Category World News

Iranian director of national intelligence, according to Donald Trump, was “wrong” when she claimed that the nation’s suspended nuclear weapons program was not being developed and that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had not re-authorized the nation’s nuclear weapons program.

Trump made the comments after she again and again this week doubted Tulsi Gabbard’s March 25 report to Congress, which reiterated the assessment of the US intelligence community. Trump claimed that Iran was just beginning to develop nuclear weapons, but Trump said to reporters on Tuesday that the intelligence community’s findings were in conflict with his own assertions.

Trump went even further in his Friday speech.

What information do you have that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, asks a reporter? There is no evidence, according to your intelligence community.

The president responded, “My intelligence community is flawed. Who in the intelligence community said that?

The reporter responded, “Your DNI]director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard.”

Trump responded, “She’s wrong.

Later on Friday, Gabbard appeared to support Trump.

In a social media post, she wrote that “America has information that Iran is at the point where it can produce nuclear weapons within weeks to months.” I concur with President Trump’s statement that “it can’t happen.”

However, her earlier assertion that Iran is not developing weapons does not match that statement. Iran’s nuclear program is not being uncovered by any well-known US intelligence analysis.

According to senior political analyst Marwan Bishara, it is unusual for a US president to openly refute the country’s intelligence community, with critics accusing Trump of flagrantly disregarding evidence to support potential direct US involvement in the conflict.

Bishara asserted that “this is not just one person, one team saying something.” The United States’ entire intelligence community is involved. It’s amazing that he would dismiss them.

Trump also made an appearance on Friday, downplaying the possibility of an Iranian-Israeli ceasefire agreement, saying he “might” support it, and adding, “I think you would say Iran is doing less well in terms of war.”

“It’s challenging to make that request at this time. He continued, “It’s harder when someone is winning than when they are losing.”

Heidi Zhou Castro, a reporter for Al Jazeera, stated in a report from Washington, DC that Trump was “really making a point that he won’t try to ask Israel to stop bombing Iranian targets with its aerial bombing.”

Trump appears to be treading very directly on Israel’s side as the world moves along, and she said that even though he is giving himself two weeks’ worth of final decision, “it seems like he is very squarely on Israel’s side as things are going on.”

Trump stated on Thursday that it would take two weeks to decide how to respond to the conflict in the US. According to experts, the choice is likely to have a profound impact.

One of the few nations that can compel Israel to end its long-range regional war is the US, according to the US.

The US military’s involvement is seen as crucial to Israel’s stated goal of completely destroying Iran’s nuclear program, which includes the destruction of the underground Fordow enrichment plant.

Washington’s 30-million-pound (13, 000 kg) Massive Ordnance Penetrator and the B-2 bombers needed to deliver it would be required for a successful attack on the facility.

Trump downplayed the potential contribution of Europe to delaying the escalation in a speech to reporters on Friday. Following the meeting in Geneva of Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, top diplomats from France, the UK, Germany, and the EU,

After signing Germany international Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, Liverpool made a huge statement of intent.

With the transfer fee projected to reach 116 million pounds ($156 million), Wirtz, 22, would become the most expensive player in British football history.

On Friday, Wirtz told the official Liverpool website, “I feel very happy and proud.” It’s finally finished, and I’ve been waiting a while.

I’m looking forward to starting a new adventure. I wanted something entirely new, leave the Bundesliga, and join the Premier League, which was another important point of my thoughts.

“I’ll see how I can do that there,” he said. I’m hoping to succeed. Some of the players who played there also told me that it’s perfect for me, that every pitch is perfect, and that you can enjoy every game. My first game will be really exciting to play.

Liverpool splashed out a club record to sign one of the best players from Germany and one of the best young players in the world, despite winning a record-tying 20th English top flight title.

Since he was 17 years old, Wirtz has been a significant first-team player for Leverkusen. He was Germany’s top attacking player when the team won the German Cup and the Bundesliga in 2023-24 without losing a game.

Liverpool was prepared to pay a guaranteed sum of 100 million pounds ($134.4 million), plus potential additions of 16 million pounds ($21.55 million). Leverkusen had a hand in the negotiations because Wirtz had two years left on his contract.

Chelsea signed Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for 106.7 million pounds ($131.4 million at the time) in 2023, and the London club then agreed to pay up to 115 million pounds ($146 million at the time) for midfielder Moises Caicedo from Brighton later that year, breaking the Premier League record for an initial fee.

Federico Chiesa, a forward, was signed by Liverpool manager Arne Slot for the 2024-25 season last summer.

Chiesa was barely present when the Reds won the league by ten points, which caused Slot and some of his players, including Virgil van Dijk, to discuss the importance of this transfer window.

Liverpool has returned to the German club after reportedly signing right-back Jeremie Frimpong from Leverkusen for a reported 35 to 40 million euros ($39.7 million) despite having rejected a bid to join Bayern Munich, a Bundesliga rival that has long pursued him.

Leverkusen wanted a fee that was a major obstacle to that move. Another issue was how Jamal Musiala, Germany’s other outstanding young attacking midfielder, might fit into Wirtz’s lineup.

After Xabi Alonso left for Real Madrid, Losing Wirtz leaves Leverkusen and its new coach, Erik ten Hag, with a bigger rebuild.

In a stadium that was awash with COVID-19 pandemic, Wirtz made his Leverkusen debut against Werder Bremen in May 2020, just after he turned 17 years old.

He became the youngest player in Bundesliga history to score a month later, but that record has since been slammed.

Alonso’s transformation of Leverkusen into a team that could win the Bundesliga and the German Cup without losing a game was a key result of Wirtz’s versatile attacking midfield play.

He and Alonso continued to play in another occasionally disappointing season that ended with Bayern finishing second in the league and losing to Bayern in the Champions League round of 16.

When a cruciate ligament tear in his knee prevented him from playing for almost all of 2022, including Alonso’s first games as coach, Wirtz showed he could handle hardship before leading Leverkusen to a league and cup double in 2023-24.

With 29 caps, Wirtz has played for the German national team and has become a key figure. At Euro 2024, he played on his own soil for all five of its matches.

He has also had to deal with hostility from Cologne fans, who he left for Leverkusen when he was 16 years old. Bayern and Liverpool reportedly had interests at the time.

Cologne claimed that the deal violated a mutual consent between the clubs to not pursue one another’s youth players. Despite his age, Lauterkusen claimed Wirtz was regarded as a first-team player because of his exceptional talent.

Since Liverpool is only 10 kilometers (six miles) apart, Wirtz will be the first person to leave his hometown.

His parents, Hans Wirtz and Karin Gross, are active in his career and are close to his older sister Juliane, a female Bundesliga professional player for Werder Bremen.

Germans are sceptical about Wirtz’s decision to reject Bayern and the Bundesliga.

Former German great Lothar Matthaus told broadcaster n-tv last month, “I wouldn’t have thought Florian would make this switch so early.” He wants to leave his comfort zone, though.

Wirtz appears to be the preferred choice. Compared to the difficult-to-reach Dominik Szoboszlai, who has a more creative approach in that role than 10 at Liverpool.

It’s unknown whether Slot will now advocate for a new striker in place of Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez.