All posts tagged: J.D. Vance

Israel and Lebanon agree to 10-day ceasefire, Trump says

Israel and Lebanon agree to 10-day ceasefire, Trump says

Published by Sam Flores

The leaders of Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire after officials from the two countries met in Washington, President Donald Trump said Thursday. The temporary truce will start at 5 p.m. ET, Trump said in a Truth Social post. In a follow-up, Trump added that he will be inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Joseph Aoun of Lebanon to the White House “for the first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983, a very long time ago.” “Both sides want to see PEACE, and I believe that will happen, quickly!” Trump wrote. The U.S. State Department said in a statement later Thursday that the two countries “will work to create conditions conducive to lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and establishing genuine security along their shared border, while preserving Israel’s inherent right to self-defense.” “Both countries recognize the significant challenges faced by the Lebanese state from non-state armed groups, which undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty and threaten regional stability,” read the statement, which …

U.S. and Iran could meet in Pakistan for peace talks next week: MS NOW

U.S. and Iran could meet in Pakistan for peace talks next week: MS NOW

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, right, speaks during a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, left, and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff watch, in Islamabad, April 12, 2026. Jacquelyn Martin | AFP | Getty Images The U.S. and Iran will likely return to Pakistan next week for a second round of peace negotiations, two senior Pakistani officials told MS NOW on Wednesday. The latest sign of the countries’ continuing efforts to reach a diplomatic end to the war came from officials who are involved in finalizing decisions with the U.S. and Iranian teams, but did not want to be named because of sensitivities around negotiations, MS NOW reported. The step toward resuming the stalled peace talks came as tensions in the Persian Gulf continued to rise, further imperiling a shaky two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. Oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains at a trickle as Iran continues to pose threats to passing vessels and …

More U.S.-Iran peace deal talks are in discussion, White House says

More U.S.-Iran peace deal talks are in discussion, White House says

Published by Sam Flores

A second round of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran is currently under discussion, though nothing has been officially scheduled yet, a White House official told CNBC on Tuesday morning. President Donald Trump later told the New York Post that the next U.S.-Iran talks “could be happening over next two days” in Islamabad. He had initially told the outlet in a phone interview that additional negotiations could be “a little bit slow” and would likely happen in Europe, but called back about 30 minutes later with updated information, according to the Post. The confirmation that the Trump administration is mulling further talks with Tehran followed prior reporting that the stalled peace negotiations could restart before a fragile two-week ceasefire is set to expire. Officials from both countries could return to Pakistan to resume those talks, Reuters reported earlier Tuesday morning, citing Pakistani and Iranian officials. “The coming rounds ​of talks can come sometime later this week or earlier next week. But nothing is finalised as of now,” an official at the Iranian Embassy in Islamabad …

Up to Iran to push peace talks amid Hormuz Strait blockade

Up to Iran to push peace talks amid Hormuz Strait blockade

Published by Sam Flores

US Vice President JD Vance (R) speaks during a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran, as US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner (L) and US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff (C) watch, in Islamabad on April 12, 2026. Jacquelyn Martin | Afp | Getty Images Vice President JD Vance, after returning from unsuccessful negotiations with Iran over the weekend, said Monday that it is up to the Islamic Republic to make the next move on peace talks with the U.S. “Whether we have further conversations, whether we ultimately get to a deal, I really think the ball is in the Iranian court, because we put a lot on the table,” Vance said in a Fox News interview. He stressed that if America’s “red lines” on Iran’s nuclear ambitions are met, “then this can be a very, very good deal for both countries.” The remarks came hours after the U.S. started blocking ships from entering or exiting Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, in what President Donald Trump says is …

Europe cheers Orbán defeat – but Hungary’s future remains contested

Europe cheers Orbán defeat – but Hungary’s future remains contested

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on August 15, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska. Contributor | Getty Images News | Getty Images The ousting of Hungary’s conservative nationalist leader Viktor Orbán is being hailed as a victory for liberal democracy and the European Union. The leaders of Poland, France and Germany, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, were among the major EU figures to congratulate Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar on Monday, after he won a decisive victory in the country’s election on Sunday. The ousted Prime Minister made regular use of Hungary’s veto power to block EU decisions, fiercely criticized the bloc and impeded assistance to Ukraine in support of his ally Vladimir Putin — notably obstructing billions of dollars worth of loans and funding to Kyiv. EU critics also say the 62-year-old’s creation of Hungary’s “illiberal state” stepped on rule-of-law commitments the country made when it joined the bloc. Von der Leyen said: “Hungary has chosen Europe. A country reclaims its European path. The union grows stronger.” …

Iran war negotiations with U.S. threatened by Lebanon attacks

Iran war negotiations with U.S. threatened by Lebanon attacks

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks to the media before boarding Air Force Two for expected departure to Pakistan for talks on Iran, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., April 10, 2026. Jacquelyn Martin | Via Reuters The speaker of Iran’s parliament warned Friday that scheduled negotiations to end the war with the United States cannot begin unless Israel halts attacks on Lebanon and unless the U.S. releases Tehran’s frozen assets. Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued that ultimatum after an American delegation led by Vice President JD Vance flew to Islamabad for talks with Iran, which reportedly will include Ghalibaf and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Ghalibaf’s conditions strain Iran’s already fragile two-week ceasefire with the U.S., which began Tuesday. “Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties have yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations,” Ghalibaf said in an X post. “These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin,” he wrote. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has expressed …

Trump faces calls for removal over threats to wipe out Iran civilization

Trump faces calls for removal over threats to wipe out Iran civilization

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., speaks to the media outside the U.S. Capitol after the House of Representatives voted to pass President Donald Trump’s sweeping spending and tax bill, in Washington, July 3, 2025. Ken Cedeno | Reuters The reticence expressed by Democrats about removing President Donald Trump from office — even after he ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and attacked Iran without seeking congressional approval — quickly fell away after his latest threat to Iran. The president’s Tuesday morning Truth Social post, which threatened “a whole civilization will die tonight” and raised the specter of nuclear war, began a chorus of calls either for Trump’s impeachment or for his removal via the invocation of the 25th Amendment. On Tuesday evening, Trump and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire. “This is a threat of genocide and merits removal from office. The President’s mental faculties are collapsing and cannot be trusted,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., posted to X on Tuesday. “To every individual in the President’s chain of command: You have a duty to refuse illegal orders. …

Pakistan seeks 2-week Iran pause after Trump warns ‘whole civilization will die’

Pakistan seeks 2-week Iran pause after Trump warns ‘whole civilization will die’

Published by Sam Flores

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday asked President Donald Trump for a two-week extension of his threat to wipe out the “whole civilization” of Iran unless Tehran strikes a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Update: Trump suspends Iran attack for two weeks, subject to Hormuz Strait opening Sharif in an X post also asked Iran’s leadership to agree to open up the strait for two weeks “as a goodwill gesture.” “We also urge all warring parties to observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war, in the interest of long-term peace and stability in the region,” Sharif wrote. The public plea from the leader of Pakistan, which has acted as a mediator between the warring powers, came hours before Trump’s 8 p.m. ET deadline for Iran to either cut a deal or face massive strikes on its civilian infrastructure — which could be considered a war crime. On Tuesday morning, Trump dramatically ramped up his threats, warning on Truth Social that “a whole …

Trump praises Orban after Vance calls him in Hungary

Trump praises Orban after Vance calls him in Hungary

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. Vice President JD Vance holds a mobile phone while on a call with U.S. President Donald Trump to a microphone as he delivers remarks at the Day of Friendship event attended by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at MTK Sportpark on April 7, 2026 in Budapest, Hungary. Jonathan Ernst | Getty Images President Donald Trump on Tuesday heaped praise on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán after Vice President JD Vance called his boss from the stage of a political rally at a soccer stadium in Budapest. “I love that Viktor, I’ll tell you, he’s a fantastic man, we’ve had a tremendous relationship,” Trump said as Vance held his phone’s speaker up to a microphone on the stage. The efforts by Trump and Vance, who traveled to Hungary for the first time as a public official to boost Orbán’s candidacy, came as polls show the incumbent leader is set to lose his upcoming election. Orbán, a conservative nationalist whose closeness with Russian President Vladimir Putin throughout the war in Ukraine has made him an outlier among …