JD Vance says Iran talks making 'good progress' but US remains 'locked and loaded'
We are closing this coverage now. For latest updates, click here.
The US Senate has advanced a measure seeking to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to launch future military action against Iran without congressional approval, passing the procedural vote 50–47.
The UN Security Council members strongly condemned the terrorist attacks that targeted the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, and emphasised the grave risks associated with targeting nuclear facilities.
The UAE also joined the Council members in calling for ensuring full accountability.
JD Vance told reporters he is “not certain” a deal with Iran will materialise, as cited "fractures" within Iran’s leadership, adding that Tehran’s negotiating position remains "unclear" amid mixed signals from different power centres in the country.
Vance, however, said he remains sufficiently optimistic to keep working toward an agreement as diplomatic efforts continue alongside military pressure.
US President Donald Trump stated that he has paused a planned military attack on Iran, saying he would "hold off" for a “limited period of time” to allow for ongoing negotiations — even as he warns a new strike could happen soon if talks fail.
Trump said he was reportedly “an hour away” from ordering a fresh assault before postponing it, and suggested the delay could last “two or three days, maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, something, maybe early next week — a limited period of time.” He stressed the pause is temporary because “we can’t let them have a new nuclear weapon.”
The UAE Ministry of Defence announced that over the past 48 hours, UAE air defence systems successfully detected and intercepted six hostile drones that attempted to target civilian and vital areas in the country.
US Central Command said its forces continue 'total enforcement' of the U. blockade targeting Iranian maritime activity, reporting that 89 commercial vessels have now been redirected to ensure compliance.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said the operation aims to stop the flow of commercial traffic into and out of Iranian ports, as part of ongoing enforcement measures in the region.
The command added that vessels are being diverted in coordination with maritime operations designed to restrict sanctioned shipping routes linked to Iran.
European aviation giant Airbus has asked its teams to cut "non-essential expenses" by 10 percent due to turbulence following the Middle East war, according to a document seen by AFP.
"We are asking for your support in adopting several cost containment measures to help our company navigate this unstable situation," it said.
"Our specific focus is on significantly pausing all activities and costs that are not strictly essential to our industrial activities and operations ... We aim to reduce these costs by -10% compared to the 2025 baseline."
Airbus, contacted by AFP, declined to comment.
The memo asked teams not to "engage in any new expenses or any subcontracting activities that are not strictly essential", singling out "team events, team boosters, corporate events, events for other stakeholders, and participation in conferences and events".
It also asked teams not to enter into new agreements or activities, and to cut travel costs.
The economic uncertainty caused by the Middle East war is weighing on the entire aviation sector, as well as on global supply chains in the industry.
At the end of April, Airbus was still planning to deliver a record 870 commercial planes in 2026.
US Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that a deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland had been delayed rather than canceled, but said Europe had to stand on its "own two feet."
Last week US officials said that the deployment had been scrapped, the latest move by President Donald Trump's administration to slash troop numbers stationed in European NATO allies.
Trump has appeared determined to punish allies who have failed to back the Middle East war or contribute to a peacekeeping force in the crucial Strait of Hormuz waterway, which Iran has effectively closed.
The Pentagon announced at the beginning of May that Washington would pull 5,000 troops from Germany.
US Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that Iran talks are making good progress but Washington was "locked and loaded" to restart military operations if there is no deal.
Vance's comments came hours after President Donald Trump said he had come within an hour of ordering fresh strikes and gave Tehran "two or three days" to reach an agreement.
"A lot of good progress is being made, but we're just going to keep on working at it, and eventually we'll either hit a deal or we won't," Vance told a briefing at the White House.
Vance - an Iran war-skeptic who led a US delegation to Pakistan in April for talks that failed to produce a deal - said Iran had to accept that it could not have a nuclear weapon.
"We're locked and loaded. We don't want to go down that pathway, but the president is willing and able to go down that pathway if we have to."
The United States seized an Iran-linked oil tanker in the Indian Ocean overnight, according to three US officials cited by The Wall Street Journal, in a move that comes as President Donald Trump threatens to resume military strikes against Iran amid escalating tensions.
The tanker, identified as the Skywave, had been sanctioned by Washington in March over its alleged role in transporting Iranian oil. Ship-tracking data showed the vessel sailing west of Malaysia on Tuesday after passing through the Strait of Malacca. According to brokers and data from Lloyd's List Intelligence cited by the newspaper, the tanker was likely carrying more than one million barrels of crude oil loaded at Iran’s Kharg Island in February.
