Trump ‘Not 100% Sure’ He’s Barred from Third Term 

US President Donald Trump arrives on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, DC, USA, 27 January 2025. (EPA)
US President Donald Trump arrives on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, DC, USA, 27 January 2025. (EPA)
TT

Trump ‘Not 100% Sure’ He’s Barred from Third Term 

US President Donald Trump arrives on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, DC, USA, 27 January 2025. (EPA)
US President Donald Trump arrives on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, DC, USA, 27 January 2025. (EPA)

US President Donald Trump once again hinted at the idea of serving a third term, saying he was "not 100 percent sure" he was barred from doing so under the Constitution, which forbids it.

Trump has repeatedly alluded to the possibility that he might go beyond the current two-term limit for US presidents -- but while he often strikes a light-hearted tone the remarks remain provocative.

"I've raised a lot of money for the next race that I assume I can't use for myself, but I'm not 100 percent sure, because I don't know... I think I'm not allowed to run again," Trump told an audience of Congressional Republicans in Miami.

To laughter, Trump turned to Republican House Leader Mike Johnson and added: "I'm not sure, am I allowed to run again? Mike? I better not get you involved in that argument."

Trump was inaugurated for his second spell in the White House a week ago, becoming just the second president in US history to serve two non-consecutive terms.

US presidents are limited to two terms in office by the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which was ratified in 1951 -- partly as a response to Franklin D. Roosevelt's unprecedented four terms as president from 1933-1945.

A Republican in the US House introduced a super-long-shot resolution last week to change the constitution to allow Trump to get another term.

Trump has alluded to extending his stay on a number of occasions and joked about it as recently Saturday, during a rally in Nevada.

"It will be the greatest honor my life to serve not once, but twice -- or three times or four times," he said with a laugh, before adding to cheers from the audience: "Headlines for the fake news."

In November, in another speech to House Republicans shortly after his election win, Trump said: "I suspect I won't be running again unless you say, 'He's good, we got to figure something else.'"

Trump told an audience of conservative Christians in July: "Christians, get out and vote. Just this time... Four more years, it'll be fixed, it'll be fine, you won't have to vote anymore."



Iran President Orders Start of Talks with US

 Iranians walk in a street in Tehran, Iran, 02 February 2026. (EPA)
Iranians walk in a street in Tehran, Iran, 02 February 2026. (EPA)
TT

Iran President Orders Start of Talks with US

 Iranians walk in a street in Tehran, Iran, 02 February 2026. (EPA)
Iranians walk in a street in Tehran, Iran, 02 February 2026. (EPA)

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States, the news agency Fars reported on Monday, after US President Donald Trump said he was hopeful of a deal to avert military action.

"President Pezeshkian has ordered the opening of talks with the United States," Fars reported, citing an unnamed government source.

"Iran and the United States will hold talks on the nuclear file," Fars said, without specifying a date. The report was also carried by the government newspaper Iran and the reformist daily Shargh.

Tensions are running high ​amid a military buildup by the US Navy near Iran, following a violent crackdown against anti-government demonstrations last month, the deadliest domestic unrest in Iran since its 1979 revolution.

Trump, who stopped short of carrying out threats to intervene during the crackdown, has since demanded Iran make nuclear concessions and sent a flotilla to its coast. He said last week Iran was "seriously talking", while Tehran's top security official Ali Larijani said on X that arrangements for negotiations were underway.

Iranian sources told Reuters last week that Trump had demanded three preconditions for resumption of talks: Zero enrichment of ‌uranium in Iran, ‌limits on Tehran's ballistic missile program and ending its support ‌for ⁠regional ​proxies.

Iran has ‌long rejected all three demands as unacceptable infringements of its sovereignty, but two Iranian officials told Reuters its clerical rulers see the ballistic missile program, rather than uranium enrichment, as the bigger obstacle.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran was considering "the various dimensions and aspects of the talks", adding that "time is of the essence for Iran as it wants lifting of unjust sanctions sooner."

A senior Iranian official and a Western diplomat told Reuters that US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi could meet ⁠in Türkiye in the coming day.

A Turkish ruling party official told Reuters that Tehran and Washington had agreed that this week's talks ‌would be focused on diplomacy, a potential reprieve for possible US strikes.

The ‍Iranian official said "diplomacy is ongoing. For talks to ‍resume, Iran says there should not be preconditions and that it is ready to show ‍flexibility on uranium enrichment, including handing over 400 kg of highly enriched uranium (HEU), accepting zero enrichment under a consortium arrangement as a solution".

However, he added, for the start of talks, Tehran wants US military assets moved away from Iran.

"Now the ball is in Trump's court," he said.

Tehran's regional sway has been weakened by Israel's attacks ​on its proxies - from Hamas in Gaza to Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and militias in Iraq - as well as by the ousting of Iran's ⁠close ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Last year the United States struck Iranian nuclear targets, joining in at the close of a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign.

TEHRAN DEMANDS LIFTING OF SANCTIONS

After five rounds of talks that have stalled since May 2023, several hard-to-bridge issues remained between Tehran and Washington, including Iran's insistence on maintaining uranium enrichment on its soil and refusal to ship abroad its entire existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Since the US strikes on Iran's three nuclear sites in June, Tehran says its uranium enrichment work has stopped. The UN nuclear watchdog has called on Iran repeatedly to say what happened to the HEU stock since the June attacks.

Western countries fear Iran's uranium enrichment could yield material for a warhead. Iran says its nuclear program is only for electricity generation and other civilian uses.

The Iranian sources said Tehran ‌could ship its highly enriched uranium abroad and pause enrichment in a deal that should also include lifting economic sanctions.


Russia Is Trying to De-Escalate Iran Tensions, the Kremlin Says

26 July 2023, Russia, Saint Petersburg: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends a meeting at the Konstantinovsky Palace. (Vladimir Smirnov/Kremlin/dpa)
26 July 2023, Russia, Saint Petersburg: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends a meeting at the Konstantinovsky Palace. (Vladimir Smirnov/Kremlin/dpa)
TT

Russia Is Trying to De-Escalate Iran Tensions, the Kremlin Says

26 July 2023, Russia, Saint Petersburg: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends a meeting at the Konstantinovsky Palace. (Vladimir Smirnov/Kremlin/dpa)
26 July 2023, Russia, Saint Petersburg: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends a meeting at the Konstantinovsky Palace. (Vladimir Smirnov/Kremlin/dpa)

The Kremlin said on ​Monday that Russia was still trying to de-escalate tensions around Iran, and that it had long ago offered its services to process or store ‌Iran's enriched ‌uranium.

Asked ‌if ⁠Russia ​was ‌discussing with Iran and the United States the possibility of taking Iranian enriched uranium, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "This topic has ⁠been on the agenda for a ‌long time."

"Russia has ‍been ‍offering its services for ‍quite a long time as a possible option that would lead to the removal ​of certain irritants for a number of countries," ⁠Peskov said.

"Right now, Russia is continuing its efforts, continuing its contacts with all interested parties, and maintains its readiness to de-escalate tensions around Iran to the best of its ability," he said.


US Envoy Witkoff to Visit Israel, Meet Netanyahu, Israeli Officials Say

US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff attends the world premiere of Amazon MGM Studios' "Melania" at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, on January 29, 2026. (AFP)
US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff attends the world premiere of Amazon MGM Studios' "Melania" at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, on January 29, 2026. (AFP)
TT

US Envoy Witkoff to Visit Israel, Meet Netanyahu, Israeli Officials Say

US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff attends the world premiere of Amazon MGM Studios' "Melania" at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, on January 29, 2026. (AFP)
US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff attends the world premiere of Amazon MGM Studios' "Melania" at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, on January 29, 2026. (AFP)

US President Donald Trump's ​senior envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to visit Israel for meetings ‌with Prime ‌Minister ‌Benjamin ⁠Netanyahu ​and ‌Israel's military chief, two senior Israeli officials said on Monday.

The ⁠officials said Witkoff's ‌visit to ‍the ‍country was expected ‍to begin on Tuesday.

It comes amid ​heightened regional tensions with Iran, ⁠and as the Trump administration presses ahead with its plan to end the Gaza war.