Tehran open to negotiations based on ‘mutual respect’
Dubai — Tehran remains open to negotiations with the US as long as they are based on “mutual respect and interests“, but it is also ready for war if that is Washington’s intent, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday.
Speaking during a press conference in Beirut he added that the purpose of his visit to Lebanon was to discuss Israel’s “challenges and threats” to regional security, as well as expanding bilateral ties. Reuters
Iran president warns suppliers over overpriced goods
Dubai ― Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian warned domestic suppliers against hoarding or overpricing goods, state media reported on Thursday, as Tehran rolls out high-stakes subsidy reforms during nationwide protests against economic hardship.
“People should not feel any shortage in terms of goods’ supply and distribution,” he said, calling upon his government to ensure adequate supply of goods and monitoring of prices across the country.
Iran’s subsidy reform is meant to favour consumers over importers by removing preferential currency exchange rates that allowed importers to access foreign currency at rates cheaper than those available to ordinary Iranians. Reuters
HSBC agrees to French dividend tax settlement
Paris — International bank HSBC has agreed to pay €267.5m to the French treasury to settle a case over fraud on dividend tax payments, the French financial prosecutor’s office said on Thursday.
The prosecutor investigated the bank as part of a broad dividend tax fraud probe that involved several banks in the country. Similar investigations have been conducted in Germany and other European countries.
The settlement, which was approved by a Paris court on Thursday, puts an end to the investigation, which covered practices during the 2014-2019 period. Reuters
India to allow China firms to bid for state contracts
New Delhi - India’s finance ministry plans to scrap five-year-old restrictions on Chinese firms bidding for government contracts, two government sources said, as New Delhi seeks to revive commercial ties in an environment of reduced border tensions.
The curbs, imposed in 2020 after a deadly clash between the countries’ troops, required Chinese bidders to register with an Indian government committee and obtain political and security clearances.
The measures effectively barred Chinese firms from competing for Indian government contracts that were estimated to be worth $700bn- $750bn. Reuters
Israel warns Lebanon over Hezbollah disarmament
Jerusalem/Beirut ― Israel said Lebanon’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah are far from sufficient after the Lebanese army declared that it had established operational control in the south, raising pressure on Lebanese leaders who fear Israel could escalate strikes.
In line with US demands, the Lebanese government has been seeking to restrict the possession of arms to state control since the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah emerged badly weakened from a war with Israel in 2024.
The Lebanese army said on Thursday that the goals of the first phase of its plan had been achieved in an “effective and tangible way” and that it had secured areas under its authority south of the Litani River — excluding positions still occupied by Israeli forces. Reuters
US House may overturn vetoes issued by Trump
WASHINGTON ― The US House of Representatives on Thursday was expected to overturn two vetoes issued by President Donald Trump in a rare split between the Republican president and his allies in Congress.
It is an unusual challenge from the Republican-controlled Congress, which has largely backed Trump during his first year in office as he has cancelled billions of dollars in spending, hiked tariffs and taken action in other areas that are usually handled on Capitol Hill. Last month, Trump vetoed a $1.3bn drinking-water project in Colorado, saying the local community should fund it, and a $14m project in the Everglades National Park that would have benefitted the Miccosukee Tribe of Native Americans, who fought an immigration detention centre known as “Alligator Alcatraz” that was later shut down.
Both projects had passed Congress unanimously. Reuters
