Vaughn Cockayne

Israel hits back at Hezbollah in Lebanon, threatening Iran-U.S. peace talks

The Israeli military announced Friday that it struck 10 Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon in retaliation for an earlier attack on troops, further weakening an already fragile ceasefire and potentially threatening the success of peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.

July 3, 2026

Lead Iran negotiator tells allies Tehran will go to war again if U.S. does not fulfill commitments

Iran's parliament speaker and lead negotiator in diplomatic talks with the U.S., Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, told representatives from China and Belarus Friday that Tehran was prepared to restart the war if Washington does not fulfill its commitments under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.

July 3, 2026

Syrian foreign minister meets with Lebanese officials as tensions over Hezbollah mount

Syria's foreign minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, on Thursday began a diplomatic tour of Lebanon as his country looks to maintain comfortable relations with its unstable neighbor.

July 2, 2026

Pentagon moves to consolidate drone programs under single office

The Pentagon is moving nearly every unmanned and autonomous systems program into a new office, in a bid to catch up in a global production race the U.S. is currently losing by volume.

July 2, 2026

U.S., Iran conclude two days of indirect talks in Qatar with major questions left unresolved

U.S. and Iranian negotiators concluded two days of indirect negotiations in Qatar on Wednesday, in the first uneasy diplomatic steps toward peace following tit-for-tat attacks over the weekend.

July 1, 2026

Trump says U.S. and Iran are getting along well despite military flare-up near Strait of Hormuz

Attempts to settle the Iran war are "moving along well" despite a recent volley of tit-for-tat airstrikes in the middle of negotiations, President Trump said Wednesday.

July 1, 2026

Trump’s envoys meet with war mediators in Qatar, but U.S. and Iran fail to meet face to face

President Trump's envoys met with the Qatari prime minister on Tuesday but U.S. and Iranian delegations kept their distance from each other in Doha as the countries tried to negotiate an end to their four-month-old war.

June 30, 2026

No direct meetings between U.S. and Iranian officials scheduled this week, Qatar says

There will be no direct technical talks or meetings between Iranian and U.S. officials while both sides are in Doha, Qatar, this week, the country's Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday.

June 30, 2026

U.S. prepares new round of peace talks in Qatar, but Iran says it won’t go

The U.S. and Iran are set to meet for another round of diplomatic talks on Tuesday in Doha, Qatar, President Trump announced on Monday after a series of retaliatory strikes in the Strait of Hormuz threatened to upend the peace process.

June 29, 2026

Sen. Deb Fischer: Developing nuclear front requires rapid investment

America's nuclear arsenal was built to counter only one international adversary during the Cold War, but as new nuclear powers emerge and global conflict increases, some argue for a revamped system.

June 29, 2026

Rubio announces peace deal between Israel, Lebanon

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday announced that Israel and Lebanon reached a framework that could bring security to the region after months of war.

June 26, 2026

Iran moves to control commercial shipping in Strait of Hormuz, issues warning after vessel is struck

Iran on Friday asserted its right to manage commercial shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and warned ships not to take alternative routes a day after a cargo ship was struck in the waterway.

June 26, 2026

Rubio looks to shore up support among Gulf allies as Iran threatens ships in Strait of Hormuz

Peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran faced further challenges Thursday as Tehran issued threats to commercial vessels traveling outside preapproved routes in the Strait of Hormuz and rejected calls to use unfrozen funds to purchase American farm goods.

June 25, 2026

Rubio: No discussion on $300 billion reconstruction fund with Gulf Cooperation Council countries

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday he did not discuss the purported $300 billion Iran reconstruction fund with Persian Gulf leaders during his visit this week, even as other U.S. officials say the Gulf Cooperation Council members will support the effort.

June 25, 2026

Oman says Strait of Hormuz transit agreements will not include tolls

Oman said Thursday that any agreements with Iran over regulations in the Strait of Hormuz will not include tolls, even as Tehran proposes imposing "service fees" on commercial ships moving through the waterway.

June 25, 2026

U.S., Iran offer different stories on nuclear inspections as negotiations continue

The U.S. and Iran presented differing narratives Tuesday on whether U.N. inspectors could visit nuclear sites and if Tehran had any interest in buying American crops, underscoring a complex start to the 60-day negotiations.

June 23, 2026

Israel attacks Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire agreement

The Israeli military said Tuesday it struck armed militants in southern Lebanon after detecting a threat near soldiers in the region.

June 23, 2026

Trump insists on weapons inspections as Vance, Iran offer differing accounts of first round of talks

President Trump on Monday announced that Iran will be subject to weapons inspections as part of a comprehensive peace deal despite Tehran's assertion that negotiators made no new commitments during the first round of talks in Switzerland over the weekend.

June 22, 2026

U.S. Treasury issues 60-day license for Iran to sell oil

The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday issued a 60-day license allowing Iran to export and sell its oil, fulfilling one of the provisions in the memorandum of understanding signed between Washington and Tehran.

June 22, 2026

ODNI crisis brings up decades-old criticism of the intelligence office

President Trump has directed William J. Pulte, his temporary choice to replace Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, to significantly downsize the office and eliminate those he sees as political enemies, sparking bipartisan outrage and dredging up criticism that has plagued the position.

June 22, 2026