Vance trip – Vice President JD Vance’s planned trip to Switzerland for the next round of U.S.-Iran talks has been delayed, even as Israel resumes strikes in Lebanon. The White House says negotiations are still moving, while Lebanese health officials report deaths and injur
For a moment this week, it looked like the U.S.-Iran peace deal could set a new rhythm—talks, technical planning, and a hard pivot away from escalation. But the ground keeps testing the promises.
Vice President JD Vance was expected to head to Switzerland for the next round of talks with Iran, yet Swiss officials confirmed the talks have been delayed, without saying why. The timing lands in the middle of Israel’s renewed air campaign against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
The contradiction is stark: a halt to fighting in Lebanon was included in the agreement Trump and Iran’s president signed earlier this week. but Israel launched new strikes anyway. The White House insists the process is still moving forward. In a statement from a spokesperson. the administration said the “logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable. ” and said technical talks are expected to begin as soon as possible.
On the ground, the fighting is not waiting for diplomatic calendars.
Lebanese health officials said strikes across southern Lebanon have killed at least 18 people and injured more than 30 others. Israel’s military also said an attack on an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) tank killed four of its soldiers. Even as officials said preparations for future talks continue. the violence the deal was supposed to end persists—making the delay in Switzerland feel less like scheduling and more like a stress test of the agreement itself.
Vance’s message toward Israel has added to that tension. A day after the U.S. and Iran signed their initial peace deal, Vance used the White House briefing room to deliver a blunt warning to members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government who have been attacking the agreement.
The remarks came after Axios reported Netanyahu and members of his cabinet expressed fury over the deal. Vance said Netanyahu has not personally taken that tone with him, but he made it clear he was frustrated with criticism coming from other Israeli officials. He told the briefing room:
“What I will say. and this does bother me. is that you have seen people within Bibi’s cabinet who have come out and attacked the deal. and in some ways very personally attacked the president of the United States. And I guess my message to them would be twofold. Number one, Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment
in time. And he happens to be the head of state of the world’s superpower. If I were in the cabinet of the Israeli government. I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world. And the second message I would give to some of those cabinet members. Bibi. to his credit. has not gone down this path. but to some of these cabinet members in Israel
who are attacking the president of the United States. the other thing that I would say is that over the last three months. two-thirds of the defensive weapons that have protected your homeland have been built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars. The problem for Israel is not Donald J. Trump. and anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the president of the United States needs to wake up
and smell the reality of the situation that the country is in. Thank you all.”.
The comments were described as some of the sharpest public remarks the White House has directed toward Israel since the war began. During the same briefing. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social. urging all sides to let the peace process “beautifully unfold. ” and said he expects a complete ceasefire across the region.
Iran, for its part, projected a different posture. Iranian state media quoted a foreign ministry spokesman saying the war did not bring Iran to its knees. but instead made the country “more powerful” both militarily and diplomatically. The spokesman. Baghaei. said the enemy harmed Iran. took noble lives. and wounded Iran—yet “the war they imposed did not bring us to our knees; it only made us MORE #powerful. both militarily and diplomatically.”.
Storms flooded homes across the South and the danger did not fully recede. The remnants of former Tropical Storm Arthur pushed across the southeast, bringing flooding, damage, and water rescues. In rural Louisiana, more than two feet of rain fell in just 48 hours, flooding at least 200 homes in Avoyelles Parish. Mississippi was also hit.
Life-threatening floodwaters trapped people at a campground. where rescuers used canoe paddles to break through RV windows to reach those stranded inside. The floods swept away cars and mobile homes, and some areas received up to ten inches of rain. A road crew member died during cleanup operations in Franklin County while officials evacuated about 30 homes near the Anchor Lake Dam as a precaution. Forecasters said the system would continue tracking east. keeping the threat of heavy rain and flash flooding in parts of the southeast through Friday.
The Pentagon’s decision to make flu shots optional is now colliding with the reality of close quarters. Two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ended the military’s flu shot requirement and made the shot voluntary. the Air Force faces a major outbreak at its largest basic-training base. Nearly 160 trainees have been sickened by the flu at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. the primary training center for new Air Force and Space Force recruits.
The New York Times first reported the spread through a basic training unit where recruits live in close quarters. sleep in open bays. and eat together in large dining facilities. The policy shift came less than two months earlier, when Hegseth scrapped the long-standing flu vaccine requirement. In April, Hegseth said:.
“Our new policy is simple. If you. an American warrior entrusted to defend this nation. believe the flu vaccine is in your best interest. then you are free to take it; you should. But we will not force you. Because your body, your faith, your convictions are not negotiable to your health. It’s common sense; it’s the kind of common-sense approach we’re undertaking in this department.”.
Since the policy took effect, only about 40% of Air Force trainees had chosen to get the vaccine. Now the Air Force has made an exception: officials reinstated a flu shot requirement for all new recruits at Lackland while medical teams work to contain the outbreak. The Air Force said sick trainees have been isolated and treated with antiviral medication.
The Pentagon defended the policy change, saying the decisions were based upon thorough risk assessments and were designed to maximize operational readiness, lethality, and force generation, while safeguarding at-risk populations.
Even as U.S. officials work to keep diplomacy moving and the military manages public health in real time, other headlines landed with their own sense of fracture—starting with what’s appearing on a national monument.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has shown fresh damage just days after crews finished cleaning up a major algae bloom. Visitors have spotted a tear in the new protective coating applied to the bottom of the pool as part of a recent $14 million renovation. That discovery comes just days after the pool turned bright green from an algae outbreak. prompting crews to remove the growth and treat the water with large amounts of hydrogen peroxide.
Trump ordered the pool’s floor to be coated in what he described as “American flag blue” as part of a broader effort to refresh monuments and public spaces ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday. Now some visitors are questioning whether the project has delivered the results. Robert Dale of Colorado said during his visit to the monument, “I want my money back after seeing this. I think that it was a huge waste of money to begin with. And I think our resources could be used a lot better elsewhere.” Aaron Weiss of Colorado said. “The Trump administration operates at the sweet spot of malice and incompetence. and this is just the incompetence on display. This is now getting close to $15 million going to this pool. This very fancy vinyl coating in American flag blue. It didn’t last a week before it came up here.”.
The cleanup of the reflecting pool began in April as part of Trump’s efforts to improve the architecture in and around Washington to mark the nation’s 250th birthday.
Back across the ocean, a British election result added fuel to leadership speculation. Andy Burnham. the mayor of Greater Manchester and a longtime Labour Party heavyweight. won a special election in northwest England on Thursday. claiming a seat in parliament with about 55% of the vote. The win immediately fueled speculation about Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s future. as Starmer has been dealing with falling poll numbers. political setbacks. and discontent inside his own party.
Labour could replace its leader without holding a general election, if the party chooses a new leader while maintaining its parliamentary majority—meaning the seat Burnham now holds could carry more weight than its single district suggests.
“Everyone knows that politics isn’t working,” Burnham said. “Everyone can feel that the country isn’t where it should be. Tonight could — just could — be the turning point.” Starmer congratulated Burnham after the victory. saying voters backed the Labour Party’s message of “hope and optimism.” Burnham is expected to take his seat in parliament as early as next week.
United States politics U.S.-Iran peace talks JD Vance Switzerland talks delayed Israel Lebanon strikes Hezbollah White House negotiations flu outbreak Lackland Air Force Base Pete Hegseth flu vaccine optional Gulf Coast flooding Tropical Storm Arthur Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation damage Andy Burnham special election