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Trump says he paused attack on Iran, signals a nuclear deal may be possible

Iran’s top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya, said Iran’s armed forces are “ready to pull the trigger” in the event of any renewed U.S. attack.

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U.S. President Donald Trump ​said on Monday he had paused a planned attack against Iran after Tehran sent a peace proposal to Washington, and that there was now a “very good chance” of ‌reaching a deal limiting Iran’s nuclear program, Reuters reported.

After Iran sent the U.S. a new peace proposal, Trump said he had instructed the U.S. military that “we will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow, but have further instructed them to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.”

No such attack had previously been announced, and Reuters could not determine whether preparations had ​been made for strikes that would mark a renewal of the war Trump started in late February.

Under pressure to reach an accord that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump has ​previously expressed hope that a deal was close on ending the war, and similarly threatened heavy strikes on Iran if Tehran does not reach a deal.

In ⁠his post, he said the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had requested that he hold off on the attack because “a Deal will be made, which will be very ​acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all Countries in the Middle East, and beyond.” He did not offer details of the agreement being discussed.

Speaking to reporters later, he said the United ​States would be satisfied if it could reach an agreement with Iran that prevents Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

“There seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out. If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I would be very happy,” Trump told reporters gathered for an unrelated announcement.

Trump’s post on calling off an attack came after Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that Tehran’s views had been “conveyed to ​the American side through Pakistan” but gave no details.

A Pakistani source confirmed that Islamabad, which has conveyed messages between the sides in the war in the Middle East since hosting the only round of peace ​talks last month, had shared the latest proposal with Washington. But the source suggested progress had been difficult.

The sides “keep changing their goalposts,” the Pakistani source said, adding: “We don’t have much time.”

Iran remained defiant in statements issued ‌on state media ⁠after Trump’s announcement, warning the U.S. and its allies against making any further “strategic mistakes or miscalculations” in attacking Iran, while contending the Iranian armed forces were “more prepared and stronger than in the past.”

Iran’s top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya, said Iran’s armed forces are “ready to pull the trigger” in the event of any renewed U.S. attack, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency.

“Any renewed aggression and invasion … will be responded to quickly, decisively, powerfully, and extensively,” the commander of Khatam al-Anbiya, Ali Abdollahi, was quoted as saying.

The Iranian peace proposal, as described by a senior Iranian source, appeared similar in many respects to Iran’s previous offer, ​which Trump rejected last week as “garbage”.

It would focus ​first on securing an end to the war, ⁠reopening the Strait of Hormuz – a major oil supply route that Iran has effectively blockaded – and lifting maritime sanctions.

In an apparent softening of Washington’s stance, the senior Iranian source said on Monday that the United States had agreed to release a quarter of Iran’s frozen funds – totalling tens of ​billions of dollars – held in foreign banks. Iran wants all the assets released.

The Iranian source also said Washington had shown more flexibility in agreeing ​to let Iran continue some ⁠peaceful nuclear activity under supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The U.S. has not confirmed that it has agreed to anything in the talks.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency separately quoted an unidentified source as saying the U.S. had agreed to waive oil sanctions on Iran while negotiations were under way.

Iranian officials did not immediately comment on Tasnim’s report, which a U.S. official, who declined to be named, said was false.

A fragile ceasefire is in ⁠place after six ​weeks of war that followed U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran, although drones have been launched from Iraq towards Gulf countries, including ​Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, apparently by Iran and its allies. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Monday condemning a drone attack on Sunday, in which Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted three drones that entered the country from Iraqi airspace.

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China to buy at least $17 billion in US agricultural products annually, White House says

The $17 billion figure does not ​include the soybean purchase commitments China made in October ⁠2025, the White House said.

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China has committed to purchasing at least $17 billion of U.S. agricultural ​products in 2026, 2027 and 2028, the White House ‌said in a fact sheet released on Sunday.

The commitment was made during meetings between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last ​week, the White House said.

The $17 billion figure does not ​include the soybean purchase commitments China made in October ⁠2025, the White House said.

There has been a marked reduction ​in U.S. agricultural exports to China after last year’s rounds of ​tit-for-tat tariffs sharply curtailed trade, which fell 65.7% year-on-year to $8.4 billion in 2025, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

China has dramatically scaled back its ​reliance on U.S. farm goods since Trump’s first term, sourcing ​roughly 20% of its soybeans from the U.S. in 2024, the year before ‌he ⁠returned to office, down from 41% in 2016.

China will work with U.S. regulators to lift suspensions of U.S. beef facilities and resume imports of poultry from U.S. states determined to be ​free of avian ​influenza, the ⁠White House said.

Confirming earlier statements from the Chinese government, the White House also said on Sunday the ​world’s two largest economies would establish a U.S.-China ​Board of ⁠Trade and the U.S.-China Board of Investment.

The boards will resolve concerns over market access for agricultural products and expand trade “under a ⁠reciprocal ​tariff-reduction framework,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi ​said in a statement last week.

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World

Trump returns from China with stability but little progress

While the meeting produced a calmer tone and modest commercial agreements, key disputes over trade, technology and regional influence remain largely unsettled.

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US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing this week ended with limited economic agreements and no major breakthroughs, highlighting the continued strategic and economic rivalry between the United States and China.

The two-day summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reflected a shift away from last year’s intense trade war toward a more stable — but unresolved — relationship between the world’s two largest economies.

While the meeting produced a calmer tone and modest commercial agreements, key disputes over trade, technology and regional influence remain largely unsettled.

Analysts said China appeared to benefit from the return to more predictable relations after the sharp tensions triggered by Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs in early 2025. Beijing and Washington later reached a temporary trade truce, but both countries continue to compete strategically and economically.

Reuters reported that Scott Kennedy, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the summit marked a return to stability after months of severe tariff escalation.

Trump travelled to Beijing with several leading American business figures, including Elon Musk of Tesla and Jensen Huang of Nvidia, although few major commercial outcomes were announced publicly.

The summit also failed to secure any public Chinese commitment to assist Washington in ending the war involving Iran, an issue that has affected global markets and weighed on Trump’s domestic approval ratings.

A White House official said Trump used his relationship with Xi to secure benefits for the American economy, pointing to reported agreements involving Boeing aircraft sales and expanded agricultural exports.

Chinese officials described the talks as “constructive and strategic,” saying both sides discussed how major powers should manage relations amid long-term competition.

Despite the improved atmosphere, longstanding U.S. concerns — including China’s industrial overcapacity and trade practices — were not publicly addressed during the visit.

The summit’s commercial results also fell short of Trump’s 2017 China visit, when agreements worth around $250 billion were announced.

Although Trump claimed Boeing secured a deal for China to purchase 200 aircraft, the figure was reportedly lower than earlier expectations of up to 500 jets.

No breakthrough was reached on allowing China to purchase advanced artificial intelligence chips from Nvidia, an issue closely watched by lawmakers in Washington concerned about China’s technological development.

Officials said some additional commercial agreements could be delayed until a possible reciprocal visit by Xi to Washington later this year.

Experts said the summit demonstrated that both countries are increasingly accepting long-term competition rather than seeking a return to closer cooperation.

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Large blast near Beit Shemesh part of pre-planned test: Israeli defense firm

The company said the blast was a “pre-planned experiment” that was carried out according to schedule.

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A large explosion near the central Israeli city of Beit Shemesh late Saturday was part of a pre-planned and controlled test, according to a statement by state-owned Tomer defense company that was cited by The Times of Israel.

Videos on social media showed flames and a large plume of smoke rising from the area following the blast, which was heard in nearby communities.

The Times of Israel said the explosion occurred at a testing ground belonging to Tomer, a company that develops rocket and missile engines.

The company said the blast was a “pre-planned experiment” that was carried out according to schedule.

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