India and Israel declared themselves a «special strategic partnership» on Thursday after signing 16 new agreements, the two countries announced in a joint statement on Thursday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel this week. Representatives of the two countries held working meetings this week to discuss agreements spanning security, agriculture, water, development and labor.

«This is an amazing visit. An amazing conclusion to an amazing visit,» Netanyahu said alongside Modi. «It was short, but extraordinarily productive and also extraordinarily moving.»

«The future belongs to those who innovate, and Israel and India are bent on innovation. We are proud ancient civilizations, very proud of our past, but also absolutely determined to seize our future and we can do it better together.» he added.

The two countries ultimately signed 16 agreements spanning a range of topics, including articifial intelligence, cultural exchange, agriculture, and energy, with Netanyahu adding that they are still working on a more «concrete» agreement.

«This friendship is built on a deep foundation of democratic and human values,» Modi said, as translated by Israel’s Ynet News. «Our ties have stood the test of time. Today we made a historic decision to elevate our longstanding partnership to a special strategic partnership, symbolizing the aspirations of our two peoples.»

The elevated relationship comes as the U.S. and Israel have ramped up tensions with Iran. The U.S. has undergone a massive military buildup in the region, and Netanyahu discussed Iran with President Donald Trump during a White House visit earlier this month.

TRUMP ENVOY WITKOFF AND JARED KUSHNER IN GENEVA FOR CLOSELY WATCHED IRAN NEGOTIATIONS

President Donald Trump bids farewell to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he leaves the White House. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Trump said Wednesday that he wants to resolve tensions with Iran through diplomacy, but he also accused Tehran of expanding its missile capabilities.

«They’ve already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas,» he said. «And they’re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America.»

«My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy,» Trump added. «They want to make a deal. But we haven’t heard those secret words: we will never have a nuclear weapon.»

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

«But one thing is certain, I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror … to have a nuclear weapon. Can’t let that happen.»

Fox News’ Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.

Related Article

Shehbaz Sharif, primer ministro de Pakistán, aseguró el viernes que las fuerzas armadas de su país pueden “aplastar” cualquier intento de agresión, al referirse a los recientes ataques aéreos en Afganistán.

“Nuestras fuerzas tienen plena capacidad para aplastar cualquier ambición agresiva”, afirmó, según un mensaje publicado en la cuenta oficial del gobierno paquistaní en X. A su vez, remarcó que “toda la nación apoya hombro con hombro a las fuerzas armadas de Pakistán”.

El Gobierno paquistaní declaró este viernes una “guerra abierta” contra las autoridades talibanas de Afganistán y lanzó bombardeos sobre varias ciudades afganas, incluida Kabul, tras meses de ataques mortales entre ambos países en la zona fronteriza.

Las hostilidades se reanudaron el jueves por la noche y continuaron durante la madrugada del viernes, cuando fuerzas afganas atacaron tropas fronterizas paquistaníes en represalia por bombardeos previos.

Las relaciones entre Pakistán y Afganistán, que habían sido cercanas durante años, se volvieron tensas desde la toma de Kabul por los talibanes en 2021. Islamabad acusa a los talibanes afganos de proteger a militantes que atacan territorio paquiistaní, acusación que las autoridades afganas rechazan.

“Nuestra paciencia ha llegado al límite. A partir de ahora, es la guerra abierta entre nosotros y ustedes”, declaró el ministro de Defensa de Pakistán, Khawaja Asif, a través de X. Poco antes, periodistas en Kabul y Kandahar reportaron fuertes explosiones y vuelos de aviones sobre las ciudades.

El ministro del Interior, Mohsin Naqvi, calificó los ataques contra Afganistán como una “respuesta adecuada” a las acciones previas de su vecino. Por su parte, el portavoz talibán Zabihullah Mujahid anunció que Afganistán reanudará operaciones aéreas a gran escala contra posiciones paquistaníes.

El jueves, el ejército afgano atacó instalaciones militares fronterizas en Pakistán, al alegar que actuaba en represalia por bombardeos previos. Según Mujahid, más de 15 puestos paquistaníes cayeron en dos horas y “decenas de soldados han muerto”, aunque el gobierno de Pakistán negó la pérdida de posiciones y afirmó haber causado “graves pérdidas” a las fuerzas afganas.

El ministro de Información de Pakistán, Attaullah Tarar, confirmó ataques contra “objetivos de la defensa talibán afgana” en Kabul, Kandahar y la provincia de Paktia. Estos operativos sucedieron después de bombardeos paquistaníes el pasado fin de semana en Nangarhar y Paktika, tras atentados suicidas en territorio paquistaní.

Un residente en Kabul describió que los ataques produjeron hasta ocho explosiones, algunas tan cercanas que sacudieron las viviendas de la zona. “El primer par de explosiones ocurrió lejos de nuestra ubicación. Las últimas fueron mucho más próximas, sacudieron la casa y tras cada detonación se escuchaban aviones de combate”, relató el testigo, que pidió no revelar su identidad por razones de seguridad.

Las autoridades afganas aseguraron haber capturado varios puestos militares y soldados paquistaníes con vida durante los recientes enfrentamientos. Sin embargo, el portavoz del primer ministro Shehbaz Sharif, Mosharraf Ali Zaidi, desmintió estas afirmaciones: “Hasta este momento, no ha habido soldados paquistaníes capturados ni martirizados. Cualquier afirmación sobre daños en Pakistán es poco más que una fantasía de los representantes de la India en Afganistán”.

La Línea Durand, frontera de unos 2.600 kilómetros trazada por el Imperio Británico en el siglo XIX, separa Afganistán de Pakistán y sigue siendo un punto de tensión constante. El gobierno afgano nunca reconoció oficialmente esta demarcación, lo que ha originado disputas recurrentes sobre soberanía, seguridad y control territorial.

Las relaciones entre ambos países se han deteriorado aún más en los últimos meses, con pasos fronterizos cerrados desde los combates de octubre y más de 70 muertos en ambos bandos. A pesar de rondas de negociaciones tras un alto el fuego inicial facilitado por Qatar y Turquía, no se alcanzó un acuerdo duradero. Arabia Saudita intervino recientemente para lograr la liberación de tres soldados pakistaníes capturados en octubre.

Este viernes, el régimen iraní ofreció su disposición para “facilitar el diálogo” entre Afganistán y Pakistán, luego de que Islamabad atacara a los talibanes afganos y ejecutara ataques aéreos sobre Kabul tras meses de enfrentamientos en la frontera.

“La República Islámica de Irán está dispuesta a proporcionar toda la ayuda necesaria para facilitar el diálogo y mejorar el entendimiento y la cooperación entre los dos países”, afirmó el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores iraní, Abás Araqchi, vía X.

Por otra parte, el secretario general de la ONU, António Guterres, instó a Pakistán y Afganistán a solucionar sus disputas mediante el diálogo diplomático luego de los recientes enfrentamientos fronterizos que provocaron más de 50 muertes. A través de un comunicado difundido por su portavoz, Stéphane Dujarric, Guterres llamó a ambas partes a respetar sus obligaciones conforme al Derecho Internacional y a garantizar la protección de los civiles.

(Con información de AFP)

State of the Union speeches are all about aspirations. It doesn’t matter if you’re Reagan. Clinton, Obama, the Bush tandem or Trump. Aspirations are the quintessence of State of the Union speeches. What presidents aspire to do. And what a president wants Congress to do.

All of this flows toward the ultimate of political aspirations: winning elections. Be it the next presidential election. Or, House and Senate seats during the midterms.

There were two big asks — and one admonition — from President Donald Trump this week. He wants Congress to approve the SAVE Act, requiring proof of citizenship for people to vote. He wants lawmakers to pass a stock trading ban, handcuffing Congress from dealing in stocks. And the President doesn’t want Congress to meddle in tariff policy. 

President Trump touted his new tariffs, arguing that they will eventually replace the nation’s income tax. This commander-in-chief has wielded executive power more broadly than any other president. So he instructed lawmakers to trade in their tariff authority.

«Congressional action will not be necessary,» Trump said of his new tariffs.

The Constitution blesses Congress with the power to impose tariffs. The Supreme Court upheld that power last week. But President Trump went ahead and slapped another set of tariffs on all nations, leaning on a different law.

Like most presidents, Trump wants to control legislation. That includes precluding Congress from tampering with his tariffs. However, a number of Republicans have their own aspirations: getting re-elected. That’s why some House Republicans, who believe their districts are getting hammered by tariffs, would like to reclaim that power. Or, at the very least, be on the record opposing the president.

The House voted a few weeks ago to extinguish a special rule House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and others put in place to block members from unwinding the tariffs for a year. Then the House adopted a plan to undo tariffs with Canada.

TRUMP’S PUSH TO ‘KNOCK OUT’ FILIBUSTER GAINS NEW GOP TRACTION AS FUNDING DEADLINE NEARS

But again, these are aspirations of some Republicans fed up with tariffs. The bulk of Republicans are okay with keeping them in place. And that’s exactly what Trump wants – regardless of what the Supreme Court decided.

President Donald Trump leaves after delivering the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, in Washington, D.C. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Let’s go back to Trump’s two major legislative asks in his speech. The SAVE Act is the one he really wants to be passed. This fits nicely with Trump’s narrative about illegal immigration, his claim that former President Joe Biden stole the 2020 election and voter fraud.

«They want to cheat. They have cheated. And their policy is so bad that the only way they can get elected is to cheat,» said the President of Democrats during his speech. «Cheating is rampant.»

TRUMP UNDERCUTS GOP PUSH TO ATTACH SAVE ACT TO SHUTDOWN BILL AS CONSERVATIVES THREATEN MUTINY

A study examining election fraud by the conservative Heritage Foundation, discovered that examples of election fraud are minuscule. For instance, Pennsylvania, a swing state, has only unearthed 39 instances of voting fraud over the past three decades.

The House already approved the SAVE Act. But the question is the Senate.

«The Senate is working. I think every Republican over there is obviously in favor of the SAVE America Act, and they’re trying to cobble together the votes. It’s a 70% Democrat issue. It’s over 90% in some polls,» said Johnson. «Hopefully, some Democrats will come to their senses. I don’t know how they can go home to their voters and say that they were opposing that when it’s such a popular issue. So we’ll see how it goes.»

See how it goes is right.

It was notable that in his plea for Congressional action on the SAVE Act, Trump did not demand that senators end the filibuster. Fifty GOP senators now support the SAVE Act. But the trick is whether those who endorse the legislation can hit the magic threshold of 60 yeas. That’s the number of votes required to break a filibuster.

Senate Majority leader John Thune, R-S.D., has repeatedly resisted altering the Senate’s filibuster customs and precedents to pass the SAVE Act. The bill will never become law unless the Senate changes things. And Thune reiterated his opposition to undoing the filibuster. 

Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and others have advocated a «talking filibuster.» That means senators must actually speak and hold the floor for hours on end. Otherwise, the Senate must vote. Talking filibuster proponents don’t want senators to silently object from the sidelines. That’s what compels the Senate to take procedural votes needing 60 yeas to overcome a filibuster.

LEAVITT DEMANDS SENATE GOP ‘GET OFF THEIR BUTTS’ AND ABOLISH FILIBUSTER RULE TO ADVANCE TRUMP’S AGENDA

«The talking filibuster issue is one on which there is not a unified Republican conference. And there would have to be (unity) if you go down that path,» said Thune.

He mentioned that the GOP must «keep 50 Republicans unified pretty much on every single vote,» adding that «there isn’t the support for doing that at this point.»

President Donald Trump arrives to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, in Washington, D.C. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo)

Fox News is also told that there is some friction between House and Senate Republicans. Some Senate Republicans don’t appreciate the House amping up pressure to ditch the filibuster. The right to filibuster is a privilege to which senators of both parties cling tightly.

MARK HALPERIN: TRUMP STRATEGY SUPER SESSION PLOTS MIDTERM SURVIVAL AS HISTORY STALKS GOP

Moreover, subjecting the Senate to lengthy debate could tee up amendment votes which many vulnerable senators may find unsettling. Getting them on the record on a host of controversial issues wouldn’t help the GOP ahead of the election.

So, while it’s Trump’s aspiration to pass the SAVE Act, his aspirations regarding the filibuster are unclear at best.

Then, there’s the aspiration about prohibiting lawmakers from trading stocks. Even Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., stood and applauded when Trump made that entreaty.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: TRUMP’S STATE OF THE UNION BECOMES POLITICAL BOXING MATCH AS DEMOCRATS BOYCOTT

Johnson said that the House is trying to «move (the bill) as aggressively and as quickly as we can.» But says he’s got to have «the votes for it.»

That’s the reason the House hasn’t addressed the bill yet. It lacks the votes. For now, that is an aspiration. If the bill has the votes, Johnson will deposit the legislation on the floor.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

There’s an old expression that the president «proposes» and Congress «disposes.» It’s certainly possible that even a GOP Congress will do that this year with some of Trump’s legislative wishes.

But that doesn’t handicap presidential aspirations. After all, even presidents can dream.

Related Article