Trump's Ultimatum to Iran: Accept Deal or Face Escalation As Allies Reassess Strategy | NewsX World

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-07

[00:00:00]Find answers.

[00:00:05]>> Hello and welcome. I'm Isuma Kataka and you're watching the World Report on NewsX World. Let's take a look at some of the headlines of this hour.

[00:00:18]France's military [music] has said France's char gold aircraft carrier group is moving into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aiden as part of [music] efforts by France and Britain to prepare for a future mission to help freedom of navigation on the straight of Hormes.

[00:00:36]US President Donald Trump said that if Iran [music] honors what has been agreed to, the USIsraeli war on Iran could end and the [music] Straight of Hormise would reopen.

[00:00:48]Iran's Revolutionary [music] Guards Navy has announced that the Straight of Hormise is now open for safe and stable transit following a period [music] of heightened regional tension. Officials stated that the removal of external threats has allowed for the implementation of new [music] maritime procedures.

[00:01:07]Reinian foreign [music] minister basi met China's top diplomat in Beijing, underscoring closed ties between the two countries shortly before the US President Donald [music] Trump's scheduled travel to meet with Xi Jinping.

[00:01:23]Emergency crews [music] have evacuated three people from a cruise ship stricken with a deadly [music] outbreak of Hunter virus. Experts have confirmed a rare strain that can be transmitted between humans. [music] Now, two crew members and one other person thought to be infected for being taken off of the MB Huntus.

[00:01:47]The United Nations [music] has called on Israel to immediately release two activists taken from Al Gaza bound flutila [music] and demanded an investigation into disturbing accounts after the Israeli court extended the detention until at least May 10th for [music] questioning.

[00:02:06]Somalia is [music] facing a humanitarian emergency of severe drought, ongoing conflict and massive aid cuts. Over 1 million children [music] are at risk of malnutrition as food shortages, drought and conflict related displacement [music] displace millions, exacerbated by aid delivery delayed stemming from Middle East tensions.

[00:02:28]The United [music] Arab Emirates have denied allegations by Sudan that an Emirati drone had [music] been used in an attack on Kartum airport launched from Ethiopia. Saddan has long accused the UAE of backing the parliamentary rapid support forces which have been fighting [music] the Sudanese army in a three-year old civil war.

[00:02:52]We start this hour with US and Iran.

[00:02:54]United States has issued an ultimatum to Iran with President Trump warning that acceptance of a proposed framework could ease pressure while rejection may invite further escalation. The move reflects a renewed push by Washington to increase leverage through both diplomatic and military signaling. Iran, meanwhile, has pushed back on key elements of the proposal, calling parts unacceptable and reiterating its core positions on sanctions relief and regional security guarantees. However, the wider implications are being closely watched in Lebanon and across the regional axis.

[00:03:30]In Lebanon, Hezbollah and allied groups are assert assessing potential shifts in deterrence, supply lines, and strategic posture. Across the border, broader networks spanning Syria and Iraq actors are recalibrating their positions as uncertainty grows over whether this pressure cycle leads to escalation or control deescalation.

[00:03:55]And we welcome Mr. Jason Isaxon. He's a chief policy officer at AJC joins us live from Washington DC. Thank you very much Mr. Saxon for joining us. Welcome to Newsex World.

[00:04:10]>> Happy to be here. Thank you.

[00:04:11]>> Thank you. Now looking at this situation, this very fragile situation, how effective is this uh pressure and also giving out this uh the proposal and evaluating this? what is this uh yeah two-sided or double-faced u um stance of US?

[00:04:36]>> So um it's complicated and it's um it's a little confusing. Um one has to ad uh there have been conflicting messages from Washington. Um but it is clear that the president would um would like to see an end to this military operation, would like to see the straight of horm opened um but cannot walk away from this whole project that he's undertaken for the last two and a half months unless there is some I don't know if I want to say certainty but some likelihood at least that there will be an end to the project that he has undertaken.

[00:05:18]that results in Iran no longer posing the threat that it poses to its neighbors, no longer on a pathway to developing nuclear weapons capability.

[00:05:28]Um, and whether that means that there will be an reopening of the Straight of Hormuz, which after all was opened before uh the February 278th, February 28th initiation of the military operation. um whether there will be a return to something along the lines of the joint comprehensive plan of action, the Iran nuclear deal of 2015, strengthened, one hopes, um lengthened, uh more intrusive inspections, um no enrichment by the Iranians, or if they end up in a complicated negotiation in which there's some very limited but highly regulated um uh uranium enrichment. But with the removal of the uh highly enriched uranium that poses the greatest danger to uh the rush toward a nuclear weapon. Um it that that is that is what it's looking like might be the outcome of all of this. Um but uh right now with the conflicting signals with the project freedom being announced and then being paused a few hours later um the president saying that there is a deal in hand. um and the Iranians denying that there's a deal. Um there's been a cloud of uncertainty around this entire operation. But but the end result if this is going to be a success has to be that Iran no longer has a pathway to a nuclear weapon um and no longer poses the threat that it poses to the region to regional stability to the security of its neighbors not only Israel but the neighbors across the Gulf that have been the that have suffered thousands of attacks by missiles and drones from Iran. um if that threat is no longer u uh existing uh to the security of the region, the stability of the region, um this will prove to have been a success.

[00:07:20]But uh we're still we're still some ways to go before we get to that point.

[00:07:24]Do you think that US current administration is capable of convincing uh success regardless to their domestic audience even if they end this um they they end up agreeing to whatever is on the table of this 14point uh proposal and will US um uh domestic audience or the citizens be convinced enough by the fact that regime change is not uh hasn't happened. Nuclear proliferation, we don't see that. What we see is more focused towards straight of hormones.

[00:08:03]>> Uh look, it's an open question. Um I will say that a lot of gamblers have gone broke betting against Donald Trump and his ability to make a sale. Uh I would expect that if this ends with a deal in which the straight of Hormuz is reopened, uh the Iranian nuclear threat uh is pushed farther back or eliminated entirely, one hopes, um which Iran's military capabilities otherwise are severely degraded, which they clearly have been. Um it will it will not be seen as a failure by the American public. But um but but right now a lot of those objectives are not realized and it's not quite clear when they can be.

[00:08:46]>> And what about Israeli public which has of course been in cooperation from not public but uh the government which has been in cooperation uh with us from day one of this op operation epic fury uh now project freedom. Um, how do you see this alignment between is Israel and US?

[00:09:10]um the Iranian chance regularly of death to Israel and the Iranian effort in so many ways through terrorist proxies including Hezbollah, including Hamas, including the militias in Iraq, including the Houthis in Yemen, um through the constant infusion of anti-Israel propaganda through social media and everything else. um and through the attacks that have taken place by Iran against Israel has posed a significant threat to uh to the security of Israel and an existential threat if Iran were to pursue uh nuclear weapons capability which they clearly were on the path were on the path to doing so from an Israeli perspective um that military threat um has to be nullified.

[00:09:53]has to be cancelled. Um, and that's why Israel joined the United States in this operation beginning on February 28th.

[00:10:00]And that's why um, Israel itself also um, did what it could in June of last year to to take out targets in in Iran with the US cooperation. So it's very clear that there the threat ex continues to exist. Um until that that either through negotiation or through much more forceful military action that Iranian threat is eliminated. Um Israel will continue to be insecure and unsatisfied with with such an outcome.

[00:10:31]But I should also add I do not see the United States uh I'm sorry I do not see Israel um initiating again direct military action against Iran in the absence of of US involvement US re-engagement.

[00:10:46]>> Thank you for sharing that Mr. Jason Isaxson. Thank you very much for joining us. Now we move on to Europe. Ukrainian President Womir Zalinski says Hungary has returned cash and gold that had been seized from employees of Ukraine state-owned Oshad Bank during a March operation. The assets were reportedly detained amid a crossber investigation linked to cash transit movements. The return marks a notable development in a case that had strained relations between Kee and Budapest. President Zilinski has described it as a positive and constructive step, suggesting it could help ease recent diplomatic tensions.

[00:11:25]Meanwhile, the episode reflects broader friction in Eastern Europe, where financial security, wartime logistics, and political mistrust continue to intersect. Officials say the focus now shifts to ensuring transparency in crossber banking operations and preventing similar incidents in future.

[00:11:44]Now, we welcome Professor David K.

[00:11:46]Johnston. He's a professor at Rochester Institute of Technology joins us live from New York. Thank you very much, Professor Johnston, for joining us again. Good to see you. Now, looking at this very soon, >> thank you very much. Looking at this incident, uh what do you think it suggests? uh and uh does this episode reveal about underlying mistrust as well as coordination challenges among European allies uh especially who uh support Ukraine?

[00:12:20]Well, this certainly suggests that the new prime minister will not have the affinity for the Kremlin and the antagonism to Ukraine that we saw under Victor Orban. Two months ago, the vehicles that were transporting about $40 million in cash and a million or so in gold were stopped at a service station. And uh Hungarian authorities uh made a show of arresting the uh bank workers who were transporting uh the cash and gold. They forced them to the ground. Uh and uh this was also tied up with the dispute about oil flowing through a pipeline from Russia that goes to Hungary. Uh now that Orban is uh out the door, uh I think this is a hopeful sign that uh the Kremlin has lost a an ally in its efforts to uh succeed in its illegal invasion of Ukraine.

[00:13:27]and Professor Johnston uh as we know that Trump was uh a close ally or friend of the previous Hungarian leader Victor Orban. So moving forward uh how would how do you think President Trump will be interpreting Maga Muyar's move? Well, the first sure the the first thing he's going to look for is whether the new prime minister, well focused on corruption and other problems in Hungary, is going to bend the knee to Donald. Donald, you know, who throughout my 38 years of knowing and covering him, one of the consistent things about Donald is that you're supposed to respect that he's special. You're supposed to bow down to him. You're supposed to do what he tells you to do.

[00:14:13]and um because he believes he really does believe that he is this special person with magical powers. Uh so we we will the thing to watch for now is what relationship the new regime in Hungary has with Keev and uh the Kremlin and I don't think we know enough yet about where exactly this will go >> and this particular case could this development meaningfully improve yes as you rightfully said we are yet to watch but can it meaningfully improve a relationship with Hungary and um Ukraine, can it redo some of the damages that or damages or the disruption caused by Victor Orin?

[00:15:03]>> And now looking at this in the bilateral n nature that you bring it up, this is a very good thing between Hungary and Ukraine which border each other. Um, this suggests that uh the uh new regime in Hungary is not going to be so hostile. But as I said, we don't really know for sure yet. It'll take a little time to play out, but clearly Zalinsky is very pleased about the release of this money. This was all done on a the claim that there was money laundering going on. uh but nothing has come of that suggesting that that was simply a pretext in order to make a show to uh please the Kremlin and show displeasure with Keev over the Russian PI oil pipeline.

[00:15:50]>> With that, I'd like to thank Professor Johnston for joining us today and sharing that insight. Thank you very much. Now we move on to Asia. India and Vietnam have set a new course for their economic futures. During a high level summit at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi today, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vietnamese President Tolam set an ambitious bilateral trade target of $25 billion by the year 2030.

[00:16:17]It's a significant upgrade to what both leaders are calling an enhanced comprehensive strategic partnership. A major con cornerstone of this deal involves critical minerals, specifically rare earth elements which are vital for India's semiconductor and green energy goals. What was also in focus today is something being called fruit diplomacy.

[00:16:39]A new agricultural pact will soon bring Indian grapes and pomegranates to Vietnam while Vietnamese pomelos and dorans will hit Indian markets. Beyond the trade of goods, the two nations are exploring digital payment links and reaffirm their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific grounded in international maritime law.

[00:17:01]This summit underscores a concerned effort by New Delhi and Hanoi to establish a robust and diversified supply chain corridor within the Indo-Pacific region. Let's listen into what Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said.

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[00:18:25]Foreign speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech.

[00:18:46]Now we welcome Miss Nitali Nikor. She's an economist joins us live from New Delhi. Thank you very much Miss Nikor for joining us again. Good to see you.

[00:18:56]>> Good seeing you. like Miss Nikor a few weeks ago when we were talking about India's um India being forced or now have to d India has to be well India has to diversify their uh export moving forward because of the of course situation in Middle East and how uh this plan of making India and you know export outside is becoming shaky. Do you think part of uh that is pushing India towards Asian countries now like this?

[00:19:32]>> So thanks a lot Suma for having me on the show. Uh I think you know this is a very welcome development and Vietnam is you know a very interesting country to do business with for India because um a lot of investment in Vietnam currently especially in the industrial areas comes from China and you know now Vietnam is also looking to expand and diversify its own investment base but it's also looking to diversify right? It's you know investment portfolio. So you look at the fact that a company like Winfast has come and set up a manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu and there are so many other Vietnamese companies which have traditionally attracted investment from China who are now coming and thinking of setting up uh you know manufacturing facilities in India and looking at the Indian market. So I do think that you know it is a win-win situation and I also think that there's a lot of potential for India and Vietnam to look at uh the tourism sector because I myself have gone to Vietnam on a very extended holiday and I really felt that it was a very welcoming place. The food and the culture it was so beautiful. Um so again you know there's a whole undiscovered terrain which can attract Indian tourists and vice versa. So I think there's a lot of cultural uh you know ties also between the two countries. So so very honestly for India a very very good strategy. It's an extension of the act east strategy that India had for a very long time studying 2015 and is now taking fruition uh with the geopolitical developments in you know in the global economy.

[00:21:23]>> Thank you for sharing that. And you you briefly touched upon China. So how does this upgraded partnership between India and Vietnam fit into the broader strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific particularly with uh in relations or influence of China.

[00:21:42]So I think it's very interesting because you know for a long time uh the work the world has sort of pitted India and China against each other but I think it's very evident to both these countries today that they are not in a competition that they are not in the same spaces I mean the spaces in which India is very strong say the services industry communications in you know in tourism in soft skills and heritage and you know some uh you know textile goods those are not the sectors in which China wants to expand.

[00:22:19]It might actually be very good even and textiles but at the same time it wants to move into high technology it wants to move into space sector it wants to move into electronics and semiconductors and so does India. So I think both these countries have realized that there's a lot of commonality and there's much more good coming um you know working together than to be competitors in the global landscape and I think this move of countries like Vietnam coming closer to India and and I'm sure we'll see this in a lot of the other East Asian countries which actually attract a large amount of Chinese investment. The Indian market is of interest to Chinese investors. The Indian expertise is of interest to the Chinese companies. The Indian uh you know uh the workforce is also of interest to East Asian companies. So I think there is a lot of complimentarity and cooperation that can be unlocked rather than constantly pitting India and China against each other. And I think that the Shanghai cooperation organization summit which Prime Minister Modi attended in 2025 was a sign of the future cooperation between the two largest uh you know most populated countries in the world.

[00:23:36]>> Yes, thank you for highlighting that. I would need to change my stance. Thank you very much Miss Nikora. Please do stay with us as we'll come back to you.

[00:23:44]Now, a historic surge in economic cooperation is making headlines today as Indian companies announced a record-breaking 25 billion dollars in new investments in the United States.

[00:23:56]Speaking from the 2026 Select USA Investment Summit in Maryland, US Ambassador Sergio Gore hailed the development as a defining moment for bilateral ties. The massive capital influx is led primarily by the pharmaceutical sector which accounts for over $19 billion of the total anchored by Sun Pharma's nearly 20 12 sorry 12 billion acquisition of New Jersey based organ company beyond healthcare 12 Indian firms have pledged over $1 billion towards green field and expansion projects across the country.

[00:24:38]Key deals include a $900 million investment from the UPHU Group to establish manufacturing clusters in five states and a $100 million commitment from Sterilite Technologies to bolster AI and telecom infrastructure. Officials estimate these projects will support more than 70,000 American jobs and significantly strengthen supply chains in high-tech sectors like aerospace, defense and energy.

[00:25:09]Now we welcome back Miss Niko Mitali Nikor. She's an economist joins us live from New Delhi. Thank you very much Miss Nikor for join staying with us. as you just highlighted how important is cooperation and you know knowing that we need each other in for the economy to benefit everyone. What's significant about this investment that we're seeing?

[00:25:34]>> So it's very interesting that the US ambassador uh is so excited about you know India's investment in the United States. I'm pretty sure that under the administration of President Trump, probably the US ambassador to India also has some targets to attract private investment to the US and and India has clearly delivered um you know on on his targets and and why not right Indian companies especially pharma companies uh have a huge market in the United States and for them uh you know investing in the United States makes a lot of sense uh for cutting their logistics costs particularly when servicing us cons uh US consumers. So I think it should be seen in that lens of India being a growing economic power globally and uh and then therefore investing and setting up operations in countries where it has a large base of consumers.

[00:26:34]>> With that I'd like to thank Miss Nikor for joining us today and sharing that insight throughout our news.

[00:26:41]Now we move on to Europe. One of two planes that left Cape Verde following the evacuation of three people from a ship struck by deadly hunter virus outbreak landed in Spain's Canary Islands. Meanwhile, Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia has defended the decision to dock the MV Hondas in the Canary Islands, calling Granadila the nearest port offering the best safety conditions. Let's listen in.

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[00:28:19]The move comes despite vocal opposition from the local regional government.

[00:28:24]Earlier today, the World Health Organization confirmed that two crew members and a third individual were medically evacuated from the vessel off of the coast of Cape Verde and flown out of the capital Pria. The reach of the outbreak has already touched international air travel. KML KLM has reported that on April 25th, a passenger linked to the cruise ship was identified and removed from flight KL 592 in Johannesburg before it departed for Amsterdam.

[00:28:59]That's all we have time for. Keep watching NewsX World for more news updates from around the world.