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US Vice President Vance emerges as key figure in Iran peace efforts: Report

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US Vice President JD Vance has taken a leading role in Washington’s efforts to broker peace with Iran, nearly a month into the ongoing conflict, according to US media reports on Friday.

An Axios report says Vance has been actively engaged in behind-the-scenes diplomacy, holding multiple discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and coordinating with Gulf allies, while maintaining indirect communication channels with Iranian officials.

The White House reportedly views Vance as a central negotiator due to his senior position and his skepticism toward prolonged military engagements, making him a suitable envoy for sensitive negotiations.

Vance’s efforts include coordination with countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, focusing on de-escalation, potential peace talks, and regional security.

US President Donald Trump formally confirmed Vance’s role on Thursday, noting that he is working alongside Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on ongoing negotiations and will brief officials on developments regarding Iran.

White House officials told Axios that Vance’s seniority and opposition to extended foreign conflicts make him a more appealing interlocutor for Iran than other envoys, with Witkoff recommending him as the lead negotiator. “If the Iranians can’t strike a deal with Vance, they don’t get a deal. He’s the best they’re gonna get,” a senior administration official said.

While Vance assumes a larger diplomatic role, Witkoff and Kushner continue handling negotiations. Reports of a confrontation between Vance and Netanyahu were dismissed by US and Israeli sources as inaccurate.

According to the report, Vance initially expressed skepticism about the war’s duration, objectives, and resource impact but supported a strategy of overwhelming force once Trump decided to proceed. Vance remains aligned with Israel while carefully navigating differences between US and Israeli objectives, advisers said.

“He has his own views, but he is going to work according to Trump’s instructions and try to achieve an outcome that the president likes,” a source close to Vance added.

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Norway to give over $9 billion to Ukraine in 2027

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and ​leaders from across the Nordic and Baltic region ​are visiting Kyiv on Sunday in a show of ⁠support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.

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Norway plans to give another 85 billion Norwegian crowns ($9.2 billion) in financial support ​to Ukraine in the 2027 fiscal year, in ‌line with the amount given in 2026, the Nordic country’s government said in a statement on Sunday.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and ​leaders from across the Nordic and Baltic region ​are visiting Kyiv on Sunday in a show of ⁠support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.

Norway plans to give another 85 billion Norwegian crowns ($9.2 billion) in financial support ​to Ukraine in the 2027 fiscal year, in ‌line with the amount given in 2026, the Nordic country’s government said in a statement on Sunday.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and ​leaders from across the Nordic and Baltic region ​are visiting Kyiv on Sunday in a show of ⁠support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.

Russia ​and Ukraine ⁠are both ramping up drone campaigns aiming to cripple each other’s economic infrastructure, often striking targets far beyond the frontlines ⁠of ​the war started by Moscow, as ​fighting on the battlefield grinds toward the 4-1/2-year mark.

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Israel strikes southern Syria; Damascus condemns attack

Israeli troops continue to operate in southern Syria, and ⁠Israel occupies ​territory in southwest Syria it ​seized after the toppling of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

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Israel said it targeted a “terrorist” in southern Syria on Saturday in what Syria’s foreign ministry ​said was a drone strike on a ‌civilian vehicle on the outskirts of Damascus in a “blatant” violation of its territory.

The Syrian foreign ministry said the drone ​had hit a civilian car on a ​road near Beit Jinn village in the ⁠countryside west of the capital, which caused injuries ​amongst civilians.

Syrian state TV reported one person was injured.

The ​Israeli military said in a statement that it fired in southern Syria toward what it described as a terrorist, ​whose activity posed an immediate threat to its ​soldiers. It did not say how it fired.

Tensions between Israel ‌and ⁠Syria flared up this week after Israel bombed an airbase in the northwest on Tuesday, an escalation U.S. special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, called “unnecessary.”

Syria’s foreign ​ministry said ​the strike ⁠was part of a pattern of repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian territory, and ​was a “blatant violation” of its sovereignty. ​It ⁠held Israel accountable for the consequences of such actions.

Israeli troops continue to operate in southern Syria, and ⁠Israel occupies ​territory in southwest Syria it ​seized after the toppling of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

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Trump says Iran ‘Not Ready’ for the right deal as war nears six-month mark

The continuing US-Israeli strikes on Iran, along with Israeli attacks on Lebanon, have reportedly killed thousands of people and displaced millions across the region.

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US President Donald Trump has said he does not believe Iran is ready to make what he described as the “right deal,” as the war between Tehran and Washington approaches its six-month mark, Reuters reported.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump said the United States was continuing to assess developments in the conflict when asked whether Washington’s military options against Iran had become limited.

“It just means that we’re seeing what happens,” Trump said.

Trump also claimed that the United States had “total control” over the region surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically vital waterway that previously carried around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28.

“They would love to make a deal, but they’re not ready to make the right deal, in my opinion,” Trump said.

The remarks come after Washington pledged this week to impose what it described as the toughest financial penalties in history against Iran, with the stated aim of increasing pressure on the country’s leadership, read the report.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said further details of the planned sanctions would be announced on Monday, following Trump’s warning that any country providing “any type of lifeline” to Iran could face serious economic consequences.

Meanwhile, disruptions to energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have continued as Iran retains missile and drone capabilities that have affected oil tanker traffic in the waterway.

Iran responded to the initial attacks on February 28 with strikes on Israel and Gulf states hosting US military bases.

The continuing US-Israeli strikes on Iran, along with Israeli attacks on Lebanon, have reportedly killed thousands of people and displaced millions across the region.

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