US vice president JD Vance has claimed that China is âwilling to play ballâ in efforts to economically isolate Tehran, despite Beijing previously declaring that US sanctions would not disrupt their trade with the country.
âIâm not saying theyâre doing everything that weâve asked them to do, but I think that the PRC has been much more responsible, certainly than the Iranians, and much more responsible than a couple of other nations as well,â he told reporters at the White House on Thursday.
He also claimed that the conflict between Washington and Tehran is ânot a warâ, in comments to reporters on Thursday.
âI wouldnât call it a war. Right now, there is no active shooting,â he said at a White House press briefing. âI recognise there have been places where this has flared up. Major combat operations⌠lasted for about six weeks.â
Meanwhile, president Donald Trump insisted he had done the âright thingâ with the war.
It comes amid fears Trump is planning to extend Washingtonâs war on Iran, after The Wall Street Journal reported that the Pentagon was extending the presence of troops in the Middle East into next year.
King Charles to host Oman's Sultan at Windsor Castle next month
King Charles and Queen Camilla will host Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq at Windsor Castle for a state visit next month, Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday.
The visit, scheduled for 20 to 22 October, will come against the backdrop of escalating tensions in the Middle East as the Iran war rages on.
Donald Trump has also threatened to bomb Oman - which has been in talks with Iran aimed at restoring commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz - if it "gets in the way".
So far this year, the British royals have hosted state visits by Trump in April and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu in March.
Alex Croft3 September 2026 23:00
Three Iranian army pilots killed in US strikes - state news agency
Three Iranian Army pilots were killed in US strikes conducted on Tuesday night, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Thursday.
Weâll bring you more on the update as we get it.
Alex Croft3 September 2026 22:03
US embassies issue security alerts after reported Iranians strikes - ICYMI
Multiple US embassies in the Middle East issued a security alert to American citizens in the region on Wednesday.
The security environment "remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation", the embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, said.
The US embassy in Riyadh advised Americans to prepare for possible flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruptions.
A similar alert was issued by the US mission in the UAE.
The warnings came after Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran âat a much harder and higher levelâ and leave âvery little leftâ of the country if it retaliated. Iran launched retaliatory attacks overnight.
Alex Croft3 September 2026 21:01
US airstrike hits home where wedding celebration was taking place, Iran says - ICYMI
Alex Croft3 September 2026 20:00
USS Abraham Lincoln sailors finally reach steady land - and are warned against engaging in Thailand's sex tourism
The USS Abraham Lincoln has docked after nearly nine months at sea, allowing sailors to finally hit the town in Pattaya, known as Thailandâs âSin City.â
These roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines have been on the aircraft carrier since it left its home port of San Diego on November 21. While the ship briefly docked in Guam and Oman, American service members have spent virtually all of their time on the ship, reportedly facing food shortages and mental health challenges as their deployment dragged out amid the ongoing Iran war.
A trip to Pattaya will be a much-needed reprieve for sailors, where they can enjoy the seaside resortâs beaches and nightlife.
âHeâs so excited to get on land, heâs never been outside of the United States before. He wants to eat pizza or McDonaldâs. Iâm so happy for him,â the mother of one of the sailors on the USS Lincoln told MS NOW.
Pattaya has been rebranded as a more family-friendly destination in recent years following a history of sex tourism. The USS Lincolnâs commanding officer warned service members against engaging in prostitution, a person familiar with the matter told MS NOW.
Prostitution is technically illegal in Thailand, but the law is rarely enforced. Paying for sex is also a punishable offense in the U.S. armed forces.
During the Vietnam War, American service members flocked to Pattaya, once a quiet fishing village, "and it turned into a raunchy seaside playground,â Elizabeth Becker wrote in "Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism,â according to the Associated Press.
Alex Croft3 September 2026 19:02
Iran's rial drops to new low of 2.2 million to the dollar, tracking websites show
Iran's currency has dropped to a record low of more than 2.2 million rials per U.S. dollar, two websites tracking the free market rate showed on Wednesday, amid renewed military strikes.
The rial has dropped about 10 per cent in the past week. The troubled currency has lost about half of its value in a year of tightening U.S. sanctions and U.S. and Israeli attacks that began in February.
Alex Croft3 September 2026 18:01
Trump hits out at reports of weakening US military power
Donald Trump has hit out at reports of weakening US military power with a lengthy social media post.
He wrote in a post on Truth Social: âFor the treasonous SCUM that refuses to accurately report on our Military Operation in Iran, we have virtually unlimited amounts of Mid to High Grade Ammunition, far more than we could ever use for this, or for any other War (which is highly unlikely!), that could improbably take place.
âIn addition, we are producing Munitions at levels never seen before. We are stockpiling and preparing for any contingency that could happen. We are taking them for ourselves, the U.S.A., rather than selling them to others, but the sales to Allies will soon again, begin. Also, please let it be known, that the Biden Administration gave far more Munitions away to Ukraine, at no cost to them, whatsoever, than we have used in Iran.
âHundreds of Billions of Dollars was given to Ukraine and NATO, free of charge, that Europe would have paid for â If they were only asked, but we will be asking for that money, though somewhat belatedly! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP"
Maryam Zakir-Hussain3 September 2026 17:34
Russia is secretly helping Iran to develop supersonic cruise missiles, says report
Russia has been helping Iran to develop supersonic cruise missiles in secret for years, including through the US-Iran war, according to a report.
Moscow has enlisted some of its most experienced specialists to help Iran to develop a new class of missile capable of threatening US aircraft carriers and warships stationed in the Middle East, according to an investigation by the Financial Times.
The programmeâs central objective was to help Iran to develop a special âramjetâ propulsion system that would allow its cruise missiles to fly at several times the speed of sound, the report said.
Fabian Hinz, an expert on Iranian missiles, framed the programme as a major transfer of sensitive technology from Moscow that Tehran had been after for decades and would require authorisation âfrom the very topâ.
Alex Croft3 September 2026 17:00
Watch: US Central Command releases video showing wave of strikes on Iranian military targets
Alex Croft3 September 2026 16:31
With his eye on reelection, Israel's Netanyahu turns his focus to his divided base
As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks reelection, his main concern these days isnât his political rivals. Itâs some of his biggest supporters.
A series of small, pro-Netanyahu parties are competing in the run-up to the Oct. 27 vote. But instead of strengthening the Israeli leader, these parties â including hard-line blocs led by polarizing Cabinet ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich â risk weakening his chances for reelection by splitting the vote among Netanyahuâs base.
The election is largely a referendum on Netanyahuâs nearly uninterrupted 17-year rule and his handling of a turbulent period marked by mass protests, Hamasâ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and nearly three years of war. A victory would mark a stirring comeback for the embattled leader, while a loss would likely end the reign of a man who has shaped Israeli politics for three decades.
Read more here:
With his eye on reelection, Israel's Netanyahu turns his focus to his divided base
As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks reelection, his main concern these days isnât his political rivals
Alex Croft3 September 2026 16:00
