Donald Trump calls Iran’s leader an ‘easy target’ amid conflict with Israel
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have both posted to social media hinting that the United States is considering involvement in the conflict between Israel and Iran, with Trump even raising the possibility of violence against Iran’s leadership, Aljazeera reported.
The first of Tuesday’s posts came from Vance, who wrote a lengthy missive defending Trump’s handling of the conflict and blaming Iran for continuing its nuclear enrichment programme.
“The president has made clear that Iran cannot have uranium enrichment. And he said repeatedly that this would happen one of two ways- the easy way or the ‘other’ way,” Vance wrote.
The vice president proceeded to explain what the “other way” might look like, according to Aljazeera.
“The president has shown remarkable restraint in keeping our military’s focus on protecting our troops and protecting our citizens,” Vance said. “He may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment. That decision ultimately belongs to the president.”
Japan exports post first drop in eight months as US tariffs hit autos
Japan’s exports fell for the first time in eight months in May, data showed on Wednesday (Jun 18), indicating that sweeping US tariffs were threatening the country’s fragile economic recovery, Reuters reported.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and US President Donald Trump have yet to reach a trade deal.
Tokyo is scrambling to find ways to get Washington to exempt its automakers from 25 per cent automobile industry-specific tariffs, which are dealing a heavy blow to the country’s manufacturing sector. It also faces a 24 per cent ‘reciprocal’ tariff rate starting in Jul 9 unless it can negotiate a deal with Washington.
Total exports by value dropped 1.7 per cent year on year in May, data showed, smaller than a median market forecast for a 3.8 per cent decrease and following a 2 per cent rise in April.
Exports to the United States plunged 11.1 per cent last month from a year earlier, while those to China were down 8.8 per cent, the data showed, according to Reuters.
The tariff threat had driven companies in Japan and other major Asian exporters to ramp up shipments earlier this year, inflating levels of US-bound exports during that period.
Hundreds flee into Azerbaijan and Armenia from Iran
More than 600 people of 17 nationalities have fled into Azerbaijan from Iran in the five days since the start of the air war between Israel and Iran, an Azerbaijani source with knowledge of the situation said on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
Armenian news agency Armenpress reported separately that India has evacuated 110 of its nationals from Iran via Armenia.
The flight from Iran has been prompted by surprise attacks that Israel began last Friday, to which Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks. U.S. President Donald Trump warned residents of Tehran on Monday to evacuate immediately.
From Tehran to the crossing into Azerbaijan is a road journey of about eight hours, while reaching the Armenian border takes over 10 hours.
Azerbaijani foreign ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizadeh said more than 1,200 citizens from 51 countries had requested permission to cross from Iran into Azerbaijan, according to Reuters.
US pulls out of two more bases in Syria, worrying Kurdish forces
U.S. forces have pulled out of two more bases in northeastern Syria, visiting Reuters reporters found, accelerating a troop drawdown that the commander of U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces said was allowing a resurgence of Islamic State, Reuters reported.
Reuters reporters who visited the two bases in the past week found them mostly deserted, both guarded by small contingents of the Syrian Democratic Forces - the Kurdish-led military group that Washington has backed in the fight against Islamic State for a decade.
Cameras used on bases occupied by the U.S.-led military coalition had been taken down, and razor wire on the outer perimeters had begun to sag.
A Kurdish politician who lives on one base said there were no longer U.S. troops there. SDF guards at the second base said troops had left recently but declined to say when. The Pentagon declined to comment, according to Reuters.
It is the first confirmation on the ground by reporters that the U.S. has withdrawn from Al-Wazir and Tel Baydar bases in Hasaka province. It brings to at least four the number of bases in Syria U.S. troops have left since President Donald Trump took office.
