United News of Bangladesh

The White House said Thursday night that Vice President JD Vance was delaying a trip to Switzerland to lead a new round of negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program — raising questions about what’s next for the tentative agreement to end the war. It said the team lead by Vance had been ready to leave but was postponing, citing difficult logistics for negotiations. The announcement followed a report from Al-Mayadeen, a pan-Arab satellite channel that is politically allied with the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, that Iran was delaying sending its delegation to Switzerland over Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Lebanon. The postponement came after the U.S. said it had lifted its blockade, allowing oil tankers to begin freely moving through the Strait of Hormuz after months of being unable to use the critical channel. But the initial agreement has drawn sharp criticism from some in the U.S. — including a few congressional Republicans — who worry Washington ceded too much to Iran with relief from sanctions and a potential $300 billion fund to help with rebuilding. Earlier, Vance took the relatively unusual step of appearing at the White House to defend the deal, arguing that while it offers concessions, Iran first has to comply with U.S. demands. “As they dial up their good behavior, we can dial up the economic relief,” Vance said. “If they dial down their good behavior, we can turn it off.” The vice president had said during those remarks that he was not sure of the timing of the planned trip to Switzerland, and the postponement makes that even less clear. A top Trump administration envoy told U.S. lawmakers in a private briefing that Iran will invite the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog agency to inspect its nuclear sites. And Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had seemed to endorse direct negotiations for his officials. “It is obvious that the face-to-face negotiations that will be held in the future will not mean accepting the enemy’s opinion,” he said in a statement read by state media. It was Khamenei’s first reaction to the agreement, and it was interpreted as a shift in Iran’s approach. Hard-liners, especially Khamenei’s father, the previous supreme leader, have long opposed direct talks, especially after the U.S. pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. The supreme leader has not been seen in public since he was wounded in a strike at the start of the war. Lawmakers told Iran will invite UN inspectors to its nuclear sites The agreement states that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium must at minimum be diluted under international supervision. It also says that Iran shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons — a commitment it has made previously. Trump envoy Steve Witkoff told members of Congress that Iran will invite the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect its nuclear sites and begin work on identifying and uncovering the locations of Tehran’s enriched material, which is believed to be buried under rubble. Witkoff’s private briefing was described by two people familiar with the conversation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to share the closed-door details. The agreement requires Iran to “commit to renounce their nuclear ambitions in writing,” said White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales. The IAEA did not respond to a request for comment. Witkoff told congressional leadership and members of national security-related committees that the agreement that the U.S. struck with Iran did not include any side deals, but a side letter was drafted between Tehran and the IAEA extending the invitation. Witkoff said the letter to IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi would enable him to bring U.S. nuclear inspectors to Tehran. Vance defends U.S.-Iran deal and has sharp words for Israel Earlier, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif postponed a planned visit to Switzerland, where Islamabad officials had originally planned to host a ceremonial signing ceremony for the agreement. That visit was postponed because the agreement had already been signed by both Iran and the U.S., said two senior officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. President Donald Trump signed the initial pact with Iran on Wednesday while dining with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles. The deal is slated to take immediate effect and extends a ceasefire while giving each side 60 days to hammer out broader agreements on larger issues. Vance, who was initially personally skeptical of the U.S. going to war with Iran, has increasingly become the administration’s face of the conflict and has been outspoken in defending the deal. At the White House on Thursday, he shrugged off criticism about the confusing rollout of the initial deal, saying, “I don’t think our public messaging has been chaotic.” He also offered a blunt warning to Israel, which has pushed the U.S. to take a harder stance against Iran and launched attacks on the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon throughout the war, including just before the deal extending the ceasefire was reached. Those attacks complicated the peace efforts with Iran. Trump “is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time,” Vance said. “And he happens to be the head of state of the world’s superpower.” Shipping starts to pick up Trump said he signed the agreement to avoid “economic catastrophe” in the U.S., after the war caused oil prices to skyrocket, made financial markets skittish and fueled inflation. The deal caused gas prices to fall and stock markets to rise — though rallies could be threatened again depending on how the next round of U.S.-Iran talks go. The vice president said more than 12.5 million barrels of oil went through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday night and said that the U.S. easing its blockade of Iran means “honoring our end of the early part of the agreement on the military side.” U.S. Central Command said American warships “will remain in the general area to make sure that all aspects of the agreement are adhered to, obeyed and in full force and effect.” Iranian state media said shipping had “normalized” at Iran’s southern ports but added that the strait remains supervised and under the control of the Iranian military, and transiting through the vital waterway still requires coordination. Major shipowners began moving vessels through the strait after the agreement was signed, according to maritime data company Lloyd’s List Intelligence, though Lloyd’s did not give data on how many ships have passed through the strait as of Thursday. In a media briefing, Richard Meade, editor-in-chief of Lloyd’s List, said for the first time in 110 days, ships owned by major companies are transiting the strait after effectively being marooned there since February. months to fully reopen the strait, and the two alternative routes do not have as much capacity as the strait’s central passage.

The United States has formally lifted its naval blockade on Iranian ports as part of the interim agreement aimed at ending the war with Iran, Vice President JD Vance said Thursday, as the Pentagon confirmed the move while maintaining a military presence in the region. Speaking at a White House briefing, Vance said more than a dozen ships had been allowed to pass through the blockade and that a record volume of oil since the conflict began was now moving through the Strait of Hormuz. According to Vance, about 12.5 million barrels of oil transited the strategic waterway on Wednesday, signalling a significant resumption of maritime trade following the agreement. The development came after President Donald Trump signed an interim agreement with Iran that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and includes a waiver of US-backed sanctions, allowing Iran to resume unrestricted oil exports. Separately, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the US military had officially lifted the blockade on Iranian shipping. In a statement posted on social media, CENTCOM said US Navy vessels would, however, remain in the region to ensure all terms of the agreement are fully implemented and observed. The US Navy currently has more than a dozen vessels, including two aircraft carriers, deployed in waters near Iran. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a six-month Pentagon review of American military deployments in Europe, saying the future size and role of US forces would depend on how quickly NATO allies assume greater responsibility for their own security. Hegseth also criticised European NATO members, urging them to increase their contribution to the alliance's collective defence.

U.S. gas prices fell below $4 a gallon on average Thursday, but just barely. It is the first time since March that the average cost for a regular gallon has been that low. Prices fell overnight after President Donald Trump signed an agreement with Iran that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and waives U.S.-backed sanctions on the country. Gas prices are at $3.999 on average in the U.S., according to motor club AAA. The drop below $4 follows a 15% decline in the price of U.S. crude this month. But fluctuations in gas prices remain across the country. In California, gas prices are averaging $5.64 per gallon, while in South Carolina it’s $3.58 per gallon. The agreement between the U.S. and Iran calls for a permanent end to hostilities and starts a 60-day negotiating clock to reach a final deal on the future of Iran’s nuclear program, though Trump left the door open to resume attacks. It appears to offer Iran several benefits up front while extracting little in return. Oil prices fell Monday to about $80 for a barrel of U.S. benchmark crude. That compares to $67 per barrel before the war and the price of over $120 a barrel reached earlier in the conflict. Even as gas prices start to decline, it is anticipated to take weeks or months for oil to start flowing through the Strait of Hormuz again. Before the war, the strait carried a fifth of the world’s crude oil. Now, it will take time for hundreds of ships trapped in the Persian Gulf to exit through the narrow strait. And Gulf oil producers that throttled back production will need time to get the oil moving again. Analysts also say ship captains may take their time to decide if passage is safe and that the threat of attack from Iran has truly receded. In addition, refineries typically pay for crude oil a month or more in advance, so even after oil prices drop, they won’t immediately be processing cheaper products. Fighting over the Strait of Hormuz disrupted not only supplies of crude and refined fuel but also the supply chains for fertilizer, food and even footwear. Businesses expect higher costs to linger, which means their customers might need to prepare for that too.

Senior U.S. officials on Wednesday read the memorandum of understanding with Iran to journalists after days of secrecy over what is in the document. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to read the deal before a formal signing ceremony set for Friday. Iranian state TV later released text that largely tracked what the U.S. put out. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has been mediating between the sides, later said the leaders of the U.S. and Iran had signed the deal and it “shall enter into force with immediate effect.” Here is what is in the deal: 1. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran and their allies in the current war by signing this MOU declare the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and undertake from now on not to initiate any war or any military operation against each other and to refrain from the threat or use of force against each other and ensuring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon. The final deal will confirm the permanent termination of the war on all fronts including in Lebanon and other provisions of this paragraph. 2. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran undertake to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to refrain from interfering in each other’s internal affairs. 3. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran commit to negotiating and achieving the final deal in maximum 60 days extendable with mutual consent. 4. Immediately upon the signing of this MOU, the United States of America will begin the removal of its naval blockade and any disturbances or impediments against the Islamic Republic of Iran and will fully end the naval blockade within 30 days. During this period, the traffic of vessels will be in proportion to the numbers of prewar traffic being restored by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States of America further undertakes to remove its forces from the proximity of the Islamic Republic of Iran within 30 days after the final deal. 5. Upon the signing of this MOU, the Islamic Republic of Iran will make arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days only from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman and vice versa. The traffic of commercial vessels will immediately start and, considering the needs for removing the technical and military obstacles and demining by the Islamic Republic of Iran, will be instated within 30 days. The Islamic Republic of Iran will conduct dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman to define the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz in discussion with other Persian Gulf littoral states in line with the applicable international law and the sovereign rights of coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz. 6. The United States of America undertakes with regional partners to develop a definitive mutually agreed plan with at least USD 300 billion for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The mechanism for the implementation of this plan will be finalized as part of a final deal within 60 days. All required licenses, waivers and permissions needed for the relevant financial transactions will be granted by the United States of America. 7. The United States of America undertakes to terminate all types of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the United Nations Security Council resolutions, IAEA Board of Governors resolutions and all unilateral U.S. sanctions, primary and secondary, in an agreed upon schedule as part of the final deal. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America acknowledge the critical importance of the sanctions termination issue above mentioned and express their intentions to immediately address these issues in the negotiations in order to achieve mutual agreement on them. 8. The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms that it shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons. United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran have agreed to resolve the disposition of stockpile enriched material pursuant to a mechanism that will be mutually agreed upon in accordance with the schedule mentioned in Paragraph 7 with the minimum methodology to be downblending on site under the supervision of the IAEA. The two parties also agreed to discuss the issue of enrichment and other mutually agreed matters related to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear needs, based on a satisfactory framework being agreed upon in the final deal. The final deal will confirm the provisions of this paragraph. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran acknowledge the critical importance of the nuclear issues above mentioned and express their intention to immediately address these issues in the negotiations in order to achieve mutual agreement on them. 9. Pending the final deal, the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran agree to maintain the status quo. The Islamic Republic will maintain the current status quo of its nuclear program and the United States of America will not impose any new sanctions and will not deploy additional forces in the region. 10. The United States of America undertakes that immediately upon the signing of this MOU and until the termination of sanctions the U.S. Department of Treasury will issue waivers for the export of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and derivatives and all associated services including banking transactions, insurances, transportation, etc. 11. The United States of America undertakes to make fully available for use the frozen or restricted funds and assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran upon the implementation of this MOU. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran will mutually agree on the procedures related to the release of these funds during the negotiations. Such funds, whether retained in the original account or transferred shall be made fully usable for payment to any ultimate beneficiary designated by the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States of America undertakes to issue all necessary licenses and authorizations accordingly. 12. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran agree that an executive mechanism will be established to monitor the successful implementation of this MOU and the future compliance of the final deal. 13. After signing this MOU and subject to the beginning of the implementation of paragraphs 1, 4, 5, 10 and 11 of this MOU, and the continuing implementation of these measures, the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran will start negotiations regarding the final deal exclusively on the other paragraphs. 14. The final deal will be endorsed by binding UNSC resolution.

U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in remarks to The New York Times following the announcement of an agreement with Iran. Trump described Netanyahu as "a very difficult guy" and suggested that the Israeli leader should appreciate Washington’s role in preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Trump argued that without U.S. intervention, Israel’s security would have been severely threatened if Iran had developed a nuclear arsenal. He also expressed frustration over Israeli military actions in Lebanon, saying they nearly undermined the negotiations that led to the agreement, reports Al Jazeera. The president warned that the United States could resume military strikes against Iran if talks on Tehran’s nuclear program ultimately break down. Trump maintained that previous U.S. missile and bombing attacks were a key factor in persuading Iran to negotiate, claiming that Tehran wanted to avoid further military action. According to Trump, the pressure created by those strikes played a major role in securing the deal, which he described as having a “huge impact” on bringing Iran to the negotiating table.  

President Donald Trump marked his 80th birthday on Sunday by hailing an initial agreement to end the war in Iran and staging a once unfathomable cage-fighting show on the White House's storied South Lawn. Trump had been touting the emerging deal for weeks and the continuing conflict threatened to overshadow the UFC mixed martial arts extravaganza, where combatants inside a wire-mesh octagon tried to punch, kick, chop and pummel each other into submission. Ahead of the fight starting, however, the president said an agreement to end the conflict “is now complete." He declared that the U.S. will end its blockade of Iran, and that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen. That could potentially ease high oil prices — but crucial details still need negotiating over the coming weeks. Top administration officials and Republican leaders attended the fights, including FBI Director Kash Patel and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Polish President Karol Nawrocki was also spotted at the White House. Trump and UFC chief Dana White walked together from the Oval Office to the Blue Room Balcony to survey the Octagon, standing for the national anthem as fighter jets thundered overhead. More than 4,000 spectators were invited to a temporary arena under “ The Claw,” a spaceship-like metal arch fitted with lighting, sound equipment and large screens. Thousands more watched on big screens from the nearby Ellipse. “This event is a one of one event, incredible event,” said White, a close friend of the president's, during a Friday night hype session at the Lincoln Memorial, where pairs of fighters shoved and scuffled for the cameras under the stoic gaze of Honest Abe’s marble likeness. During a break in Sunday's action, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg approached Trump and spoke with him for several minutes. First lady Melania Trump was also there. As Diego Lopes was defeating American Steve Garcia in the opening fight, the president could be seen speaking to the first lady while watching the knockout. After Bo Nickal knocked out Kyle Daukaus in the second fight, Nickal went over to Trump and kneeled down, chatting briefly. “I gotta thank President Trump for making this happen,” Nickal told White in a subsequent interview, as Trump grinned nearby. Nickal added that the president is a “special person,” before Trump-favorite “YMCA" played. The president sought to tie Sunday’s event to larger, monthslong celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. But it was so geared toward himself that the G7 summit for leaders of industrialized nations pushed back their get-together so that the president could attend his cage-match party and then fly to Europe for the meetings. The weekend wasn't all smiles for Trump, though. Crews pried Trump’s name off the Kennedy Center about a mile from Trump’s birthday bash after a judge ruled naming it after the president had gone too far. And, before the fight began, UFC Middleweight champion Sean Strickland — an outspoken critic of Israel — was escorted out of the Ellipse by a crowd of law enforcement officers. It could have been worse. Despite forecasts predicting strong chances of thunderstorms that delayed the event briefly, rain wasn't an issue. A dramatic departure from how the last president marked his 80th The crowd repeatedly chanted, “USA! USA!” when an American fighter faced a foreign opponent. But that often didn’t help the American fighter prevail. After winning his fight, Brazil's Mauricio Ruffy proposed to his girlfriend who — in Trumpian fashion — flashed a thumb's up from the crowd. It was all a very long way from when Trump’s predecessor, President Joe Biden, turned 80 in November 2022. Biden celebrated with a private family brunch at the White House, laying bare just how much and how quickly things have changed. Asked about the contrast, White House spokesperson Allison Schuster called the UFC event “one of the most entertaining nights in American history.” “Having this spectacle take place at the people’s house on Flag Day during our nations’ semiquincentennial anniversary is a fitting tribute,” Schuster said in a statement. When he turned 80, Biden was the oldest president in U.S. history, and was months away from launching a reelection bid that he would ultimately abandon after a disastrous debate against Trump and mutiny among Democrats concerned he was too old to handle a second term. Trump has now supplanted Biden as the oldest person to be elected U.S. president. He’s constitutionally barred from running again, yet constantly toys with the notion publicly. That’s despite polls showing rising public skepticism about Trump’s mental and physical health — recalling concerns Biden faced as he turned 80. A Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted in April found that less than half of U.S. adults think Trump has the mental sharpness or physical health to serve effectively as president. The White House countered with a lengthy statement from Trump's former White House physician, Texas Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson, saying Trump's “stamina, focus, and strength are exceptional and on display every day. Claims to the contrary are pure fiction.” Jackson added that polling concerns were “being propagated by the same biased, liberal, Trump-hating press that completely ignored the absolute cognitive and physical disaster that was President Biden.” ‘Bread and circuses’ — Trump-style The UFC is an apt metaphor for Trump's pugilistic political style. He is as big a fan of cage-match-style politics as he is of cage-fighting itself. But Trump has also long been a master of political misdirection, purposely presenting people with something other than his presidency to focus on when things aren’t going well. With the war in Iran having kept gas prices high and renewing concerns about inflation while Trump's job approval ratings fall, a White House birthday party unlike anything America has ever seen can certainly qualify as a diversion. “This is all distraction,” said Mike Fontaine, a classics professor at Cornell University, who likened it to the gladiatorial games of Imperial Rome, when combatants brutalized each other for public entertainment meant to bolster rulers’ popularity and quell potential unrest. “This is a classic strategy," Fontaine said. “In ancient Rome, the phrase would be, ‘bread and circuses.’” Trump says the UFC is paying for the event and while its full costs haven't been divulged, the National Park Service said in a court filing that $60-plus million and tens of thousands of hours of labor went into it, while seven government agencies have “allocated significant resources and manpower.” UFC also announced that it was adding as an official partner for the event World Liberty Financial to create a special $250,000 athlete bonus pool for Sunday night’s winners. The cryptocurrency company is co-owned by the Trump family, founded with the president’s special diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff and run by his son, Zach. The arrangement further blurs lines between the Trump family's financial interests and the events and construction projects the president has prioritized and used government resources to pull off. Still, Fontaine said that when it comes to a personal flair for pageantry, the president’s second-term tendency to lean into “hardcore masculinity and brute fighting” is marrying the UFC's blood sport with Trump's trademark humor and enduring sense of showmanship. “President Trump has a once-in-a-generation talent for this stuff,” he said.

US President Donald Trump said a deal aimed at ending hostilities between the United States and Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday, although Iran has cast doubt on the proposed timeline. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the agreement would pave the way for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route. “The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL,” Trump wrote. He also referred to Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles, saying that “at the appropriate time, when all is calm, we will go in and get the Nuclear Dust,” which he said would later be destroyed. Trump warned that if the process did not proceed “quickly, easily and smoothly,” Washington had “the ultimate alternative, hopefully never to be used again.” Pakistan, which has been playing a mediating role, also indicated that an agreement could be finalized soon. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the parties were closer than ever to reaching a deal. “With finalisation likely expected in the next 24 hours, Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the peace deal immediately after, followed by technical-level talks next week,” Sharif wrote on X. However, Iran appeared more cautious about the timing. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said a memorandum of understanding was expected but suggested the signing would not take place immediately. “We will have to wait and see about the exact date of the signing of the memorandum of understanding, although it will not be tomorrow,” he said. On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said an agreement with Washington was close and that it envisaged an end to the conflict involving Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. According to Araghchi, the deal would also include reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US blockade of Iranian ports, while discussions on Iran’s nuclear programme would begin at a later stage. US officials have confirmed some elements of the proposed agreement, saying any economic benefits for Iran would depend on Tehran fulfilling its commitments. Reports have differed over whether Lebanon would be formally included in the arrangement, with some indications that Iran has pushed for its inclusion. The latest developments come after several previous attempts to finalize a deal stalled in the later stages of negotiations. The conflict began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes inside Iran, prompting retaliatory attacks by Tehran against Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf region, as well as the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Although a ceasefire was reached in April, tensions have persisted, with the United States and Iran exchanging intermittent attacks, including two rounds of retaliatory strikes this week. Source: BBC

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates told lawmakers on Wednesday that meeting disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein was a “grave error in judgment,” as he testified voluntarily behind closed doors before the House Oversight Committee.  Gates said he “should never have met with Epstein in the first place” and stressed that he never witnessed or had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct. US lawmakers say Epstein file release falls short  He was introduced to Epstein through people involved in his professional and philanthropic work and initially believed Epstein could help mobilise billions of dollars for global health initiatives and he ended the relationship in 2014 after concluding that Epstein could not deliver on those promises, Gates added. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said Gates was not accused of any wrongdoing and that the inquiry was focused on justice for Epstein’s victims and understanding government failures. Documents reviewed by lawmakers include meeting records, emails related to philanthropic projects and photographs showing Gates and Epstein at the same events. Their association began in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting prostitution from a minor, and continued until at least late 2014. Gates, who chairs the Gates Foundation, has repeatedly denied any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of girls and has previously described the relationship as “a huge mistake.” Both Gates and his former wife, Melinda French Gates, have said the association created strain in their marriage. The Gates Foundation acknowledged earlier this year that a small number of employees met Epstein because of his claims that he could attract major philanthropic support for global health projects. The foundation said it never established a charitable fund with Epstein and made no payments to him.

President Donald Trump has said the United States “must respond” after blaming Iran for shooting down a U.S. Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, an incident that has further escalated already rising tensions in the Gulf region. The helicopter went down early Tuesday off the coast of Oman during a patrol mission, according to U.S. Central Command. Both crew members were rescued safely after an unmanned vessel located them in the water, officials said. Trump, writing on social media, said military officials informed him that Iran had shot down a “highly sophisticated Apache helicopter” and confirmed that the two service members were unharmed. “Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack,” he said. Iran has not officially confirmed involvement in the incident. However, the event comes amid heightened military and political tensions in the region, where a fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been repeatedly tested by fresh exchanges of fire. The U.S. military said the cause of the crash is under investigation. Officials described the rescue operation as the first known use of a drone boat to recover downed aircrew in the area, carried out by an unmanned vessel operated under the U.S. Navy’s Task Force 59. Iranian parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, in a post on X, warned that Tehran could respond forcefully if its commitments are broken, saying Iran was prepared to use “other languages” beyond diplomacy. The incident also comes as diplomatic efforts continue behind the scenes to prevent further escalation. Mediators, including Pakistan, have been working to advance negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Before the helicopter incident, Trump had expressed optimism about a potential deal with Iran, saying an agreement could be reached within days, though he provided no details. The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical global shipping route, and tensions in the area have contributed to rising energy prices and broader economic uncertainty as the conflict in the region continues.

US President Donald Trump has rejected criticism that the ongoing conflict with Iran contradicts his campaign promise of “no new wars,” arguing that he never guaranteed his presidency would be free of military conflicts. In an interview aired Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press, Trump said he had not promised there would be no wars if he returned to office. “First of all, I didn’t guarantee no war. Why would I have built the strongest military in the world?” Trump said. The president also defended a now-abandoned $1.8 billion fund that was intended to compensate political allies and repeated his unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud in California’s prolonged vote-counting process following last week’s primary election. Trump, who campaigned in 2024 portraying himself as a leader who started “no new wars” and accusing Democratic rivals of being warmongers, maintained that the conflict with Iran does not amount to an extended military engagement. “I don’t like these endless wars. This is not an endless war. We’ve been doing this for three months,” he said, referring to the conflict with Iran that began on February 28. He argued that US actions were necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, saying he was “doing the world a service” and “doing our country a service.” At the same time, Trump reiterated his claim that US strikes last year had “obliterated” Iranian nuclear facilities, despite also citing the need to stop Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Trump further defended his decision during his first term to withdraw from the nuclear agreement negotiated under former President Barack Obama, a deal he has long criticized while promising to secure a better alternative. “It takes years to do these things,” Trump said.