Trump warns Iran against retaliation, threatens cultural sites
Washington: US President Donald Trump on Sunday vowed "major retaliation" if Iran tries to avenge the killing of its key military commander Qasem Soleimani and doubled down on a threat to bomb Iranian cultural sites.
"If they do anything there will be major retaliation," Trump told reporters.
Trump, speaking on Air Force One on his way back to Washington from a vacation in Florida, also said he would impose "very big sanctions" on Iraq if it follows through on a parliament vote calling for the expulsion of US troops based in the country.
The president's rhetoric added to already spiraling tensions in the Middle East following the killing by the United States of Soleimani -- one of the most important figures in the Iranian government -- in a drone strike near Baghdad's international airport.
Trump had already threatened widespread bombing of Iran if Tehran carries out its own threats to attack US troops and interests in the region.
In his latest comments, he dismissed strong criticism of his earlier warnings that targets could include unspecified cultural sites in Iran -- a country with an ancient heritage.
"They're allowed to kill our people. They're allowed to torture and maim our people. They're allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And we're not allowed to touch their cultural site? It doesn't work that way," he said.
Trump's reaction to the Iraqi parliament vote urging the departure of US troops also illustrated the widening fallout from the decision to kill Soleimani last week.
He said that Iraq, a US ally, would be treated like foe Iran, whose economy has been devastated by US-led sanctions, if the troops were made to exit on unfavorable terms.
"If they do ask us to leave -- if we don't do it in a very friendly basis -- we will charge them sanctions like they've never seen before," Trump said.
"It'll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame." Trump said the US base in Iraq was "very extraordinarily expensive." "We're not leaving unless they pay us back for it," he said. (AFP)
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Manmohan Singh, LK Advani cast votes from home
New Delhi (PTI): Former vice president Mohammad Hamid Ansari, former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, former deputy prime minister LK Advani and former Union minister Dr Murli Manohar Joshi have cast their votes using the home voting facility, the Delhi poll body said.
The office of the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Delhi on Thursday kicked off the home voting facility for elderly voters and persons with disabilities (PwDs) and it will go on till May 24.
According to the data shared by the office, 1409 voters cast their ballots from the comfort of their homes across all seven parliamentary constituencies in Delhi on Friday, which was the second day of the facility being started.
The West Delhi constituency reported the highest number of home votes, with 348 voters participating. Among them, 299 were elderly individuals.
With the completion of the second day, a total of 2,956 voters have exercised their right to vote from home, the CEO office said.
"Former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh and former Union minister Dr Murli Manohar Joshi successfully cast their votes on May 17 from their home availing home voting facility in the New Delhi parliamentary constituency," the office said.
Former vice president Mohammad Hamid Ansari cast his vote on Thursday, it added.
Former deputy prime minister LK Advani cast his vote on Saturday, sources said.
On the first day, 1,482 voters exercised their franchise from home.
A total of 5,406 voters across Delhi -- elderly individuals and PwDs -- have filled out Form 12D to avail of the home voting facility in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
This initiative ensures these voters can participate in the electoral process with ease and dignity, eliminating the need to visit polling stations. Delhi will go to polls on May 25.
