All posts tagged: @LCO26N

Doesn’t want war, ‘sometimes you have to’

Doesn’t want war, ‘sometimes you have to’

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. President Donald Trump stops to speak to the media as he departs on Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on Feb. 27, 2026 in Washington, DC. Andrew Harnik | Getty Images President Donald Trump on Friday said that “I’d love not to use” the U.S. military to attack Iran, “but sometimes you have to.” But Trump also said, “We haven’t made a final decision” on whether to attack Iran. “We’ll see what happens,” he said. “We’re talking later today. We’ll have some additional talks today.” Trump’s comment to reporters outside the White House came after he expressed frustration at Iran’s refusal to comply with American demands to curb its nuclear program. Read more CNBC politics coverage “We’re not thrilled with the way they’re negotiating,” Trump said. “They cannot have nuclear weapons.” “I’m not happy that they’re not willing to give us what we have to have,” Trump said, referring to that condition. Asked by a reporter if there could be a long, drawn-out conflict in the Middle East if the …

Rubio to travel to Israel to discuss Iran, State Dept. says

Rubio to travel to Israel to discuss Iran, State Dept. says

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to reporters in a departure lounge before returning to Washington following meetings with Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders, at Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, February 25, 2026. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Israel early next week to discuss Iran and other regional issues, the State Department said Friday. The announcement of Rubio’s visit comes amid growing concern that the United States will launch attacks on Iran. MS Now reported Friday that Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi will meet Friday with Vice President JD Vance and other American officials in Washington for “previously unreported talks in an effort to stave off war with Iran.” Al-Busaidi has been acting as a mediator of talks between the U.S. and Iran to defuse tensions over American demands that the Islamic republic curb its nuclear program. Read more CNBC politics coverage Rubio will visit Israel on Monday and Tuesday, according to State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott. “The Secretary will discuss a …

U.S. and Iran wrap up ‘most intense’ nuclear talks with no deal — more negotiations ahead

U.S. and Iran wrap up ‘most intense’ nuclear talks with no deal — more negotiations ahead

Published by Sam Flores

Iranian negotiating delegation departs for the site of the talks with U.S., in Geneva, Switzerland, Feb. 26, 2026. Iranian Foreign Ministry | WANA | Via Reuters The latest round of U.S.-Iran talks did not lead to a breakthrough, with both sides agreeing to extend negotiations, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said, describing the discussions as the “most intense so far.” “Further progress has been made in our diplomatic engagement with the United States,” said Araghchi, adding that both sides planned to engage in a more “detailed” manner on critical issues including termination of U.S. sanctions on Iran and “nuclear-related steps.” The two sides made “significant progress” in the high-stakes talks in Geneva, Switzerland, and agreed to meet next week to discuss technical details in Vienna, according to Oman’s foreign minister Badr Al Busaidi, the mediator of the talks. Al-Busaidi is headed to Washington to meet with Vice President JD Vance and other U.S. officials on Friday, according to MS Now. Vance has previously downplayed the possibility of the U.S. entering into a years-long war …

Democrats plan to force Iran war powers vote next week

Democrats plan to force Iran war powers vote next week

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffires (D-NY) speaks at a press conference on the government shutdown at the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 8, 2025 in Washington, DC. Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images Congressional Democrats will force a vote on a war powers resolution relating to Iran next week, Democratic leadership announced Thursday, as President Donald Trump engages in a massive military buildup in the region. The resolution would limit Trump’s ability to conduct military action there. Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., have introduced a measure known as a war powers resolution that would compel the administration to seek congressional approval before engaging in any further activity in Iran. Congress has the sole authority to declare war under the U.S. Constitution, though that authority has been stretched in recent years by the executive branch. “As soon as Congress reconvenes next week, we will compel a vote of the full House of Representatives on the bipartisan Khanna-Massie War Powers resolution,” the Democratic leaders led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a …

US-Iran talks in Geneva focus on nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles

US-Iran talks in Geneva focus on nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles

Published by Sam Flores

This combination of pictures created on April 09, 2025 shows US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff after a meeting with Russian officials at Diriyah Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 18, 2025 (L); and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaking to AFP during an interview at the Iranian consulate in Jeddah on March 7, 2025. Evelyn Hockstein | Amer Hilabi | AFP | Getty Images A third round of talks between the U.S. and Iran kicked off in Geneva on Thursday, with Iran under immense pressure to agree a nuclear deal with the States and to curb its nuclear and ballistic missile development programs. The U.S. has amassed a large military force in the Middle East ahead of the discussions and President Donald Trump warned last week that “bad things” would happen if Iran does not agree to a new nuclear deal. On the eve of the latest talks in Switzerland, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Iran’s reluctance to discuss its development of intercontinental ballistic missiles was also a significant stumbling block. …

Hungary accuses Ukraine of ‘oil blockade,’ places soldiers at energy facilities

Hungary accuses Ukraine of ‘oil blockade,’ places soldiers at energy facilities

Published by Sam Flores

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives to attend a European Council summit at the EU headquarters in Brussels on March 21, 2024. Sameer Al-doumy | Afp | Getty Images Hungary has accused Ukraine of disrupting oil supplies it gets from Russia and has stationed troops at critical energy facilities across the country as Prime Minister Viktor Orban ramps up the rhetoric around energy and national security ahead of parliamentary elections in April. Orban on Wednesday accused Kyiv of imposing an “oil blockade” on Hungary by delaying the reopening of the Druzhba pipeline which supplies it, and neighboring Slovakia, with Russian oil. Ukraine shut the pipeline a month ago, saying a Russian strike had damaged it, but Hungary’s leader accused Kyiv of deliberately keeping the pipeline closed for “political” rather than “technical” reasons. “The Ukrainian government is exerting pressure on the Hungarian and Slovak governments through an oil blockade,” Orban said in a video on X following a meeting of the Hungarian Defence Council on Wednesday. “They will not stop there,” he claimed, adding: “They are …

Trump threatens Iran in State of the Union

Trump threatens Iran in State of the Union

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the Capitol on February 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. Trump delivered his address days after the Supreme Court struck down the administration’s tariff strategy, and amid a U.S. military buildup in the Persian Gulf threatening Iran. Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images The U.S. and Iran are poised to hold further nuclear talks in the Swiss city of Geneva on Thursday, amid persistent fears about the prospect of military action in the oil-rich Middle East. The upcoming round of negotiations over the future of Tehran’s nuclear program come as the U.S. continues to build up military forces in the region and as President Donald Trump warns of “bad things” if Iran doesn’t agree to a nuclear deal. The U.S. president on Tuesday spoke briefly about Iran during his nearly two-hour State of the Union address but primarily focused on domestic policy and other political issues. “We are in negotiations with them. …

Trump says Iran wants a deal more than the U.S. as American forces build up in oil-rich Middle East

Trump says Iran wants a deal more than the U.S. as American forces build up in oil-rich Middle East

Published by Sam Flores

Iran wants to make a “deal” more than the U.S., President Donald Trump said Tuesday, ahead of another round of scheduled talks with Tehran and amid a build up of American forces in the Middle East. Tehran’s refusal to commit to not developing nuclear weapons remains the key sticking point holding up an agreement, Trump said at a pre-address meeting hours before the State of the Union speech in Washington, D.C, CNBC’s Joe Kernen reported. The U.S. and Iran are expected to hold talks on Thursday in Geneva, Switzerland, with a focus on Iran’s nuclear program. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday that he was still working on the proposal and political leadership in Tehran has yet to sign off on it. He said the proposal would consist of elements that accommodate both sides’ “concerns and interests.” Araghchi added that the proposal will be discussed in Geneva and both sides will work on a text to try and reach “a fast deal.” The earlier rounds of negotiations failed to …

U.S. tells Iran to make a deal amid Russia, Iran naval drills

U.S. tells Iran to make a deal amid Russia, Iran naval drills

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. President Donald Trump disembarks Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., Feb. 13, 2026. Elizabeth Frantz | Reuters The Trump administration has warned it would be “very wise” for Iran to make a deal, amid reports the White House is considering fresh military action against Tehran as soon as this weekend. It comes shortly after Vice President JD Vance accused Iran of failing to address core U.S. demands during nuclear talks in Switzerland this week. Iran’s foreign minister previously reported progress in the talks, saying the two countries had reached an understanding over the “guiding principles” for the negotiations. Speaking at a news briefing Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that there were “many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran,” noting that the two countries remain “very far apart” on some issues. U.S. President Donald Trump had a “very successful” operation last June, Leavitt said, when U.S. stealth bombers struck three Iranian nuclear facilities as part of “Operation Midnight …