Trump cancels Iran talks, urges protesters to seize institutions as tensions escalate
Washington: United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that he has cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials, issuing a direct appeal to protesters in Iran to continue demonstrations and “take over” state institutions amid an intensified government crackdown in Tehran.
In a series of posts on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said he had suspended diplomatic engagements with Iran until what he described as the “senseless killing of protesters” comes to an end. He also claimed that “help is on the way,” without providing details on the nature or form of that assistance.
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Addressing demonstrators directly, Trump urged them to persist with protests, document those responsible for violence and abuse, and warned that accountability would follow. His remarks follows Iran's largest wave of anti-government protests in years and amid rising international concern over the use of force by Iranian authorities.
The US president has in recent days repeatedly raised the possibility of military action against Iran, suggesting that a harsh response by Tehran to the protests could trigger American intervention. On Monday, Trump also announced a 25 percent tariff on any country continuing to do business with Iran, further tightening economic pressure.
The US State Department escalated its warning on Tuesday, as reported by Al Jazeera. It urged American citizens to leave Iran immediately as tensions mount. When questioned by reporters about his statement that “help is on the way,” Trump declined to elaborate, telling journalists they would have to “figure that one out."
In an interview with CBS News later the same day, Trump said Washington would take “very strong actions” if Iranian authorities carried out executions of protesters, adding that he had yet to receive verified figures on the number of deaths.
Iranian officials have rejected allegations of repression and have instead accused foreign powers of orchestrating unrest. Iran’s top military commander, Abdolrahim Mousavi, recently alleged that the US and Israel had deployed fighters from the Islamic State group inside Iran to carry out attacks, without presenting evidence. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has also claimed that authorities possess recordings of foreign voices directing “terrorist agents” to fire on police and protesters.
The rhetoric has further inflamed tensions. Ali Larijani, chief of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said in a post on X that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were the “main killers of the people of Iran.”
France and Qatar have been among those calling for de-escalation. On Tuesday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani spoke with Larijani, showed Doha’s support for efforts at calming the situation and pursuing peaceful solutions. Iran’s foreign minister also held talks with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot, according to Iranian media.
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Rajnath Singh chairs IGoM meet, urges constant vigil over West Asia crisis
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday emphasised the need for round-the-clock monitoring of the West Asia conflict and called for a calibrated response to deal with any eventuality to ensure that national interests remain protected.
Singh made the comments while chairing a high-level meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) set-up to monitor the situation in West Asia.
The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister J P Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In view of the "uncertain situation", the defence minister underlined the importance of round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and the need to respond in a calibrated manner to deal with any eventuality, an official readout said.
He stressed on the need to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the people of the country face the minimum effect of the conflict, it said.
It was the second meeting of the IGoM after it was set up last month.
The IGoM was apprised of the measures being taken by the government in the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, Singh said on social media.
"We also deliberated upon the next steps to be taken by the government to mitigate any adverse impact arising due to the ongoing conflict," he said.
The defence ministry said in the readout said, "In the meeting, the seven empowered groups of secretaries briefed the IGoM on the steps being taken to tackle the situation."
"The IGoM was apprised about measures undertaken by the Ministry of Finance to address concerns arising due to global trade disruptions and provide relief and support to the industry, especially manufacturing, and bolster investor confidence," it said.
It listed measures including notification issued on Wednesday on full customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemical products till June 30.
The ministry also mentioned announcement of a special one-time relief measure for eligible units in SEZs to sell manufactured goods in Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional customs duty rates to be effective from April 1 to March 31.
It also noted another notification issued by the Department of Revenue clarifying that the provisions of GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) will not be invoked in respect of investments made prior to April 1, 2017.
"These measures will reduce cost pressures on downstream sectors including textiles, packaging and pharmaceuticals, facilitate supply stability in the country and provide requisite clarity for investors contemplating investments in India," the readout said.
Defence Minister Singh appreciated the government's decision to impose a 25 per cent cap on the monthly increase in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic operations, with effect from April 1.
This step will help protect the people from sudden increase in fares, he said.
The government has accorded highest priority to domestic LPG supply, with refinery production enhanced to fully meet consumption requirements, according to the readout.
"The IGoM was informed that there have been no reports of dry-out at LPG distributorships, and delivery of domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders continues as per the normal schedule. The temporary supply concerns arose due to instances of hoarding and black marketing, which triggered panic buying in certain areas," it said.
The ministers were informed that strict enforcement action is being undertaken, with raids being carried out across multiple states and Union territories to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG, the ministry said in the readout.
Action has also been taken against some LPG distributors who engaged in malpractices, it said.
"To support migrant labour and low-consumption households, the government is ensuring adequate availability of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders, and since March 23, over 4.3 lakh such cylinders have been sold. Special focus is being given to states where demand is higher," it said.
The IGoM was apprised that industrial requirements dependent on commercial LPG are being met, with over 80 per cent of pre-crisis supply levels being maintained to ensure continuity of operations.
"Special meetings have been held with ministries and stakeholders of different industries to understand their demand and meet their needs. Oil PSUs are ensuring continued supply of Auto LPG across the country," the readout noted.
"However, some supply constraints are being faced by private operators due to their procurement challenges, which is why lines are being observed at PSU auto LPG pumps. Wherever the autos are dual feed and can use petrol, they are being encouraged to use petrol," it said.
