Vance: US 'Locked And Loaded' But Still Pursuing A Diplomatic Deal
Echoing US President Donald Trump's warning to Iran that his country is "locked and loaded," Vice President JD Vance told reporters at the White House on May 19 that they would not go for a deal that allows Iran to have nuclear weapon.
Vance argued that nuclear weapon with Iran means leading the region into an arms race that would make the world less safe.
He added that the United States is still pursuing a diplomatic deal but "it takes two to tango."
Referring to the off-again-on-again negotiations between the two sides, Vance talked of "a lot of progress," adding that they believe the Iranians also want to make a deal.
He said his country retains Option B of restarting the military campaign to "achieve America's objectives," but the president does not want that.
Earlier in the day, Trump had also said he may launch new military strikes on Iran in the coming days if diplomatic efforts fail to result in an agreement with Tehran.
Asked how much more time he would give Iran to agree to a deal, Trump said "two or three days."
"Maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, maybe early next week," he said, adding that the timeline was limited because "we can't let them [Iran] have nuclear weapons."
Trump announced a temporary cease-fire on April 8. He said this was extended indefinitely on May 22, following what Trump said was a request from Pakistan, which is mediating in the conflict.
Vance: US 'Locked And Loaded' But Still Pursuing A Diplomatic Deal
Echoing US President Donald Trump's warning to Iran that his country is "locked and loaded," Vice President JD Vance told reporters at the White House on May 19 that they would not go for a deal that allows Iran to have nuclear weapon.
Vance argued that nuclear weapon with Iran means leading the region into an arms race that would make the world less safe.
He added that the United States is still pursuing a diplomatic deal but "it takes two to tango."
Referring to the off-again-on-again negotiations between the two sides, Vance talked of "a lot of progress," adding that they believe the Iranians also want to make a deal.
He said his country retains Option B of restarting the military campaign to "achieve America's objectives," but the president does not want that.
Earlier in the day, Trump had also said he may launch new military strikes on Iran in the coming days if diplomatic efforts fail to result in an agreement with Tehran.
Asked how much more time he would give Iran to agree to a deal, Trump said "two or three days."
"Maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, maybe early next week," he said, adding that the timeline was limited because "we can't let them [Iran] have nuclear weapons."
Trump announced a temporary cease-fire on April 8. He said this was extended indefinitely on May 22, following what Trump said was a request from Pakistan, which is mediating in the conflict.
UAE Says Drone That Hit Barakah Nuclear Plant Launched From Iraq
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) says the drones that struck the Barakah nuclear power plant on May 17 were launched from Iraqi territory. The UAE Defense Ministry wrote on X that two drones were intercepted while a third one had hit a generator near the Barakah power plant.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted and destroyed three drones fired from Iraq in its airspace on the same day.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) is widely accused of backing Iraqi militias, many of which are believed to operate under the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Iraq's umbrella group for Iran-backed Shi'ite militias. Iraqi officials have condemned the attack on the UAE facility.
Since the start of US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, Iran has reportedly launched hundreds of missiles and drones toward the UAE, causing damage to infrastructure and casualties.
Meanwhile, Iran's semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported on May 19, citing unnamed officials, that Israel had carried out the attack on the Barakah plant. The claim could not be independently verified.
Three drones were launched at the UAE on May 17; two were intercepted, while one struck a power generator at the Barakah nuclear plant near the Saudi-Qatar border.
As Trump Pauses Iran Attack, CSIS Analyst Mark Cancian Says US Searching For An 'Exit'
WASHINGTON -- After US President Donald Trump said he is postponing potential strikes on Iran, questions are mounting over whether Washington and Tehran are edging closer to a deal or simply buying time before a wider regional confrontation.
In an interview with RFE/RL, Mark Cancian, senior adviser with the Defense and Security Department at Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the Trump administration is focused on finding an "exit" from the crisis -- even as major disagreements remain over sanctions, nuclear restrictions, and Iran's claims over the Strait of Hormuz.
Cancian argued that while many of Iran's reported demands are nonstarters, there are signs both sides may be narrowing differences on a possible nuclear arrangement and maritime de-escalation.
To read the full interview, click here.
Mass Weddings Amid Military Gear: Iran Pushes Patriotism Imagery
The public spectacle of hundreds of couples marrying in Tehran surrounded by armored vehicles and antiaircraft guns on May 18 demonstrates a new level of patriotic messaging from the country amid a fragile cease-fire with the US and Israel.
The Iranian regime's "Janfada," or self-sacrifice, program has also involved organized displays of children and women learning to assemble assault rifles while the conflict drags into its third month.
CENTCOM Calls Investigation Of Minab School Strike 'Complex'
Without giving a timeline for the release of the investigation into the Minab school attack in Iran, the commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on May 19 that the findings would be made public once the inquiry is complete.
Brad Cooper made the remarks while testifying before Congress and responding to questions from Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.
The Minab school in Iran's Hormozgan Province was hit by missile strikes on February 28, the first day of US-Israeli attack on Iran.
Cooper said the US military's investigation into the strike was "complex," citing the school's location near what he described as "an active Iranian cruise missile site."
He also said that the Pentagon would release the results of the investigation once it was completed.
"So the answer is 'No.' We do not accept responsibility for what we have clearly done," Smith replied.
Iranian officials said at least 168 people -- mostly schoolchildren -- were killed in the attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School.
Subsequent media investigations by outlets including NPR, Reuters, The Guardian, and The New York Times reported evidence suggesting the school was struck during US precision attacks targeting nearby IRGC facilities.
Analysts noted that the school had once been part of a wider complex belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) but had been separated from the military compound for years and showed clear markings identifying it as a civilian school.
The Pentagon has said for weeks that it is investigating how the strike occurred and whether outdated targeting data may have contributed to the incident.
Trump Says US May Launch New Strikes On Iran In Coming Days
- By RFE/RL
US President Donald Trump has said he may launch new military strikes on Iran in the coming days if diplomatic efforts fail to result in an agreement with Tehran.
Speaking at the construction site for the new White House ballroom on May 19, Trump also said he had previously been just an hour away from authorizing a strike on Iran before deciding to postpone the attack.
On May 18, Trump said in a Truth Social post that the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates had urged him to hold off on the attack because "a deal will be made."
Asked how much more time he would give Iran to agree to a deal, Trump said "two or three days."
"Maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, maybe early next week," he said, adding that the timeline was limited because "we can't let them [Iran] have nuclear weapons."
Trump announced a temporary cease-fire on April 8. He said this was extended indefinitely on May 22, following what Trump said was a request from Pakistan, which is mediating in the conflict.
G7 Finance Ministers Call For Reopening Of Strait Of Hormuz
After two days of talks in Paris, the finance ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) -- the world's seven industrialized countries -- called for a "rapid return to free and safe passage" of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, citing the numerous challenges facing the world economy.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also wrote on X that he had "constructive discussions" about Iran, critical minerals, cybersecurity, and global imbalances at the meeting.
After issuing a final statement, the French finance minister acknowledged that two days of talks between G7 ministers had been "sometimes difficult," although the group ultimately agreed on a statement pledging multilateral cooperation to confront growing economic risks.
The final statement of the G7 ministers reaffirmed "our commitment to multilateral cooperation to address the risks facing the global economy."
Against the backdrop of the US-Israeli war with Iran, the statement said that "there are multiple and complex global challenges that require coordinated responses."
"Economic uncertainty, amid continued conflict in the Middle East, has increased risks to economic growth and inflation," the statement said.
The statement specifically referred to "the strain on energy, food and fertilizer supply chains, particularly affecting more vulnerable countries."
The Paris meeting took place while France holds the rotating presidency of the G7, paving the way for the group's summit in June in the city of Evian, which is scheduled to be chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and is expected to be attended by US President Donald Trump.
Pakistani Shi'a In The UAE Caught In The Crosshairs Of Iran War
In early April, Hamid Ali Shah was ordered by his employer, Etihad Rail, the operator of the United Arab Emirates' national railway network, to report to the police. The civil engineer was questioned for several hours, held in detention for several days, and then deported to his homeland, Pakistan.
"I was on duty when I got the call," Shah told RFE/RL. "After two hours of questioning, I was bundled into a van along with 13 others and taken to an immigration detention center. On April 6, I was put on a flight and deported from the UAE."
Shah is among the thousands of Pakistanis who have been deported by the UAE since the United States and Israel launched a bombing campaign of Iran on February 28, according to a Pakistani lawmaker and media reports in the South Asian country.
Many of them are Shi'ite Muslims, a religious minority in Sunni-majority Pakistan, where they number around 35 million people. The community has ties with Iran, the world's largest Shi'ite-majority country.
To read the full report, click here.
Sanctions Expert Michael Parker On Russia, Iran, And Whether Waivers Work
WASHINGTON -- Washington remains deeply divided over the latest US sanctions waiver for Russian oil, which allows at-risk nations to buy Russian shipments already loaded at sea, as disruptions tied to the US-Israeli confrontation with Iran roil global energy markets.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has argued the measure is needed to stabilize energy markets and limit China’s leverage over discounted Russian crude, while Democratic critics, including key Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Elizabeth Warren, say repeated exemptions risk weakening pressure on Moscow.
In an interview with RFE/RL's Alex Raufoglu, Michael Parker, a former investigator and section chief in the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), explains why sanctions relief remains one of Washington’s most important diplomatic bargaining tools.
RFE/RL: What does the Treasury Department’s decision to extend the Russian oil waiver for another 30 days signal about the administration’s priorities? Is energy stability beginning to outweigh sanctions pressure on Moscow?
Michael Parker: I think what's important to start with, kind of at a threshold level, is understanding
what the general license issued by the Treasury Department actually covers. What it authorizes is oil that is already at sea and has been since April 17. Of course, this oil was already the subject of a prior waiver, or general license, to US sanctions up until approximately yesterday or the day before.
What this extended general license does is not add any additional oil that has since been loaded onto ships and put onto the high seas. It still covers the same stranded oil, so to speak, from April 17. I would view this as a very narrow and limited waiver for the purpose of selling oil that had already been covered by that prior general license. There’s no real expansion beyond that except for the time period in which it can be sold.
Read more here
Qatar Says US-Iran Negotiations Need More Time After Trump Delays Strike
Qatar has indicated that US-Iran negotiations mediated by Pakistan need more time to produce a deal, a day after Donald Trump said he had postponed planned military strikes to allow diplomacy to continue.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said on May 19 that Doha supported Pakistan’s mediation efforts and wanted to avoid further escalation in the region.
“We are supportive of the diplomatic effort by Pakistan,” he said, adding that Qatar believed negotiations “need more time.”
Trump said on May 18 that he had suspended attack on Iran planned for the following day after leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates urged him to give talks a chance.
"We want to protect the people of the region," Ansari said in the hope of protecting them from becoming “the main losers of any escalation.”