Trump threatens 50% tariffs on China as report suggests plans for arms shipment to Iran

World Politics
Published Mon, Apr 13 2026

3:47 AM EDT

Updated 4 Hours Ago
Matthew Chin

Key Points

• U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to impose a 50% tariff on China, after a report suggested Beijing was preparing to deliver a shipment of air defense systems to Iran.
• Speculation has mounted over Beijing’s role in Iran’s war efforts.
• But just as China’s reported weapons shipment remains unverified, Trump’s intention to follow through on tariff threats is similarly unclear, ahead of a May summit.

UK ‘will not be involved’ in Trump’s Strait of Hormuz blockade

INDEPENDENT
Trump has threatened to stop tankers from entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz
Sophie Wingate
Sunday 12 April 2026 13:45 EDT

The UK is not going to be involved in Donald Trump’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, it is understood.

Hungary election: Trump ally Viktor Orbán concedes defeat after 16 years as prime minister

Updated 3:49 PM EDT, 

Sun, April 12, 2026
CNN World 

What to know

•  BREAKING:  Veteran Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has conceded defeat in a parliamentary election and congratulated Péter Magyar, leader of the opposition party Tisza and a former member of the ruling Fidesz party.
• Record turnout: Sunday’s election had the highest turnout in Hungary’s post-Communist history, officials said shortly before the polls closed, with almost 78% of eligible voters having cast their ballots.
• Trump ally: The nationalist, pro-Russian Orbán, in power for 16 years and seeking his fifth straight election win, was endorsed by US President Donald Trump and hailed as a model for the rest of Europe by Trump administration officials.

After Iran talks falter, the big question is what happens next?

7 hours ago
Lyse Doucet 

Chief International Correspondent, in Islamabad
Twenty-one hours was not enough to end 47 years of hostility between Iran and the US.

The historic high-level talks in Islamabad, during a pause in weeks of grievous war, were always unlikely to end any other way.

What Hippies, Tradwives, and Trump Voters Have in Common

 MOTHER TONGUE  MAY + JUNE 2026 ISSUE 
They’re all obsessed with the same thing
Grace Byron / Bio

Illustration: Till Lauer

During this year’s Super Bowl, boxer Mike Tyson took a big bite out of an apple in a commercial that commanded us to “eat real food.” The ad felt more like a political gambit than a PSA. Here was a chance to show off the seemingly strange alliance of the second Trump administration: MAGA and MAHA.

Ray Dalio says we're in a world war — and it's only just beginning

By Theron Mohamed

Apr 8, 2026
Ray Dalio says we're in the "early stages of a world war" and it won't end anytime soon. The hedge-fund billionaire pointed to several ongoing clashes, military as well as economic and geopolitical. Also, he listed potential conflicts and said at least one is likely to happen in the next five years.

No Deal Reached in Pakistan: Black Smoke Reigns Over Hopes for Peace

The Greek Courier

Sunday, April 12, 2026
Vance Confirms No Consensus After Prolonged US-Iran Discussions in Islamabad
The prospects of a ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz are now uncertain as negotiations stall. Meanwhile, Israel's airstrikes in Lebanon persist.

Europe Is Done With Appeasing Trump

Opinion

April 9, 2026

By Serge Schmemann

Mr. Schmemann, an Opinion writer, is a former Moscow bureau chief of The Times.

“When we’re serious, we don’t every day say the opposite of what we said the day before,” President Emmanuel Macron of France said last week, adding, cuttingly: “And, maybe, one shouldn’t speak every day.”

UPDATED: Two U.S. Warships Sail Through Strait of Hormuz to Establish New Route for Merchant Ships

Heather Mongilio and Sam LaGrone
April 11, 2026 2:05 PM - Updated: April 11, 2026 7:26 PM This post has been updated with additional information on the transit.
Two Navy guided-missile destroyers entered the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, the first American warships to transit the strait since the U.S.-Israel offensive in Iran began on Feb. 28.

USS Frank E. Petersen (DDG-121) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) operated in the Persian Gulf after transiting the strait as part of the U.S. plan to “ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines,” according to a Saturday U.S. Central Command news release. Frank E. Petersen is part of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, while Michael Murphy is an independently-deployed destroyer, according to USNI News’ Fleet and Marine Tracker. The pair of ships transited back through the strait to the Gulf of Oman, according to ship spotters.

Trump Transitions From Bravado to Denial and from Panic to Indifference

The Greek Courier

April 11, 2026

In recent hours and days, President Donald Trump has stirred significant controversy with his public declarations regarding the ongoing conflict and negotiations with Iran. After threatening to "destroy the Iranian civilization," he backed down once again and declared victory. Then, despite his ultimatum of "unconditional surrender," he entered negotiations. On April 11, 2026, while addressing the media on the South Lawn of the White House, he expressed indifference toward the potential outcomes of the U.S.-Iran talks taking place in Pakistan. “Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me. The reason is that we’ve won,” he asserted, attempting to frame the narrative that the United States had emerged victorious from the conflict. He also warned that China would face “big problems” if it ships arms to Iran; fortunately, he did not elaborate further. This behavior raises concerns about his rationality.

Nancy Guthrie Update: Former Detective Reacts to Sudden Change Made by Sheriff’s Department (Exclusive)

Former NYPD detective David Sarni explains that limiting public access to police radio traffic can help protect officers—but says the timing and lack of clarity behind the 

decision may raise questions.

Apr 11, 2026 

By Effie Orfanides

Trending News Writer, Parade

Iran War Live Updates: U.S. and Iran Hold Historic High-Level Peace Talks

War in the Middle East

April 11, 2026

Talks were continuing late into the night, according to Iranian state media and a White House official, suggesting the two sides remained engaged and still had topics to discuss.

Tyler Pager, Farnaz Fassihi, Elian Peltier, and Aaron Boxerman

US military 'setting conditions' to clear mines from Strait of Hormuz

By Reuters

April 11, 2026 6:43 AM PDT

Updated 2 hours ago

WASHINGTON, April 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Saturday that it had started “setting conditions" for clearing ​mines in the Strait of Hormuz, with two U.S. warships ‌passing through the key waterway. 

US officials claim Iran unable to find mines it laid in strait of Hormuz, report says

Strait of Hormuz

Iran dropped explosives in the waterway erratically and may not have marked where it put all of them, US suggests

William Christou

 Sat 11 Apr 2026 

Middle East crisis – live updates
Iran is unable to find the mines it laid in the strait of Hormuz and does not have the capacity to remove the explosives, preventing Iran from allowing more traffic through the waterway, the New York Times reported, citing US officials.

Americans Blame Trump for Rising Gas Prices

National Surveys

April 8, 2026

Maryann Cousens

This Navigator Research report includes new data on gas prices, including to what extent Americans believe gas prices have increased and perceptions of who’s to blame.

Big Takeaways:

• An overwhelming majority are feeling gas prices increase, and blame President Trump and the war in Iran.
• President Trump’s approval on handling the cost of gas is underwater by 37 points, with clear fractures within the GOP.
• While Americans blame Trump, Republicans in Congress, and the war in Iran for high gas prices, they don’t overwhelmingly trust Democrats more; many do not trust either party or are unsure.
• Nearly Nine in Ten Say Gas Prices Are Increasing
• 87% of Americans say the cost of gas is going up, including 60% who say it’s going up “a lot.” By comparison, 82% of Americans say the cost of groceries is going up, with 47% saying it’s going up “a lot.” Though views of the economy are often partisan, gas price increases are being felt across parties, with 91% of Democrats, 90% of independents, and 81% of Republicans saying costs are increasing.

NASA Welcomes Record-Setting Artemis II Moonfarers Back to Earth

Jennifer M. Dooren

Apr 10, 2026

NASA Headquarters

The first astronauts to travel to the Moon in more than half a century are back on Earth after a record-setting mission aboard NASA’s Artemis II test flight.

Iran war live: US negotiators arrive in Pakistan for ceasefire talks

AL JAZEERA  Live 
By Lyndal Rowlands, Adam Hancock, and Heba Habib
Published On 11 Apr 2026

• High-profile Iranian officials arrive in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad for ceasefire talks with the US, including Tehran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. 
• Lead US negotiator Vice President JD Vance says before departure for Pakistan talks: “If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we are certainly willing to extend an open hand.”
• Lebanon’s Health Ministry increased the number of people killed from Israeli attacks across the country on Wednesday to 357, warning that the death toll is not yet final as more victims are being found and identified.
• The Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors in the United States held a phone call in first reported direct contact between the two countries, before ceasefire talks are expected to be held in the US next week.

And don't forget! Epstein reportedly hoped to develop super-race of humans with his DNA

This article is more than 6 years old, yet it remains strikingly relevant and thought-provoking
Registered sex offender hoped to seed human race with his DNA by impregnating 20 women at a time, New York Times reports

Edward Helmore in New York
Thu 1 Aug 2019 

Jeffrey Epstein, the wealthy financier accused of sex trafficking, planned to develop an improved super-race of humans using genetic engineering and artificial intelligence, according to the New York Times.