The Latest: Trump says US will investigate EU trade practices for 'unethical' fines on Google

President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. will open a formal investigation into the European Union’s trade practices, claiming the bloc has unfairly levied billions of dollars of fines against Google, Apple and other U.S. tech giants.

The EU, a day earlier, fined Google 890 million euros ($1 billion) for allegedly breaking digital antitrust regulations by corralling consumers toward its own services and apps to the detriment of competitors.

Trump’s announcement comes a day after the White House said it would impose double-digit tariffs on imports from more than 60 countries, accusing them of inadequately enforcing bans on goods produced by forced labor. The new tariffs replace temporary 10% worldwide import taxes that Trump imposed after a stinging defeat at the Supreme Court.

Also, a series of explosions sounded near a military base hosting U.S. forces in northern Iraq and sirens rang out in Bahrain on Friday, hours after the American military said it finished its 13th night of strikes against Iran. The conflict has flared again over the past week, as the U.S. has pounded Iran while Tehran has attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted U.S. assets and allies in the region.

Here's the latest:

Trump discusses next steps on Iran with aides

Trump met Friday with top national security aides to discuss the situation with Iran and whether the administration should maintain the current course or escalate military attacks, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

It was not immediately clear if there had been any decisions made at the meeting, which was earlier reported by The New York Times. The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

In an event in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump described negotiations with Iran as “by far the most serious that we’ve seen,” even as the U.S. has launched daily strikes.

“We’re locked and loaded and ready to go, but we’re talking to them,” Trump told reporters, adding that he’s “not in a hurry” to end the war.