President Donald Trump has been speaking to a number of different US media outlets after threatening Iran’s infrastructure if the country doesn’t reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Here’s what we’ve heard.

He told Axios that the US is « in deep negotiations » with Iran to make a deal. He says « there is a good chance, but if they don’t make a deal, I am blowing up everything over there ».

He similarly told Fox News there is a “good chance” a deal will be reached tomorrow, but he is considering “blowing everything up and taking over the oil” if a deal to end the war is not reached quickly – as we reported earlier

Trump told the Wall Street Journal that if Iran want to keep the strait closed « they’re going to lose every power plant and every other plant they have in the whole country »

As we’ve been reporting, Donald Trump has issued an expletive-laden threat that Iran’s infrastructure will be hit on Tuesday if the Strait of Hormuz is not opened.

He had previously issued a deadline of 6 April for Iran to make a deal. In a new post on his Truth Social platform, Trump writes: « Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time! »

That’s 03:30 Tehran time on Wednesday (01:00 BST).

It’s not clear what Trump’s social media post is referring to. The BBC has asked the White House to clarify.

Four people have been injured in Haifa, northern Israel, after a rocket strike, the country’s emergency service Magen David Adom says.

It says this includes « an approximately 82-year-old man in serious condition who was injured by a heavy object, and 3 casualties in mild condition with shrapnel and blast injuries ».

The emergency service has shared these pictures of the scene.

Military trains ‘endlessly’ for rescue missions, former US commander says

Gen Frank McKenzie, a retired former commander of US Central Command, tells CBS Face the Nation that the rescue of the airman in Iran is something the US military trains “endlessly” for.

“Every time we send air crew over enemy territory, we have detailed elaborate plans to go get them,” he says.

McKenzie says this rescue operation left the airman in a “position where they can hide until you can get to them, all that seemed to work out very well”.

The retired general says “we did in fact lose a couple of aircraft in that mission”, but it’s a loss you take « any day » in such a situation.

He says it is a “hard lesson” for Iran that it was “not able to find the missing air crewman” before the US rescuers.

World Opinion + Agencies

L’article Analysis. Trump issues expletive-laden threat to Iran demanding Strait of Hormuz be opened.. Video est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran has asked for a ceasefire, saying he will consider it when Strait of Hormuz is open.

Iranian officials have rejected those claims, saying no such request was made.

Qatar’s Defence Ministry says missiles launched from Iran hit oil tanker in the country’s territorial waters.

Kuwait says an Iranian attack has sparked a “large fire” at the fuel tanks at its international airport.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi tells Al Jazeera he has no faith in talks with the US, and says that while he has had messages from Washington, no negotiations are under way.

Israeli medics say 14 wounded in Iranian missile attack

Israel’s emergency services say the wounded included an 11-year-old girl in a missile strike near Tel Aviv that the military blamed on Iran.

In the central city of Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, the Magen David Adom emergency service said it had treated and evacuated to hospital 14 wounded people, adding that the girl is in critical condition with shrapnel injuries.

It said a 13-year-old boy and a 36-year-old woman, also with shrapnel injuries, were in moderate condition, while a further 11 casualties were in mild condition.

Hezbollah says it downed Israeli drone, attacked warplane

Hezbollah has been announcing a flurry of attacks on Israeli army personnel and positions today. In recent hours, it said, its fighters attacked a newly established Israeli artillery emplacement in the town of Rabaa Thalathin with missiles.

It added that its fighters shot down an Israeli enemy drone with a surface-to-air missile in the skies over the town of Ainata, and “confronted” an Israeli warplane in the skies over the town of Bflay.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army on any of these claims.

World Opinion + Agencies

L’article Iran rejects Trump claims that Tehran asked for a ceasefire est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

More on this incident in southern Israel now, as the national fire and rescue service instructs workers in and around the blaze to shelter in a safe space.

The service says the fire in Neot Hovav industrial zone has been declared « a hazardous materials incident », urging workers to evacuate « exposed » areas and instead shelter in « protected structures ».

According to Reuters news agency, ADAMA, a global crop protection company, has released a statement confirming its Makhteshim plant was the site that was hit – either by an Iranian missile or debris from an intercepted missile.

ADAMA – part of Chinese-owned Syngenta Group – says the extent of any damage to the plant is not immediately known, reports Reuters.

Death toll continues to climb in Lebanon during Israeli invasion

Officials in Lebanon say more than 1,200 people have been killed over the past four weeks.

The toll includes 124 children with more than 3,500 people wounded, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

On Saturday and Sunday alone, 49 people were killed including 10 rescue workers and three journalists.

Fears continue to rise of more deaths after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is “determined to fundamentally change the situation in the north”.

Hezbollah “still has residual capability to fire rockets at us”, he said.

Iran has ‘appetite for negotiations’ but also apprehension

Iran is eager to have talks and some sort of negotiations but on its own terms, says Mehran Kamrava, director of the Iranian studies unit at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies.

“There is appetite, but there is also apprehension,” he told Al Jazeera, adding that Tehran is concerned that in a few months, the Americans, or more likely the Israelis, would attack again.

In terms of guarantees, “what the Iranians want to do in addition to some sort of internationally sanctioned document is they want to make sure that the pain that they inflict on the United States and on America’s regional allies are deep enough, that they are painful enough that the Americans and the Israelis will think twice next time when they want to attack Iran.”

Over the past several weeks, the Iranians along with the US and Israel have been willing to cross successive red lines.

They have attacked oil and energy installations and strikes in the Middle East have become increasingly accurate, Kamrava said. They have also caused “major damage in military bases in Saudi Arabia, so that is another source of leverage”, he added.

World Opinion + Agencies

L’article Analysis. Israel says industrial site on fire after Iranian attack as hundreds mourn killed journalists in Lebanon.. Video est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

Israel has attacked two nuclear facilities and two major steel plants, actions for which Iran’s FM Araghchi says it will carry out “heavy” retaliation.

The attacks came despite US President Donald Trump’s promise to further delay attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure by 10 days – until April 6 – as he continues to claim talks with Iran on a peace deal are going “very well”.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirms Islamabad is relaying messages between US and Iranian officials as part of mediation efforts to end the war, with Turkiye and Egypt also lending support.

Iran’s Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian tells Al Jazeera at least 1,937 people have been killed in US-Israeli attacks on his country.

Israel has issued displacement orders for all residents of Lebanon living south of the Zahrani River – located some 50km (31 miles) from the border with Israel – as Lebanon’s Health Ministry reports more than 1,100 people killed in Israeli attacks since March 2.

Iran’s Ghalibaf says ‘fake news’ no longer altering energy markets

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf says the US’s spamming of “fake news” to alter the energy markets and push prices down had only made it “numb”.

“Keep going, nobody’s buying it anymore. The real prices will show up anyway. Powerful? Maybe. But Smart? Not even close. Burned that fake news card way too early,” Ghalibaf wrote on X.

US stocks closed out their worst week since the war began, with the S&P 500 falling 1.6 percent.

World Opinion + Agencies

L’article Tehran vows retaliation for Israeli hits on nuclear sites.. Video est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

Donald Trump a lancé samedi soir un ultimatum à l’Iran: les Etats-Unis anéantiront ses centrales électriques si la République islamique ne rouvre pas le détroit d’Ormuz au trafic maritime dans les 48 heures. L’armée iranienne menace en retour de viser les infrastructures énergétiques et de dessalement de la région.

Une quarantaine de personnes ont été blessées par un tir de missiles iranien sur une ville du sud d’Israël abritant un centre de recherche nucléaire, selon les services de secours israéliens. C’est une réponse aux frappes contre le site nucléaire iranien de Natanz frappé plus tôt par les Etats-Unis et Israël, a fait savoir la TV iranienne.

Un autre missile s’est ensuite abattu sur la ville d’Arad, selon la police, qui a fait état de chute de projectile et au moins 59 blessés, dont six grièvement.

L’armée américaine a affirmé avoir « réduit » la capacité de l’Iran à menacer la navigation dans le détroit d’Ormuz en bombardant cette semaine une installation souterraine abritant notamment des missiles de croisière.

Une vingtaine de pays, dont les Emirats arabes unis, le Royaume-Uni, la France, le Canada et le Japon, se sont dits « prêts à contribuer aux efforts » nécessaires à la réouverture du détroit d’Ormuz, bloqué de facto par l’Iran depuis le début de la guerre.

Explosions entendues à Jérusalem

Plusieurs explosions ont été entendues dimanche à Jérusalem où les sirènes d’alerte aérienne ont retenti après des tirs de missiles en provenance d’Iran vers le territoire israélien, ont constaté des journalistes de l’AFP.

L’armée a diffusé plusieurs alertes indiquant qu’elle avait identifié « des missiles tirés depuis l’Iran en direction du territoire de l’État d’Israël ».

Magen David Adom, l’équivalent israélien de la Croix-Rouge a déclaré, après une première alerte, qu’aucun blessé n’avait été signalé après cette nouvelle salve.

Attaque de missiles et de drones sur les Emirats arabes unis

Les Emirats arabes unis ont dit dimanche répondre à des attaques de missiles et de drones de l’Iran, alors que les pays du Golfe sont ciblés depuis le début de la guerre par les représailles iraniennes à l’offensive américano-israélienne.

« Les défenses aériennes des Émirats arabes unis réagissent actuellement à des menaces de missiles et de drones en provenance de l’Iran », a indiqué le ministère de la Défense sur X. Il avertit la population que les « bruits entendus sont le résultat de l’interception » des attaques.

World Opinion + Agences

L’article L’Iran menace des infrastructures clés après un ultimatum de Donald Trump est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

Le prochain guide suprême iranien « ne tiendra pas longtemps sans mon aval », a menacé Donald Trump dimanche. Le président américain a fait cette déclaration après que le chef de la diplomatie iranienne a asséné que « c’est au peuple iranien de choisir son dirigeant ».

Donald Trump a déclaré que le prochain dirigeant iranien « ne tiendra pas longtemps s’il n’obtient pas [son] aval », dans un entretien accordé à la chaîne américaine ABC dimanche.

Le ministre iranien des Affaires étrangères avait réaffirmé peu de temps avant que le choix du successeur de l’ayatollah Ali Khomenei incombait au « peuple iranien » et à « personne d’autre » (lire brève de 16h15). En Iran, l’Assemblée des experts a désigné un nouveau guide suprême, mais son nom n’a pas été annoncé.

Cette passe d’armes est survenue alors que, en Iran, l’Assemblée des experts a désigné un nouveau guide suprême pour succéder à l’ayatollah Ali Khamenei, assassiné au premier jour de la guerre. Le nom de l’élu n’a toutefois pas été révélé.

Quatre dépôts de pétrole et un site logistique servant au transport de produits pétroliers ont été frappés pendant la nuit par les Etats-Unis et Israël à Téhéran et ses environs, a indiqué un responsable iranien, faisant quatre morts selon lui.

L’Iran a assuré dimanche être capable de se battre pendant au moins six mois contre les Etats-Unis et Israël. Six personnes ont été blessées sur le territoire de l’Etat hébreu dans des frappes iraniennes.

L’armée israélienne a annoncé la mort de deux soldats lors de combats dans le sud du Liban, les premiers décès dans ses rangs depuis le début de son offensive dans le pays voisin. Les autorités libanaises font elles état de 394 morts en une semaine de frappes israéliennes.

World Opinion + Agences

L’article Le prochain guide iranien « ne tiendra pas longtemps sans mon aval », menace Donald Trump est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

Officials say some water and electricity facilities were damaged by projectiles amid the US-Israel bombing, and asked people to conserve resources, but no widespread outages have been reported so far.

Tehran, Iran – “The war might last weeks, so my family and I will only leave if it gets too bad. For now, life goes on,” says Sepehr, a resident of eastern Tehran.

The booming sound of explosions has been a daily reality this week where he lives, at times leaving thick smoke billowing to the horizon and shaking windows, he told Al Jazeera, asking to remain anonymous due to security reasons.

The scenes are similar across Tehran, a sprawling city of nearly 10 million people, with United States and Israeli missiles raining down in quick succession during waves of attacks that have taken place at all hours of the day since the start of the war on Saturday morning, which has killed more than 1,000 people.

Iranian officials said on Thursday that some water and electricity facilities were damaged by projectiles and asked people to conserve resources, but no widespread outages have been reported so far.

The streets of the capital are noticeably quieter and less congested than usual, and many businesses are closed. However, the basic necessities remain largely available, both in person and through online orders.

“When the bombing runs seem finished for a while, I go for a short walk once during the day to get some essentials from the local shops. There are usually queues for bread, which are not too long, and there are queues at some petrol stations,” said Marjan, who lives in a western neighbourhood.

“Except for a few items that might be in shorter supply, the shops mostly have everything you want for now, but who knows what could happen later. Either way, the prices are breaking people’s backs,” she said.

Two days before the start of the war, the Statistical Centre of Iran (SCI) and the Central Bank of Iran released separate reports that painted a grim picture of how the daily livelihoods of 90 million people had been affected by runaway prices.

The SCI put annual inflation in the Iranian month of Bahman, which ended on February 19, at 68.1 percent, while the Central Bank put it at 62.2 percent. These were some of the highest inflation rates recorded since the pre-Islamic revolution of 1979 that birthed the incumbent theocratic establishment, stoking further concern of potentially looming hyperinflation.

Iran has one of the highest food inflation rates in the world, which stood at a whopping 105 percent by the end of last month, according to the SCI.

That included a 207 percent inflation rate for cooking oil, 117 percent for red meat, 108 percent for eggs and dairy products, 113 percent for fruits and 142 percent for bread and corn.

First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref told state media on Wednesday that the government had concerns about providing sufficient medicine and medical equipment, “but fortunately today conditions are good”.

This comes as Iran’s medicine market has been in heavy turmoil over recent weeks, with prices skyrocketing and some drugs like antidepressants facing shortages in Tehran and other cities. In some cases, only Iranian-made versions of medicine can be found in the market, with foreign-made counterparts becoming rare.

The government continues to offer a meagre cash subsidy to people to buy essential goods, and recently expanded items purchasable through the scheme to include baby diapers, another item that has more than doubled in price over recent months.

Government officials also continue to emphasise that provincial governors and ministers have been empowered to import essential goods in large quantities with reduced red tape to ensure continuity in case of a lingering war.

The Iranian economy, bruised and isolated after decades of corruption and mismanagement paired with US and United Nations sanctions, is again on pause as its forces launch ballistic missiles and drones across the region amid the war.

The Iranian rial stood at about 1.66 million per US dollar before the war, near an all-time low. The stock market was a sea of red as investors baulked at prospects of an increasingly uncertain future, while traditional assets like gold soared.

World Opinion + ALjazeera

L’article Iranians get by as US, Israeli bombs rain down, internet blocked est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

L’année 1447 de l’Hégire marque l’arrivée du mois de Ramadan, une période durant laquelle les musulmans accomplissent l’un des piliers majeurs de leur foi.

À travers le monde, ils jeûneront pendant 29 ou 30 jours, s’abstenant de manger, de boire, d’entretenir des relations conjugales ou de poser tout geste pouvant invalider le jeûne, de l’aube jusqu’au coucher du soleil.

C’est au cours de ce mois béni que le Noble Coran a commencé à être révélé, et plusieurs versets y évoquent explicitement le jeûne.

Toute personne répondant aux conditions fixées par l’islam — homme comme femme — est tenue de l’observer, à l’exception de celles pour lesquelles un allègement religieux est prévu.

Puisque le Ramadan occupe une place centrale dans la vie spirituelle des musulmans, une question se pose : comment bien s’y préparer ?

1-La sincérité de l’intention

Dr Junaid a expliqué que la première chose qu’un musulman doit faire à l’approche du Ramadan est de formuler une intention sincère et pure.

« La sincérité de l’intention est un pilier fondamental dans toute la religion », a déclaré Dr Junaid.

2- Repentance sincère

Le spécialiste rappelle ensuite qu’une étape essentielle, avant d’aborder le Ramadan, consiste à se repentir de ses fautes.

« Allah aime Ses serviteurs ; c’est pour cela qu’Il leur a prescrit le jeûne. Celui‑ci aide le croyant à se détourner de la désobéissance », explique Junaid Abubakar.

Selon lui, le jeûne repose justement sur l’abandon de tout ce qui peut conduire au péché.

« Ainsi, parmi les résolutions que doit prendre celui qui s’apprête à jeûner, figure un repentir sincère : décider de rompre avec le péché qu’il commet, et s’engager à ne plus jamais y revenir jusqu’à la fin de sa vie. »

Le spécialiste ajoute que le repentir concerne aussi les droits d’autrui : « Si l’on a lésé quelqu’un, porté atteinte à ses biens ou à son honneur, il faut réparer ce tort et demander pardon. »

3- Connaître la valeur du temps et de l’époque

La troisième chose mentionnée par le savant est que le musulman doit savoir que c’est durant le jeûne du Ramadan que le Noble Coran a été révélé, et que c’est également au cours de ce mois qu’a été consacrée la nuit de Laylat al-Qadr.

« De même que la récompense est multipliée pour celui qui obéit à Allah, le péché et ses conséquences néfastes sont également multipliés pour celui qui Lui désobéit », a déclaré Dr Junaidu.

Selon le savant, il est important que chacun connaisse la valeur particulière du mois de Ramadan ainsi que tout ce qu’il comporte.

4- Réduire la consommation de nourriture

Le savant a cité un hadith dans lequel le Messager d’Allah a dit :

« Rien ne remplit le ventre de l’homme de mal comme la surabondance de nourriture ; il suffit qu’un peu de nourriture suffise à l’homme pour renforcer sa santé. »

C’est pourquoi Dr Junaid a souligné que le Ramadan est un moment propice pour que les gens, en particulier ceux qui mangent beaucoup, réduisent la quantité de nourriture qu’ils consomment.

5- Connaître l’objectif du jeûne

Il est important que l’on comprenne la sagesse, c’est-à-dire ce que le jeûne cherche à accomplir chez l’être humain.

« Ce que le jeûne veut atteindre dans le corps et l’âme de l’homme, c’est de le rapprocher d’Allah, de faire de lui une personne intègre et juste, et de développer en lui un grand amour pour la charité et le don », a expliqué Sheikh Junaid.

Il a également souligné que le Messager d’Allah avait l’habitude d’être particulièrement généreux pendant le mois de Ramadan et de multiplier la lecture du Coran durant cette période.

6- Habituer l’âme aux bonnes actions

Le savant a expliqué que le jeûne est un moment où l’on doit habituer son âme aux bonnes actions.

« L’âme a besoin d’être disciplinée et exercée », a déclaré le savant.

« Chaque âme connaît des difficultés, mais le moyen de la guérir est de l’habituer aux bonnes actions. »

World Opinion + BBC News

L’article Six points à prendre en considération pendant le mois de Ramadan est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

Quelque 2,5 milliards de téléspectateurs devraient regarder, ce vendredi 6 février à 20 heures, le spectacle de lancement des Jeux olympiques d’hiver 2026 de Milan-Cortina. C’est l’un des événements en direct les plus lucratifs de l’année, rappelle le “Financial Times”.

La flamme olympique n’a pas choisi Zlatan. C’est Zlatan qui a choisi de la porter 🔥

📹 @milanocortina26 #JeuxOlympiques | #MilanoCortina2026 pic.twitter.com/JbI4C1xnCM

— Jeux Olympiques (@jeuxolympiques) February 6, 2026

Le secret des chorégraphies reste bien gardé, à quelques heures de la cérémonie d’ouverture des Jeux olympiques d’hiver, ce vendredi 6 février, en direct et en simultané de quatre sites, dont le stade San Siro de Milan, à partir de 20 heures. L’enjeu est énorme et dépasse la sphère sportive : comme l’explique le Financial Times, l’événement “s’annonce comme l’un spectacles en direct les plus lucratifs de l’année”.

Cette vitrine, qui mettra en valeur “la richesse du patrimoine culturel, l’excellence de la création et de l’innovation de l’Italie, selon les organisateurs”, accueillera le ténor Andrea Bocelli et la chanteuse Mariah Carey, et rendra hommage à Giorgio Armani, le couturier italien, disparu en septembre, qui a conçu la tenue des athlètes de la péninsule.

Le “pionnier” italien des cérémonies sportives

Aux manettes de la cérémonie, Balich Wonder Studio, du nom de son fondateur, Marco Balich, qui s’est imposé depuis les JO de Turin en 2006 comme “le pionnier d’une nouvelle forme de lancements en direct d’événements sportifs mondiaux”. Depuis, le petit studio italien s’est fait une place dans un “secteur jusqu’alors dominé par des entreprises américaines et asiatiques”, des Coupes du monde de la Fifa aux Jeux du Commonwealth.

Balich Wonder Studio a été racheté en 2023 par le groupe français Banijay, le “plus grand producteur et distributeur indépendant de contenus télévisés au monde, pour un montant non divulgué”, poursuit le quotidien britannique.

Même si on ne connaît pas le coût de la cérémonie d’ouverture des JO 2026, elle représente “la plus grande part du budget de 70 millions d’euros alloué à l’événementiel des Jeux” (qui comprend aussi la clôture et les cérémonies des Jeux paralympiques début mars). C’est environ “4 % du budget de fonctionnement de 1,7 milliard d’euros” de ces JO, mais c’est “bien en dessous des 100 millions d’euros qui auraient été dépensés aux JO d’été de 2024” à Paris. Marco Balich explique :

“C’est une énorme opération. À peu près 900 personnes y travaillent depuis un an et 2 000 volontaires sont mobilisés pour cette nuit.”

C’est la “combinaison des investissements publics, des diffuseurs et des sponsors” qui fait des cérémonies d’ouverture un tel jackpot, rappelle le quotidien économique. À Milan-Cortina, les sponsors ont dépensé “près de 500 millions d’euros”. Mais les droits de retransmission télévisée restent “la principale source de revenus du Comité international olympique”, dans un “écosystème commercial des JO de plusieurs milliards de dollars”.

World Opionion + Courrier international

L’article Le juteux marché des cérémonies d’ouverture des Jeux olympiques est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

The trade deal between India and the European Union is as much about geopolitics as it’s about intercontinental business relations.

The EU is already India’s largest partner with trade in goods reaching $142.3bn (£104.07bn) in 2024, amounting to 11.5% of the South Asian nation’s total trade. India is the EU’s ninth largest trading partner.

These are impressive numbers and reflect strong relations. And yet, trade talks were stuck for two decades.

That raises the question: what’s changed now? The answer lies in the fast-evolving geopolitical landscape and the unpredictability of the US administration under President Donald Trump.

The US leader has used tariffs as a bargaining chip in some negotiations but he has often used them to punish countries, including partners, which don’t agree with his worldview.

The US has imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods, which include a 25% penalty for Delhi’s refusal to stop buying oil from Russia.

Some EU countries recently faced fresh tariff threats from Trump as the US president was put out by their refusal to accept his proposed takeover of Greenland. He later withdrew the threat, but experts say it did rattle the EU.

The EU and India are not alone in looking to hedge their bets when it comes to the US – the free trade agreement (FTA) in Delhi was secured amid a flurry of countries striking deals and patching things up as they try to cope with global unpredictability.

The EU-India pact – the seventh trade deal India has completed recently – comes after Brussels signed a trade accord with South American trade bloc Mercosur earlier this month after 25 years of negotiation. Experts say the Trump factor helped speed that up too, though it’s now facing legal challenges in Europe.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney – who warned of a « rupture » in the post-war international order last week – is just back from a visit resetting ties in China which will boost trade ties, drawing Trump’s ire and fresh threats of 100% tariffs. Carney is also due to travel to India in the near future, with trade high on the agenda. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is heading to Beijing this week, accompanied by dozens of British business executives, following years of strained ties with China.

Against this backdrop, the India-EU trade deal, which is still subject to ratification, assumes greater geopolitical significance as it achieves more than just trade results – for both Brussels and Delhi.

It sends a message to Trump that global powers have started to look at ways to club together to protect themselves against his administration.

« One could argue that the Trump factor provided a very strong impetus to the deal because both India and the EU are facing shock US tariffs that they never expected, » said Michael Kugelman, senior fellow for South Asia at the Atlantic Council.

He added that Trump is a big reason why the EU and India have been able to overcome most of their differences and put issues they couldn’t resolve on the back-burner for future negotiations.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen both called Tuesday’s agreement « the mother of all deals ».

« This is the tale of two giants – the world’s second and fourth largest economies – two giants who choose partnership in a true win-win fashion, a strong message that co-operation is the best answer to global challenges, » said von der Leyen, standing beside Modi after they exchanged agreements.

« By combining these strengths, we reduce strategic dependencies at a time when trade is increasingly weaponised… We are not only making our economies stronger – we are also delivering security for our people in an increasingly insecure world. »

Modi said the global order is in « great turmoil » and the trade deal would strengthen supply chains globally.

« This means it is not just a trade agreement. This is a new blueprint for shared prosperity, » he said.

The two leaders’ may or may not have intended the deal to annoy the Trump administration, but they appear to have done exactly that.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told ABC News on Sunday that the EU was « financing the war against themselves » by signing a trade deal with Delhi.

He was referring to India’s purchase of Russian crude, which US officials have often said was indirectly financing Moscow’s war in Ukraine. India has always denied this, saying the purchase of Russian oil secures energy needs of millions of its people.

The time-tested Delhi-Moscow relations are also the reason why India has been reluctant to abruptly cut business ties with Russia. It has long relied on Moscow for military hardware but today’s deal will help it build on already strong defence ties with France as it looks to diversify its defence imports portfolio with other European nations too.

The India deal also gives the EU access to another huge market and may help it reduce its reliance on China in the future.

« India will also look at this partnership as a way to counter China’s dominance in global trade, which it envisaged doing with the US. But it’s a different state of play right now. The EU likewise sees India as a useful country to partner within its own efforts to counter China, » Kugelman added.

But it’s worth remembering that behind the chest-thumping headlines, there is still plenty of work to do for both India and the EU. While negotiations around the deal have concluded, the formal signing of the agreement will take a long time..

World Opinion + BBC News

L’article Trump’s shadow looms over India-EU trade deal est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.