Happy Friday and welcome to your end of the week recap of global business and political news.
First up, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has given his first official remarks by video message since a ceasefire with Israel this week.
He said Iran would “never surrender” to the United States, striking a defiant tone and claiming victory after close to a fortnight of direct attacks, Al Jazeera reported.
“The US President [Donald] Trump unveiled the truth and made it clear that Americans won’t be satisfied with anything less than surrender of Iran … such an event will never happen,” Khamenei said.
The BBC noted the “fragile” ceasefire appeared to be holding, but the aftermath of the conflict had taken its toll.
“The war left a trail of death and destruction in the country, and Khamenei a diminished man – one who, at the age of 86 and ailing, might want to ensure continuity of the regime with an orderly transition of power,” the BBC said.
Meanwhile, European Union leaders pledged "all diplomatic efforts” to ease tensions in the Middle East.
In a statement, the leaders said they would aim to create a “lasting solution” to address Iran’s nuclear capabilities, but only through negotiations.
“Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon,” the statement said.
US President Donald Trump.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth lashed out at reporters during a Pentagon briefing, the ABC reported.
He accused journalists of a "hatred" of Trump and appeared to be emotional over reports which cast doubt on Trump’s assertion that Iran's nuclear facilities had been "obliterated" after US strike action this month.
Elsewhere, a negotiating team from India arrived in the US to secure an interim trade deal before a July 9 deadline when higher US tariffs begin, Bloomberg reported.
Chief negotiator Rajesh Agarwal and others planned to hold meetings with US officials in Washington over two days.
Negotiators had hardened their stance on some key points in recent talks, with the two sides wrangling over genetically modified crops, according to Bloomberg.
Meanwhile, Trump could extend some tariff deadlines next month, CNBC reported.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the date was “not critical,” and Trump could make a deal with certain countries.
“The President can pick a reciprocal tariff rate that he believes is advantageous for the United States and for the American worker,” she said.
After those comments, Wall Street rose strongly, with the S&P 500 in record territory. Earlier, the tech-heavy Nasdaq also climbed 1%, while the Dow Jones gained about 0.9%.
In other news, North Korea officially opened a new tourist zone – but the only thing missing was international tourists, the ABC reported.
Leader Kim Jong Un and daughter Kim Jong Ae unveiled the site this week, but there was no official word on when the country would fully reopen to foreign tourists.
The Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone included accommodation for about 20,000 guests, according to state media.
North Korea had not fully lifted a ban on foreign tourists that it imposed in early 2020 and had been slow to resume international tourism. Early last year, the country started accepting Russian tourists.
Chinese tour groups, which made up more than 90% of visitors before the pandemic, remained on hold, the ABC reported.
Finally, Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has inked a new two-year extension with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr after weeks of speculation, Al Jazeera reported.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is staying at @AlNassrFC until 2027,” the club wrote on social media overnight.
He arrived in 2023, which led to a rush of players in the latter stages of their careers to the oil-rich country. Last month, Ronaldo had posted “This chapter is over” hours after the Saudi Pro League finished with Al Nassr in third place.
