US Vice President JD Vance has postponed a trip to Switzerland for talks that were originally slated for Friday to discuss next steps on the US-Iran agreement on ending the war in the Middle East, according to the White House. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.
Pentagon tells US lawmakers it needs $80 billion for Iran war and other bills, WSJ reports
The US Department of Defense needs $80 billion to cover costs from the Iran war as well as other non-war-related bills, Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg told lawmakers in phone calls this week, the Wall Street Journal said on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Hezbollah says destroyed Israeli tanks as Lebanon reports 3 killed
Hezbollah said on Friday its fighters destroyed three Israeli tanks and that clashes were ongoing, hours after Lebanese state media reported that Israeli strikes in the south killed three people.
The fighting came a day after the United States and Iran signed an agreement to end the Middle East war on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, said on Friday that its fighters targeted “three Merkava tanks with guided missiles, which led to their destruction and setting them on fire”.
Trump envoy Witkoff says Iran will invite IAEA inspectors to visit nuclear sites
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff told members of Congress that Iran will invite the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect its nuclear sites and begin work on identifying and uncovering the locations of Tehran’s enriched material, which is believed to be buried under rubble.
Witkoff’s private briefing was described by two people familiar with the conversation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to share the closed-door details.
Witkoff told congressional leadership and members of national security-related committees that the agreement that the US struck with Iran did not include any side deals, but a side letter was drafted between Tehran and the IAEA extending the invitation.
Witkoff said the letter to IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi would enable him to bring US nuclear inspectors to Tehran.
Vance not flying Thursday night to Switzerland for Iran talks, says White House
US Vice President JD Vance has postponed a trip to Switzerland for talks that were originally slated for Friday to discuss next steps on the US-Iran agreement on ending the war in the Middle East, according to the White House.
“The logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable. As of now the Vice President is not departing tonight,” a White House spokesperson said late Thursday. “We look forward to beginning technical talks as soon as possible.”
Senators seek to block Hegseth travel funds until Pentagon releases report on Iran school strike
Senators are seeking to block Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel funds until the Pentagon submits several overdue reports to lawmakers, including its investigation into a deadly strike on an elementary school in Iran at the start of the US-Israeli war.
According to an annual defense authorization bill, filed this week, much of the travel funds for the defense secretary’s office may not be spent until Hegseth submits “unredacted civilian harm investigations,” including for the Feb. 28, 2026, strike on the Minab school. Officials have preliminarily said the US was responsible for the strike, which was blamed on outdated intelligence.
Iran‘s Supreme National Security Council said in a statement that the country’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority will take measures to issue fast authorisations to ships wanting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump said that the United States expects “a complete ceasefire on all fronts”, including Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Israel.
American forces lifted their naval blockade of Iranian ports after more than two months of preventing ships from sailing from or to the Islamic republic, the US military said.
