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President Trump once more warned Tehran in an interview with Fox News recorded in Beijing. “They can make a deal, or they get annihilated,” he said.
The International Monetary Fund warned Thursday that continuing disruptions linked to the Iran war were pushing the global economy toward a more “adverse” scenario of weaker growth and rising inflation risks.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf criticized US defense spending, mocking what he described as Washington’s “performance” in the Strait of Hormuz.
An Indian-flagged cargo ship sank off the coast of Oman after an attack sparked a blaze aboard the vessel following a suspected drone attack, Indian authorities announced on Thursday, as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was visiting New Delhi.
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US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said China made clear during President Donald Trump’s summit in Beijing that it wants the Strait of Hormuz reopened without restrictions.
“It’s really important for China to have the Strait of Hormuz open, no tolling, no military control, and that was clear from the meeting,” Greer told US media from Beijing. “So we welcome that.”
Greer also said Washington believes Beijing will act pragmatically regarding Iran.
“They want to see peace in that area. President Trump wants to see peace in that area. So we have a lot of confidence that they will do what they can to limit any kind of material support for Iran,” he added.
China called for a “comprehensive and lasting ceasefire” in the Iran conflict and urged all sides to reopen diplomatic channels as soon as possible.
“Finding a solution earlier is beneficial to both the United States and Iran, as well as regional countries,” China’s foreign ministry said Friday.
“We should reopen the channel as soon as possible,” the ministry added.
Tehran commentariat and figures close to the establishment are increasingly accusing hardliners and state television of deepening divisions and undermining national unity as the country faces war, economic strain and growing public anxiety.
The US-Israeli attacks on Iran and the ensuing regional conflagration have aggravated economic troubles to the point that President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned of widespread unrest.
Media close to Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has sought to position himself as a pragmatist since the death of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, have been among the most vocal critics.
On Thursday, Khorasan newspaper, one of the outlets closest to Ghalibaf, blasted the state broadcaster and several ultraconservative lawmakers for promoting rhetoric that risked “deepening divisions and polarizing the public” at a time of war.
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Oil prices continued climbing on Friday amid the lack of progress toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz and growing concerns over energy supplies following attacks on one vessel and the seizure of another in regional waters.
Brent crude futures rose 5.7% for the week to around $107 a barrel.
The market moves came as US President Donald Trump said China wanted to buy US oil.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has posted a cryptic message on social media in Arabic: “He who betrays in secret will be exposed in public.”
The post comes amid escalating rhetoric from Tehran following reports that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates during the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
Earlier, Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi accused unnamed regional actors of “collusion with Israel” and warned they would “be held to account.”
US President Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping likely has influence over Iran, and warned he was losing patience with the talks.
“Xi probably has the ability to influence Iran,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity..
He added that "Iran leaders we are dealing with are reasonable,” warning that they should make a deal as he would not "be much more patient.”
The International Monetary Fund warned Thursday that continuing disruptions linked to the Iran war were pushing the global economy toward a more “adverse” scenario of weaker growth and rising inflation risks.
Last month, the IMF’s World Economic Outlook projected global growth of 3.1% in 2026 under its baseline scenario but cautioned that a prolonged conflict involving Iran could significantly worsen the outlook.
In its adverse scenario, the fund said persistently high oil prices, unstable inflation expectations and tighter financial conditions could slow global growth to 2.5%.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) accused the Trump administration on Thursday of refusing to provide Congress and the public with a formal legal justification for the war with Iran more than two months after hostilities began.
“It’s been 76 days since Trump launched his illegal war in Iran, and the Administration is STILL refusing to share with Congress or the public an official legal rationale for the conflict,” Kaine wrote on X.
Kaine also criticized the administration’s pushing for $1.5 trillion for the Pentagon. "Everything about that is ridiculous," he said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that President Donald Trump would not allow Iran to exploit domestic political divisions in the United States to secure concessions in negotiations.
“What the President is making clear is that if the Iranians think that they are going to use our domestic politics to pressure him into a bad deal, that’s not going to happen,” Rubio said in an interview with NBC.