Politics
Trump says US will ‘permanently pause’ migration from ‘all third world countries’

US President Donald Trump on Thursday unleashed a series of posts on Truth Social that could dramatically reshape US immigration policy, declaring that he will “permanently pause” migration from “all third world countries” and calling for “reverse migration” to remove certain immigrants.
“I will permanently pause migration from all third world countries to allow the US system to fully recover. This is necessary because unchecked migration has weakened American society and strained its resources. Until the system stabilises, no new immigrants from these countries will be allowed entry,” Trump wrote.
He did not identify any countries by name or give any specifics about what he meant by “permanently pause”. However, his posts signal a sweeping crackdown that could affect millions of residents from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and which could also alter refugee, Green Card, and other immigration programmes.
The development comes a day after the US government abruptly halted the processing of all immigration requests from Afghan nationals, following the shooting of two National Guard soldiers near the White House. Trump had earlier announced that Sarah Beckstrom, one of the two National Guard troops shot, had died, while the other soldier was “fighting for his life”.
In his posts, he also declared he would denaturalise migrants who “undermine domestic tranquillity, and deport any foreign national who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western civilisation.
Trump argued that US immigration policies had weakened the country despite technological progress and said the nation needed time “to fully recover” from what he called an immigration onslaught.
His posts outlined measures to terminate “millions” of admissions granted under his predecessor Joe Biden, including those signed by “sleepy Joe’s autopen”. He further said he would remove anyone he deemed “not a net asset” to the US or “incapable of loving our country”.
“Those who fail to contribute positively or respect American values will not be allowed to remain. The goal is to ensure that only individuals who strengthen the nation are permitted to live and work here,” he said.
Trump stressed that these reforms would not stop there.
“Only reverse migration can fully cure this situation. Individuals who have entered the US illegally or disrupted American society will be encouraged to return to their home countries. This step is presented as the only way to restore law, order, and stability in the US,” he said.
He also pledged to end all federal benefits for non-citizens, in an effort to ease the financial burden on American taxpayers.
“All federal benefits and subsidies for non-citizens of our country will be ended. This includes welfare, health care, and other support programmes that previously went to migrants. The policy is meant to stop the financial burden on American taxpayers and prioritise citizens first,” he said.
In one post, Trump attached a picture of Afghans being airlifted and wrote: “This is part of the horrendous airlift from Afghanistan. Hundreds of thousands of people poured into our country totally unvetted and unchecked. We will fix it, but will never forget what crooked Joe Biden and his thugs did to our country!”
The US president added that “these goals will be pursued with the aim of achieving a major reduction in illegal and disruptive populations”.
On Thursday, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow announced that the president had ordered a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination” of every Green Card issued to immigrants from 19 countries listed in a June presidential proclamation.
These countries include Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, and Venezuela — but not Pakistan.
“The protection of this country and of the American people remains paramount, and the American people will not bear the cost of the prior administration’s reckless resettlement policies,” Edlow wrote on Truth Social.
Millions of Green Card holders and permanent residents from these countries could face scrutiny, even if they have lived in the US for years.
Trump had immediately linked the shooting of the two National Guard soldiers to immigration, stating that the shooter, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, had been flown into the US in September 2021 and later had his status extended under Biden-era policies.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed that Lakanwal had worked with US forces in Kandahar and was admitted as part of partner forces, but described the admission as part of “the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan”.
The Pentagon confirmed the deployment of an additional 500 National Guard personnel to Washington, adding to the 2,200 already stationed in the capital.
USCIS also suspended all immigration requests from Afghan nationals pending a review of vetting and security procedures, leaving roughly 200,000 Afghans in limbo.
In his posts, Trump also framed immigration as “the single greatest national security threat,” asserting that the previous administration had admitted “20 million unknown and unvetted foreigners from all over the world.”
“Any alien from any country who does not belong here, or add benefit to our country… If they can’t love our country, we don’t want ’em,” he said, signalling that his administration intended to pursue aggressive enforcement measures.
The combined directives point to an unprecedented federal review of immigrants, refugees, and Green Card holders from third world countries, potentially affecting millions of families abroad who seek to migrate or are already in the United States.
Politics
White House briefly locked down after Secret Service shooting in Washington

The US Secret Service said on Monday it was on the scene of an officer-involved shooting in Washington in which one person was shot by law enforcement.
“US Secret Service personnel are on the scene of an officer-involved shooting at 15th Street and Independence Avenue in Washington, D.C. One individual was shot by law enforcement; their condition is currently unknown,” the Secret Service said in a statement on X. The White House was briefly locked down on Monday afternoon.
The DC Police Department said police were on the scene of the probe.
“The scene is secure. Avoid the area as roads will be closed for several hours,” police said in a statement.
Law enforcement agents have been on alert in recent days in the US capital following a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner late last month, over which a suspect has been arrested.
This is a developing story, and it is being updated with new developments.
Politics
UAE says air defences engage Iranian missiles, drones as flights diverted

- Iran denied targeting UAE.
- Attacks disrupt inbound UAE flights.
- Attacks injure three, reignite ME tensions.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said its air defences were engaging missile and drone threats on Monday evening as firefighters battled a blaze at a major oil industry zone following a drone attack which authorities said had originated from Iran.
The Gulf Arab state’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the attacks marked a serious escalation and posed a direct threat to the country’s security, adding that the UAE reserved its “full and legitimate right” to respond.
Multiple flights bound for the UAE diverted to Muscat in Oman, while other inbound aircraft circled over Saudi Arabia, according to flight tracking service Flightradar24, as the attacks caused widespread disruption to air traffic.
Iranian state media, citing a senior military official, said Iran had no plan to target the UAE, whose defence ministry said earlier on X that it had intercepted three Iranian missiles over its territorial waters and a fourth crashed into the sea.
The drone attacks shattered a period of relative calm in the region since a Pakistani-mediated ceasefire between Washington and Tehran took effect on April 8, pausing more than a month of intense fighting in the Gulf region.
Civil defence teams were deployed immediately to contain the blaze at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, the Fujairah Media Office said in a statement, adding that three Indian citizens were moderately injured in the attack and taken to hospital.
By Monday evening, the ministry said air defence systems were actively engaging further missile and drone threats.
“All airports in the UAE are closed for the time (being),” the captain on one inbound flight to Dubai told passengers, adding that aircraft would be diverted to the Omani capital.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy issued a map it said showed an expansion of areas under Iranian control near the Strait of Hormuz, encompassing the UAE ports of Fujairah and Khorfakkan as well as the coast of the Umm Al Quwain emirate, Iranian news agencies reported.
During the period of intense conflict earlier this spring, the UAE said it had intercepted and destroyed thousands of drones and missiles.
UAE authorities on Monday issued mobile phone alerts in Dubai and Abu Dhabi warning of the possibility of missile attacks.
Monday’s strike was not the first time Fujairah’s energy infrastructure had been targeted. A drone attack on March 14 had previously hit the Port of Fujairah, triggering fires and the suspension of some oil-loading operations.
Fujairah has been critical to UAE oil exports during the Iran war as it sits at the end of the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline, which carries crude from inland fields to the Gulf of Oman, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
This has allowed the UAE to continue shipping oil to global markets even as the waterway remained under threat.
Politics
Iran says it forced US warship back from Strait of Hormuz

Iran said it had forced a US warship to turn back from entering the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, although US Central Command quickly denied a report of a missile strike.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters Iran had fired a warning shot and that it was unclear whether the warship had been damaged.
Oil prices jumped 5% on renewed concerns that the vital oil route, already shut for over two months at huge cost to the global economy, would remain blocked for considerably longer, with little sign of progress towards a negotiated resolution of Washington’s conflict with Iran.
Iran’s navy said it had prevented “American-Zionist” warships from entering the Strait area by issuing a “swift and decisive warning”.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said two missiles had hit the warship near the port of Jask at the southern entrance to the strait, but Centcom denied that any warship had been struck.
It said its forces were supporting President Donald Trump’s “Project Freedom”, which aims to “guide out” commercial ships stranded in the Gulf by the US-Israeli war on Iran, and were enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports.
Trump gave few details of his plan to aid ships and their crews who have been confined to the vital waterway and are running low on food and other supplies. Shipping companies gave no sign of being ready to resume sailings.
“We have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site on Sunday.
Iranian military’s warning
In response to Trump’s announcement, Iran’s unified command told commercial ships and oil tankers to refrain from any movement that was not coordinated with Iran’s military.
“We have repeatedly said the security of the Strait of Hormuz is in our hands and that the safe passage of vessels needs to be coordinated with the armed forces,” Ali Abdollahi, head of the forces’ unified command, said in the statement.
“We warn that any foreign armed forces, especially the aggressive US Army, will be attacked if they intend to approach and enter the Strait of Hormuz.”
Iran has blocked nearly all shipping into and out of the Gulf apart from its own since the start of the war, cutting off around a fifth of the world’s oil and gas shipments and sending oil prices soaring by 50% or more.
Centcom said it would support Trump’s “Project Freedom” with 15,000 military personnel and more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, plus warships and drones.
“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,” Admiral Brad Cooper, the Centcom commander, said in a statement.
‘Convoys not a solution’
Hundreds of commercial vessels and as many as 20,000 seafarers have been unable to transit the strait during the conflict, the International Maritime Organisation says.
Container shipping group Hapag-Lloyd said on Monday its risk assessment was unchanged and that transit through the strait was still not possible.
Numerous executives from the shipping and oil industries have said they need an end to hostilities and some form of peace deal because military convoys alone are not enough to allow normal traffic to resume safely.
The United Arab Emirates accused Iran of attacking an empty crude oil tanker belonging to the Abu Dhabi state oil firm ADNOC with drones as it attempted to pass through the strait.
In a rare piece of good news, Pakistan said the US had handed over 22 crew from an Iranian container vessel that American forces had seized last month.
Islamabad, which has been trying to broker a peace deal, described the US move as a “confidence-building measure”.
The Trump administration has been seeking help from other countries to secure shipping in the Strait. Centcom said the latest effort announced by Trump would combine “diplomatic action with military coordination”.
It was not immediately clear which countries the US operation would aid or how the operation would work. It will not necessarily include US Navy ships escorting commercial ships, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said in a post on X.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump said any interference with the US operation would have to be “dealt with forcefully”.
Iran reviews US response to peace proposal
The United States and Israel suspended their bombing campaign against Iran four weeks ago, and US and Iranian officials held one round of face-to-face talks. But attempts to set up further meetings have failed.
Iranian state media said on Sunday Washington had conveyed its response to a 14-point Iranian proposal via Pakistan, and that Tehran was now reviewing it. Neither side gave details.
A senior Iranian official has confirmed that Tehran envisages ending the war on all fronts — including Israel’s attacks on Lebanon — and resolving the shipping standoff first, while leaving talks on Iran’s nuclear programme for later.
Washington wants Tehran to give up its stockpile of more than 400kg (900 pounds) of highly enriched uranium, which the United States says could power a bomb.
Iran says its nuclear programme is peaceful, although it is willing to discuss some curbs in return for the lifting of sanctions. It had accepted such curbs in a 2015 deal that Trump abandoned.
Trump is under pressure to break Iran’s hold on the Strait of Hormuz to try to prevent soaring gasoline prices, causing a voter backlash against his Republican Party in midterm congressional elections in November.
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