Donald Trump says the U.S. and Iran are “very close” to securing a deal that would see America drop its longstanding sanctions and Iran give up the prospect of developing a nuclear weapon.
Speaking during his three-nation tour of the Middle East, Trump said they were “getting close” to securing a deal as Iran had “sort of” agreed to terms.
"I think we're getting close to maybe doing a deal,” he said in Qatar.
Trump has repeatedly said that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and earlier in his Gulf nations tour he warned U.S. could be forced to take a “violent course” with Iran if the friendly course of action does not work.
During his Gulf nations tour Trump has signed billions of dollars worth of economic deals with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and also taken significant steps towards normalizing relations with Syria after making a surprise announcement that the U.S. would lift all sanctions on the country.
The president will leave the U.A.E later on Friday and hinted he was leaving for “destination unknown”, but will likely return to Washington.
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Key Points
- President says U.S. is 'getting close' to a nuclear dea with Iran
- Ex-FBI boss investigated over photo claimed to be 'threat' to Trump
- Trump accused of ‘catch me if you can regime’ by Supreme Court justice in birthright citizenship hearing
- Trump wants to turn Gaza into a "freedom zone"
We're pausing live coverage
08:45 , Rachel ClunDonald Trump is set to return to Washington today, after wrapping up a three-country visit to the Middle East.
Here are the key events that happened on that trip:
- Donald Trump signed billions of dollars worth of deals with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates including for arms purchases.
- The president said the U.S. and Iran are close to reaching a deal which could see Iran give up its nuclear capabilities for a reduction in American sanctions.
- Trump met Syria’s interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, after making the suprise annoucnement he would lift sanctions on the country.
Trump warns of possible 'violent course' with Iran ahead of UAE visit
Thursday 15 May 2025 07:30 , Rachel ClunDonald Trump has warned the U.S. could be forced to take a “violent course” with Iran if the friendly course of action does not work.
Speaking in Qatar during his three-nation tour of the Middle East, the president said Iran has to make a decision as the two countries continue to negotiate the potential lifting of American sanctions if Iran abandons its nuclear development program.
“The non-friendly is a violent course and I don’t want that… They have to get moving. They have to make that decision,” he said.
The president also appealed to Qatar for help.
“I hope you can help me with the Iran situation,” he said.
“It’s a perilous situation, and we want to do the right thing. We want to do it something that's going to save maybe millions of lives. Because things like that get started and they get out of control. I've seen it over and over again. They go to war and things get out of control, and we're not going to let that happen.”
Trump to visit military base used by U.S. during Iran and Afghanistan wars
Thursday 15 May 2025 07:45 , Rachel ClunThe president will visit a Qatari air base which had been used as a major staging ground during the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as he continues his tour of gulf nations on Thursday.
Trump plans to address troops at the al-Udeid Air Base, which was also used to support the recent U.S. air strikes against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
The Qatari base houses some 8,000 U.S. troops, down from about 10,000 at the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Before visiting the base, Trump will attend a business roundtable which will include executives from Boeing, GE Aerospace and Al Rabban Capital.
Later on Thursday, the president will travel to the United Arab Emirates capital, Abu Dhabi, where he will visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and be honored with a state visit with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Qasr Al Watan palace.
Trump says U.S. has to give Syria 'a chance'
Thursday 15 May 2025 07:50 , Rachel ClunDonald Trump said the U.S. has to give Syria “a chance”, following his surprise announcement he would be lifting long-standing sanctions on the country.
Speaking at a business summit in Qatar, Trump again praised intermin Syrian president Ahmad al-Sharaa.
“He's a strong guy, and I thought he was good, and let's see what happens,” the president said.
“But we're going to give [them] a fighting chance by taking off the sanctions. We've actually been praised for that.”
President praises business people
Thursday 15 May 2025 08:03 , Rachel ClunSpeaking ahead of a business roundtable in Doha, Donald Trump has praised the business leaders.
“We're surrounded by some of the greatest business people in the world. We just had a tremendous order of Boeing,” he said, referring to the $200 billion deal signed on Wednesday.
In that deal Qatar Airways will by some 160 aircraft from the U.S. manufacturer, which Trump claimed was one of the company’s largest orders in its history.
Trump then joked about changing the engines in his plane to GE Aerospace ones.
“General Electric, I hear, makes the best large aeroplane engine in the world by not even a contest. Maybe I can change my engines one day of my plane,” he said.
Trump says U.S. negotiating with Iran for long-term peace
Thursday 15 May 2025 08:21 , Rachel Clun, ReutersDonald Trump has said the U.S. is in “very serious” negotiations with Iran for a long-term peace.
The president said America was getting very close to securing a nuclear deal with Iran, and Tehran had "sort of" agreed to the terms of an agreement.
"We're in very serious negotiations with Iran for long-term peace," Trump said on a tour of the Gulf, according to a pool report by AFP.
Watch live: Trump speaks during business summit
Thursday 15 May 2025 08:22 , Rachel ClunTrump claims India has offered U.S. a 'basically zero tariff' deal
Thursday 15 May 2025 08:40 , Rachel ClunDonald Trump claimed at the business summit in Doha that India offered the U.S. a “basically zero tariff” deal.
At the start of April the president announced high “reciprocal” tariffs on dozens of countries, including India.
During that announcement, Trump said India would face a “discounted” 26 percent tariff rate, and accused India of having “very very high tariffs” with an average duty on American goods of 52 percent.
Speaking on Thursday, Trump said: “"It's very hard to sell into India and and they've offered us a deal with what basically they're willing to literally charge us no tariff.”
Watch: Trump boasts about changing engines on new luxury jet after striking Qatar Boeing dea
Thursday 15 May 2025 09:01 , Rachel ClunTrump wants to turn Gaza into a "freedom zone"
Thursday 15 May 2025 09:26 , Rachel ClunDonald Trump said he wants the United States to “take” Gaza and turn it into a “freedom zone”.
His comments at a Qatari business summit come as the Israel-Hamas war rages on in the Palestinian territory.
“Well, we're working very hard on Gaza, and Gaza has been a territory of death and destruction for many,” he said.
“I have concepts for Gaza that I think are very good, make it a freedom zone, let the United States get involved and make it just a freedom zone,” he said, as reports Agence France-Presse reports.
“I’d be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone.”
Violence continues as Trump calls for Gaza ‘freedom zone’
Thursday 15 May 2025 09:38 , AP, ReutersDonald Trump’s comments have come amid ongoing strikes in Gaza.
A hospital in southern Gaza says 54 people have been killed in overnight airstrikes on the city of Khan Younis.
An Associated Press cameraman in Khan Younis counted 10 airstrikes on the city overnight into Thursday, and saw numerous bodies taken to the morgue in the city's Nasser Hospital. Some bodies arrived in pieces, with some body bags containing the remains of multiple people. The hospital's morgue confirmed 54 people had been killed.
It was the second night of heavy bombing, after airstrikes Wednesday on northern and southern Gaza killed at least 70 people, including almost two dozen children.
In the occupied West Bank, a heavily pregnant Israeli woman was also killed in a shooting on Wednesday.
The attack, coming amid one of the largest Israeli military operations in the West Bank in two decades, drew angry reactions from Israeli politicians who said the nearby Palestinian towns of Bruqin and az-Zawiya should be destroyed like cities in Gaza.
Our live coverage has ended. Here’s a full breakdown:
Thursday 15 May 2025 19:05 , Gustaf KilanderTrump arrived in the UAE on Thursday, where he visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and took part in a state visit with President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Qasr Al Watan palace.
That came after Trump said that he doesn’t expect to see any progress in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to end the war until he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Nothing is going to happen until Putin and I get together,” Trump said to reporters on Air Force One.
The UAE presidential palace, which Trump visited, is a huge complex surrounded by palm trees, gardens, and fountains.
Trump and the UAE president greeted delegations in a decorated hall with marble floors and chandeliers.
Trump then moved on to take in a space exhibition alongside Steve Witkoff, Howard Lutnick, Pete Hegseth, and other U.S. officials.
Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan sat down with Trump on Thursday afternoon Eastern time.
“Mr. President, for over 50 years, the UAE and the United States have shared a multi-dimensional strategic partnership and a long-standing friendship grounded in a shared commitment to advancing prosperity and stability in our countries, the region, and the world,” he said. “Over the decades, the UAE has been a trusted partner of the United States, both in terms of bilateral relations and in matters of shared concern.”
“What a lot of people don't know, I think my staff is very surprised by it, you and I have been friends for a long time,” said Trump. “We've been good friends, and what they don't know about you is that you are considered a truly great warrior.”
Trump concluded his remarks by inviting the UAE president to the White House.
“Let me have one month of fixing up the Oval Office, in other words, getting things ready,” said Trump. “And I look forward to having you and the White House, we will celebrate together, but we are going to be your friend, and we're going to be your partner, and we really appreciate your confidence and an investment that's your biggest investment that you've ever made.”
Following Trump’s remarks, the UAE president awarded Trump the Order of Zayed, the highest civil decoration in the country.
As he signed a guestbook, Trump said he was “probably” heading back to Washington, D.C. on Friday. But he also said it could be a case of “destination unknown.”
Later in the evening, Trump attended a banquet dinner.
Trump becomes a grandfather for the 11th time as Tiffany gives birth to a son
08:13 , Rachel ClunPresident Donald Trump became a grandpa for the 11th time Thursday as his daughter, Tiffany Trump welcomed a new baby boy.
Trump becomes a grandfather for the 11th time as Tiffany gives birth to a son
Watch: Trump says he did not discuss 9/11 Saudi intelligence agent with MBS
07:27 , Rachel ClunDonald Trump says he did not discuss 9/11 Saudi intelligence agent with crown prince Mohammed bin Salman:
Trump accused of ‘catch me if you can regime’ by Supreme Court justice in birthright citizenship hearing
07:20 , Alex WoodwardA series of federal court rulings across the country struck down Donald Trump’s attempt to strip citizenship from newborn Americans born to certain immigrant parents. But the government argues those decisions should be limited to the individual states — and pregnant mothers — who sued him and won.
During oral arguments on the issue at the Supreme Court on Thursday, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson called the administration’s position a “catch-me-if-you-can kind of regime,” where court orders would protect only the individuals in a case, not the millions of Americans who could be impacted.
Trump’s position argues that everyone would need a lawyer “to stop the government from violating anyone’s rights,” she said. “I don’t understand how that is remotely consistent with the rule of law.”
Read the full report below:
Trump of ‘catch me if you can regime’ in Supreme Court birthright citizenship hearing
Trump has sent thousands of troops to the Mexico border. But is it the best use of the US military?
07:23 , Oliver O'ConnellOn the 2024 campaign trail, Donald Trump pledged to deploy thousands of troops to secure the southern border of the U.S. as part of his strategy to clamp down on illegal immigration.
The president's characterization of the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border as an “invasion” had already been met with criticism, which grew with the idea of the domestic deployment of the military.
Approximately 8,600 active duty troops are now at the U.S.-Mexico border, up from about 2,500 at the end of the Biden administration.
But what exactly are the troops at the border doing, and is their presence the key factor in the reduction of border crossings? Furthermore, how much does this cost, and what is the overall impact on military readiness? Should they be doing something else somewhere else?
Read the full report here:
Trump sent thousands of troops to the border — is it the best use of the US military?
Analysis: Democrats keep trying to move past the cover up around Biden’s decline. It’s not helping their credibility
07:26 , John BowenDemocrats are not doing themselves any favors with their reactions to the new book on Joe Biden coming out soon, as John Bowden writes:
Democrats need to stop trying to move past the cover up around Biden’s decline
Watch: Justice Kagan slaps down 'losing' Trump administration at Supreme Court over birthright citizenship
07:28 , Rachel Clun‘Absurd’: Republicans challenge Johnson to overhaul Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ as it remains on knife edge
07:29 , Eric GarciaConservative Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives want House Speaker Mike Johnson to make major changes to Medicaid and more spending cuts before they vote for President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill.”
The House Budget Committee is set to vote on the bill on Friday, which would tee it up for a floor vote before it goes to the U.S. Senate. But conservatives, particularly those in the hardline House Freedom Caucus, do not believe that the bill goes far enough in spending cuts.
Read the full report below:
‘Absurd’: Republicans challenge Johnson to overhaul Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’
Trump to meet with South African president at White House after claims of ‘genocide’ of Afrikaners
07:30 , Josh MarcusDonald Trump and South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa will meet at the White House next week.
The meeting comes during a period of deep tension between the two countries, including over the Trump administration’s decision to fast-track Afrikaner farmers from South Africa for refugee status on claims the white minority is facing a “genocide,” which South Africa disputes.
Experts say there’s little evidence of a genocide in South Africa against white farmers, who own roughly 70 percent of commercial farmland despite making up about 7 percent of the population, a legacy of the country’s apartheid past.
Read the full report here:
Trump to meet with South African president after claims of ‘genocide’ of Afrikaners
In pictures: Trump visits UAE
07:34 , Rachel ClunDonald Trump flew to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday for the final leg of his Middle East tour.
Trump secures A.I. agreement with U.A.E
07:45 , Rachel Clun, ReutersDuring the last stop on his Gulf nations tour, Donald Trump secured deals with the United Arab Emirates worth more than $200 billion and an agreement to enhance cooperation on artificial intelligence.
Following Trump’s meeting with Emirati president, President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the White House said the deals included a $14.5 billion commitment from Etihad Airways to invest in 28 Boeing aircraft powered by engines made by GE Aerospace.
The U.S. Commerce Department said the two countries also agreed to establish a "US-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership" framework and Trump and Sheikh Mohamed attended the unveiling of a new 5GW AI campus, which would be the largest outside the United States.
Before making the deals Trump visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, its white minarets and domes, impressive in the late-afternoon light.
"It is so beautiful," Trump told reporters inside the mosque, which he said had been closed for the day.
"First time they closed it. It's in honor of the United States. Better than in honor of me. Let's give it to the country. That's a great tribute."
Trump says U.S. is 'getting close' to a nuclear dea with Iran
07:57 , Rachel ClunDonald Trump says the U.S. and Iran are “very close” to securing a deal that would see America drop its longstanding sanctions and Iran give up the prospect of developing a nuclear weapon.
Speaking at a business leaders summit on Thursday in Qatar, Trump said they were “getting close” to securing a deal as Iran had “sort of” agreed to terms.
“They’re not going to make, I call it, in a friendly way, nuclear dust. We’re not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran,” he said.
"I think we're getting close to maybe doing a deal without having to do this.”
Trump has repeatedly said that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. U.S. and Iranian negotiators have met four times since the start of April in a bid to secure a deal.
Watch live: Trump attends US-UAE Business Council in Abu Dhabi on final day of Middle East tour
08:03 , Rachel ClunEx-FBI boss investigated over photo claimed to be 'threat' to Trump
08:08 , Rachel ClunU.S. law enforcement is investigating a social media post by former FBI Director James Comey which included a picture with “8647”, which some Donald Trump supporters have interpreted as a threat against the president.
Comey, who was fired by Trump in 2017, Comey posted an Instagram photo of the number 8647 formed by seashells on the beach.
"Cool shell formation on my beach walk," Comey said.
But after the uproar from Trump supporters, Comey took the post down, saying he had assumed it was merely a "political message” and was unaware it could have been associated with violence.
In U.S. parlance the number 86 can be used as verb meaning to throw somebody out of a bar for being drunk or disorderly, and 47 is code for Trump, the 47th president. Some Trump supporters interpreted the message as one to violently remove Trump from office, including by assassination.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose agency oversees the Secret Service, said on X that DHS and Secret Service were "investigating this threat and will respond appropriately."
Current FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that his agency was in communication with the Secret Service about the post and "will provide all necessary support."
Trump says next destination is 'unknown' after U.A.E. visit
08:23 , Rachel ClunDonald Trump has said after wrapping up his visit in the United Arab Emirates today, it was “almost destination unknown” as to where he goes next.
However, speaking to reporters on Thursday Trump said he would likely return to the White House on Friday.
“So we'll be leaving tomorrow, as you know, almost destination unknown ... But probably going back to Washington, DC tomorrow,” he said.
Trump had previously suggested he could travel to Turkey if it would be aid negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
He is currently attending a business summit in U.A.E.’s capital Abu Dhabi, and will later visit the Abrahamic Family House which is home to a mosque, a church and a synagogue.
Trump said he had a 'little problem' with Apple boss
08:36 , Rachel ClunDonald Trump said he had a “little problem” with Apple boss Tim Cook, following reports the tech company was going to shift iPhone production from China to India.
Trump acknowledged Apple’s promise to spend $500 billion in the U.S., but told a business summit in Qatar on Thursday he had admonished the CEO.
“I said to him: ‘Tim, you’re my friend. You’re coming here with 500bn but now you’re building all over India. I don’t want you building in India’,” Trump said, the Guardian reports.
“I said to Tim … we’ve treated you really good, we’ve put up with all the plants that you’ve built in China for years, now you got to build [for] us.”
He continued: “We’re not interested in you building in India, India can take care of themselves ... we want you to build here.”
The president also said that India had offered a “basically zero tariff” deal with the U.S. to avoid Trump’s so called “reciprocal” tariffs.
