Vice President JD Vance appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday to clarify that the United States is not at war with Iran, but specifically targeted Iran’s nuclear program in a high-stakes military strike ordered by President Donald Trump.
On CNN News Central Friday, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of long seeking to provoke a U.S. military conflict with Iran. The senator claimed Netanyahu had worked to sabotage peaceful diplomatic efforts and manipulate U.S. leadership into supporting war.
Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) has introduced a resolution aiming to rein in President Donald Trump's war powers amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.
Reporters say Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei personally commanded Iran’s military to launch missile and drone strikes against Israeli civilian population centers following recent Israeli airstrikes on Iran.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told President Trump on Saturday that Moscow is prepared to resume peace talks with Kyiv after June 22, once prisoner exchanges and body repatriations are complete. This marks the fifth call between the two leaders since Trump assumed office, reflecting his effort to reshape U.S.–Russia relations.
David Betz, a professor of war at King’s College London, has issued a sobering warning that civil war in Western nations—particularly in the United Kingdom—is no longer a remote possibility, but a growing likelihood. Speaking this week, Betz said that based on global civil conflict indicators, the UK and parts of Europe now show signs of being in a “pre-civil war” state.
Russia unleashed a massive overnight attack on Ukraine’s eastern city of Kharkiv early Saturday, killing at least three and injuring 21. The barrage included aerial glide bombs, cruise missiles, and drones—marking the most intense strike on the city since the war began in February 2022. Ukrainian officials confirmed 215 projectiles were launched, of which air defenses intercepted 87 drones and seven missiles.
Russia unleashed a deadly wave of drone and missile strikes across Ukraine on Saturday, killing at least two people, including a 9-year-old girl, as uncertainty looms over possible peace talks in Istanbul next week. Ukrainian officials say Russian forces launched 109 drones and five missiles overnight, with Ukrainian air defenses downing three missiles and 42 drones, while another 30 drones failed to reach their targets.
Russian occupation authorities have unveiled a bust of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin in the Ukrainian city of Melitopol, marking the first such monument erected in seized territory since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. The unveiling took place Thursday as part of Russia’s Victory Day celebrations, commemorating its role in defeating Nazi Germany during World War II.
President Donald Trump has indicated that the United States may withdraw from its role in mediating peace talks between Russia and Ukraine if significant progress is not achieved.
