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Macron reiterates his efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as TotalEnergies warns of an energy shortage
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, reiterated his commitment to reopening the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. This comes a day after TotalEnergies's head warned of a global energy shortfall if the Iran swar continued for several months. Speaking at a press conference with Greek Prime Minister KyriakosMitsotakis in Athens, Macron said that geopolitical uncertainties can lead to panic, which in turn could cause shortages. "Our aim is to achieve full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz in the next days and weeks in accordance with the international law. This will guarantee freedom of navigation, without tolls, on the Strait of Hormuz. Macron stated that things will gradually return to normal. TotalEnergies' CEO Patrick Pouyanne called for the reopening of the Strait on Friday, which is normally the route through which a fifth (or more) of the world's oil supply flows. The U.S. and Israeli war against Iran has slowed down the movement of goods through the strait. Fertilisers and pharmaceuticals are among the items that have been affected. Iran has seized containers and the United States has imposed a blockade in Iranian ports. Pouyanne said at the World Policy Conference outside Paris that if it continues for two or three more months, "we will enter a world where energy is scarce." Asian countries have already experienced this. "You can't have 20% of oil and gas on the planet stranded, and not available without major consequences." More than a dozen countries have said that they would be willing to join a mission led by France to protect shipping along the strait if conditions permitted, even though U.S. president Donald Trump said he did not need help from allies. "We are all in the same boat and I would say that it is not a boat that we chose. Macron said that we are victims of geopolitics, and victims of a war that began several months ago. (Reporting and editing by Susan Fenton; Additional reporting by Claude Chendjou, Paris)
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US lets Venezuela pay Maduro’s lawyer in drug-trafficking case
Maduro is captured by US forces in Caracas raid in January The charges against him and his spouse include narcoterrorism conspiracies Defense attorneys call restrictions on payment unconstitutional By Luc Cohen A court filing on Friday showed that the United States has agreed to change its sanctions against Venezuela so that the South American nation's government can pay Nicolas Maduro’s defense lawyer. This is a reversal of a restriction which had 'threatened' to derail the drug-trafficking case brought against the former Venezuelan President. Maduro and Cilia Flores were arrested by U.S. Special Forces on 3 January from their Caracas home and brought to New York, where they will face criminal charges, including narcoterrorism conspiracies. The two have pleaded innocent and are being held in Brooklyn jail pending trial. Barry Pollack, Maduro’s lawyer, asked Manhattan’s U.S. district judge Alvin Hellerstein in February to dismiss the case because U.S. sanctions prevented the Venezuelan Government from paying his legal costs. Pollack stated that the prohibition amounted a violation of Maduro’s rights under U.S. Constitution, to choose the counsel he wants. Their lawyers said that neither Maduro nor Flores could afford to hire lawyers on their own and the Venezuelan government was willing to pay for their legal fees. All criminal defendants in America have constitutional rights, regardless of their citizenship. Hellerstein stated in a court hearing on March 26, that he had no intention of dismissing the case but appeared sceptical that the government's decision to block the payments was justified. Kyle Wirshba, the prosecutor, said that the U.S. sanction blocking the payments was based on legitimate foreign policy and national security interests. Wirshba said Hellerstein couldn't order the Treasury Department to modify sanctions, because it is the executive branch that has the responsibility for foreign policy, and not the judiciary. Hellerstein pointed out that since Maduro was ousted, the U.S. has relaxed its sanctions against Venezuela. Since Maduro’s former Vice President Delcy Rodrguez took over Venezuela as interim leader, the relations between Caracas, Venezuela and Washington have improved. "The defendant is present, Flores' is also present. Hellerstein, an appointee by Democratic President Bill Clinton to the judiciary, said that they do not pose a threat to national security. "The right at stake, and paramount to other rights, is that of constitutional counsel." Donald Trump, during his first term as president of the United States, increased sanctions against Venezuela because he believed that Maduro was corrupt and undermining democratic institutions. Washington called Maduro’s 2018'reelection fraudulent. Maduro dismissed these accusations as well as allegations of 'his involvement in drug trafficking', which he said were pretextual justifications of what he described as a U.S. wish to seize the vast oil reserves of South American OPEC country. (Reporting from Luc Cohen in New York, with additional reporting by Rhea Rosa Abraham in Bengaluru. Editing by Nia William)
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Republicans re-tool midterm campaign strategy: Trump's policies but less Trump
The Republicans are revising their plan ahead of the November midterm elections. With gas prices in the U.S. up, Donald Trump's ratings on approval down, and Iran still a hot topic, they're recalibrating. The strategy? The strategy? Four people who attended the meeting said that a group of Trump's advisers, including White House chief staff Susie Wiles and political?chief James Blair, laid out a plan to help candidates promote Republicans' policies on?tax reductions? and inflation. Republicans are trying to keep Trump out of the spotlight, because they fear that his declining political fortunes will hurt competitive congressional races. Trump's party is facing an uphill struggle to maintain its majority in the House of Representatives, and there's a growing danger of losing control of Senate. Three Republican operatives and a seasoned Republican campaigner, who spoke under the condition of anonymity in order to discuss private discussions and give candid assessments, said that there is growing concern among some Republican operatives that Trump's presidency and political clout are running low. Trump seems to be stuck in a deadlock, as both his military and diplomatic efforts have failed to denuclearize Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz following a?two-month war. AAA reports that the average national gas price is now nearing $4 per gallon. This could undermine the new tax policies of the Republicans' "One Big Beautiful Bill Act", the signature legislative achievement from Trump's second tenure. A /Ipsos survey found that only 36% of Americans approve Trump's performance, which is the lowest in his current term. Many Americans, including Republicans, are concerned about Trump's mental sharpness and temperament after a series explosive outbursts. Trumpworld's political strategist said that "are going to try and nationalize the elections and say that we are a rubber stamp of?Trump". "We need to get out of this and show race-by-race why we are the better option." Within the political operation of the president, there is a strong belief that Trump is a powerful messenger. Kiersten Pels is the national press secretary of the Republican National Committee. She said that Trump will remain the "most powerful driver" for conservative voter turnout during the midterm elections, and that Republican candidate are eagerly seeking to get his endorsement. White House spokesperson Olivia Wales stated that Trump is the "unambiguous leader of the Republican Party and he's committed to maintaining Republicans’ majority in Congress". EMPHASIS IS?ON LOCAL ISSUES NOT TRUMP Over coffee and pastries, Trump's team invited guests to sign nondisclosure agreements. They then predicted that Republicans would win the Virginia redistricting elections the following day. People familiar with the meeting said that the mood was positive. Details of the meeting were leaked almost immediately. Virginia voters approved a new map of the congressional district that Democrats had drawn to favor their party's November election. One of those present at the meeting asked: "If they are so confident in Virginia that they lose, do they have a problem with their whole approach?" Some Republican insiders point out that midterm elections are still months away and that a lot can happen before the voters head to the polls. Gas prices and inflation may fall if armed hostilities against Iran are reduced. David McIntosh is the president of Trump's Club for Growth. In the run-up to the elections, Republicans were planning to position Trump as their standard-bearer and the man who had, as he often said, "made the United States the hottest country in the world." Wiles said in December that Republicans would change the midterm game plan by putting Trump on the ballot, rather than keeping him at a distance. People now say that this plan is less appealing. Republicans will focus on local issues instead of allegiance to President, they said. Another person familiar with the meeting said, "The politics has changed." In January, it made sense to nationalize the race around him. The person stated that voters don't think the president does enough to reduce their costs, but still believe Republicans are trying to do this. The Trumpworld strategist?added that Republicans can use the low popularity of the Democratic Party to compare policy ideas. Trump's declining support could provide Democrats with fertile ground for attaching Republican candidates to Trump's shortcomings. Trump, who ran for office in 2024 as an opponent of "stupid" wars and branded himself a "peace President," is now leading the largest U.S. Military operation since 2003's invasion of Iraq. Critics claim that Trump's administration did not consider how Iran would react to a?joint U.S. and Israeli attack, or the economic fallout. This included an unprecedented global energy supply shock as well as the threat of a financial crisis worldwide. Trump's Tuesday decision to extend indefinitely what was originally a two-week truce was widely seen as a retreat. Tehran maintained its grip on Strait of Hormuz, and was committed to a nuclear programme. Aaron David Miller is a former Middle East diplomat for both Democratic-Republican administrations. He said Iran believed it had leverage over the crucial oil shipping channel, and could also suffer more economic pain than Trump. Miller, a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace expert, said that the Iranians believe Trump's tolerance for a political and economic price is limited. "They are prepared to wait for him."
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Maine Governor rejects the first US state to freeze new data centers
Janet Mills, the Democratic Governor of Maine, vetoed on Friday a bill which would have made Maine the first U.S. State to impose an 'electricity-hungry data center moratorium. The bill would have frozen the approval of data centers that require more than 20 megawatts in power until October 2027, while an appointed council by the state analyzed the impact they had on local grids, electricity bills, and air and water. Mills wrote to the Maine legislature that she supported a temporary ban on data centers and would have signed it if the bill had allowed an exemption for the data center being built in the town of Jay. "A moratorium would be appropriate, given the impact of massive data centres in other states both on the environment and the electricity rates." The final version of the bill does not allow for the Town of Jay to have a project that is supported by the local community and the region. A boiler explosion in 2023 caused the closure of Androscoggin Paper Mill, resulting in hundreds?of job losses. Mills stated that the construction of a $550-million data center at this site would create more than 800 construction jobs as well as at least 100 permanent high-paying jobs. It would also generate property tax revenue for the town. The decision taken on Friday is a reflection of the difficult choice that political leaders face when weighing the impact data centers have on the environment, household energy costs and the tax revenue and investment they can generate. Mills said she also plans to issue a executive order to establish a council that will examine the impact of data centres in Maine. She has also signed a law to prevent data center projects being eligible for Maine's tax incentive programs. American tech giants are pledging to spend more than $600 billion this year on artificial intelligence data centres as part of an investment spree which 'has boosted U.S. economy and is considered largest since the telecom boom in the late 1990s. At least 11 U.S. States are now considering legislation to halt or restrict the development of these facilities. This is despite the Trump administration's pressure on states to not regulate AI. Last month, Washington asked big technology companies to sign at the White House an 'unconditional pledge' that they would pay for the new electricity generation needed to power their data centres. Senator Bernie Sanders, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez have both introduced legislation that would halt construction of data centers until Congress passed AI safety legislation. Aditya soni, Chris Thomas, and Mrinmay dey reported from Mexico City. Pooja desai edited the story.
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Sefcovic, EU's Sefcovic, says that the US has indicated that it will not ease Russian oil sanctions once again.
Sefcovic said that during his Friday talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent he had raised concerns over 'the recent U.S. easement of sanctions on Russian Oil,' and understood it would not happen again. Sefcovic said he had been told by U.S. officials the relief in sanctions was due to concerns over the "extremely hard situation" that some low-income countries face, who are heavily dependent on imported oil. The U.S. Treasury Department issued on Friday a general license related to Russia, allowing for the sale and delivery of Russian crude oil as well as petroleum products on vessels from April 17. This license extends a previous one through May 16. Bessent told U.S. Senators this week that he had extended sanctions relief?on Russian seaborne crude oil for an additional 30 days, after receiving requests from countries most at risk of shortages?due to a closure of the Strait of Hormuz. He said that the requests were made during last week's spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Sefcovic told Bessent that he had discussed the matter with him during their meeting earlier this week. He was informed, however, that the relief of sanctions was necessary to address the current situation in the Strait, where the flow is largely blocked due to an uneasy ceasefire agreement between the U.S. He said: "My clear understanding was that it will not be repeated again in the future. It was also done due to the fact that several countries with lower incomes were in a very... difficult position." Sefcovic and Bessent also discussed disruptions to fertilizer supply chain, with a focus on Europe as well the "alarming" situation in Africa. "It is on our radars and we're ready to work together," he said. Bessent last week pushed the Group of 20 Major Economies to agree to a coordinated?action with the IMF and World Bank to ensure that countries have access to?fertilizer supplies. Since the U.S. and Israel's bombing campaign on Iran began on February 28, Asian economies have been particularly affected by the lack of oil from the Gulf. Reporting by Andrea Shalal, Editing by Paul Simao
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Sefcovic, EU's Sefcovic, says he has discussed steel with US officials and that the discussion is moving in a positive direction
European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic stated that he and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick had 'agreed' to accelerate discussions about steel derivatives on a technical level. Talks have already begun. Sefcovic told reporters that, in his opinion, both sides are moving forward on the steel issue. He said that both the United States as well as the EU were facing the same problem of massive overcapacity on the global market, without mentioning China. Sefcovic told a press conference that "we are not each other's problem" after signing an agreement on critical minerals with U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio. "Our trade is small and it is very much focused on the specialized steel which we both require, but we are facing a large overcapacity." Sefcovic estimated that global overcapacity at 720 million tonnes, which was flooding and destroying the sector. He said that the crisis is what prompted the European Union?to nearly halve the imports of steel, and impose 50% tariffs on excess shipments in order to protect the bloc?s steel industry. Due to the rising imports, and tariffs of 50% imposed by President Donald Trump in the U.S., EU steel producers are only operating at 65% capacity. The new measures are intended to increase capacity utilization to 80%. Sefcovic told?Lutnick he had proposed that the two 'blocs' ringfence their respective steel?sectors, and to trade at favorable terms between themselves. He called this a "defensive" mechanism against steel subsidies. (Reporting and editing by Lisa Shumaker, Franklin Paul, and Andrea Shalal)
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US sanctions Chinese teapot refinery that bought Iranian oil
Trump Administration announced on Friday that it had imposed sanctions on an independent "teapot refinery" in China for?buying billions worth of Iranian crude oil while Washington and Tehran are struggling to restart peace negotiations. Treasury Department targeted Hengli Petrochemical Refinery Co., which they said was one of Iran's biggest customers for crude oil and petroleum. The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Treasury Department said that it had also imposed sanctions against about 40 shipping firms and vessels operating as part of Iran’s shadow fleet. Last year, the Trump administration imposed sanctions against teapots Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group and Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical. This created a few hurdles for refiners. They had to receive crude and sell refined products under different names. Teapots make up about a quarter (25%) of Chinese refinery capacities. They operate with 'narrow and sometimes negative margins', and have recently been squeezed by the tepid demand at home. Some independent refiners have been deterred from purchasing Iranian oil by the U.S. sanctions that block U.S. assets and prohibit Americans from doing business. Data from Kpler's analytics firm for 2025 showed that China purchases more than 80% Iran's oil. The experts in the field of sanctions have long maintained that independent refineries, due to their limited exposure to the U.S. Financial System, are immune from the full impact of U.S. Sanctions. They say that imposing sanctions on China’s banks, which facilitate the?purchases of Iranian oil would have a greater impact on those purchases. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the U.S. was imposing a financial "stranglehold", on the Iranian Government. Bessent stated that Treasury will continue to restrict the network of vessels, intermediaries and buyers Iran depends on to transport its oil to international markets. Teapot refiners have recently had to purchase Iranian oil at a premium to Brent oil prices after Washington temporarily waived sanctions on Iranian oil shipped at sea. This was done to encourage India to buy more oil. The U.S. allowed the waiver expire last week. Timothy Gardner and David Gaffen edited this report.
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Gold heads for first loss in five weekly weeks
Gold was up on Friday but on course for its first weekly loss in the last five week as the markets were on edge due to lingering inflation concerns and the uncertainty surrounding the U.S. - Iran war. At 01:41 pm, spot gold was up by 0.6% to $4,721.15 an ounce. ET (1741 GMT) after rising more than 1 percent earlier in the day. The price of gold is down over 2% this week. U.S. Gold Futures for June Delivery settled 0.4% higher at $4,740.90. Gold prices?fell throughout the month of March, as the U.S. - Iran war boosted the dollar and raised fears about inflation. This weighed down on the demand for gold. The conflict is at a standstill. Even though the number of military attacks by the countries involved has decreased, the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Investors are left to fill in the gaps or react to U.S. President Donald Trump's comments, which have tempered expectations of a peace deal with threats to resume attacks. Pakistani sources confirmed that Abbas Araqchi, Iran's foreign minister, was due in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Friday, to discuss proposals to restart peace talks with United States. However, he was not expected to meet U.S. delegates. Separately Israel and Lebanon extended a ceasefire of three weeks. The market is currently in a positive net situation. "Energy prices are also falling," said Daniel Pavilonis senior market strategist at RJO?Futures. The oil prices fell on Friday but have risen this week as a result of the failure of a second round of talks between the U.S. Oil prices that are higher can cause inflation, which could lead to interest rate increases. Giovanni Staunovo, an analyst at UBS, said that gold fell (this week) as a result of the rising oil price, expectations for higher rates and yields. Benchmark 10-year ?U.S. Treasury yields rose 1.5% in the past week, increasing the cost of owning?gold. The dollar, on course for its first weekly increase in three weeks, also increased the price of bullion for other currencies. Silver spot rose by 1.4%, to $76.49 an ounce. Platinum gained 0.5%, to $2,015.98, and palladium grew 2.2%, to $1,499.75. (Reporting by Ishaan Arora in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
As military buildups eclipse talks, the US and Iran are heading towards a conflict.
Officials on both sides, as well as diplomats in the Gulf and Europe, say that Iran and the United States have moved rapidly toward a military conflict. They are losing hope for a diplomatic resolution to the standoff they've had over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Sources say that Iran's Gulf neighbours, including Israel, now see a conflict as more likely than a peaceful settlement. Washington is building one of the largest military deployments it has made in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Source familiar with the plans said that Israel believes Washington and Tehran are in a deadlock and has begun preparing for a possible joint military operation with the United States. However, no decision has yet been made on whether or not to conduct such an action.
This would be the U.S.'s second attack on Iran in less than one year. The first was an airstrike by the U.S., Israel and other countries against Iranian military and nuclear installations last June.
Officials in the region say that oil-producing Gulf nations are preparing themselves for a possible conflict, which they fear will spiral out of control and cause destabilisation of the Middle East.
Two Israeli officials said they believed the gaps between Washington, D.C. and Tehran were unbridgeable. They also stated that there was a high likelihood of a military escalation in the near future.
Regional officials claim that Tehran is making a grave mistake by refusing to make concessions. They also say that President Donald Trump is trapped by his military build-up and cannot reduce it without losing face.
Alan Eyre is a former U.S. Diplomat and Iran Specialist. He said that "both sides are sticking with their guns" and that "nothing meaningful will emerge unless the U.S.
"What Trump cannot do is assemble this much military and then return with a "so-so" deal and withdraw the military. He said: "I think he believes he will lose face." "If he attacks it will get ugly very quickly."
TALKS HAVE STALLED
Iran-U.S. talks stalled after two rounds on key issues from uranium to missiles and sanctions relief.
Sources familiar with the talks say that when Omani mediators handed an envelope containing proposals from the U.S. on missiles, Iranian Foreign Ministry Abbas Araqchi did not even open it. He returned it.
Araqchi, who spoke at the Geneva talks on Tuesday, said that the two sides had agreed upon "guiding principles" but the White House stated there was still distance.
A U.S. official stated that Iran would submit a written proposal within the next few days. Araqchi, on Friday, said he expected a draft of a counterproposal to be ready in a matter of days.
Trump, who sent aircraft carriers and warships to the Middle East on Thursday, warned Iran that it must reach a deal over its nuclear program, or else "really bad" things will happen.
He seemed to have set a 10- to 15-day deadline, which prompted a response from Tehran that it would retaliate if the U.S. bases were attacked. Oil prices have increased due to the rising tensions.
Officials in the United States say that Trump is still undecided about whether he will use military force, although he admitted on Friday that he might order a limited attack to try and force Iran to a deal.
He told reporters, "I suppose I can say that I am considering it."
It is not clear when an attack could occur. The U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Iran on February 28, 2019. Senior U.S. officials said that it would take until mid-March for all U.S. troops to be in place.
What's the endgame?
European and regional officials are of the opinion that the size of the U.S. military deployment in the region will allow Washington to strike Iran while simultaneously defending its allies, Israel and military bases.
The U.S. core demand is unchanged: No uranium enrichment in Iran. Iran says that it will not discuss ballistic missiles and insists on maintaining its nuclear capability. It denies that it is planning to build nuclear weapons.
Defence analyst David Des Roches says that if talks fail, U.S. activities in the Gulf already signal how any strike would start: Blind Iran's Air Defence?and then attack the Revolutionary Guards Navy. This is the force behind decades of tanker attacks, and threats to shut down the Strait of Hormuz - the route used by a fifth of the world's oil.
Some Arab and European officials say they don't know what Trump's ultimate goal is. And?European governments ask the U.S. for specifics on what it wants to achieve with its strikes - whether to reduce Iran's missile and nuclear capabilities, to prevent escalation, or to pursue a more ambitious goal such as "regime changes".
Some European and regional officials are unsure whether military action will be able to change the course of Iran's ruling regime, which is led by Ayatollah Ayatollah Khamenei. The powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps protects the Supreme Leader.
Some claim that because there is no apparent alternative political force in Iran, and the leadership's resilience is largely intact it would be dangerous to assume that strikes could lead to "regime changes".
They say that military action is easier to start than control and harder to turn into a strategy.
ARE CONCESSIONS LIKELY TO OCCUR?
Few signs of compromise have been seen. Ali Larijani - a close advisor to Khamenei - told Al Jazeera TV Iran is willing to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency extensive monitoring to prove that it does not seek 'nuclear weapons. Tehran informed IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi about its decision.
Sources familiar with the talks say that Iran's support for regional militias was not raised in formal talks. However, Tehran has no objections to U.S. concerns regarding proxies.
Three regional officials reported that Iranian negotiators made it clear that Khamenei is the sovereign right to enrichment and missile production. David Makovsky, of The Washington Institute, said that each side is betting on the limits of the other.
He said that Washington believed overwhelming force would force Tehran to yield. Tehran, on the other hand, believes Trump is not interested in a sustained campaign, and Israel, the gap between the two countries, was too large to close. This, he added, made confrontation inevitable. Steve Holland reported from Washington and Rami Ayyub in Jerusalem, Samia Nakhoul wrote the article, and Timothy Heritage edited it.
(source: Reuters)