thursday, no formal declaration of military action had been issued by Washington, and the situation remains fluid.

STOCKSHOTS: World's largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (AFP)

The United States is increasing its military presence in the Middle East amid reports of a possible joint US-Israeli strike on Iran; media outlets are citing operational readiness, while President Trump has not yet officially authorized any action.

US builds up forces in Middle East as Israeli media report possible joint strike on Iran

MONTREAL: Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday launched a multi-billion-dollar plan to strengthen the Canadian military and rely less on the United States. Carney&#39;s announcement of Canada&#39;s first defense industrial strategy built on themes he has emphasized during his 11-month tenure as President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-threatens-to-stop-opening-of-canadaus-bridge" style="color:#0073e6;">rips</a>&nbsp;through <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-threatens-canada-with-100-tariff-if-it-completes-china-trade-deal" style="color:#0073e6;">traditional</a> US alliances. The prime minister says Canada has not done nearly enough to defend itself in an increasingly dangerous world and counting on US protection is no longer viable. &quot;We&#39;ve relied too heavily on our geography and others to protect us,&quot; Carney said. &quot;This has created vulnerabilities that we can no longer afford and dependencies that we can no longer sustain,&quot; he added. Carney has become one of the most prominent global voices criticizing Trump&#39;s administration, notably after his speech at the World Economic Forum last month where he said Trump had triggered a &quot;rupture&quot; in the rules-based global order. On Tuesday, Carney also addressed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio&#39;s speech last week to the Munich Security Conference, highlighting what the Canadian leader sees as the widening gap between US and Canadian values. Carney, addressing reporters after giving a speech on the defense plan, pivoted to Rubio&#39;s speech without being asked about it. He cautioned that Trump&#39;s top diplomat had spoken of Washington&#39;s desire to defend &quot;Christian nationalism.&quot; &quot;Canadian nationalism is civic nationalism,&quot; and Ottawa&#39;s mandate was to defend the rights of everyone in a vast and diverse country, Carney said. &quot;There is a rivalry taking place between Canadian nationalism and other forms of nationalism,&quot; he added, speaking in French. In Munich, Rubio said &quot;Western Civilization&quot; was defined by &quot;Christian faith, culture, heritage, language, ancestry, and the sacrifices of our forefathers.&quot; Never be &#39;hostage&#39;&nbsp;Carney&#39;s office said the defense industrial strategy amounts to an investment of &quot;over half a trillion dollars (US$366 billion) in Canadian security, economic prosperity, and our sovereignty.&quot; In addition to direct government defense spending of about CAN$80 billion over the next five years, the plan includes CAN$180 billion in defense procurement and CAN$290 billion in defense and security-related infrastructure through the coming decade, Carney said. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce applauded Carney for having &quot;bet big on Canada.&quot; &quot;The scale of new funding is unprecedented,&quot; the group&#39;s vice president, David Pierce, said in a statement, adding that the plan will be measured by whether the funds produce &quot;a stronger Canadian Armed Forces.&quot; For Carney, the increasingly fragile security relationship with the United States does not mean Canada should do it alone on defense. His government has pursued closer military ties with the European Union and, at the Munich conference, Ottawa formally joined the EU&#39;s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program &mdash; making Canada the only non-European member of the bloc&#39;s defense financing scheme. The prime minister on Tuesday also talked about hopes for new defense export opportunities in Asia, notably with South Korea. The goal is to &quot;be strong enough to be a partner of choice,&quot; the prime minister said. Canada should build &quot;a domestic defense industrial base so we are never hostage to the decisions of others when it comes to our security,&quot; he said. Carney also re-emphasized the need to enforce Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic, where warming temperatures caused by climate change are thawing the ice, opening a new era of competition for critical minerals.

Carney's announcement of Canada's first defense industrial strategy built on themes he has emphasized during his 11-month tenure as President Donald Trump rips through traditional US alliances.

Canada launches huge defense plan to curb reliance on US

ISLAMABAD: Satellite imagery has confirmed the location of US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln near Iran, as Washington intensifies pressure over Tehran&rsquo;s military program, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported Tuesday.&nbsp; According to BBC Verify, publicly available European Sentinel-2 satellite images show the nuclear-powered Nimitz-class carrier in the Arabian Sea, around 150 miles (240km) off the coast of Oman &mdash; roughly 700km from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-warns-iran-of-consequences-of-not-making-a-deal" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Iran</a>. The vessel leads a strike group that includes three Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers and carries around 90 aircraft, including F-35 fighter jets, with a total crew of about 5,680. The carrier was reportedly deployed to the Gulf region in late January but had not appeared in satellite imagery until now due to limited coverage over open waters. BBC Verify said it has tracked 12 US ships in the Middle East in recent weeks, including destroyers positioned in Bahrain, the eastern Mediterranean near the Souda Bay base, and the Red Sea. It also observed increased deployments of F-15 and EA-18 fighter jets to Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, along with a rise in US cargo, refuelling, and communications aircraft heading to the region. According to the report, US and Iranian officials are set to meet in Switzerland on Tuesday for a second round of talks. Iran says discussions will focus on its nuclear program and the possible lifting of US economic&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-says-ready-for-nuclear-compromise-if-us-lifts-sanctions" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">sanctions</a>, while Washington has indicated it wants broader issues addressed. In response to the US build-up, Iran&rsquo;s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched maritime drills in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route through which roughly a fifth of the world&rsquo;s oil and gas supplies pass. Military intelligence analyst Justin Crump told BBC Verify the current US deployment shows &ldquo;more depth and sustainability&rdquo; than previous operations, including last year&rsquo;s actions against Venezuela and strikes on Iran&rsquo;s nuclear facilities under Operation Midnight Hammer. He said the present posture appears designed not only for strike capability but broader deterrence, with the ability to scale operations up or down.

BBC Verify confirms the USS Abraham Lincoln’s location near Iran via satellite imagery, highlighting an expanded US military build-up as nuclear talks loom.

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