Iran war day 76: Vance says progress made in talks; Israel pounds Lebanon

US Vice President JD Vance says advancement is being made successful talks with Iran to extremity the warfare arsenic President Donald Trump begins his authorities sojourn to China.

United States Vice President JD Vance has said helium believes progress is being made successful negotiations with Iran, contempt President Donald Trump rejecting Tehran’s latest connection arsenic unacceptable. The comments travel arsenic diplomatic efforts proceed to forestall a illness successful the fragile ceasefire betwixt Washington and Tehran.

Meanwhile, Brigadier-General Mohammad Akrami Nia says Iran’s subject remains astatine “the highest level of readiness”, informing that “there is nary country for retreat” arsenic tensions with the US persist. Iranian officials person continued to awesome they are prepared to respond to immoderate escalation.

Separately, Israel says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a “secret” sojourn to the United Arab Emirates during the warfare connected Iran, wherever helium met the UAE president, according to the Israeli premier minister’s office. The UAE has denied that the travel happened.

Here is what we know:

In Iran

• Iran warns states ‘colluding’ with Israel: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said countries moving with Israel against Tehran volition beryllium “held to account”, aft Israel revealed Netanyahu visited the UAE during the war. Araghchi accused states of helping “sow division” alongside Israel, calling specified actions “unforgivable”.

• Iran gives World Cup send-off to nationalist team: Crowds gathered successful Tehran’s Enghelab Square to observe Iran’s nationalist shot squad up of the 2026 World Cup, waving flags arsenic players appeared connected signifier successful reddish and achromatic tracksuits. Iranian shot federation president Mehdi Taj said the squad would correspond “the people, the country’s fighters, the person and the country”, portion immoderate fans carried placards honouring erstwhile Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the war.

War diplomacy

• Vance says US is ‘making progress’ successful talks: The US vice president says helium believes advancement is being made successful negotiations with Iran. “I deliberation that we are making progress. The cardinal question is, bash we marque capable advancement that we fulfill the president’s reddish line?” Vance told reporters astatine the White House. “And the reddish enactment is precise simple. He needs to consciousness assured that we enactment a fig of protections successful spot specified that Iran volition ne'er person a atomic weapon.”
• China whitethorn question concessions implicit Iran role: Analysts accidental China could request concessions from the US, perchance connected Taiwan, successful speech for utilizing its power to unit Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, arsenic Washington urges Beijing to play a greater relation successful easing tensions linked to the war.
• Iran warfare to formed a shadiness astatine BRICS meeting: Iranian overseas curate Araghchi arrived successful New Delhi precocious connected Wednesday nighttime to correspond Iran astatine the BRICS overseas ministers’ meeting.

In the Gulf

• Netanyahu’s UAE visit: The Israeli Prime Minister held a “secret” gathering with the UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, his bureau said. “The sojourn marked a historical breakthrough successful relations betwixt Israel and the United Arab Emirates.”

• UAE denies Netanyahu sojourn claims: The UAE has rejected statements from Netanyahu’s office. In a connection carried by authorities quality bureau WAM, the UAE said reports of a Netanyahu sojourn oregon the beingness of an Israeli subject delegation were “baseless”, stressing that its ties with Israel nether the Abraham Accords are nationalist and “not based connected secrecy oregon clandestine arrangements”.

In the US

• Senate backs Trump: US senators narrowly rejected a solution curbing President Trump’s powerfulness to wage warfare connected Iran – their archetypal ballot connected the struggle since a 60-day deadline expired for the White House to question ceremonial authorisation.
• Trump dismisses China relation connected Iran: The US president said Washington does not request Beijing’s assistance to extremity the warfare successful Iran oregon reopen the Strait of Hormuz, up of his China visit. “We’ll triumph it 1 mode oregon the other, peacefully oregon otherwise,” Trump said, portion analysts successful Tehran said the acme was not seen arsenic a menace to beardown Iran-China ties.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has defended the warfare connected Iran, claiming this clip that Tehran was gathering a immense arsenal arsenic a prelude to a atomic weapon, which Tehran has ever denied it is trying to obtain. “Iran was gathering up a accepted capability, wherever they would person truthful galore missiles and truthful galore drones, that they could overwhelm anyone’s defences,” Rubio told Fox News.

In Lebanon

• Israel-Lebanon talks: Officials from Lebanon and Israel volition convene successful Washington, DC, aboriginal connected Thursday for a caller circular of bid negotiations arsenic their “ceasefire”, which is successful sanction lone and owed to expire, remains technically progressive contempt Israel sidesplitting dozens of Lebanese radical daily.
• Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reports that a bid of Israeli overnight and aboriginal greeting attacks person targeted aggregate locations crossed confederate Lebanon.
• Hezbollah connected Thursday said it has carried retired respective attacks connected Israeli service positions successful oregon adjacent the confederate Lebanese municipality of Biyyada.
• Lebanon says 10,000 homes hit: More than 10,000 homes person been damaged oregon destroyed successful Lebanon since a ceasefire successful the warfare betwixt Israel and Hezbollah, the caput of the country’s National Council for Scientific Research said.
• At slightest 12 killed successful Lebanon – Israel intensified strikes connected Lebanon with the Ministry of Public Health reporting 12 radical were killed successful attacks connected Wednesday, mostly southbound of Beirut, contempt a ceasefire betwixt Israel and Hezbollah.