Trump's threat to Iran shocks global leaders, unnerves some Republicans
U.S. President Donald Trump's warning to destroy Iran if it did not yield to his demands drew rebukes from around the globe and even unnerved some aides and supporters, though administration officials said the increasingly hostile rhetoric was merely a negotiating tactic to force Tehran to concede, Reuters reported.
"A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don't want that to happen, but it probably will," Trump wrote online early on Tuesday, ahead of the 8 p.m. EST (2400 GMT) deadline he set for Iran to strike a deal with the U.S.
At 6:32 p.m. EST, Trump announced he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran.
Russia, China Veto UN Resolution On Reopening Strait Of Hormuz
Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution Tuesday on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a text already diluted to remove Gulf states' desired green light to use force to protect the key shipping lane, AFP reported.
The draft resolution prepared by Bahrain and supported by the United States received 11 votes in favor, two against and two abstentions. Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani said Gulf states "regret" the outcome.
Iran has imposed an effective blockade on the critical waterway since the United States and Israel launched the war on February 28, sending ripple effects throughout the global economy, according to AFP.
Intelligence report warned of Iran's 'persistent threat' to U.S. as White House downplayed the risk
The FBI warned U.S. state and local law enforcement of an elevated threat posed by Iran's government to targets in the United States last month even as the White House sought to downplay the likelihood of an attack, a law enforcement intelligence report shows, Reuters reported.
In the March 20 report, the FBI and other federal intelligence agencies cautioned that Iranian government "poses a persistent threat" to U.S. military and government personnel and buildings, Jewish and Israeli institutions, and Iranian dissidents in the United States. Despite those warnings, the FBI and National Counterterrorism Center had not identified broad threats to the American public, the report said.
U.S. President Donald Trump publicly has minimized the possibility of Iranian attacks on American soil in response to other intelligence assessments in recent months.
Cloudy, rainy weather forecasted
The country has witnessed the effect of the westerly low pressure system and local wind, causing likelihood of cloudy weather in various places.
Light to moderate rainfall and snow are predicted in some places of hilly and mountainous regions across the country later today. Even thunder and lightning are likely together with rainfall.
The weather forecasting service has said Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces and mountainous belt of Koshi Province are predicted to have generally cloudy weather, while there will be clear weather in the rest of the places.
Some places of Koshi, Bagmati and Madhes are forecasted to have moderate rainfall coupled with lightning, hailstone and storm later today.
It will be generally cloudy at night. Koshi, Madhes, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces are predicted to have moderate rainfall in the night.
