US Vice President JD Vance has warned that the American military is 'locked and loaded' for a resumption of war with Iran, despite claiming it is not a 'forever war.' In a White House briefing on Tuesday, Vance said 'a lot of good progress has been made' in negotiations with Tehran in recent days, despite suggestions by Donald Trump that he could order 'another big hit' on the country.
'This is not a forever war. We're going to take care of business and come home,' Vance added. Trump, he said, has advised his team to 'aggressively negotiate' with the Iranians.
Earlier, the US president claimed he was 'an hour away' from ordering a fresh volley of strikes on Iran in order to force Tehran to agree a deal, after he had reviewed the latest peace terms. He said Iran's leaders are begging to make a deal, but new strikes would be launched if a deal is not reached.
Iran Threatens Fees on Undersea Cables
Iran has threatened to impose tariffs on Strait of Hormuz submarine cables, which are crucial for the region's digital economy. After a sustained blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and leaving the world scrambling for oil and energy supplies, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) demanded 'protection fees' from foreign cable operators to provide them with permits to maintain seabed infrastructure.
The narrow waterway, already a chokepoint for global oil shipments, is equally vital for the digital world. Several fibre-optic cables snake across the seabed of the strait, connecting countries from India and Southeast Asia to Europe via the Gulf states and Egypt.
The state-affiliated media warned that damage to the cables could impact trillions of dollars in global data transmission and affect world connectivity, even as some experts say Iran is overestimating its influence in a bid to gain leverage against future attacks.
'We will impose fees on internet cables,' declared Iranian military spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari on X. The threat has raised concerns about potential attacks on critical infrastructure.
US Seizes Iran-Linked Oil Tanker
The US seized an Iran-linked oil tanker in the Indian Ocean overnight, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing three US officials. The tanker, known as the Skywave, was sanctioned by the US in March for its role in transporting Iranian oil. It was likely loaded with more than a million barrels of crude at Iran's Kharg Island in February, the report stated.
Vance: US and Iran Have Made 'Lot of Progress'
We've been hearing from US vice president JD Vance, who says Washington and Tehran have made a 'lot of progress' in recent peace talks. 'We think the Iranians want to make a deal,' Vance told reporters at a White House briefing.
If Iran is able to produce a nuclear weapon, Vance said, countries around the Gulf would then want their own weapon, then other countries across the world would as well. Tehran denies it is seeking to do so.
'We want to keep the number of countries that have nuclear weapons small, and that's why Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,' he said.
The United States wants Iran to work with Washington on a process to ensure that the Iranians would not rebuild their nuclear weapons capacity in the years to come.
'That's what we're trying to accomplish in negotiations,' he said.
When asked if Russia could take possession of Iran's enriched uranium, Vance said: 'That is not currently the plan of the United States government. The Iranians have not raised it.'
Small Airlines Urge EU to Reconsider Reforms Amid Iran Fuel Crisis
Smaller European airlines are urging EU officials to reconsider planned reforms to passenger compensation rights. The spike in jet fuel prices due to the Iran war, the firms argue, has left them with no room to take on additional financial burdens.
EU institutions are negotiating a reform of the bloc's decades-old passenger rights regulation, called EU261. Existing rules since 2004 allow air passengers to claim compensation for flights delayed by more than three hours from 250 euros (£216.53) and more depending on the flight length. The next round of talks is set for 2 June.
'We urge European policymakers to pause and reassess,' executives from 35 airlines including Air Serbia, SkyExpress, Luxair, Atlantic Airways and SprintAir said in a letter sent to EU officials on Tuesday. KLM Cityhopper and Air Corsica also signed the letter. The EU parliament wants to keep the threshold unchanged at three hours for short-haul flights while member states in the EU want it raised to four hours.
UK Inflation Rate Set to Fall as Lower Household Energy Bills Offset Fuel Surge
UK inflation is set to have eased last month as a drop in household energy bills offset a jump in fuel prices – but experts warned of turbulence ahead as the Iran energy price shock 'catches up' with the cost of living. Most economists think the rate of Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation slowed to 3 per cent in April, from 3.3 per cent in March.
This would mean that prices were still rising year-on-year, but at a slower rate than they were the month before. A big driver of the expected slowdown is set to come from Ofgem lowering its energy price cap from the start of April by 7 per cent, or £10 a month, for the average household using both electricity and gas.
Economic Fury: US Treasury Designates Prominent Iranian Exchange
The United States' Treasury has announced on Tuesday that it will designate a prominent Iranian foreign currency exchange house and associated front companies to prevent Iran and its armed forces from evading sanctions.
'Today, as a part of Economic Fury, Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control designated a prominent Iranian foreign currency exchange house and associated front companies that oversee hundreds of millions of dollars in transactions on behalf of sanctioned Iranian banks,' read a statement posted on X on Tuesday. 'Collectively, Iranian exchange houses facilitate billions of dollars in foreign currency transactions each year, enabling the regime and its armed forces to evade sanctions, access the international financial system, and move funds derived from oil and petrochemical sales.'
Europe Must Take Stronger Action in Enforcing Iran Sanctions - Bessent
US treasury secretary Scott Bessent has been discussing the enforcement of sanctions on Iran. He said European countries needed to take stronger action to close Iranian bank branches. Asian countries, Mr Bessent added, needed to better police Iran's tanker shadow fleet to prevent the transfer of oil to non-sanctioned vessels.
Israel Orders Further Evacuations of Lebanese Villages Despite Ceasefire
Israel has once again ordered the evacuation of several villages in the south of Lebanon, despite a ceasefire extension agreed last week. 'We reiterate our urgent warning to residents of Lebanon present in the following towns and villages: Toura, The Lower Nabatieh, Habboush, Al-Bazouriyeh, Tayr Debba, Kafr Huna, Ain Qana, Lubaya, Jibshit, Al-Shahabiyeh (Tayr Zibna), Burj Al-Shamali (Tyre), Houmin Al-Fawqa In light of the terrorist Hezbollah party's violation of the ceasefire agreement, the Defense Army is compelled to act against it forcefully,' Avichay Adraee wrote in a post on X on Tuesday, adding that the military 'does not wish to harm' anyone.
'For the sake of your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and stay away from the villages and towns by a distance of no less than 1000 meters to open areas. Anyone present near Hezbollah elements, their facilities, and their combat means exposes their life to danger.'
Iran Girls' School Was Located on Active Cruise Missile Base, Says CENTCOM Chief
US Central Command has said that the attack on a girls school in Minab was 'complex' as it was located on an active cruise missile base. An internal military investigation found that the US was responsible for the attack, which killed at least 175 people, mostly children.
