By Desmond Nleya
DUBAI-US President Donald Trump departed for China on Tuesday for a crucial meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with growing tensions surrounding Iran expected to dominate discussions alongside trade and regional security.
Speaking before leaving the White House, Trump said he expected to have a “long talk” with Xi about the worsening situation involving Iran, although he stressed that trade relations between Washington and Beijing would remain the primary focus of the visit.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei accused the United States and Israel of waging a campaign built on “fabricated justifications for atrocity,” describing the conflict as one between “a proud people” and “professional liars.”
Meanwhile, reports from Washington suggest Trump is maintaining a hardline stance, with analysts saying the US president appears determined to dictate the terms of any ceasefire. Earlier, Trump declared that he would end the conflict “peacefully or otherwise.”
In southern Lebanon, the Health Ministry reported that two paramedics were killed and another injured in what it described as an Israeli targeted strike on emergency workers, further raising fears of a broader regional escalation.
