Vance said that if he were serving in Israel's cabinet, he would not be "attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world." He also noted that much of Israel's defensive arsenal had been "built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars."

The accord, signed electronically by both leaders, is intended to serve as a framework for a broader settlement rather than a final agreement, with both sides expected to hold technical talks in the coming weeks.

The content of the agreement, which follows weeks of fraught negotiations and periodic threats from Trump of fresh hostilities unless Iran reached a deal, remained unclear.

Mediators voiced growing optimism that weeks of negotiations were nearing completion, while competing narratives from Washington and Tehran underscored lingering disagreements.

Speaking at an Oval Office event, Trump said Washington had achieved a "great settlement" and expressed confidence that an agreement extending the fragile ceasefire established in April could be finalized within days.

Trump also told aides he would not resume all-out war with Iran unless Tehran killed U.S. troops, while U.S. Central Command denied an Iranian claim that it had targeted a U.S. military vessel in the Gulf of Oman.

The measure establishes a new cybersecurity clearinghouse involving federal agencies and industry partners, reflecting growing concerns about advanced AI systems' potential to expose critical software vulnerabilities.

Beirut was bracing for a possible Israeli bombardment on Monday after Israel announced plans to strike the city's southern suburbs, raising fears that the fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah could unravel.

Israeli and US officials had initially viewed former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a potential figure to lead Iran following the outbreak of war, according to a report by The New York Times.

Iran, which said its proposals presented to Washington included sanctions relief, the release of frozen funds, warned it would “open new fronts” against the United States if attacks resumed.

Pakistan is continuing to play a behind-the-scenes diplomatic role between the United States and Iran as tensions remain high over the ongoing conflict and negotiations.

US President Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping wants the Strait of Hormuz reopened, following talks between the two leaders in Beijing that focused heavily on the Iran conflict and disruptions to global energy supplies.

The Pentagon on Tuesday revised the estimated cost of the war on Iran to nearly $29 billion, roughly $4 billion higher than the figure presented two weeks ago during Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s earlier testimony before Congress.

Shipping disruptions, sanctions and worsening humanitarian fears deepen global anxiety as Washington rejects Tehran’s latest peace proposal over nuclear concessions.

The United States on Friday announced a fresh round of sanctions targeting people and companies in China, Hong Kong, Belarus, and the United Arab Emirates for allegedly helping Iran acquire supplies and military equipment for its missile and drone programs.

Iran has put forward a fresh 14-point proposal to the United States, calling for a resolution of tensions within 30 days and a complete end to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, according to state-linked media reports.

Mohammad Jafar Asadi's remarks came after Trump's assertion that he was dissatisfied with Iran’s latest offer, delivered through Pakistani mediators. Trump said he preferred a negotiated settlement but made clear military action remained an option.

US President Donald Trump has told Congress that he does not need authorisation for military action against Iran, arguing that hostilities have effectively ended.

US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran is in a “state of collapse” and said Tehran has approached Washington seeking relief from the US blockade on Iranian ports.

The exchange came as regional tensions remained high and Iran intensified diplomatic efforts to secure a broader halt to hostilities, dispatching Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Pakistan and preparing for talks in Moscow.

The truce, brokered by the United States, is intended to halt cross-border fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. Scenes of relief emerged across parts of Lebanon as the ceasefire took effect. Local reports said celebrations broke out in some areas, while displaced civilians began preparing to return to their homes...

Iran has conveyed a fresh proposal to the United States through Pakistani intermediaries, seeking an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and bring the ongoing war to an end, according to an Axios report.

More than 3,000 rallies were held across all 50 states, with participation estimates ranging from several million to as many as eight million people, reports said.

With airspace across parts of the Middle East locked down and thousands of flights cancelled or delayed, King Khalid International Airport remains one of the few major hubs still operating.

Negotiations between Tehran and Beijing began at least two years ago but gained momentum after a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran in June, a Reuters report said.

Indirect talks in Geneva have yielded what officials call “guiding principles” for a possible agreement, but the framework remains skeletal and major gaps still separate US demands from Iran’s red lines.

Speaking in Washington before representatives from nearly 50 countries, Trump said nine member states had committed more than $7 billion toward a relief package for the war-battered Gaza Strip.

In interviews with Israeli media, Trump warned of consequences if negotiations fail. “Either we reach a deal or we'll have to do something very tough,” Israel's Channel 12 quoted him as saying.

Iran and the US resumed indirect nuclear talks on Monday in Muscat under Omani mediation, marking the first round of diplomacy in nearly eight months.

The discussions took place in Muscat, with the US delegation led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and the Iranian side headed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Iran's supreme leader on Sunday likened recent anti-government protests to a "coup", warning that any US attack on the Islamic republic following Washington's military deployments in the Middle East would trigger a regional war.

Gold and silver prices dived Friday, European stock markets ended the week up while Wall Street fell slightly with investors reassured by US President Donald Trump's pick to take over as head of the Federal Reserve.

In his latest post on Truth Social, Trump did not mention the protests but said Iran needed to negotiate a deal over its nuclear programme, which the West believes is aimed at making an atomic bomb.

A US naval strike force led by an aircraft carrier was in Middle Eastern waters on Tuesday as Iran vowed to hit back against any strike and President Donald Trump said he believed the Islamic republic still wanted talks.

A US naval strike group led by an aircraft carrier has deployed to Middle Eastern waters, the United States said Monday, as Tehran warned it was ready to hit back at any American attack launched in response to a crackdown on anti-government protests.

While turbulence over Trump's ambitions for Greenland and pressure on the Federal Reserve have provided the most recent support for gold, the precious metal has, for two years, achieved all-time peaks on factors ranging from strong central bank demand and elevated inflation.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reopen the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt during talks in Jerusalem, Israeli media reported Sunday.

A next round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the US to halt the war will continue in Abu Dhabi on February 1 a US official said on Saturday.

A group of leaders and senior officials from 19 countries -- including Trump allies from Argentina and Hungary -- gathered on stage with Trump to put their names to the founding charter of the body.

Trump's quest to take control of Greenland, which he said was needed for national and international security, dominated his address to the World Economic Forum as he returned for the first time in six years.

The US president, who will address the annual gathering of global elites on Wednesday, has put the transatlantic alliance to the test with his demand to take over Greenland.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to join US President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace" aimed at resolving conflicts globally and  oversee governance and reconstruction in Gaza, the Kremlin said Monday.

The White House said there would be a main board, chaired by Trump himself, a Palestinian committee of technocrats meant to govern the war-wracked territory, and a second "executive board" that appears designed to have a more advisory role.

Trump aimed his ire at Denmark, a fellow NATO member, as well as several European countries that have deployed troops in recent days to the vast, mineral-rich territory at the gateway to the Arctic with a population of 57,000.

Two diplomatic sources told AFP on Thursday that the security posture at Qatar's Al-Udeid Airbase had been lowered after a number of personnel had been told to leave on Wednesday over the regional tensions.

The most contentious questions remain Hamas's refusal to publicly commit to full disarmament, a non-negotiable demand from Israel, and Israel's lack of clarity over whether it will fully withdraw its forces from Gaza.

Widespread jamming of the Starlink satellite internet service used by some Iranian opposition members is a likely first in peacetime but impossible to sustain nationwide, experts told AFP.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell confirmed the "unprecedented" subpoenas against the bank in a rare video address on Sunday, which he blasted as part of Trump's pressure campaign for aggressive rate cuts.

President Donald Trump reposted a social media message on Sunday suggesting that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, born to Cuban immigrant parents, would become the next leader of Cuba.

The communist-run island near Florida has been a US foe and ally of Caracas for decades, but Trump has ramped up his threatening language in recent days -- particularly after Washington toppled Venezuela's leftist leader Nicolas Maduro.