Trump declares national emergency 'over Huawei' amid accusations he is risking 'devastating' conflict with Iran

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Donald Trump has been accused of “playing a very dangerous game” with Iran and risking dragging the US into a new war in the Middle East that could have “devastating” consequences.

The warning came from Hamid Baeidinejad, Iran’s ambassador to the UK, with the acting US defence secretary Patrick Shanahan tabling plans to send 120,000 troops to the region if needed as tensions soar between the two nations over economic sanctions and an increased American military presence in the Persian Gulf.

A commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Maj Gen Hossein Salami, later warned the nation is “on the cusp of a full-scale confrontation with the enemy”.

Meanwhile, President Trump has signed an executive order declaring a national emergency that will ban American companies from using telecommunications equipment made by foreign firms posing a national security risk to the US.

The move – thought to be aimed at China’s Huawei – comes as tensions flare between the two countries, with Beijing and Washington failing to find consensus on trade and tariffs after months of negotiations.

In a statement, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the emergency declaration by the president is”part of his commitment to protecting the information and communications technology and services of our Nation.”

In the latest US immigration news, the Trump administration is planning to redirect Transportation Security Administration staff to the Mexico border, the TSA said Wednesday.

“TSA, like all DHS components, is supporting the DHS effort to address the humanitarian and security crisis at the southwest border.

TSA is in the process of soliciting volunteers to support this effort while minimising operational impact,” TSA spokesman James Gregory said in a statement.

The announcement came as Donald Trump spoke at the annual Peace Officers’ Memorial Service in Washington DC, where he denounced illegal immigration across the US-Mexico border.

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Key Points

• US warned against entering 'devastating' war with Iran
• China trade war escalates as US farmers bear brunt
• Don Jr's appearance before Senate Intelligence Committee confirmed
• Trump mocks 2020 rivals during Louisiana energy speech

[15 May 2019 22:09 · Lucy Anna Gray]

Here's our full story on this breaking news: 

[15 May 2019 22:25 · Lucy Anna Gray]

The latest tweets from Donald Trump return to one of his favourite subjects - FAKE NEWS. 

The president has responded to allegations of infighting over his Middle East policy...

In his second tweet he claims that "Iran will want to talk soon"...

[15 May 2019 22:41 · Lucy Anna Gray]

Here's Chief US Correspondent Andrew Buncombe's take on Trump's trade war with China:

[15 May 2019 22:51 · Lucy Anna Gray]

That's all for our live coverage of the Trump administration today. Thank you for following along and join us tomorrow for more of the latest from the US.