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Iran Says Israel Waging 'Psychological War'

A handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency shows President Hassan Rouhani (L) talking with presidential chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi during a cabinet session - AFP
A handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency shows President Hassan Rouhani (L) talking with presidential chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi during a cabinet session - AFP
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Iran Says Israel Waging 'Psychological War'

A handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency shows President Hassan Rouhani (L) talking with presidential chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi during a cabinet session - AFP
A handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency shows President Hassan Rouhani (L) talking with presidential chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi during a cabinet session - AFP

A top Iranian official Wednesday said arch-foe Israel was waging a "psychological war" after the Jewish state's army said new "offensive options" were being drawn up in case they were needed against Iran.

Mahmoud Vaezi, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's chief of staff, also vowed that his country was ready and willing to defend itself.

"We have no intention of going to war, but we are serious about defending the country," he said, AFP reported.

Israel, a close US ally, accuses Iran of seeking to build a nuclear bomb, a charge Tehran denies. The Jewish state also frequently targets Iran-backed militant groups in Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip.

Israel's military chief General Aviv Kochavi said Tuesday he had ordered new plans be drawn up this year to counter Iran's nuclear capabilities, in case political leaders decided to target the country.

"The power to initiate them lies with the political echelon," Kochavi stressed. "However, the offensive options need to be prepared, ready and on the table."

Iran's Vaezi shot back on Wednesday that "they are conducting a psychological war."

Responding to a question on the sidelines of a council of ministers meeting, he charged that Israel has "practically no plans, no capacity".

Iran's recent military manoeuvres, testing missiles and drones, Vaezi added, showed that "our armed forces are trained" to defend Iran.

Kochavi's remarks came nearly a week after the inauguration of US President Joe Biden, who has signaled he wants to return to dialogue with Iran.

His predecessor Donald Trump had unilaterally withdrawn Washington in 2018 from a nuclear deal Tehran had struck with major world powers.

Biden's team has argued Iran must first return to strict compliance with its nuclear commitments under the deal with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States.

Tehran has demanded an "unconditional" lifting of punishing sanctions first, and called on Washington to stop seeking to "extract concessions".

Israel rejects the original nuclear deal, and Kochavi reiterated its view that "any agreement that resembles the 2015 agreement is a bad thing, both strategically and operationally".

"Pressure on Iran must continue -- Iran must not have the capacity to develop a nuclear bomb."

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World

Europeans Discuss Ukraine with Trump at ‘Critical Moment’ for Peace

This photograph taken on December 10, 2025 shows the building of a power plant of Ukrainian energy provider DTEK, which was heavily damaged during air attacks, at an undisclosed location, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
This photograph taken on December 10, 2025 shows the building of a power plant of Ukrainian energy provider DTEK, which was heavily damaged during air attacks, at an undisclosed location, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
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Europeans Discuss Ukraine with Trump at ‘Critical Moment’ for Peace

This photograph taken on December 10, 2025 shows the building of a power plant of Ukrainian energy provider DTEK, which was heavily damaged during air attacks, at an undisclosed location, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
This photograph taken on December 10, 2025 shows the building of a power plant of Ukrainian energy provider DTEK, which was heavily damaged during air attacks, at an undisclosed location, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)

The leaders of Britain, France and Germany held a call on Wednesday with US President Donald Trump to discuss Washington's latest peace efforts to end the war in Ukraine, in what they said was "a critical moment" in the process.

Kyiv is under pressure from the White House to secure a quick peace but is pushing back on a US-backed plan proposed last month that many see as favorable to Moscow.

French President Emmanuel Macron, arriving late for a public debate in western France, said he had just held a 40-minute discussion with Trump and his European colleagues to see how to move forward on "a subject that concerns all of us".

Separate statements from the so-called E3 powers said the leaders had commended the Trump administration's mediation efforts to achieve a robust and lasting peace in Ukraine, nearly four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

"(The leaders) agreed that this is a critical moment for Ukraine, for its people and for the common security of the Euro-Atlantic region," the British readout said.

UKRAINE UNDER INCREASED US PRESSURE TO AGREE PEACE DEAL

The three countries, along with other European partners and Ukraine, have been working frantically in the last few weeks to refine the original US proposals that envisaged Kyiv giving up swathes of its territory to Moscow, abandoning its ambition to join NATO and accepting limits on the size of its armed forces.

Among the key elements the E3 powers are trying to hammer out are potential security guarantees for Ukraine once there is a peace accord.

"Intensive work on the peace plan is continuing and will continue in the coming days," the E3 statements said.

Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in London on Monday and pledged their continued support for Kyiv, amid concerns that it may be forced into accepting many of Russia's demands.

Leaders from the so-called "Coalition of the Willing" group of nations backing Ukraine will hold a follow-up meeting via videocall on Thursday, the French presidency said. Zelenskiy said he would also attend that call.

Separately, Macron and Starmer will join Merz for further talks next Monday in Berlin, two European Union diplomats told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

World

US Plans to Order Visa-Exempt Foreign Tourists to Disclose Social Media Histories

A passenger looks up at a flight information board on the busiest travel day of the Thanksgiving holiday, at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, US, November 25, 2025. (Reuters)
A passenger looks up at a flight information board on the busiest travel day of the Thanksgiving holiday, at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, US, November 25, 2025. (Reuters)
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US Plans to Order Visa-Exempt Foreign Tourists to Disclose Social Media Histories

A passenger looks up at a flight information board on the busiest travel day of the Thanksgiving holiday, at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, US, November 25, 2025. (Reuters)
A passenger looks up at a flight information board on the busiest travel day of the Thanksgiving holiday, at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, US, November 25, 2025. (Reuters)

The administration of US President Donald Trump plans to order visa-exempt foreign tourists to disclose their social media histories from the last five years before entering the country, according to an official notice.

The proposal laid out in a notice published Tuesday in the Federal Register would apply to visitors from 42 countries, including Britain, France, Australia and Japan, who do not need a visa to enter the United States.

Currently, those travelers only need to apply for a waiver known as the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which still requires them to provide certain personal details.

Under the proposed new rules, the collection of social media data would become a “mandatory” part of ESTA applications.

Applicants would need to provide their social media histories from the last five years, according to the notice.

They would also have to submit other “high-value data fields” including phone numbers from the last five years, email addresses from the past decade, personal details of family members and biometric information.

The public has 60 days to comment on the proposal.

The Trump administration has tightened curbs on entering the United States, part of a sweeping crackdown on migration.

Along with Mexico and Canada, the country will host the 2026 World Cup, which is certain to attract large numbers of football fans from across the world.

World

Trump Calls Media Reports on His Health 'Seditious'

US President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks on the economy at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, on December 9, 2025. (AFP)
US President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks on the economy at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, on December 9, 2025. (AFP)
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Trump Calls Media Reports on His Health 'Seditious'

US President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks on the economy at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, on December 9, 2025. (AFP)
US President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks on the economy at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, on December 9, 2025. (AFP)

US President Donald Trump has blasted media reports questioning his state of health as "seditious, perhaps even treasonous," sparking pushback Wednesday by one of the major outlets behind the stories.

In a long, late-night social media post, the oldest elected president in US history raged about stories in The New York Times and elsewhere suggesting that at the age of 79 he is slowing down.

"There has never been a President that has worked as hard as me! My hours are the longest, and my results are among the best," Trump said in the nearly 500-word screed on his Truth Social network.

"I actually believe it´s seditious, perhaps even treasonous, for The New York Times, and others, to consistently do FAKE reports in order to libel and demean 'THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.'"

The Republican added that he had been through "long, thorough, and very boring" medical examinations and had been able to "ace" cognitive tests that he claimed other presidents had not taken.

Trump added that the "best thing that could happen to this Country would be if The New York Times would cease publication because they are a horrible, biased, and untruthful 'source' of information."

The outburst comes despite the fact that Trump regularly accuses the media of having failed to cover the health of his predecessor Joe Biden, who dropped out of the 2024 election after a shambolic debate performance raised concerns about the Democrat's age.

He has also long contrasted his vigor with that of Biden -- whom he dubs "Sleepy Joe".

- 'False and inflammatory' -

Trump and the White House were incensed by a New York Times article in November that reported he had sharply reduced public events, domestic travel and working hours compared to his first term.

The scrutiny on Trump's health intensified after he appeared to be fighting to stay awake at a series of events, along with the revelation that he had an MRI test during an extra medical check-up in October.

"Americans deserve in-depth reporting and regular updates about the health of the leaders they elect," New York Times spokesperson Nicole Taylor said in a statement to AFP.

"Mr. Trump welcomed our reporting on the age and fitness of his predecessors; we're applying the same journalistic scrutiny to his vitality."

The newspaper said its reporting was "heavily sourced" and based on interviews with people close to the president and with medical experts.

"We won´t be deterred by false and inflammatory language that distorts the role of a free press," Taylor added.

Trump's post on Tuesday night came after a vigorous performance at a more than hour-long campaign-style rally on affordability in which he joked, sang, danced -- and lashed out at migrants and the "fake news."

In his Truth Social post, he rejected claims that he was slowing down or "maybe not as sharp as I once was."

"I will know when I am 'slowing up,' but it´s not now!" he said.