European Union (EU) leaders condemned U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose a 50 percent tariff on all EU imports on Friday.
Trump escalated trade tensions with the EU on Friday, threatening to impose the 50 percent tariff starting June 1. In a post on a social media platform, Trump said he is recommending the tariff due to stalled negotiations with Brussels.
"Trade talks are going nowhere," he wrote, adding that the EU "was formed for the primary purpose of taking advantage of the United States on TRADE."
Maros Sefcovic, European commissioner for trade and economic security, stressed in a post on the social media platform X that trade between the EU and the United States "must be guided by mutual respect, not threats."
"The EU Commission remains ready to work in good faith," he wrote, adding that the EU stands ready to defend its interests.
Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin said the U.S. actions would seriously damage bilateral trade relations.
The EU is one of the largest economic partners of the United States, with an annual bilateral trade volume exceeding 1.5 trillion euros. A source familiar with the U.S.-EU negotiation process disclosed that the current negotiations have reached a deadlock. The U.S. demands that the EU make unilateral concessions, while the EU seeks an agreement that considers both sides' interests.
EU leaders condemn Trump's threat to impose 50 pct tariffs on EU imports
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that the situation in Iran is "under total control" following violence linked to protests that spiked over the weekend.
Addressing foreign diplomats in Tehran, the foreign minister noted that armed terrorist groups had infiltrated the protests, attempting to divert them from their legitimate course. He claimed that evidence has been gathered showing Iranian security forces being shot at, with the aim of causing further casualties. He accused the United States and Israel of exploiting the unrest to interfere in Iran's internal affairs.
Araghchi further stated that the government is closely monitoring developments on the streets, emphasizing that "the situation has come under control." He also affirmed that internet services, curtailed during the unrest, would be restored after coordination with security agencies.
The government has engaged in dialogue with merchants and protest representatives and initiated reforms to address grievances related to price hikes and currency depreciation. Iran has taken a series of actions and measures to respond to the demands of peaceful demonstrators, the foreign minister said.
Earlier on Sunday, Araghchi said that clear evidence links recent riots and vandalism of public facilities in Iran to the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. This came after former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mentioned Mossad agents operating on Iran's streets in a social media post. The Iranian foreign minister asserted that police are being attacked by "terrorists" acting under the direction of Israeli operatives, whom Pompeo publicly acknowledged.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and U.S. sanctions.
Iranian foreign minister says situation "fully under control," accuses Israeli intelligence of stoking unrest
