- 11 hours ago
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a telephonic conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Both the leaders discussed a broad agenda including trade, critical minerals, nuclear cooperation, defense, and energy.
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00:00Hello and welcome, I'm Geeta Mohan and you're watching India Today Global.
00:04We begin the show with some breaking news that's coming in.
00:18Well, news that's just coming in, External Affairs Minister Dr. Jai Shankar has spoken
00:22to his U.S. counterpart, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
00:26Jai Shankar in a social media post has said that he's just concluded a good conversation
00:31with Secretary Rubio.
00:33The two sides discussed trade, critical minerals, nuclear cooperation, defence and energy.
00:39Agree to remain in touch on these and other issues is what he's written.
00:43This is the news that's just coming in.
00:46The U.S. ambassador-designate to India, Sergio Gorr, had earlier said that there is going
00:53to be a trade deal sooner than later and there's going to be a conversation between D.C. and
00:58New Delhi.
00:59I suppose that conversation, not with trade reps but between the foreign ministers, took
01:04place just now.
01:05We'll have to wait and see how the trade talks really move ahead.
01:09Talks now are coming days after Trump aide's big claim on trade where he said that the deal
01:18did not go through because the two sides wanted or Washington, D.C. wanted Modi to call Trump
01:25and that call did not take place.
01:27But right now, that's the news that's just coming in.
01:31There is a thaw that we can see with Sergio Gorr's positive statements and remarks at his
01:36arrival speech and then later now, the call, the conversation between Jai Shankar and his
01:44counterpart, Marco Rubio.
01:47My colleague, Pranay Pathia, joins me for more on this.
01:50Pranay, important conversation happening a day after Sergio Gorr says that the two sides
01:54are going to remain connected and engaged on trade.
01:58But over here, they've gone beyond trade.
02:00They've also spoken about defence, energy, critical minerals, nuclear cooperation.
02:04Indeed, Gita.
02:06And not only the recent statement by the U.S. ambassador designate Sergio Gorr, but also
02:11a consecutive second high-level engagement between Government of India and Government
02:15of the United States because India's IT minister, Ashwini Vashno, visited Washington, D.C.
02:21to attend the meeting on critical minerals chaired by the U.S. Treasury Secretary, Scott
02:26Besson.
02:26And now, external affairs minister, Dr. Jai Shankar, had a telephonic conversation with
02:31Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.
02:32And, you know, these are the two top diplomats of India and the United States.
02:38You know, talking about various issues, the U.S. has already extended, you know, an invitation
02:42for India to join the Pax Silica.
02:45India is also likely to, India is also scheduled to host a meeting on artificial intelligence.
02:50And that is also a partnership which both countries are likely to work upon.
02:54And besides that, the defense, we know that recently the 10-year defense agreement has
02:59also been extended and signed.
03:01Besides that, you know, in the sector of the nuclear energy, in terms of the energy
03:06engagement, there are a lot of things which, you know, India and the United States are quietly
03:11working to repair the relationship which got derailed by the recent tariffs under Trump
03:16administration.
03:17But there is a sincere commitment on either side to have a longer and a sustainable and
03:22a stronger partnership.
03:24Right.
03:24Pranay, thank you so much for joining us.
03:26Keep tracking developments on that front.
03:31Now, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a fresh tariff threat targeting countries that
03:36trade with Iran, sending shockwaves across global markets.
03:40India is among those watching closely.
03:42But how much of India's trade is actually at risk?
03:45And should exporters be worried?
03:47Here's a report by Jodi Shukla.
03:51U.S. President Donald Trump has once again rattled global trade with a sweeping announcement.
03:58A 25% tariff on any country doing business with Iran.
04:03Framed as a pressure tactic against Iran, the move has sparked concern across capitals, including
04:10New Delhi.
04:10The announcement has also drawn a sharp response from China, Iran's biggest trading partner.
04:17Beijing has warned that tariff wars help no one and says it will defend its economic interests.
04:26China's position on tariffs is very clear.
04:29There are no winners in a tariff war.
04:31China will firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.
04:34But how serious is the impact on India?
04:39At first glance, the numbers look worried.
04:42India exported goods worth $1.24 billion to Iran in financial year 2025.
04:49And Trump's blanket tariff threat puts that trade under scrutiny.
04:53The most exposed sector by value is rice, which alone accounted for over $757 million, or more
05:01than 61% of India's exports to Iran.
05:05However, here's where the picture becomes more nuanced.
05:09India's trade with Iran is already tightly constrained by U.S. Treasury rules enforced by
05:14the Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC.
05:19Imports from Iran, mainly organic chemicals and dry fruits like dates and pistachios, have
05:24already declined sharply, leaving India with a healthy trade surplus.
05:31Trump's Iran-related duties could push overall tariffs even higher, potentially up to 75% at
05:37a moment when New Delhi and Washington are still negotiating tariff relief.
05:42For now, India may avoid immediate damage.
05:45But Trump's latest move once again highlights how unilateral trade threats announced via social
05:51media continue to destabilize global commerce, even when the economic fallout is far from clear.
05:59With Jyoti Shukla, Bureau Report, India Today Global.
06:02Iran says weeks-long protests driven by economic hardship are being fuelled by the U.S. and Israel,
06:13claiming foreign interference and Mossad involvement.
06:16Israel has voiced support for protesters, while China has opposed outside meddling.
06:21Maheshweta Lala with this detailed report.
06:23Iran has been facing demonstrations for third week now, resulting from severe economic crisis.
06:38A day after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arachi said that Tehran is ready for war but is open
06:44to negotiations, Iran claims to have obtained extensive documents and evidence linking the
06:50interest to the U.S. and Israel, stating that Mossad agents attempted to direct such terrorist acts.
06:59We have a large amount of documents and evidence indicating the involvement of both the United
07:05States and Israel in this terrorist act.
07:07Israeli media reports arrived with claims that Israel has designed and conducted operations in Iran.
07:13Mr. Pompeo, who was Trump's CIA director, said on his X that Happy New Year to every Iranian in the streets
07:21and to every Mossad agent walking beside them.
07:24This clearly shows that Mossad agents attempted to direct such terrorist acts.
07:29In a latest post on Truth Social, U.S. President Donald Trump has called Iranian protesters,
07:40patriots, and asked them to keep protesting and to take over the institutions.
07:45He further added that he has cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials till the time killings were stopped.
07:53Earlier, Trump mentioned that Iranian leaders were willing to negotiate.
07:57This also comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a cabinet meet,
08:04expressed his support for the protesters in Iran.
08:09Israel is closely monitoring developments in Iran.
08:16The demonstrations for freedom have spread across the country.
08:19The people of Israel and the entire world are in awe of the immense courage of Iranian citizens.
08:25Israel supports their struggle for freedom and strongly condemns the mass killings of innocent civilians.
08:32We all hope that the Persian nation will soon be freed from the yoke of tyranny,
08:37and when that day comes, Israel and Iran will once again be loyal partners
08:41in building a future of prosperity and peace for both peoples.
08:45But Iranians at home and abroad have condemned what they called riots supported by foreign forces
08:56and opposed to the interference of the United States and Israel.
09:01Tens of thousands of pro-government Iranians gathered in the center of Tehran,
09:05waving national flags and chanting slogans against the United States and Israel.
09:09They said that the U.S. and Israel used terrorists to create unrest in Iran,
09:19with the aim of weakening and splitting Iran while seeking their own interests.
09:25Iranian President Masood Pazishkian too participated in pro-government rally.
09:30Pazishkian was seen marching alongside protesters through the Capitol Street.
09:35All the U.S. so-called negotiations are fraud.
09:40They just want to make Iran unsafe and divided,
09:43just like what they did in Syria and Iraq, and seek their own interests.
09:51The American president is talking nonsense.
09:54He wants to stir up Muslim countries.
09:57They want wars to break out between them.
09:59In other words, for Muslims to kill each other.
10:02That's what I think.
10:05China, while expressing concern for the security of its citizens in Iran,
10:10condemned foreign interference in the internal affairs of another country.
10:16China hopes and supports Iran in maintaining national stability.
10:20We have always opposed interference in other countries' international affairs
10:24and the use or threat of force in international relations,
10:27and hope that all parties will do more to promote peace and stability in the Middle East.
10:32The widespread protest in the 31 provinces of Iran is the biggest since 2022 protest,
10:42followed the death of Masa Amini in police custody.
10:45With Mahasweta Lala, Bureau Report, India Today.
10:48And joining me to discuss Iran is Hossein Rafipur.
10:55He's a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Oxford,
10:58joining me from London, from the United Kingdom.
11:01Hossein, thank you so much for joining me.
11:03Let's begin with the situation on the ground.
11:05Now, we have seen protests in Iran in the past as well,
11:09but that really did not lead to any change on the ground.
11:12What's different about this one?
11:16Thank you so much, firstly, for having me in your media.
11:21I appreciate this opportunity to let us discuss what's happening in the ground
11:26and hearing the true voices of the people in Iran.
11:31Yeah, that's a very good mention that it's not just the first time
11:35that people are protesting in the streets.
11:37We have been doing this for many, many years.
11:41I used to be, I lived in Iran for about 30 years,
11:46and since I was a teenager, I remember there was a protest
11:51about many different issues.
11:53I see the government now framing it as it's only being a protest
11:57about the economic situation, but it's way more deep.
12:03Economic situation is horrible in Iran,
12:05but also we had an uprising about women's rights,
12:09about basic human rights, about minorities.
12:12All the aspects in different dimensions
12:14have been a matter of protest for us.
12:19This one is bigger
12:21because almost everybody is convinced that there is no way forward.
12:27We have tried reform for many years.
12:29I've been a pro-reformist for a long time,
12:32but throughout the years I've been convinced
12:35there is no way forward with this regime.
12:38That's why people are chanting for regime change.
12:41Let me interrupt you here.
12:43In a scenario where we are looking at tensions
12:45and a lot of protests, like you see on your screen,
12:50there are also pro-government rallies that we are seeing,
12:53and there is a massive allegation by the Tehran administration
12:56of a foreign hand in these protests.
12:59America and Mossad have been named.
13:01What do you have to say about that?
13:05I can talk about my personal experience.
13:08I've been in the streets of Tehran just chanting for reform
13:11to make sure that our votes were counted,
13:14but even then, I had no connections with anyone outside of Iran,
13:20but that was the main accusation,
13:22that you have been working for foreign agencies,
13:27CIA, Mossad, or any others.
13:29That's been a very, very common scenario
13:31that the regime always uses
13:33to justify their brutal actions against the protests.
13:38This is not new for us,
13:40and I hope the international community can see that.
13:46This is a very old way for them
13:49to justify brutal actions and killings.
13:53Right, Hussain.
13:53Hussain, we are completely running out of time.
13:56We will try to get back to you
13:58on the details of what's happening on the ground,
14:02but as of now, we'll keep our focus on Iran,
14:05but shifting to another story as well,
14:07because this is an exclusive.
14:08The capture of Nicolas Maduro didn't happen overnight.
14:12The CIA sent a team into Venezuela
14:13that began tracking Maduro's movements
14:16using a source close to the Venezuelan president,
14:19with plans made for his capture months in advance.
14:22This was a complex intelligence operation
14:25that required operatives on the ground,
14:27not booths, but spies, assets,
14:30and sources working in the shadows.
14:32In an exclusive conversation with me, Eric O'Neill,
14:35said that this operation took months to orchestrate.
14:38He's a legendary former FBI agent
14:41who unraveled Robert Hansen.
14:46You might want to read about him,
14:48but here's what he had to say.
14:49That's entirely correct.
14:53And the win that happened in Venezuela,
14:55an operation that was one of the most sophisticated
14:58and well-run military and law enforcement operations
15:02that I think I've ever seen,
15:03was because of very good espionage.
15:06It began with a first phase,
15:10which deployed U.S. CIA intelligence operatives
15:13into Venezuela, which is a hostile country.
15:16We don't have a diplomacy there.
15:18And so these intelligence officers had to go in
15:21without any diplomatic cover.
15:23If they had been caught,
15:24they would have been arrested and jailed.
15:27And learn what we call a pattern of life
15:30on Nicolas Maduro,
15:32the president of Venezuela,
15:35who the U.S., by example,
15:38has never recognized as the legitimate president.
15:41And that pattern of life meant they knew exactly
15:44where Maduro would be at any given time,
15:46what he'd like to do,
15:47where all of his different homes and safe houses were.
15:50And most importantly,
15:52after months of learning about him,
15:54where he would be precisely
15:56the night that the military escorted FBI agents
16:01into the Venezuelan interior
16:03to serve a warrant on Maduro and arrest him.
16:07So none of this could have happened
16:09unless the CIA had learned exactly
16:11where Maduro would be and when,
16:13so the operation could go off flawlessly without a hitch.
16:17Now, it's not completely unique.
16:19What is unique about this case
16:21is the sophistication and the overwhelming success.
16:25If you look back in history,
16:26the most comparable act like this
16:29was in 1989 when the U.S. went into Panama
16:33and removed Noriega,
16:35who was then the military leader of Panama.
16:39This was far less bloody in comparison
16:43and the U.S. didn't maintain a presence in Venezuela
16:46like they did in Panama.
16:49But it is very unique
16:50in that we have not seen this very often in history
16:52and it does set the stage
16:55and create quite a lot of concern
16:57and that might be designed
16:58for other dictators of countries
17:01who are adverse to U.S. interests
17:03that this could happen to them.
17:05This operation could never have happened
17:07without real-time, on-the-ground intelligence.
17:13So the intelligence that was gathered
17:14was not just where Maduro would be,
17:17but the CIA had a source
17:19that was close to Maduro
17:20that was feeding them information.
17:22They were using surveillance drones.
17:24They were using cyber espionage.
17:26And I am almost 100% certain
17:29that when the invasion of Venezuela
17:32to allow helicopters to move into the interior happened,
17:35that was the military strike,
17:37about 120 planes
17:38who led bombing runs at military installations.
17:42That actually began with a cyber attack
17:44that turned the lights out in Caracas
17:46and denied the Venezuelan military
17:49their early warning systems,
17:51radar and other systems,
17:52that those planes were coming.
17:54So the military in Venezuela,
17:56the secret police surrounding Maduro
17:58were caught completely off guard
17:59and totally blind to the fact
18:01that this was happening
18:02until special forces and FBI agents
18:04showed up at Maduro's door
18:06at a safe house he ran to and arrested him.
18:09So yes, you are completely right, Gide.
18:12It was all intelligence
18:13that allowed this to happen.
18:15I think it would be very difficult
18:16to pull this off
18:17had there not been a source
18:19who was providing information
18:20from within that circle
18:22or at least very close to Maduro.
18:23It's hard to keep track
18:24of someone in a hostile country.
18:26That person would have had
18:28to give them some information
18:29and intel on his movements,
18:32where he liked to go,
18:33where his homes were.
18:34And so certainly that penetration
18:36of the inner circle,
18:37what we call a mole
18:38or a trusted insider,
18:40was critical to the success
18:42of this operation.
18:43Well, military operations
18:44across the entire world
18:46in different points
18:47at the same time are difficult
18:48because we only have
18:49so much military.
18:49So for example,
18:51there is critical unrest in Iran.
18:54And there are some
18:56who are thinking
18:56that perhaps the U.S.
18:58could be planning a strike in Iran.
19:00That could be difficult
19:01considering that many
19:03of our surface warfare ships
19:06are blockading Venezuela.
19:08So do you move them
19:09all the way back to the Middle East
19:11or do you leave them
19:12there in the Caribbean?
19:15You know,
19:15those would be decisions
19:17that would have to be made.
19:18Of course,
19:18we do have long-range
19:19sort-of bombers.
19:20It just depends
19:21on the military action
19:22that could be planned.
19:25Now, that's not saying
19:25that there's any plan in Iran.
19:27Sometimes an action
19:29like what happened in Venezuela
19:30creates a deterrence effect
19:33on other countries
19:34who might not want to tangle
19:36with the U.S. military
19:37and can help benefit negotiations
19:40and pushing toward peace
19:42in other ways.
19:43And I think that is
19:44the central precept
19:45of what the Trump administration
19:46is calling their new peace
19:48through strength policy.
19:50If it works,
19:51it means that you don't
19:52have to use that force
19:53because of fear
19:54that that force could be deployed.
19:56like,
19:57because of the Trump administration
20:05and the Don
20:07have to use that force
20:09in a highly
20:09araberast.
20:10It
20:11seems like
20:15a little bit
20:15that used ОднŃ
20:19chapter
20:20as
20:23you
20:23can
20:24see
20:24this
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