All posts tagged: J.D. Vance

Shooter at White House press dinner had multiple weapons, one officer shot

Shooter at White House press dinner had multiple weapons, one officer shot

Published by Sam Flores

A man armed with multiple weapons charged a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night before being “taken down” by U.S. Secret Service agents, President Donald Trump said hours after he was evacuated from the event. One officer was shot, but he was “saved by the fact that he was wearing obviously a very good bulletproof vest,” Trump told reporters during a press conference in the White House briefing room. “I just spoke to the officer, and he’s doing great,” Trump said. The suspected shooter was identified later Saturday as Cole Allen of Torrance, California, a former senior law enforcement official briefed on the matter told MS NOW. The suspect is 31 years old, the Associated Press reported, citing two law enforcement officials. Photo of the suspect in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting posted on President Donald Trump’s Truth Social account on April 25th, 2026. @realdonaldtrump | Truth Social Trump was rushed off the stage of the Washington Hilton hotel ballroom seconds after the sounds of gunfire sent attendees diving …

Iran diplomat Araghchi to Pakistan to discuss peace talk plans: MS NOW

Iran diplomat Araghchi to Pakistan to discuss peace talk plans: MS NOW

Published by Sam Flores

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, is expected to head to Islamabad on Friday night to discuss the next steps in stalled peace negotiations with the U.S., a Pakistani official involved in the matter told MS NOW. Araghchi and a small team are expected to talk with Pakistani mediators about a potential second round of negotiations with the U.S., said the official, who spoke anonymously due to sensitivities around the topic, according to MS NOW. The first round of peace talks, held nearly two weeks ago in Islamabad and led on the U.S. side by Vice President JD Vance, ended with no deal. A U.S. delegation including Vance was expected to head back to Pakistan earlier this week for further negotiations, but the trip was delayed as Iranian officials reportedly said they would not show up. Much of the mutual prickliness has centered on the Strait of Hormuz, the major oil-shipping route that has seen traffic slow to a trickle amid Iranian threats and, as of last week, a retaliatory U.S. naval blockade. The tensions have …

Trump says Israel-Lebanon ceasefire extended by three weeks

Trump says Israel-Lebanon ceasefire extended by three weeks

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office, with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio standing behind him, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 23, 2026. Kylie Cooper | Reuters Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend their ceasefire by three weeks following a meeting in the White House with top U.S. officials, President Donald Trump said Thursday. “The Meeting went very well!” Trump said in a Truth Social post announcing the extension of the temporary truce. “The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah,” Trump wrote, referring to the Iran-backed militia group. “The Ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by THREE WEEKS,” he wrote. The agreement provides breathing room for Israel and Lebanon to continue diplomacy by pushing off the looming expiration of an initial, 10-day ceasefire brokered last week. Trump’s post Thursday afternoon said that “High Ranking Representatives” of the two countries met with him, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, …

Ships attacked as Trump extends Iran ceasefire

Ships attacked as Trump extends Iran ceasefire

Published by Sam Flores

In this handout photo provided by U.S. Central Command, U.S. forces patrol the Arabian Sea near M/V Touska on April 20, 2026, after firing upon the Iranian-flagged vessel that the U.S. accused of attempting to violate the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Navy | Getty Images Iran’s navy on Wednesday said it had seized two container ships in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, shortly after the U.S. extended the ceasefire and as diplomats seek to bring the countries together for peace talks. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy said in a statement that it had seized the ships for what it claimed were maritime violations and transferred them to Iranian shores, according to state media. CNBC could not independently verify the claim. The announcement came after U.K. maritime authorities said two ships had been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian media reported a third vessel had also been targeted by the country’s military. Read more U.S.-Iran war news International benchmark Brent crude futures with June delivery traded 0.5% …

Trump extends ceasefire in Iran, citing ‘seriously fractured’ Iranian government

Trump extends ceasefire in Iran, citing ‘seriously fractured’ Iranian government

Published by Sam Flores

US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, April 16, 2026. Graeme Sloan | Bloomberg | Getty Images President Donald Trump on Tuesday extended the two-week U.S. ceasefire with Iran, saying the extension was warranted due to Tehran’s government being “seriously fractured.” Trump said the ceasefire, which he earlier had said would end on Wednesday, would continue “until such time as” Iran’s leaders and representatives submit a “unified proposal” to end the war with the U.S. and Israel. Trump’s announcement came after reports that an expected trip by Vice President JD Vance to Pakistan for a second round of peace talks with Iranian officials had been put on hold, and after the Iranian state news outlet Tasnim reported that negotiators from Tehran had informed their U.S. counterparts through an intermediary in Pakistan that they would not appear for further talks. “Iran ultimately announced today that under these circumstances, attending the negotiations is a waste of …

Vance trip to Pakistan for Iran talks is on hold, NYT reports

Vance trip to Pakistan for Iran talks is on hold, NYT reports

Published by Sam Flores

An expected trip by Vice President JD Vance to Pakistan for a second attempt at peace negotiations with Iran has been put on hold, The New York Times reported Tuesday. The delay came after Tehran failed to respond to the latest U.S. negotiating positions, the Times reported, citing a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the situation. Stocks fell and oil prices rose following the development, which raised fears that a diplomatic end to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran could be moving further out of reach. A senior Iranian official told Reuters later Tuesday that Pakistan has yet to persuade the U.S. to lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz, a central point of conflict in the war. Iran rejects the prospect of negotiations being conducted under pressure or aimed at Tehran surrendering, the the Iranian official told Reuters. The official added that Iran could still attend talks with the U.S. in Pakistan if Washington backs off its policies of pressure and threats, Reuters reported. The Times report came as …

Trump threatens Iran before ceasefire deadline, possible peace talks

Trump threatens Iran before ceasefire deadline, possible peace talks

Published by Sam Flores

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press before departing from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 16, 2026. Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images President Donald Trump on Monday again threatened Iran with overwhelming military force, saying “lots of bombs [will] start going off” if no deal is reached before a shaky ceasefire with Tehran expires Tuesday evening. The latest threat, made in a phone call with a PBS News reporter, came as the status of additional U.S.-Iran peace talks, and other key details on the current relationship between the warring powers, have grown increasingly opaque. At the same time, Trump has resumed his saber-rattling rhetoric, which had escalated two weeks ago before the expiring fragile ceasefire was reached. Trump, in phone calls with reporters over the past two days, has vacillated between warmongering and offering unclear details about further negotiations. Specifics about a potential deal also remain fuzzy. The Trump administration has stated repeatedly that Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, and …

U.S. seizes Iran-flagged ship Touska in Gulf of Oman

U.S. seizes Iran-flagged ship Touska in Gulf of Oman

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media, before boarding Air Force One on his way to Virginia, at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S., April 10, 2026. Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters The U.S Navy fired on and disabled an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman before Marines boarded and seized the vessel, President Donald Trump said Sunday. Trump, in a Truth Social post, said that the guided missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the Iranian ship, the Touska, and “gave them fair warning to stop.” “The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom,” Trump said in the post. “Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel,” the president said. He noted that the Touska is under U.S. Treasury Sanctions due to its “prior history of illegal activity.” U.S. Central Command later Sunday released a video of a Spruance crew member warning the Touska in a radio transmission, “We’re prepared to subject you to disabling fire. The Spruance …

Iran declares Strait of Hormuz open to shipping during Lebanon ceasefire

Iran declares Strait of Hormuz open to shipping during Lebanon ceasefire

Published by Sam Flores

Iran on Friday declared the Strait of Hormuz is open to commercial ships during the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, but confusion quickly emerged about whether the sea lane was really open without conditions. “In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire,” Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on social media. However, vessels must transit through a “coordinated route” announced by Iran’s maritime authorities, Araghchi said. It is unclear whether Tehran will force ships to pay a toll to pass the strait. President Donald Trump on Friday thanked Iran for opening the strait in a social media post. But Trump said the U.S. naval blockade of Iran’s ports will remain in effect until an agreement is reached with Tehran. Iranian media affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard described a limited reopening of the strait. Commercial ships must coordinate with Iranian forces, a source close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council told Tasnim News. Ships are not allowed …

Vance Iran, Orbán setbacks could threaten Trump successor status

Vance Iran, Orbán setbacks could threaten Trump successor status

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks during a Turning Point USA event at Akins Ford Arena at the Classic Center on April 14, 2026 in Athens, Georgia. Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images President Donald Trump this month sent Vice President JD Vance to Hungary to boost its embattled prime minister and then to Pakistan for peace talks with Iran in hopes of ending the war the U.S. and Israel started. Both trips ended with highly visible setbacks and some awkward moments, leading to questions about whether Vance’s political star is still rising or if he’s being saddled with some of the administration’s heaviest burdens. Vance became the face of the U.S. delegation that last weekend failed to clinch a peace deal with Iran after a marathon 21-hour negotiating session in Islamabad. Tehran would not affirmatively commit to not seeking a nuclear weapon, Vance said. The talks generated an unusual split-screen: As Vance delivered the news from the Pakistani capital that “we have not reached an agreement” with Iran, Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio …