Donald Trump has said he faces a “big decision” on how to proceed with the Iran war, in his first remarks since a UN report said two US strikes in February may have amounted to war crimes.
uncertain
strikes → say → crimes
The president has yet to respond directly to the UN report, but in an interview with Axios he said: “I have a big decision coming up.
asserted
decision → have → Axios
Do I want to go in and annihilate them [the Iranian regime] or do I not?
asserted
I → want → them
Anything could happen with me.”
uncertain
Anything → happen → me
Earlier, the UN fact-finding mission to Iran said the US struck a school in Iran “while being aware of a substantial risk of striking a civilian object”.
asserted
US → find → object
One of the strikes targeted a primary school in Minab, where more than 150 people were reportedly killed, including about 120 children, and another hit a sports centre in Lamerd that killed or injured 22 civilians.
uncertain
that → target → civilians
The report, which also found that Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during their deadly crackdown on anti-government protests, will be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
asserted
authorities → find → Geneva
Trump says he faces 'big decision' on whether to resume major attacks on Iran
US president Donald Trump said he is approaching a decision on whether to restart large-scale military attacks on Iran in a bid to bring the war to a close.
"
asserted
he → say → close
I have a big decision coming up.
asserted
decision → have → ?
Do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not?
asserted
I → want → them
Anything could happen with me," Mr Trump told Axios.
uncertain
Trump → happen → Axios
The comments come ahead of a planned meeting on Tuesday with leaders from six Gulf countries, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
asserted
comments → come → York
Mr Trump said he wanted to hear directly from regional allies about the war's next steps before deciding whether to resume major combat operations, for which he would need their backing.
asserted
he → say → backing
"I want to find out where they are and how they are doing.
asserted
they → want → ?
We have been very protective of them," he said.
asserted
he → say → them
China presses Iran to help rein in Houthis after Saudi appeal, report says
China has privately asked Tehran to help rein in Yemen's Houthis after an appeal to Beijing by Saudi Arabia, Reuters has reported quoting three Iranian sources familiar with the matter.
asserted
Reuters → press → matter
Riyadh turned to China for help after the Houthis made rapid advances along the Red Sea coast and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, moves that have left Saudi oil exports and shipping more exposed, the sources said.
asserted
sources → turn → exports
China has publicly called for restraint, dialogue and the restoration of safe navigation, but its private message went further than the public statements, they said.
asserted
they → call → statements
Beijing wants Iran to use its influence with the Houthis to help prevent the conflict spreading further across energy routes on which China, the world's second-largest economy, depends.
asserted
China → want → which
The sources, who were briefed on the discussions and spoke on condition of anonymity, did not provide details of how the message was delivered or whether it was conveyed during a visit to China on Wednesday by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, the news agency reported.
asserted
agency → brief → Araqchi
US clears way for $24.3bn fighter jet sale to Saudi Arabia
asserted
US → clear → Arabia
The US state department says it has approved the sale of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, as the kingdom is drawn deeper into war in the Middle East.
asserted
kingdom → say → East
A sale would mark a significant policy shift from the US, potentially altering the balance of military power in the Middle East and testing Washington's definition of maintaining its ally Israel's "qualitative military edge."
Saudi Arabia made a direct appeal for the jets in early 2025 to US president Donald Trump and has long been interested in Lockheed Martin's fighter.
The estimated $24.3bn sale, which still needs congressional approval, would include 48 of the military aircraft and 49 Pratt & Whitney engines along with communications equipment, spare parts and other support items, the state department said.
asserted
department → mark → equipment
Washington weighs weapons sales to the Middle East in a way that ensures Israel gets more advanced US weapons than regional Arab states.
asserted
Israel → weigh → states
The Saudi embassy in Washington welcomed the proposed sale, describing it as a further step in defence cooperation between the two countries.
"
asserted
embassy → welcome → countries
The proposed F-35 sale reflects the strength and enduring nature of the Saudi-US strategic partnership and the continued advancement of our defence cooperation," the embassy said on X.
South Korea says no decision made on military deployment to Strait of Hormuz
asserted
decision → propose → Hormuz
South Korean foreign minister Cho Hyun said on Thursday that no decision had been made on any military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz.
asserted
decision → say → Hormuz
Cho was speaking to reporters before departing for Washington, where he is due to hold talks with US secretary of state Marco Rubio.
asserted
he → speak → Rubio
Earlier this month, it was reported that South Korea was considering deploying military assets to the Strait of Hormuz as it faced growing pressure from the US to do more in the Middle East.
asserted
it → report → East
Later, Seoul said that the military deployment was an option but clarified that nothing had been decided yet.
US Air Force officer recalls 'free-falling' to ground with damaged parachute after plane was shot down over Iran
US military helping to keep Strait of Hormuz open to commercial shipping, Centcom says
Despite an ongoing blockade of Iranian maritime trade and attacks by Iran’s military on commercial ships, the US military has said its forces have kept the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial shipping.
The US also claimed that they are helping facilitate the movement of hundreds of millions of barrels of oil through the strategic waterway.
asserted
they → say → waterway
On Wednesday, US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command, said traffic through the strait “continues to flow”, rejecting suggestions that Iran controls the waterway.
asserted
Iran → say → waterway
“Since early May, we have assisted commercial vessels moving more than 900 million barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz to the global energy market,” Hawkins told Al Jazeera.
uncertain
Hawkins → assist → Jazeera
The US and Iran have continued to make competing claims over who has greater control of the critical Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf.
uncertain
who → continue → Gulf
Building collapse in Gaza kills 16 as perilous conditions persist -
asserted
conditions → kill → 16
ICYMI
A building housing half a dozen families gave out in Gaza City overnight into Wednesday, killing sixteen people as they slept and leaving rescuers digging through rubble for dozens more who'd been sheltering inside the structure.
asserted
who → house → structure
The sudden collapse of the building, which was known to be unstable due to damage from Israeli strikes earlier in the war, underscored how perilous and desperate living conditions have grown for the majority of the enclave’s population as a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas stalls.
asserted
deal → know → Israel
The sixteen dead include at least twelve women and children, according to Zaher al-Wahidi, a spokesperson for the Gaza Health Ministry.
uncertain
dead → include → Ministry
The toll was expected to rise as more bodies were recovered from the wreckage.
asserted
bodies → expect → wreckage
Tanker reports skiff pursuit, says UKMTO
A westbound tanker had reported a skiff pursued and attempted to intercept it, 75 nautical miles east of Yemen's Aden, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said on Thursday
Authorities were investigating the incident, UKMTO added.
asserted
UKMTO → report → incident
US announces sanctions on crypto exchange it says linked to Hormuz payments
The US has announced sanctions on an Iranian cryptocurrency exchange controlled by the sanctioned financier Babak Zanjani on Thursday, according to the Reuters news agency.
uncertain
US → announce → agency
…and 8 more, not listed.
The Aporia
