Iran Says Trump’s Call for Peace ‘At Odds’ with US Actions 

An Iranian woman walks past a map of Iran in Tehran on October 13, 2025. (AFP)
An Iranian woman walks past a map of Iran in Tehran on October 13, 2025. (AFP)
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Iran Says Trump’s Call for Peace ‘At Odds’ with US Actions 

An Iranian woman walks past a map of Iran in Tehran on October 13, 2025. (AFP)
An Iranian woman walks past a map of Iran in Tehran on October 13, 2025. (AFP)

Iran said on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump's call for a peace deal with Tehran was inconsistent with Washington's actions, referring to its strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June.

"The desire for peace and dialogue expressed by the US president is at odds with the hostile and criminal behavior of the United States towards the Iranian people," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

In mid-June, Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on Iran, striking nuclear and military facilities as well as residential areas and killing more than 1,000 people.

The 12-day war with Israel, during which the US struck the key nuclear facilities in Iran, derailed high-level nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington.

Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks that killed dozens in Israel. A ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been in place since June 24.

During a Monday speech at the Israeli Knesset, Trump said he wanted a peace deal with Iran and that the ball was in Tehran's court for any agreement to come to pass.

In its statement, Iran dismissed the call.

"How can one attack the residential areas and nuclear facilities of a country in the midst of political negotiations, kill more than 1,000 people including innocent women and children, and then demand peace and friendship?" the foreign ministry asked.

Trump also said "nothing would do more good" for the region than for Iran's leaders "to renounce terrorists, stop threatening their neighbors, quit funding their militant proxies, and finally recognize Israel's right to exist".

Tehran struck back, calling the remarks "irresponsible and shameful" and accusing the United States of being "a leading producer of terrorism and a supporter of the terrorist and genocidal Zionist regime".

"The United States... has no moral authority to accuse others," Iran's foreign ministry said.



Taiwan Says China Sanctions on European Arms Makers Will Not Hit Weapons Sourcing

A Taiwan flags flutters on the roof of the headquarters of Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) in Taichung on April 21, 2026. (AFP)
A Taiwan flags flutters on the roof of the headquarters of Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) in Taichung on April 21, 2026. (AFP)
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Taiwan Says China Sanctions on European Arms Makers Will Not Hit Weapons Sourcing

A Taiwan flags flutters on the roof of the headquarters of Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) in Taichung on April 21, 2026. (AFP)
A Taiwan flags flutters on the roof of the headquarters of Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) in Taichung on April 21, 2026. (AFP)

Taiwan's defense minister downplayed on Monday the impact of Chinese sanctions on seven European companies over arms sales to the island, saying it was not the first time China had taken such action and it would not affect Taipei's ability to source weapons.

China's Commerce Ministry banned exports on Friday of dual-use items to the seven companies over arms sales to Taiwan, placing them on its export control list, in a ‌rare case of Europe-targeted, ‌Taiwan-related sanctions.

Taiwan, which China views as its own ‌territory, ⁠gets most of its ⁠weapons from the United States. Europe has not sold any big-ticket items like fighter jets to Taipei for around three decades, fearful of raising the ire of Beijing.

Taking lawmaker questions in parliament, Taiwan Defense Minister Wellington Koo said it was not the first time China had implemented such measures.

"However, I think such an action, as I understand it, does not affect ⁠our ability to continue sourcing goods through relevant diversified ‌channels," he added, without elaborating.

While many ‌countries, especially in Europe, are nervous about any defense cooperation with Taiwan due to ‌fears of Chinese retaliation, Taipei has found an increasingly sympathetic ear in ‌parts of Central and Eastern Europe, especially since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Four of the seven companies on the new Chinese list are Czech.

China has repeatedly sanctioned major US arms makers over sales to Taiwan, most recently in December following ‌the US announcement of an $11 billion weapons sale package to the island.

JAPAN SCRAPS ARMS EXPORTS CONTROLS

Asked whether Taiwan ⁠could start buying ⁠weapons from Japan, after Tokyo last week scrapped restrictions on overseas arms sales, Koo said the recipients of weapons exports must be countries that have signed a defense equipment and technology transfer agreement with Japan, which Taiwan has not done.

When asked whether that could happen one day, Koo responded: "In the future, no possibility can be ruled out. I think I can only say that at present, no transfer agreement exists."

While countries such as the Philippines welcomed the change, China expressed deep concern.

Relations between Japan and China have been at a low ebb since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in November that a Chinese attack on Taiwan threatening Japan's survival could trigger a military response.


Türkiye’s Erdogan Offers Support to Trump in Call After White House Dinner Shooting

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during an event in Istanbul, Türkiye, April 24, 2026. (Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during an event in Istanbul, Türkiye, April 24, 2026. (Reuters)
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Türkiye’s Erdogan Offers Support to Trump in Call After White House Dinner Shooting

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during an event in Istanbul, Türkiye, April 24, 2026. (Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during an event in Istanbul, Türkiye, April 24, 2026. (Reuters)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered his support for US President Donald Trump in a phone call following a ‌shooting ‌at the ‌White ⁠House Correspondents' Association dinner, the ⁠Turkish presidency said late on Sunday.

"Erdogan said he saw the ⁠incident as ‌a ‌heinous act against democracy ‌and press ‌freedom," the presidency said in a statement on X.

Earlier, ‌Erdogan had condemned the incident ⁠in ⁠a separate statement on X, saying he was happy that Trump and first lady Melania Trump were unharmed.


Latest US Military Strike on Alleged Drug Boat Kills 3 in Eastern Pacific

A US strike targets a boat suspected of being used for drug smuggling in the Eastern Pacific (Reuters file)
A US strike targets a boat suspected of being used for drug smuggling in the Eastern Pacific (Reuters file)
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Latest US Military Strike on Alleged Drug Boat Kills 3 in Eastern Pacific

A US strike targets a boat suspected of being used for drug smuggling in the Eastern Pacific (Reuters file)
A US strike targets a boat suspected of being used for drug smuggling in the Eastern Pacific (Reuters file)

The latest US military strike on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean killed three people Sunday, according to a social media post by US Southern Command.

The Trump administration's campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has gone on since early September and killed at least 186 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the Caribbean Sea.

The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs.

After Sunday's attack, Southern Command posted a video on X showing a boat moving swiftly in the water before an explosion left it in flames. It repeated previous statements by saying it had targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes.

The attacks began as the US built up its largest military presence in the region in generations and came months ahead of the raid in January that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty.

President Donald Trump has said the US is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.

Critics, meanwhile, have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes.