US President Donald Trump has warned Canada of a “very substantial” American response if it proceeds with a trade agreement with China, while at the same time signalling a softer stance towards Iran by saying Tehran was “talking to” Washington even as US military deployments in the region continued.Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday (local time), Trump said the US would act decisively if Ottawa followed through on the deal it has negotiated with Beijing.“If they do a deal with China, yeah, we’ll do something very substantial,” Trump said. “We don’t want China to take over Canada. And if they make the deal that he’s looking to make, China will take over Canada,” according to Reuters.Trump last week had threatened to impose 100 per cent tariffs on Canada if it went ahead with the proposed agreement with China. Responding to which Canadian PM Mark Carney said, Canada has “no intention” of going forward with a deal with China.

Iran ‘talking to us’: Trump

Separately, Trump said Iran was negotiating with the United States, hinting at the possibility of a deal even as tensions remained high. “(Iran is) talking to us, and we’ll see if we can do something, otherwise we’ll see what happens… We have a big fleet heading out there,” Trump told Fox News, adding: “They are negotiating,” according to AFP.He said US allies in the region were not being briefed on possible military plans for security reasons.“Well, we can’t tell them the plan. If I told them the plan, it would be almost as bad as telling you the plan – it could be worse, actually,” Trump said.Washington has deployed a naval strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln off Iran’s shores, a move that has raised fears of a direct confrontation.

Tehran warns against attack

Iran, meanwhile, has issued warnings against any military action. Army chief Amir Hatami said Iranian forces were at “full defensive and military readiness” and warned that any attack would endanger regional security, according to state news agency IRNA.Iranian officials have also indicated openness to talks. Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council, said “the formation of a structure for negotiations is progressing,” following talks in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin.Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said a broader conflict would harm both sides, adding that Iran had never sought war and did not believe it would serve the interests of Iran, the US or the region.Qatar has also stepped in diplomatically, with its prime minister holding talks in Tehran on Saturday to push for de-escalation, the Gulf state’s foreign ministry said.

BLA claims 84 Pak security personnel killed in Operation Herof (Representative image)

New Delhi: Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) on Saturday commenced “Operation Herof 2.0”, a large-scale military offensive characterised by synchronised attacks at dawn. While BLA claimed scores of casualties across the region, the official count stood at 12. The local administration claimed to have neutralised 58 BLA fighters.“Fitna-al-Hindustan carried out attacks at 12 locations across Balochistan. During the clashes with the terrorists, 12 personnel of the security forces and the police were martyred,” the Pak media reported, quoting the administration and adding that the attacks were foiled due to “timely and effective action”. In a post on X, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti claimed that Pak security forces had killed 70 rebels at various locations across the province during the past two days.Spanning around 12 districts and especially targeting the provincial capital, Quetta, this offensive marks a significant escalation in regional conflict and is being regarded as the most extensive assault since 2024.The attacks involved use of suicide bombers and a significant number of women rebels at Kalat, Gwadar, Mastung, Noshki, Kharan, Turbat and Pasni where bank, govt offices and Frontier ops HQ were targeted.The attacks coincided with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) top functionary Hafiz Hamdullah’s declaring that armed groups, not the state, now controlled Balochistan.BLA’s Hakkal media also released a new video footage showing commander Bashir Zeb leading armed separatist units on motorcycles.In a statement, BLA claimed to have brought under its control several areas of Quetta, besides Noshki jail and Pasni coast guard camp, police stations and the military intelligence office. BLA’s Majeed Brigade and Fateh Squad (or Fidayeen soldiers) participated in the operation.“The Baloch nation will defeat the enemy in every city, every street and every neighbourhood,” Jeeyand Baloch, spokesperson for BLA, said. Op Herof-I was conducted in Aug 2024 and saw at least 126 Pakistani soldiers being killed and scores injured.