Hook News Brief | 16.05.25
“US is close to a nuclear deal with Iran”: Trump
US President Donald Trump has claimed Washington is nearing a nuclear deal with Iran, despite ongoing diplomatic hurdles. Speaking in Qatar during the second leg of his Gulf tour, Trump said he was basing his optimism on new statements by Iran but did not specify which remarks he was referring to.
Earlier in the week though, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in a US media interview that Tehran was willing to accept far-reaching curbs on its nuclear programme.
US Supreme Court on birthright citizenship
In a move that would affect thousands of babies born each year in the US - the US Supreme Court wrestled over Trump's attempt to broadly enforce his executive order to restrict birthright citizenship.
The court's conservative justices, who hold a 6-3 majority, seemed willing to limit the ability of lower courts to issue nationwide, or "universal," injunctions.
This after federal judges in Maryland, Washington and Massachusetts blocked Trump's directive.
None of the justices, however, signaled an endorsement of Trump's order and some of the liberals said it violates the Constitution and the court's own precedents.
UN slams US-backed humanitarian operation in Gaza
The United Nations has said it will not take part in a US-backed humanitarian operation in Gaza because it is “not impartial, neutral or independent”. This even as Israel pledged to facilitate the effort without being involved in aid deliveries.
Speaking to reporters in Antalya, Turkiye, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged the criticisms and said Washington was open to any alternative plan to get aid to civilians “without Hamas being able to steal it”.
Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Turkiye
Russia and Ukraine are set to hold their first direct peace talks in three years in Turkiye but hopes for a breakthrough remained dim. This after Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face.
Zelenskyy said he was sending a team headed by his defence minister to Istanbul for the talks, even as he said that the Russian delegation did not include “anyone who actually makes decisions”, accusing Moscow of not making efforts to end the war.
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