The crossing of threats between the United States and Iranthe open debate in Europe on the role of nuclear energy and the farewell to journalist Raúl del Pozo mark the news of the day, this is how Carlos Alsina summarizes the news.
Verbal and military escalation between the US and Iran
The first thing is the bravado crossing between the United States and Iran. If a few days ago it was Donald Trump who warned that he would intensify the attacks and expressed disappointment with the election of Khamenei II as the new supreme leader, yesterday it was a senior official of the Iranian regime who returned the threat.
The Iranian security chief directly warned the US president that he too could be eliminated. An exchange of warnings that reflects the level of tension experienced after almost two weeks of conflict.
Meanwhile, calls from the United States and Israel for the Iranian population to rise up against the ayatollahs’ regime They don’t seem to be having an effect. When there were massive protests in January, the regime repressed the mobilizations with extreme harshness and ended the lives of more than 30,000 young people with hardly any international reaction.
Now, with the bombings underway, many Iranians are afraid to go out for fear of being victims of both the Revolutionary Guard like air attacks.
As they had announced, the governments of Trump and Netanyahu They have intensified the attacks. The US president has also warned that he will increase pressure even more if Iran does not withdraw its mines that he would have placed in the Strait of Hormuz. Last night he announced that they had already sunk ten Iranian ships loaded with this type of explosives.
The situation is affecting maritime traffic: there are currently about 400 oil tankers and nearly 2,000 ships blocked in the area. During yesterday’s trading, the markets partially calmed down and the price of oil and gas fell due to the hope of a near end to the conflict, an expectation that could evaporate if the war drags on.
The Saudi oil company Aramcothe largest in the world, has warned that they are already accumulating twelve days without oil coming out of the Strait of Hormuz and that a prolonged interruption would be a catastrophe for the global economy. In Spain, the CEO of Repsol, Josu Jon Imazhas pointed out that even when the conflict ends Prices will take time to normalize.
Von der Leyen reopens the debate on nuclear energy
The second political front has been opened by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyenwhen questioning the energy strategy of the European Union.
Von der Leyen maintains that, in a context of instability and volatility in fossil fuel marketsEurope has been making a strategic mistake for decades by reducing its nuclear capacity.
In 1990, approximately a third of European electricity came from nuclear energy. Today it barely represents one sixth. The president of the Commission recognizes the advances in renewable energies such as solar and wind, but considers it necessary also reinforce the commitment to nuclear energy.
After having been classified as clean energy in 2022, Von der Leyen now proposes mobilizing public funds that guarantee private investment in the calls modular mini reactorsa technology that is already being developed in France and whose goal is to be operational before 2030.
Next week there will be a European Council in which the real support that this proposal has will be verified. In recent hours, discrepancies have already emerged within the community institutions themselves.
The vice president of the Commission, Teresa Riberaexpressed disagreement with the idea that the European Union should not act as a guardian of the rules-based international order. In a similar vein, the president of the European Council, Antonio Costadefended that the EU must continue to act as a counterweight to the abuses of the great powers.
According to Costa, with Russia violating the peace, China disrupting global trade and the United States challenging the international ordermultilateral solutions are more necessary today than ever. A speech in which he also insisted Pedro Sanchez in an interview given last night to eldiario.es, in which he defended the importance of international law.
Farewell to journalist Raúl del Pozo
The day is also marked by the memory of the journalist Raúl del Pozoone of the most unique figures in Spanish journalism. Columnist and reporter—or columnist reporter, which for many was the same thing—his career has been remembered today in numerous media.
Especially in the newspaper The Worldwhere he developed much of his career. Del Pozo was also a voice closely linked to radio and for years he participated in this program every Friday with his characteristic closing: “Long live wine!”.
His burning chapel will be installed in the Glass Courtyard of the House of Villa de Madridformer headquarters of the capital’s City Council. It will remain open to the public from nine thirty in the morning until nine at night.
Throughout the day there will be tributes and memories to a journalist who left a very personal mark on the Spanish press.
