WHITE HOUSE: IDENTIFYING IRANIAN LEADERSHIP IS PART OF DIPLOMACY

President Donald Trump is weighing a military operation to extract nearly 1,000 pounds of uranium from Iran, according to US officials. No decision has been made, with risks to US troops under review. Trump remains open to the plan as part of efforts to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and has pushed for Tehran to surrender the material in negotiations. Intermediaries including Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt are involved, though no direct talks have occurred. Officials said a targeted operation could avoid prolonging the conflict, as Trump signals he does not want an extended war.

China has increased the ceiling for its Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor (QDII) program to $176.17 billion at end-March, up $5.3 billion from a month earlier, marking the largest expansion since 2021 and the first hike since June last year, according to State Administration of Foreign Exchange. The QDII scheme allows approved domestic institutions to invest in overseas securities within set limits. The move comes amid relatively stable yuan conditions and reflects stronger domestic demand for offshore assets, with officials including currency regulator Zhu Hexin signaling plans to support cross-border investment and yuan internationalization. Analysts said the timing suggests confidence in managing capital flows despite global uncertainty. Becky Liu, head of China macro strategy at Standard Chartered Bank, said the increase reflects long-planned capital account opening, while Xiaojia Zhi, economist at Crédit Agricole CIB, said it signals efforts to promote two-way cross-border flows and confidence in yuan stability.