By NASSER KARIMI and JON GAMBRELL, Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s president again pledged Wednesday that his nation is “not after a nuclear bomb” ahead of talks between Tehran and the United States, going as far as dangling the prospect of direct American investment in the Islamic Republic if the countries can reach a deal.

The comments by reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian represent a departure from Iran’s stance after its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, in which Tehran sought to buy American airplanes but in effect barred U.S. companies from coming into the country.

“His excellency has no opposition to investment by American investors in Iran,” Pezeshkian said in a speech in Tehran, referring to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “American investors: Come and invest.”

Such a business proposal could draw the interest of U.S. President Donald Trump, who withdrew America from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers in his first term and now seeks a new agreement with the country.

Pezeshkian, who campaigned on a platform of outreach to the West during his election last year, also added that Saturday’s talks in Oman between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff would be conducted “indirectly.” Trump has said the talks would be direct negotiations — something Tehran hasn’t ruled out after the first round of discussions.

“We are not after a nuclear bomb,” Pezeshkian added. “You (in the West) have verified it 100 times. Do it 1,000 times again.”

Iran long suspicious of business links to US

In 2015, Khamenei opposed importing American consumer goods into Iran.

“We neither allow economic influence, nor political influence and presence as well as cultural influence by Americans in our country,” he said then. “We will confront it by all means, we will not allow.”

But after Trump’s comments on the talks went public, Iran’s ailing economy showed new signs of life. Its rial currency, which hit a record low of over 1 million rials to the dollar, rebounded Tuesday to 990,000 rials.

Iran’s economy has been severely affected by international sanctions, particularly after Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018. At the time of the 2015 deal, which saw Iran drastically limit its enrichment and stockpiling of uranium in exchange for lifting of international sanctions, the rial traded at 32,000 to the dollar.

There also appeared to be a direct influence from the top on how hard-line media reported the upcoming talks Wednesday as there was no criticism of the negotiations whatsoever — something highly unusual in Iran’s fractious internal politics.

“At first, Iran may unilaterally accept a decrease in enrichment. This should not be considered a withdrawal,” the hard-line newspaper Javan, believed to be close to the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said in an editorial.

“Keeping the nuclear industry and enrichment that meets our needs is what we have been saying and seeking for years. In return for a decrease of the level of enrichment and an increase of monitoring, Iran should gain concessions on lifting all sanctions and stopping open hostility through the support to the opposition” by the U.S.

Pezeshkian himself spoke at an event marking Iran’s National Nuclear Technology Day, which in the past had seen Tehran show off advances in centrifuge technology that worried the West. This year it focused on medical applications and other projects.

Protest in Tehran mocks US and Israel

However, not everyone agrees with the U.S. outreach. There had been anger toward Trump from Iran’s theocracy, particularly over his decision to launch a drone strike that killed prominent Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad in 2020. U.S. officials have said Trump faced assassination threats from Iran in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election.

A protest in Tehran on Wednesday drew some hundreds people and saw demonstrators burn an effigy of the U.S. flag, chanting both “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!” Fake coffins for Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sat to one side as protesters also carried signs decrying the death of civilians in the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

“Negotiations with whom? With a murderer? With an occupier?” asked one woman holding a “Death to Israel” placard who declined to give her name at the protest for fear of reprisal. “We should keep these in mind. They always show their true nature.”

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union member states have voted to approve retaliatory tariffs on $23 billion in goods in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.

The tariffs will go into effect in stages, with some on April 15 and others on May 15 and Dec. 1. The EU executive commission didn’t immediately provide a list of the goods Wednesday.

Members of the 27-country bloc repeated their preference for a negotiated deal to settle trade issues: “The EU considers U.S. tariffs unjustified and damaging, causing economic harm to both sides, as well as the global economy. The EU has stated its clear preference to find negotiated outcomes with the U.S., which would be balanced and mutually beneficial.”

The head of the EU’s executive commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has offered a zero-for-zero tariffs deal on industrial goods including cars. But Trump has said that’s not enough to satisfy U.S. concerns.

By STEPHEN GROVES, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Manufacturers struggling to make long-term plans. Farmers facing retaliation from Chinese buyers. U.S. households burdened with higher prices.

Republican senators are confronting the Trump administration with those worries and many more as they fret about the economic impact of the president’s sweeping tariff strategy that went into effect Wednesday.

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In a Senate hearing and interviews with reporters this week, Republican skepticism of President Donald Trump’s policies ran unusually high. While GOP lawmakers made sure to direct their concern at Trump’s aides and advisers — particularly U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who appeared before the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday — it still amounted to a rare Republican break from a president they have otherwise championed.

Lawmakers had reason to worry: the stock market has been in a volatile tumble for days and economists are warning that the plans could lead to a recession.

“Whose throat do I get to choke if this proves to be wrong?” Republican Sen. Thom Tillis told Greer as he pressed for an answer on which Trump aide to hold accountable if there is an economic downturn.

Tillis’ frustration was aimed at the across-the-board tariff strategy that could potentially hamstring U.S. manufacturers who are currently dependent on materials like aluminum and steel from China. His home state of North Carolina, where he is up for reelection next year, has attracted thousands of foreign firms looking to invest in the state’s manufacturing industries.

Ever wary of crossing Trump, Republicans engaged in a delicate two-step of criticizing the rollout of the tariffs then shifting to praise for the president’s economic vision. In the afternoon, Tillis in a Senate floor speech said that the “president is right in challenging other nations who have for decades abused their relationship with the United States,” yet went on to question who in the White House was thinking through the long-term economic effects of the sweeping tariffs.

Tillis even allowed that Trump’s trade strategy could still turn out to be effective, but said there is a short window to show that it is worth the higher prices and layoffs that will burden workers.

For his part, Greer emphasized to the committee that the U.S. was engaged in negotiations with other countries but that “the trade deficit has been decades in the making, and it’s not going to be solved overnight.”

Republican leaders in Congress, as well as a sizeable chunk of lawmakers, have emphasized that Trump needs time to implement his strategy. They’ve mostly rejected the idea of putting a check on Trump’s tariff power, but it is clear that anxiety is growing among rank-and-file Republicans about what’s ahead.

Sen. James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican, said there is a company in his state that had spent “millions of dollars” moving its parts production from China to Vietnam. But now that Vietnam is facing steep tariffs, the business is unable to move forward with negotiating prices with retailers.

Lankford pressed Greer for a timeline for negotiations, but the trade representative responded, “We don’t have any particular timeline. The outcome is more important than setting something artificially for us.”

Trade agreements between countries typically take months or even years to work out and often require the parties to navigate through a host of legal, economic and business issues. Still, Republicans said they were encouraged by the indications that Trump is entering into negotiations with other nations.

Sen. Steve Daines, a Montana Republican, said at the committee hearing that he was “very encouraged” by news of trade negotiations and attributed a momentary upward tick in the stock market to “hope that these tariffs are a means and not solely an end.”

He told Greer, “Who pays these high tariffs? It will be the consumer. I’m worried about the inflationary effect. I’m worried if there is a trade war that we’re going to have markets shutting down for American farmers, ranchers and manufacturers.”

Other GOP lawmakers contended that the pain was worth bearing. Republican Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus, said the president is on the right track.

“It’s pain, but it’s going to be,” he said. “The president will make the right call. He’s doing the right thing.”

Still, traditional Republicans were looking for ways to push back on Trump’s tariff plan.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, a senior Republican, has introduced a bipartisan bill to give Congress the power to review and approve of new tariffs, and Republican members in the House were also working to gain support for a similar bill. Such legislation would allow Congress to claw back some of its constitutional power over tariff policy, which has been almost completely handed over to the president in recent decades through legislation.

But the White House has already indicated that Trump would veto the bill, and both Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., have said they are not interested in bringing it up for a vote.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican closely aligned with Trump, said on social media that the bill was a bad idea because “Congress moves at the pace of a tortoise running a race.”

“The reason why Congress gave this authority to the president to begin with is because the ability to pivot,” he added.

But the president’s unclear messaging has also left lawmakers only guessing as they try to decipher which advisers and aides hold sway in the White House.

Sen. John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, said that as he’s received calls from the business community in his state, he’s had no answers for them besides telling them the prospects for the economy are uncertain. The communication from the president’s aides has often been conflicting, Kennedy said even as he voiced support for Trump’s long-term goals.

Kennedy told reporters, “I don’t think there’s any way to double or triple your tariffs on the world when you’re the wealthiest country in all of human history without being somewhat shambolic.”

By DAVID CRARY, Associated Press National Writer

Passover is a major Jewish holiday, celebrated over seven or eight days each year, commemorating the exodus of ancient Israelites from slavery in Egypt, as recounted in the Bible. It is considered the most widely observed of any Jewish holiday, symbolizing freedom and the birth of a Jewish nation.

This year, the celebrations again occur amid anxieties and divisions among many Jews related to the unresolved Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and the specter of widespread antisemitism.

When is Passover this year?

Passover — known as Pesach in Hebrew — begins at sunset on Saturday, April 12, and ends after nightfall on Sunday, April 20. By tradition, it will be celebrated for seven days in Israel and for eight days by some Jews in the rest of the world.

What are key Passover rituals and traditions?

For many Jews, Passover is a time to reunite with family and recount the exodus from Egypt at a meal called the Seder. Observant Jews avoid various grains known as chametz, a reminder of the unleavened bread the Israelites ate when they fled Egypt quickly with no time for dough to rise. Cracker-like matzo is OK to eat; most breads, pastas, cereals, cakes and cookies are off-limits.

What’s different this year?

A year ago, for many Jews, any celebratory mood was muted by the scores of hostages captured by Hamas in Israel and held in Gaza. Many Seder tables, in Israel and elsewhere, had empty seats, representing those killed or taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023.

Even after the recent release of some hostages, others remain held. Hopes for a formal end to conflict have been dampened by the collapse of a ceasefire and resumption of fighting.

As was the case last year, there also is intense concern in some countries about a high level of antisemitic incidents.

More than 10,000 antisemitic incidents in the United States were reported between Oct. 7, 2023, and Sept. 24, 2024 — the most ever recorded by the Anti-Defamation League.

The Secure Community Network, which provides security and safety resources to hundreds of Jewish organizations and institutions across North America, has been issuing frequent advisories ahead of Passover.

Specifically, the group has warned of possible threats from white extremist groups, including some organizing along the U.S.-Canada border. SCN said key extremist anniversaries, including Hitler’s birthday on April 20, coincide with the holiday, raising concerns about the risk of violence targeting Jewish communities.

One notable change this year: Pro-Palestinian protests that roiled many college campuses in spring 2024 have been fewer and less disruptive, in part because of Trump administration pressure.

“Since January there has been a marked change in the seriousness with which hate on campus is being dealt by the federal government as they set out clear consequences to the previous inaction of university leaders,” said Rabbi Moshe Hauer, executive vice president of the Orthodox Union.

However, some Jewish leaders have been dismayed by the Trump administration’s threats and funding curbs directed at universities it considered too tolerant of antisemitism.

“None of this is about fighting antisemitism,” Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said in a social media post. “It’s about gutting our education institutions and democracy under the guise of fighting antisemitism. And it ultimately makes Jews less safe.”

What special events are taking place?

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and the city’s Museum of Tolerance are hosting a special Seder for interfaith leaders and community members directly affected by recent wildfires. Organizers invited various first responders, civic leaders and elected officials, seeking to honor “the spirit of community resilience and the enduring strength of togetherness.”

The fires destroyed or damaged dozens of houses of worship and other faith-based facilities.

Interfaith Seders have been organized in many other cities, including Houston, Dallas, New York, Phoenix, and Milwaukee.

“We understand that now more than ever, Jewish communities across North America must open their doors to forge stronger friendships,” said Rabbi Joshua Stanton, Jewish Federations associate vice president of interfaith and intergroup initiatives.

The New York-based Met Council, a Jewish nonprofit operating various anti-poverty programs, says it has delivered free kosher-for-Passover food to more than 250,000 Jewish Americans burdened by skyrocketing grocery costs. The packages, distributed at 185 sites in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Florida, included traditional Passover essentials such as matzo, kosher chicken, gefilte fish, tuna, and grape juice.

Chabad-Lubavitch, a global Hassidic Jewish organization, plans a parade of more than 100 converted RVs known as “Mitzvah Tanks” through New York City’s streets. The aim, says Chabad, is “to spread kindness and celebrate Jewish heritage,” as well as distributing traditional matzo.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.