Iranian warning to Donald Trump

A high-ranking commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warned on Monday that the US forces in the region are sitting in a “glass house” and should avoid “throwing stones at others.”

Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC’s Aerospace Division, made the remarks on the sidelines of ceremonies to celebrate Eid al-Fitr.

“The Americans have 10 military bases in the region, particularly around Iran and 50,000 troops” are deployed in these based, Hajizadeh said, according to Press TV.

“This means they are sitting in a glass house; and when one sits in a glass house, he does not throw stones at others.”

The top IRGC’s comment come after threats by US President Donald Trump to bomb Iran if it refuses to reach "a new deal" on its nuclear program.

On Sunday, Trump said Iran will be bombed if it does not make a deal with the United States.

“If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing,” he said in an interview with NBC News. He also threatened to punish Iran with what he called “secondary tariffs.”

In a post on his X account on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Trump’s open threat of “bombing” the country is an affront to global peace and security.

“An open threat of ‘bombing’ by a Head of State against Iran is a shocking – affront ‑ to the very essence of International Peace and Security,” Baghaei wrote.

 

 

Bloodied and Bruised US Markets

According to Bloomberg, Jan-Mar 2025 quarter was full of disappointments due to the plunging indices. While the markets are under pressure, the bigger threat is weakening dollar, making other currencies safe heavens.

The S&P 500 ended the quarter down 4.6%, its worst performance in three years. The Nasdaq 100 posted its worst quarter in nearly three years, down 8.3%, after a pair of warnings last week fanned anxieties about a possible pullback in the hundreds of billions of dollars flowing into data center infrastructure. 

Making matters worse for the United States, the dollar hasn’t been behaving as normal, raising fears that America’s radical policy turns are opening the door for rival currencies to become havens.

Trump’s trade war continues to fuel concern the US economy could stall. Most economists still don’t anticipate America will fall into recession in the next year, but they do say the chance of a contraction has increased.

While many economists have spent the past three years being wrong on recession calls, another worry is the risk that a slowdown in growth will occur alongside accelerating inflation, the dreaded scenario known as stagflation.

Garnering the least support in the Associated Press-NORC poll was Trump’s signature initiative so far—tariffs. Some 60% of Americans disapprove of his trade tactics while 58% disapprove of his handling of the economy in general.

 

 

 

 

Western laws not needed in Afghanistan

According to media reports, the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, has reiterated that Afghanistan has no need for Western legal systems, asserting that Islamic sharia law is fully in effect.

“There is no need for laws that originate from the West. We will create our own laws,” Akhundzada said during an Eid Al-Fitr sermon at the Eidgah Mosque in Kandahar.

The 50-minute message was shared publicly by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on X.

Akhundzada’s remarks reaffirm the stance of the Taliban government. The West alleges that Taliban has significantly rolled back civil liberties — especially for Afghan women and girls — since regaining control of the country in 2021.

Under the group’s interpretation of Islamic law, women have been barred from education, most public sector jobs, and public life.

Despite global condemnation, Akhundzada dismissed any role for democratic governance, stating, “Democracy has come to an end in Afghanistan.”

He accused supporters of democracy of attempting to drive a wedge between the Afghan people and the Taliban.

He also criticized the West, saying non-Muslim countries were aligned in opposition to Islam, referencing the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza as evidence.

While the Taliban face no formal opposition in the country, internal rifts have emerged. Some Taliban officials have pushed for easing restrictive policies and improving relations with the international community to gain economic and political support. However, Akhundzada and his close inner circle have maintained a firm grip on power and policy direction.

In recent months, there has been limited engagement between the Taliban and the administration of US President Donald Trump, largely centered on prisoner releases and humanitarian coordination.

Trump threatens bombing Iran

According to Reuters, US President Donald Trump has threatened Iran on Sunday with bombing and secondary tariffs if Tehran did not come to an agreement with Washington over its nuclear program.

Western powers accuse Iran of having a clandestine agenda to develop nuclear weapons capability by enriching uranium to a high level of fissile purity, above what they say is justifiable for a civilian atomic energy program. However, Tehran insists its nuclear program is wholly for civilian energy purposes.

In Trump's first remarks since Iran rejected direct negotiations with Washington last week, he told NBC News that US and Iranian officials were talking, but did not elaborate.

"If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing," Trump said in a telephone interview. "It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before."

"There's a chance that if they don't make a deal, that I will do secondary tariffs on them like I did four years ago," he added.

Iran sent a response through Oman to a letter from Trump urging Tehran to reach a new nuclear deal, saying its policy was to not engage in direct negotiations with the United States while under its maximum pressure campaign and military threats, Tehran's foreign minister was quoted as saying on Thursday.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated the policy on Sunday. "Direct negotiations with the US have been rejected, but Iran has always been involved in indirect negotiations, and now too, the Supreme Leader has emphasized that indirect negotiations can still continue," he said, referring to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In the NBC interview, Trump also threatened so-called secondary tariffs, which affect buyers of a country's goods, on both Russia and Iran. He signed an executive order last week authorizing such tariffs on buyers of Venezuelan oil.

Trump did not elaborate on those potential tariffs.

In his first 2017-21 term, Trump withdrew the US from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran's disputed nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

Trump also reimposed sweeping US sanctions. It is alleged that since then, the Islamic Republic has far surpassed the agreed limits in its escalating program of uranium enrichment.

 

 

 

 

 

Political Swings in the Middle East in 2025

I am inclined to refer to an article by Robin Wright and Peyton Dashiel of Wilson Center. I consider it more like a US narrative. I suggest the readers to read the content dispassionately to understand how situation is likely to unfold in the near future.

In 2025, power dynamics in the Middle East shifted significantly. Sunni factions gained influence while Shiite groups tied to Iran weakened. Political turmoil, economic struggles, and escalating conflicts—especially between Israel and Iran—exacerbated regional instability, hampering diplomacy, development, and prospects for long-term peace.

Regional Shifts and Rising Conflicts

The region faced an unprecedented level of crises, with violence escalating in Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan, and Yemen. The Sunni resurgence saw Islamist parties gaining political ground in Jordan and Syria, where a military coup toppled the Assad regime. Iran’s influence waned, with its proxy militias suffering major losses due to Israeli and US airstrikes. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia bolstered its regional dominance, hosting US-Russia talks on Ukraine and offering to mediate US-Iran negotiations.

Conflicts in Gaza and the Red Sea intensified. Israel’s war with Hamas continued, with peace efforts stalling. Hostilities between Israel and Iran escalated, with both nations engaging in direct attacks. Houthi rebels in Yemen disrupted international shipping in the Red Sea, causing a sharp decline in Suez Canal traffic.

Internal Political Shifts

In Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) lost major local elections in 2024, signaling a shift in public sentiment. The government’s arrest of opposition figure Ekrem İmamoğlu in March 2025 further fueled tensions.

In Iran, reformist Masoud Pezeshkian won the presidency, reflecting growing dissatisfaction with theocratic rule.

Tunisian President Kais Saied intensified crackdowns on opposition, extending the prison sentence of Ennahdha leader Rachid Ghannouchi.

Syria’s Assad regime collapsed after more than 70 years in power. Sunni militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) seized control, igniting sectarian clashes with Alawites. While Iran distanced itself from its traditional proxies, its Supreme Leader insisted Tehran did not rely on foreign militias.

Economic and Diplomatic Fallout

Economic crises deepened, with the World Bank warning of long-term stagnation. Diplomatic efforts faltered as regional rivalries intensified, particularly between Israel and Iran. With increasing violence and political upheaval, the path to stability in the Middle East remained highly uncertain.

PSX experiences slight pullback

Pakistan Stock Exchange witnessed a slight pullback during the week, retreating after reaching its highest-ever closing a week ago. The benchmark index closed at 117,806 points, down by 635 points or 0.54%WoW as compared to last week's closing at 118,442 points.

Average daily trading volume also dropped by 38%WoW, to 317 million shares, as compared to 508 million shares traded a week ago.

The profit taking was driven by substantial selling by Insurance companies, alongside month-end rollovers, which added to investors’ unease before Eid holidays.

Several positive developments emerged during the week, as IMF confirmed reaching the Staff Level Agreement (SLA) with the authorities in the first review of EFF, supplemented with a 28-month arrangement of US$1.3 billion under Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), pending approval of the IMF’s Executive Board.

GDP growth for 2QFY25 was recorded at 1.7%YoY, with Agriculture recovering by 1.1%YoY amidst a 5.4%YoY decline in crops growth.

PKR largely remained stable against the greenback throughout the week.

Other major news flow during the week included: 1) IMF team due in May to finalize FY26 budget, 2) GoP to slash power tariffs soon, 3) Turkiye, Denmark to support climate fight, 4) Net metering contract term limited to 5 years, and 5) Pakistan receives US$9.77 billion via RDA as of February 2025.

Tobacco, Glass & Ceramics, and Vanaspati & Allied Industries were amongst the top performing sectors, while Leather & Tanneries, Paper & Board, and Technology & Communication were amongst the laggards.

Major selling was recorded by Insurance Companies with a net sell of US$8.8 million. Individuals and Other Organizations absorbed most of the selling with a net buy of US$9.3 million.

Top performers during the week were: PAKT, UBL, ATLH, NPL, and ABOT, while laggards included: PKGP, SRVI, KTML, CHCC, and NML.

According to AKD Securities the arket is expected to remain positive in the coming weeks, with the recent announcement of a staff-level agreement serving as a key trigger for momentum.

The benchmark index is anticipated to sustain its upward trajectory, primarily driven by strong earnings in fertilizers, sustained ROEs in Banks, and improving cash flows of E&Ps and OMCs, benefiting from falling interest rates and economic stability.

Top pick of the brokerage house includes, OGDC, PPL, PSO, FFC, ENGROH, MEBL, MCB, HBL, LUCK, FCCL, INDU, ILP and SYS.

 

کیا آپ کو یاد ہے آج یوم القدس ہے؟

یوم القدس رمضان کے آخری جمعہ کو دنیا بھر میں مسلم اکثریتی ممالک اور کمیونٹیز میں منایا جاتا ہے۔ اس کا آغاز 1979 میں ایرانی انقلاب کے بعد آیت اللہ روح اللہ خمینی نے فلسطینی عوام کے ساتھ اظہار یکجہتی اورالقدس پر اسرائیلی قبضے کی مخالفت کے دن کے طور پر کیا تھا۔

یوم القدس کی اہمیت:

1. فلسطین کی حمایت

یوم القدس فلسطینیوں کی حمایت اور اسرائیلی پالیسیوں کی مخالفت کی علامت ہے، خاص طور پر یروشلم کے حوالے سے، جسے اسلام، عیسائیت اور یہودیت میں ایک مقدس شہر سمجھا جاتا ہے۔

2. ظلم کے خلاف احتجاج

اس دن کو فلسطینیوں پر ہونے والے ظلم بالخصوص مشرقی یروشلم اور مغربی کنارے پر اسرائیل کے قبضے کے خلاف مظاہروں اور ریلیوں کے ذریعے اجاگر کیا جاتا ہے۔

3. اسلامی اتحاد اور مزاحمت

بہت سے مسلم اکثریتی ممالک اور تنظیمیں یوم القدس مناتی ہیں تاکہ خطے میں مغربی اور اسرائیلی اثر و رسوخ کے خلاف اسلامی اتحاد اور مزاحمت کو فروغ دیا جا سکے۔

4. مذہبی اور سیاسی علامت

یروشلم مسجد اقصیٰ کی موجودگی کی وجہ سے مسلمانوں کےلئے خاص مذہبی اہمیت رکھتا ہے، جو اسلام کا تیسرا مقدس ترین مقام ہے۔ یوم القدس شہر سے مذہبی اور تاریخی تعلق کی یاد دہانی کراتا ہے۔

5. دنیا بھر میں مظاہرے

اگرچہ اس کی ابتدا ایران سے ہوئی لیکن اب یوم القدس کئی ممالک بشمول لبنان، عراق، پاکستان، اور دیگر مسلم اکثریتی ریاستوں کے ساتھ ساتھ بعض مغربی شہروں میں فلسطینیوں کی حمایت کےلیۓ منایا جاتا ہے۔

یوم القدس ایک نہیایت دن ہے، بڑے پیمانے پر ریلیوں، تقاریر، دعاؤں اور مظاہروں میں فلسطین کی حمایت اور اسرائیلی پالیسیوں کے خلاف نعرے لگائے جاتے ہیں۔

 یہ دن خاص طور پر ان ممالک میں متنازعہ ہے جن کے اسرائیل سے مضبوط تعلقات ہیں یا لوگ اسرائیل-فلسطین تنازعہ پر مختلف سیاسی نظریات رکھتے ہیں۔