we will cut off billions of dollars of support to the iranian regime and we will continue our enforcement of other entities. the us announces new tougher sanctions against iran with the goal of keeping its economy on life support its. dimensional just 0 life from a headquarters and i'm dead you know who gave the also a heads determined to save the iran nuclear deal a new foreign minister has hold an emergency meeting on reject donald trump's call to abandon the agreement. iraq wants to step up talks with the u.s.

on plans to withdraw american troops from the region plus. the stand ready to support a medically australia's prime minister sends more troops to areas facing the devastation from the rapidly spreading wildfires. tello we begin with the latest fallout from the u.s. air strike that killed a top iranian general washington has just announced a new wave of sanctions on iran that target the country's steel and iron industries in a joint press conference with the u.s. secretary of state my pompei oh the treasury secretary stephen newton said excuse me the 17 new sanctions will cost iran billions of dollars. pump a also announced sanctions that would hit 8 senior officials that would cripple iran's internal security system. we are announcing

17 specific sanctions against iran's largest steel and iron manufacturers set 3 seychelles base sent to d's and a vessel involved in the transfer of products as a result of these actions we will cut off billions of dollars of support to the iranian regime and we will continue our enforcement of other entities today sanctions are part of our commitment to stop the iranian regime's global terrorist activities the president has been very clear we will continue to apply economic sanctions until iran stops its terrorist activities and commit that it will never have nuclear weapons so we have several correspondents monitoring these latest developments osama bin laden's in baghdad dorson jabari isn't to iran for reaction to those new sanctions will be speaking to them sort really but 1st we'll cross over to our white house correspondent kimberly how this is something that the

president's had said would happen kimberly and now we've heard the details from these texas state and the secretary of treasury. yeah another round of sanctions by the trump administration have to remember that the 1st round of sanctions as part of its broader maximum pressure campaign as they call it started when the united states withdrew from the j.c. p. aware that agreement to limit iran's nuclear program those sanctions put in place since then 2 more rounds of sanctions now we have yet another and the administration very clear the reason for these sanctions retaliation for iran's attacks on those 2 bases this week inside iraq that also housed u.s. military now the as you outlined there the sanctions are extensive they front the steel and iron industries as well as trade construction mining textiles all the sectors of the economy that the united states feels this would further inflict

financial pain the goal very clear from the treasury secretary the desire of this administration is not only to isolate iran from the global financial system but also to cripple its economy and kimberly the secretary of state markham pale reiterating once again at that press conference to journalists that's. was plotting according to a large scale attack on u.s. embassies of as well as other facilities but not really providing any evidence. and this is been the ongoing issue for this administration since there was this strike to assassinate the iranian general essentially the concern has been here in the united states that donald trump may have taken this action to distract from what would have been going on in the well we would have been covering this week in the washington and that is the start of the trial in the u.s. senate to impeach the president instead this is what is dominating headlines in the united states says that it is focused on foreign policy it's concerned about

potentially even diplomacy with iran and they say they don't want war at the same time they said they had to take this action because i mistakenly they said that they had intelligence that has not been provided to congress or to the american public that there was an imminent threat to u.s. interests this was going to happen and american lives at risk and we would have been culpably negligent as the chairman the joint chiefs of staff said we would have been culpably negligent did we not recommend to the president that he take this action and custom so the money he made the right call in america safer as a result of that now the u.s. president has suggested that that potential threat could even have included the embassy the u.s. embassy in baghdad but again no information or evidence provided by the internet gratian instead all they're saying is trust us all rights can really thank you for that update from washington let's talk all sorts of sources are viruses running us from tehran as we're saying around stuff new sanctions announced on iran what are

you hearing from where you are in for so. well these sanctions are not likely to have much effect on the people that have them have been under sanctions now this is something that's seen more as a political gesture rather than actual factual one because the united states government knows that these names that they've sanctioned they have no interest in the united states they have no funds in the u.s. they don't own any property in the u.s. and they don't plan on traveling to the united states at any point one of the top names on that list is the secretary of the supreme national security council of iran pani who is a very well known figure here he is the secretary of this body who is in charge of making decisions about her own foreign policy as well as its nuclear program under the guidance and supervision of the supreme leader his name is very well recognized here so he's seen as a top official as well as the head of the best speech forces that is the volunteer

force of the revolutionary guards who is now under u.s. sanctions these are all going to be seen as a political move for the united states to try and save face in light of what happened the air strike missile strikes on their base in iraq this is how the iranians will see it the other thing to point out is that secretary of state my pump believes that by assassinating the money the united states is much safer now it is according to the iranians just the opposite the united states troops in the middle east are now at much greater risk the iranians are demanding that they leave this region completely after the assassination of the money so all this coming together to really create more divisions and tensions between the 2 sides rather than trying to come to terms with what has happened over the past few days ok thank you. the u.s. state department says it will not discuss troop withdrawal of the iraqi government's iraq's prime minister the mad the os the us secretary of state to send a delegation to baghdad to discuss the issue his request follows the assassination

of iraqi politician. and iranian commander. last week on sunday iraq's parliament voted to expel all american troops from the country let's get an update from osama bin joining us from baghdad so there's been a lot of talk in iraq over sovereignty over the past few days what are you hearing about what happens next. well there ain't no it it's clear the kind of differences that you have with a u.s. partner and demanding that the u.s. draw its troops in the united states saying well hang on we're not entirely sure we want to do that and that is something that we've seen in the last 8 days since the money has been assassinated iraq on every forum the iraqi prime minister the iraqi president the speaker of the parliament various m.p.'s everybody has come out and said the united states is not respecting iraq's sovereignty it is here on the

request of the iraqis than iraqis do not want it to carry out. operations on its soil whether it was the killing of possums or their money or other operations that the united states has carried out its looting the one on the border between iraq and syria which killed a number of soldiers so here is the ground situation the iraqi prime minister making it clear that the in fact asking the americans to send a delegation so that he can begin the process to finalize how the u.s. troop withdrawal is going to take place and the united states secretary of state essentially saying that it is not going to happen it is any delegation which is going to come to iraq is going to be talking about. how to make sure that the presence of coalition troops is strengthened rather than it being depleted their rocket prime minister has made it clear that because now isin has been defeated the state. theatre has changed for focus of these forces this change and especially after the killing of qassam sit in money these forces and their bases have become

vulnerable and it would be an additional responsibility on the iraqi security forces to protect them and that is something that he does not want we are going to wait and see when the iraqi parliament in a few hours on saturday morning convenes whether it is going to discuss these statements whether it is going to discuss the contradictions that exist in this statements and in the narrative that has been put forward by the iraqi prime minister and that is coming from the u.s. administration. all right. thank you for that update from baghdad we're not going to speak to ali via is he's the iran project director of the international crisis group he consulted closely with all sides in the nuclear negotiations is joining us via skype from washington d.c. and of course this has to do with the iranian nuclear deal and e.u. foreign ministers right now meeting in brussels trying to find a way to salvage the deal is it salvageable at all. i'm not

holding my breath and the europeans would be able to do so because the reality is we are where we are archi because of their failure to salvage the nuclear deal. countries i can have the political will to do so but the practical will and european companies for them a choice between having access to u.s. markets and doing business with iran was not a choice at all so at the end of the day europe is limited in what it can do so what you're saying is there isn't much of a role then that the europeans count play even in terms of some sort of mediation. mediation maybe it is possible in fact president mcconnell france was able to bring the parties very close to some sort of of the escalatory agreement. but but it but it was a missed opportunity especially in september on the sidelines of the u.n. and they still can maybe if they really put energy into it and pursue it in

a proactive way to get a ceasefire between iran and the u.s. but for them to play a strategic significant role i just don't see it at least the track record of the past year and a half. and you wrote in december or just a few weeks ago that the window for diplomacy with iran is rapidly closing. do you still stand by that today and do you think that there is a window for diplomacy in light of the recent events in the region. well i think that window for diplomacy has now closed has been shut down officially after the killing of gen so let's not you because you know the most important thing for a president trump laws that had been 3 of diplomacy it was a presidential summit so that he would beat his right counterpart sidelines of the u.n. or somewhere like that and achieve something that all other u.s. presidents have failed to achieve but it's just impossible to imagine now that president rouhani would ever agree to meet with the guy who has ordered the killing

of one of the most revered military figures inside iran so that is off the table of significant sanctions relief there is no sign of it today the trumpet ministration and cause the sanctions on iran and without a meeting and without sanctions really there just doesn't seem to be prospects of a significant there that breaks through again i think we have to temporary expectation this case scenario is a cease fire that would just buy time until the u.s. presidential elections in november that would then at least give the parties more clarity about what's coming next all right on if i as we thank you very much for joining us from washington and pleasure still ahead on al-jazeera to have just a moment there's pressure on interest governments thousands protesting new citizenship law. and how china's crackdown in hong kong is fueling sighing runs an election campaign in taiwan details coming up.

hello again the top stories on al-jazeera this hour washington has announced a new wave of sanctions on iran in the latest escalation following a u.s. airstrike that killed a top iranian general they will target the steel and iron industries costing to run billions of dollars as well as 8 senior officials. the u.s. has rejected iraq's request to discuss its plans for american troop withdrawal odd locked in battle you wanted washington to send a delegation to baghdad to discuss details of a possible allowed. and as we said earlier the european foreign ministers are

holding an emergency meeting in brussels to discuss the crisis between the u.s. and iran they're hoping to save the 2050 nuclear deal that's after u.s. president donald trump called on the e.u. states to abandon the a court earlier this week france has urged all sides to come back to the table with a warning that iran could develop a nuclear weapon within the next 2 years let's bring in the tosca butler who's in brussels where you foreign ministers are meeting to talk about iran what's been said so far natasha. well that meeting is still ongoing at those eve foreign ministers this rare emergency meeting that was called by the use of foreign policy chief to discuss the situation as those tensions really rise reached boiling point between the united states and iran we are expecting those foreign meters foreign ministers to continue with that meeting for a little while and at the end we are expecting to hear from you the e.u.

foreign policy chief to see exactly what has come out of that meeting because of course it will be a very busy one with a lot on the agenda european leaders have been very keen this week to try and all sides for deescalation intentions intentions to try and for all sides to try and show some restraint in this crisis i think we can also perhaps see foreign ministers talk about how the e.u. might be able to take up some sort of role in mediating in this crisis we've heard from some officials of that something that they could be a real place for and of course they will also be talking very much about the j.c. p.o. way as they really try to salvage this 2015 iran nuclear deal they've been battling to try and save it ever since donald trump pulled the united states out of that deal in 2018 officials are adamant that this deal is really important to try and stop iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon for regional security but of course the united states says it's

a very bad deal those are the words of donald trump and things of any got worse really for the e.u. in their attempts to salvage it this week because tehran has withdrawn from many of the key commitments that it made to that deal and really it is teetering on the verge of collapse so it's going to be very difficult to see what the e.u. can offer there certainly in a particularly weak position only compounded by the fact that donald trump again this week germany britain and france to withdraw their support for that deal. it's about a geisha into the ukrainian you know reasons to not believe. and it's also what's being said in brussels about the investigation into the ukrainian airlines crash in iran. where the investigation is the ukrainians airline crash is certainly another topic on the agenda in that meeting and we haven't heard what has come out of it yet because as

i said those foreign ministers are still deep in discussion but as some foreign ministers were arriving we did hear from some of them we heard for example from the dark foreign minister as saying that he believed that it looked as if that he had seen evidence that pointed to the fact that perhaps iranian missiles down to that airline afterwards the case of course you can only imagine the conversations which will take place within that foreign ministers meeting they really want a full investigation that is what they are pushing for they're pushing for the iranians to cooperate more and that is something the u.n. stoltenberg the nato secretary general also mentioned a c. arrived here in brussels we have no reason to. believe reports we have seen from different or nato allied capitals have expressed concern about. information indicating that. plane may have been

downed by iranian air defense systems that's exactly why we need a photo of the nose to gaze and that's exactly why we need to establish all the facts and that's exactly why it is important that. we have full cooperation from the rain side in such an investigation and so i was speaking earlier natasha thank you for bringing us the latest from brussels. turkey says a ceasefire in northwestern syria will begin on sunday syria's air force struck multiple targets in southern italy an area within the deescalation zone the bombardment on friday came hours after russia an ounce that the cease fire had come into effect provinces the country's last remaining rebel strongholds at least 14 people have died and over 20 injured in a blast in pakistan southwestern province on the explosion happens at a mosque in the capital a senior police officer killed in the blast was reportedly the targets rescue teams

are taking victims to the hospital and police are investigating the nature of the blasts come on haidar has more from islam abouts. 1st of all we had this particular blog strokeplay named mark. down in a densely populated area of. the police all very present day during the it spread and. he was indeed the dog even end up in your political pressure the government of victor patton military and military forces have been targeted and baluchistan province. and quite a number of groups have been active in the like today good progress on. shore. had to be operating from across the border and i've won a stone and also by lose. will have been. in that security for good but this particular. time when they. think i really do.

i have to read that this is the beginning of another wave of attacks and they're. into the supreme court has ordered a review of the internet shut down inside indian administered kashmir the ruling says the indefinite suspension is a violation of the country's telecom rules the territory has not had internet now for more than a 150 days on trial for her report. the last known indian administered kashmir amounts to an abuse of power. that's the ruling from india supreme court 5 months since the government removed the territories autonomy restricted people's movements and blocked the internet the order you see that even those who challenge the shutdown say it's a significant word take this taken by the state was not these a national security issue please leave it to the state the court us truck that down the said no this will be subject to judicial review. the indian government argued

it needed to block the internet to stop what it called separatists and terror groups from communicating with the. but the court found the government had breached telecom rules and gave authorities in the territory a week to review the restrictions. and enjoy. a student in srinagar the capital of indian administered kashmir has welcomed the court's judgment. if you go to india. or they are not trying to work against. the other. and that's why they are putting on the internet. for over 5 months the journalists in the valley have been given access to just a few computers enabled with the internet it's always difficult for journalists but when you are depriving him of. the riches the internet. it's a deliberate attempt to make his work more difficult. several restrictions including

on phone connections have already been lifted now many people are waiting for the internet to be restored legal experts say the top court's word it will also affect other areas where the internet has been shut down and freedom of assembly limited after that mr smith the indian government deployed the same measures in assam and a notification during protests against the controversial citizenship amendment act . al-jazeera. thousands of protesters have marched in the southern indian city of hyderabad against the new citizenship law for legislation ratified last month here's the way for citizenship for minorities from 3 neighboring countries but excludes muslims hyderabad has a sizable population and the rally was organized by politicians from the community who are opposed to the policies of prime minister narendra modi now modi is expected to travel to the eastern city of call cuts on saturday where marchers have

already begun students plan to block major roads from the airport and protest against the citizenship amendment act as well as government proposals to increase university fees so hell romanism call cuts with the protesters. tens of thousands of people have gathered here very close to the mouth like gandhi monument in calcutta in west bengal to show their discontent with the citizenship demand that act i don't think i've ever seen crowds like this other than the general election campaign of beside civil society and across community representation regarding the berries religions where you have a civil society leaders and religious leaders who are making their speeches to the assembled crowd they will the government to understand that the citizenship and then but act is illegal and unconstitutional and doesn't fit in with the secular nature of india and that's the message they want to get across to the right good movie here right here on saturday and they want to make sure that their voice.

very intent is not just in new delhi but across the country they are joining hundreds of thousands of other people across the that are continuing their demonstrations against him using their protests and they had the record nobody will get to see and understand exactly the strength of feeling here certainly in west bengal a state that he has no control over but that the incumbent government hopes that he will of course at this stand that he's not welcome. a volcano has erupted in southern mexico pople cuts a paddle exploded. thursday's shooting ash and rock 3 kilometers into the air of authority is a ban people going near the volcano but there have been no evacuations and a quarter of a 1000000 people live within 100 kilometer radius of the volcano it's considered one of the most dangerous in the world's. firefighters across australia southeast are facing strong winds in temperature of beyond 40 degrees celsius as they work to save lives and houses on friday more than

a quarter for 1000000 people were urged to leave their homes across the victoria and new south wales states as just a washington reports from penrose residents in areas already affected by fire are fearful of what could still come off the season. in australia's south east weary firefighters work swiftly to protect communities this push by season has already decimated more than 10000000 hectares of land in the southwest of new south wales this couple fears their house could be next judith and klaus have lived here for 20 years they faced bushfires before but say this season is different scared of what's to come they've put food a generator and their treasured possessions in a bunker where they plan to stay if fire reaches the property you have never really saying that they spat so i think it's not usually like face a strike. in a lovely place authorities are assessing conditions constantly warning that fire

could return to some already affected areas or start in new spots this bush for a season has already destroyed thousands of houses it's already a strangely as long as bushfire emergency ever and it's creating anxiety among the general public but still a dry atmosphere we're not getting any money for wind coming through with this challenge so the winds are still going to be breezy and they're going to be drawn. in australia's major cities the political debate is heating up these protesters are angry at how the government has handled the crisis and say the prime minister is reluctant to connect the disaster with climate change i'm here because i know we need to make really big changes if we're going to prevent these types of fires from becoming regular everything the government's doing is negative try to downplay the the causes and and the rage and the challenge prime minister scott morrison says the government will consider an inquiry into the cause of the fires including the

role of climate change once the crisis is over jessica washington al-jazeera penrose's australia. there with al-jazeera had. ns this hour the u.s. has imposed additional sanctions on iran after the missile attack and that u.s. forces in iraq so her on was already crippled by economic sanctions and the new measures impose restrictions on senior officials as well as a number of industrial sectors a senior iranian officials that are responsible for the regime violence both at home and abroad were striking at the heart of the islamic republic's inner security apparatus these sanctions are gets include the secretary of the supreme national council and the commander of the besieged forces that's their regimes brute squad which is in the last few months killed proximately $1500.00 arabians who were

simply demanding freedom or action also target other senior leaders close to the ayatollah they've carried out his terrorist plots and destabilizing campaigns across the middle east and around the world on the u.s. state department says it will not discuss troop withdrawal with the iraqi government iraq's prime minister. asked the u.s. secretary of state to send a delegation to baghdad to discuss the issue on sunday iraq's parliament voted to expel all american troops from the country european foreign ministers are holding an emergency meeting in brussels to discuss the crisis between the u.s. and iran they're trying to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal. at least 14 people have died and over 20 injured in a blast in pakistan southwestern province a believe just on the explosion happened at a mosque in the capital quotes a senior police officer killed in the last was reportedly the targets rescue teams are taking victims to the hospital and police are investigating the nature of the

blasts. thousands of protesters of march in the southern indian city of hyderabad against the new citizenship law the legislation ratified last month clears the way for citizenship for minorities from 3 neighboring countries but excludes muslims hyderabad has a sizeable muslim population and the rally was organized by politicians from the community who are opposed to the policies of prime minister modi. a volcano has erupted in southern mexico. exploded on thursday shooting acid rock 3 kilometers into the air authorities have banned people going near the volcano but there have been no evacuations those of the latest headlines inside story is coming up next then it's the news hour. about.

what caused the ukrainian plane to crash in turn around iran rejects allegations it mistakenly shot it down but ukraine and western countries are pushing for evidence so will the truth behind this crash be revealed and could that spill into a wider political conflict this is inside story. hello and welcome to the program i'm martin dennis now they have been claims counterclaims and outright denials the head of iran's civil aviation body insists the ukrainian airliner that crashed near tehran this week wasn't shot down by

uranium missile but canada says it has intelligence.