US vice president JD Vance has claimed that China is “willing to play ball” in efforts to economically isolate Tehran, despite Beijing previously declaring that US sanctions would not disrupt their trade with the country. He also claimed that the conflict between Washington and Tehran is “not a war”, in comments to reporters on Thursday. Right now, there is no active shooting,” he said at a White House press briefing.
Major combat operations… lasted for about six weeks.” Meanwhile, president Donald Trump insisted he had done the “right thing” with the war. It comes amid fears Trump is planning to extend Washington’s 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. The US treasury secretary says the EU has joined America’s campaign to put pressure on Iran’s economy.
In a post on X, Scott Bessent wrote: “The European Union has officially joined Operation Economic Outcast and we appreciate their strong and early stance. The United States stands firm with our allies in ensuring the murderous Iranian regime cannot exploit the global financial system to fund its nuclear ambitions, weapons programs, and terror proxies.” He added: “The world is sending a clear message to the Iranian regime: We will not stop until every remaining financial lifeline has been severed.” Earlier, the EU said in a statement that it would “work closely with the United States and other G7 and international partners to maintain pressure on Iran and contribute to de-escalation and regional stability”. Oil prices rose on Friday as renewed hostilities between the US and Iran raised concerns over possible disruptions to energy supplies.
Brent crude futures climbed 15 cents, or 0.2 per cent, to $95.67 a barrel by , while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained 26 cents, or 0.3 per cent, to $91.56. Both benchmarks were on track for their strongest weekly gains since mid-July. Brent has risen 7.1 per cent over the past week, while WTI is up 9.8 per cent, according to .
JD Vance has faced backlash after appearing to dismiss reports that a US strike killed five people, including two children, at a wedding gathering in southern Iran. When asked about whether a US strike was responsible, he said “sometimes things happen”. He said: “I will say that the Iranian state media has not been a very good scribe about what’s happened in the conflict thus far, so I’m extremely sceptical of this.” The toll was confirmed not by the Iranian government but by the Iranian Red Crescent, a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
We never have done that, and unfortunately, obviously, sometimes things happen.” Congressman Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, posted on X: “It’s unbelievable gaslighting.“This is war,” he added. He claims that we’re winning the war.” US Congresswoman Delia Ramirez has criticised US military action in Iran and Palestine, saying American bombs are killing civilians. She urged Congress to pass the “Block the Bombs Act” and accused the Trump administration of war crimes.
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