Trump Keeps Pressure on Iran After Nine Months of War

What has President Trump said about a possible deal?

He said the US does not need a deal with Iran. He wrote that the US has billions of Iran's dollars frozen in overseas accounts.

Are negotiations between Iran and the US still possible?

The negotiations are stuck at the moment. Qatar is working as a mediator, meaning it is trying to help the two sides reach an agreement.

Has Trump spoken with Qatar about this?

He met Qatar's prime minister at the White House this week. After the meeting, Trump said Gulf Arab allies prefer the status quo.

What does the status quo mean in this case?

It means keeping the situation as it is for now. Economic pressure on Iran would continue, while there would be no new agreement.

And does that make another US attack less likely?

Trump wrote that the US remains ready to act. However, he said an attack at this point seems quite unlikely.

That sounds less threatening than his earlier words.

Before recent elections, Trump had threatened quick and intense strikes on Iran. His political position has become more difficult since then.

What has changed politically?

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump's wartime ally, is close to losing power after elections. In the US, Trump's party lost its majority in Congress in the midterm elections.

How has the war affected the US political debate?

Vice President Vance blamed Republican election losses partly on the unpopular war with Iran. He also mentioned US relations with Israel.

Meanwhile, what is happening in the Strait of Hormuz?

Iran still controls access through the strait. Iranian official social media accounts often show attacks on ships that Iran says broke its new rules.

What are those rules?

Iran now requires ships to get permission before travelling through the waterway. Before the war, ships could use it freely.

How are oil shipments getting through?

The US is helping oil tankers use a route close to Oman's coast. This has helped Arab states export oil.

Has that returned trade to normal?

No. It has not restored pre-war production levels of liquefied natural gas, fertilizer, or aluminium. Anwar Gargash, a senior United Arab Emirates diplomat, said the region must prepare for a long period of uncertainty.

Thank you, Grace.

Our second story is about warnings that global warming could reach a key level by 2029.

Noah is LinguaWire's correspondent for environment, and he has been covering this story.

Hello, Daniel. Two new reports say the world remains far from controlling global warming.

Where did the reports appear?

They were released during the United Nations COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Turkey. COP is the yearly climate meeting between countries.

What does the first report say about warming this century?

Climate Action Tracker, a nonprofit group that studies climate policies, says the planet is still on track to warm by nearly 5 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100.

What could that amount of warming mean?

The group says it could badly damage coral reefs, disrupt farming and forests, and melt most of the world's ice.

What did the second report find?

The European Union's Copernicus climate change service said global warming has sped up significantly since the Paris climate agreement in 2015.

What is the important temperature level in that agreement?

The long-term threshold is 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, above the average temperature before industrial times.

When could the world pass that level?

Copernicus says it could happen as soon as 2029. When the Paris agreement was adopted, that level was expected around 2045.

So the expected date has moved much closer.

It has. Copernicus says this striking change suggests that warming has accelerated in recent years.

Do scientists understand every reason for the recent faster rise?

The report says they do not understand every part of it yet. But it says growing levels of greenhouse gases from human activity remain the main driver.

What effects of warming are already being seen?

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg said global warming has already caused deadly floods, wildfires, and catastrophic glacier collapses.

What is she doing at the conference?

She is attending the UN climate talks for the first time since 2021. She said the climate crisis is a matter of life and death.

What are climate experts saying about government action?

Sarah Heck of Climate Analytics, an international climate science and policy institute, said governments have not meaningfully improved the outlook for warming by the end of the century. Climate action has stalled for five years, while fossil fuel development has continued to grow.

Thank you, Noah.

damage.

To damage means to hurt or break something. In the story, warming could “badly damage coral reefs.”

Heavy rain can damage a road.

disrupt.

To disrupt means to stop something from working normally. In the story, warming could “disrupt farming and forests.”

A power cut can disrupt a class.

melt.

To melt means to become liquid because of heat. In the story, warming could “melt most of the world's ice.”

Ice can melt in the sun.

Part two: the grammar.

Past perfect with had threatened.

We use had plus a past participle for an action that happened before another past time.

In the story, “Before recent elections, Trump had threatened quick and intense strikes on Iran.”

Before the meeting, the team had prepared its report.

Repeat after me: Before recent elections, Trump had threatened quick and intense strikes on Iran.