Trump declares national emergency 'over Huawei' amid accusations he is risking 'devastating' conflict with Iran
Donald Trump has been accused of “playing a very dangerous game” with Iran and risking dragging the US into a new war in the Middle East that could have “devastating” consequences.
The warning came from Hamid Baeidinejad, Iran’s ambassador to the UK, with the acting US defence secretary Patrick Shanahan tabling plans to send 120,000 troops to the region if needed as tensions soar between the two nations over economic sanctions and an increased American military presence in the Persian Gulf.
A commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Maj Gen Hossein Salami, later warned the nation is “on the cusp of a full-scale confrontation with the enemy”.
Meanwhile, President Trump has signed an executive order declaring a national emergency that will ban American companies from using telecommunications equipment made by foreign firms posing a national security risk to the US.
The move – thought to be aimed at China’s Huawei – comes as tensions flare between the two countries, with Beijing and Washington failing to find consensus on trade and tariffs after months of negotiations.
In a statement, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the emergency declaration by the president is”part of his commitment to protecting the information and communications technology and services of our Nation.”
In the latest US immigration news, the Trump administration is planning to redirect Transportation Security Administration staff to the Mexico border, the TSA said Wednesday.
“TSA, like all DHS components, is supporting the DHS effort to address the humanitarian and security crisis at the southwest border.
TSA is in the process of soliciting volunteers to support this effort while minimising operational impact,” TSA spokesman James Gregory said in a statement.
The announcement came as Donald Trump spoke at the annual Peace Officers’ Memorial Service in Washington DC, where he denounced illegal immigration across the US-Mexico border.
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