Last UpdateJune 8, 2026, 9:58 PM EDT

President Donald Trump predicted “total victory” over Iran within two weeks as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed a ceasefire while reaffirming Israel’s right to self-defense.

Covered by: Anders Hagstrom and Emma Bussey

WHAT TO KNOW

• Iran and Israel exchanged missile fire late Sunday night, shattering President Donald Trump’s ceasefire and putting peace talks in doubt.
• Iran launched missiles into Israel after the IDF carried out strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon this weekend.
• Israel retaliated with its own strikes on Tehran, targeting military infrastructure and missile-production facilities.
• Trump has demanded that all sides stop “shooting.”
• President Donald Trump warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that escalating military action could leave Israel isolated in a conflict with Iran.
• President Donald Trump said he scaled back the scope of an Israeli attack on Iran after Middle Eastern countries urged him to push Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toward diplomacy.
• Iran announced plans for a new “resistance” security corridor stretching from the Strait of Hormuz to the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

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10 hours ago

PINNED

Vance admits US, Israel interests can ‘diverge’ on Iran, signals differences with Netanyahu

Vance /

Vice President JD Vance said Monday that while the United States and Israel share interests, Washington’s approach to Tehran will be guided by what President Donald Trump thinks is best for the U.S.

Vance’s remarks come amid reported tensions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over missile strikes on Iran and with the Israeli leader favoring a more hard-line approach.

“The Israelis and the United States, we have a lot of shared interests,” Vance told Jesse Watters.

“But we also have some situations where our interests diverge, and I think where the president has been very clear here is that while Israel obviously has some objectives that it has, the United States’ main objective in Iran is to ensure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon,” he added.

“Over the last year and a half, we’ve created the space necessary where the president believes — and I think he’s right — that we can get a long-term settlement to Iran’s nuclear issue,” Vance said.

“Now, Israel may like that, they may not like that, but fundamentally, we think this is in the best interest of the United States of America,” he said, adding that Washington will continue pursuing that goal because “that’s what the president of the United States was elected to do.”

Posted by Emma Bussey

8 hours ago

Iran signals willingness to strike Israel again if Hezbollah, Lebanon targeted: report

Iranian officials and media are suggesting Tehran’s recent missile strike on Israel is the start of a new deterrence strategy, Iran International reported Monday. 

Their message is that future attacks on Hezbollah or Lebanon could trigger direct Iranian retaliation, even if Iran itself is not targeted.

Supporters of the approach argue Iran must defend Hezbollah to keep its influence in the Middle East. 

Farda News, a website close to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said attacks on Lebanon would no longer be cost-free, while he wrote on X that Iran’s response would remain unchanged.

The report also said many ordinary Iranians are concerned about the risks, warning that further involvement in regional wars could bring greater instability, economic costs and the threat of a wider war impacting Iran

Posted by Emma Bussey

9 hours ago

CENTCOM chief updates congress on US military priorities in Middle East

Brad Cooper / Alex Wong / Getty Images

Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), briefed the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee on Monday about U.S. military operational priorities across the Middle East.

According to CENTCOM, Cooper met with lawmakers in Washington and is scheduled to provide a similar briefing to a Senate appropriations panel on Tuesday.

The congressional briefings follow testimony Cooper gave last month before the House and Senate Armed Services committees.

Posted by Emma Bussey

9 hours ago

Vance warns US won’t assume Iran is ‘acting in good faith’ in any potential nuclear deal

Vice President JD Vance said Monday that any potential nuclear deal with Iran woild need strict verification measures to ensure Tehran complies.

“The president’s attitude on this is we have to verify,” Vance told Jesse Watters.

“Of course, one of the most important things in determining whether this ultimate settlement is a success is not what the Iranians write on the paper, but whether they actually comply with some of the requirements of the settlement that we come up with,” he added before citing the Obama deal and “what went wrong with it.”

“There was not a proper inspection regime to ensure that the Iranians could never build a nuclear weapon,” Vance said.

Vance said the administration would approach any agreement with skepticism and prioritize monitoring.

“Assuming we’re ultimately able to make a deal, I don’t assume that anybody is acting in good faith.

“We’re going to take the attitude of accomplishing the president’s mission, but verify over the long term that the Iranians are keeping their end of the bargain,” he added.

Vance acknowledged the challenge of securing a durable agreement but said the Trump administration believes it has leverage to reach one.

“It’s a tall order, but it’s one that the president has put us in a good position to achieve. Because let’s be honest, the Iranians don’t want this war to continue.

“I think they’re coming to the table, putting some real things on the table. We’re, of course, going to verify it, but if we get this deal, it’s going to be a home-run win for the American people.” 

Posted by Emma Bussey

BREAKING NEWS10 hours ago

Trump predicts ‘total victory’ over Iran within two weeks as peace talks continue

President Trump

President Donald Trump said during a tele-rally Monday night that the United States would achieve “total victory” over Iran within two weeks.

According to NewsNation correspondent Libbey Dean, Trump predicted a swift end to the conflict, telling supporters, “You’re really going to win it over the next two weeks when we declare total victory. It will be a total victory and it will happen very soon.”

The comments came as The Associated Pressreported Monday that Iran and the United States continue to work toward a negotiated peace agreement.

Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, told the outlet he was hopeful Tehran and Washington would reach an agreement “very soon,” potentially by the end of the month. 

Posted by Emma Bussey

11 hours ago

Lebanon appeals to Israel to pursue dialogue, not war: report

Aoun / AP Photo / Hussein Malla

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun appealed to the Israeli government and its people in an interview with CNN on Monday, saying a military solution “will never provide you with security and safety” for residents of northern Israel.

“We are ready, we are willing, we are committed. Are you? If you are, let’s sit and talk,” Aoun said.

The Lebanese leader also said he would not meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before an agreement is reached to end the conflict. Aoun said such an agreement would take the form of a nonaggression pact rather than a full peace treaty.

The remarks came amid continued Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon.

Lebanese leaders who support negotiations with Israel have faced heavy criticism from Hezbollah and its supporters, as well as public campaigns that include what critics describe as incitement, according to Ynet.

“Negotiation is safer than war, but it will not solve the problem immediately,” Aoun said.

Posted by Emma Bussey