June 25, 2026
Dave DeCamp
Vice President JD Vance has said that during talks in Switzerland, Iranian officials agreed to establish a direct line of communication between Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the US military.
Dave DeCamp
Vice President JD Vance has said that during talks in Switzerland, Iranian officials agreed to establish a direct line of communication between Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the US military.
Vance told Sohrab
Ahmari, the US editor for UnHerd, that one of the things the US wanted to “come
out” of the talks with was a “channel on the Iranian side” for reducing
conflict.
“Which we did. They were like, ‘OK, fine, we’ll send somebody from the IRGC to go hang out in Doha with somebody from CENTCOM,’ and that’s how we’re going to settle a lot of these disputes,” the US vice president said during an interview conducted aboard Air Force Two on the flight home from Switzerland.
Flare-ups between the US and Iran remain possible, as the US hasn’t reduced its forces in the region and there appear to be differences between the two sides’ views on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. A direct communication channel between the two militaries, if implemented, could help de-escalate tensions after any flare-up to prevent the region from plunging back into full-scale war.
Vance also told Ahmari that Arab states like the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding “because of the conversations they’re having with the Iranians.”
“The Emiratis — by far the most hawkish, by far the most pro-Israel country in the [Gulf Cooperation Council] — they’re having conversations with the Iranians that have never happened before, including with the IRGC, about various types of economic incentives — ‘Here’s what we’d need to see to make your country investable’ — and the Iranians come back and say, ‘Okay, yeah, we’re willing to do all those things,'” Vance said.
The UAE had taken a much more offensive role in the US-Israeli war against Iran than the other Gulf Arab states, and as a result, it was pounded by Iranian missiles and drones. While more hawkish than other regional countries, Abu Dhabi, like the other Gulf countries, would likely prefer a diplomatic solution to a return to full-scale war since it would likely involve an escalation of Iranian attacks on oil infrastructure in the region.
The UK’s Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) initially reported the attack and said the vessel was transiting along a UN-approved route as it was struck, though IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the ship “did not transit under IMO’s evacuation framework.”
The UKMTO also said that the ship had been damaged but that there were no casualties among the crew. Around the time of the attack, Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), a newly created Iranian government agency, issued a warning to vessels in the region.
“PGSA advises that vessels passage outside designated routes are not covered by the Safe Passage Guarantee, insurance, or related liabilities. Any consequences arising from unauthorized routing shall be the sole responsibility of the vessel owner, charterer, and master,” the Iranian agency said.
Two US officials speaking anonymously to The Wall Street Journal blamed the attack on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the IRGC had warned ships earlier in the day against using a non-Iranian-approved route through the strait, but so far, there’s been no confirmation or denial from Tehran.
It’s unclear at this point how the US will react to the incident. After Iran announced it was re-closing the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend in response to Israel’s continued war in Lebanon, which is supposed to end under the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, President Trump threatened to restart the bombing campaign.
“Italy has never taken part in any military initiative and has never authorized the use of bases for war actions against Iran, in the strictest respect of the treaties with the United States,” Tajani said in a statement on his call with Araghchi.
Rutte’s comments came after Italian officials had repeatedly said Italy didn’t authorize direct military action to be taken against Iran from Italian soil, though the Italian Defense Ministry did acknowledge that “technical and logistical, non-kinetic, activities were authorized” during the bombing campaign.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday that Rutte gave a confused account of Italy’s role in US military operations and pointed out that her public spat with President Trump began when Italy refused to allow US bombers involved in the war to land at US bases in the country.
“In his — let’s call it enthusiastic — account, the secretary-general has lumped together things that are actually quite different from one another, confusing the types of authorized flights,” Meloni said.
“We did not participate in the conflict with Iran. By the way, if we had participated in the Iran conflict, there would be no explanation for this disappointment that the U.S. president keeps reiterating very often,” she added.
After the G7 summit in France, Trump claimed that Meloni had “begged” for a photo with him, a claim she strongly denied. Trump attacked Meloni in a post on Truth Social on Saturday and referenced her position on the war.
“She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a Nuclear Weapon (But so did NATO, for that matter!),” Trump wrote.
“She wouldn’t even let us use Italy’s landing strips or runways, a great logistical inconvenience, and this despite the fact the U.S. contributes hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year to protect Italy, and other ‘so-called’ NATO Allies. Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her ‘numbers up.’ No thanks!!!”
While Trump claims Meloni is losing popularity due to her lack of support for the conflict with Iran, polling in Italy shows the war is very unpopular. A poll from mid-April found that 79% of Italians disapproved of Trump’s handling of the war, which included 76% of center-right voters, Meloni’s base.
Lockheed Martin said in a press release about the contract that it will quadruple THAAD interceptor production over the next seven years. According to Breaking Defense, the weapons firm plans to increase annual production from 94 interceptors up to 400.
Lockheed initially announced plans to quadruple production in January of this year, before the current war, as the US had already used an enormous number of THAAD interceptors during the June 2025 war with Iran, known as the 12-Day War.
The THAAD system was first used by US forces in combat in late 2024 after the Biden administration deployed a battery to Israel. The purpose of the deployment was to prepare for potential Iranian retaliation for an Israeli attack that occurred in October 2024, but Iran didn’t respond, and the THAAD was later used to fire at missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah.
During the 12-Day War, the US fired about 150 THAAD interceptors to defend Israel, or about 25% of the total US stockpile of the munitions. Estimates for the use of THAAD interceptors in the current conflict range from 190 to 290, a rate that’s not sustainable at current production levels if the US plans to continue to use the air defense system in combat.
The Breaking Defense report said that Lockheed’s THAAD contract comes after the arms maker reached a deal with the Pentagon to increase production capacity for PAC-3 interceptors used in the Patriot missile defense system, resulting in a $4.7 billion contract.
Lockheed reached another deal to ramp up production of Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM), leading the US Army to award the firm a contract worth more than $13 billion. The PrSM was used by the US military for the first time in the Iran war, and according to an investigation from The New York Times, it struck a sports hall and school on the first day of the bombing campaign, part of an attack on the Iranian city of Lamerd that killed more than 20 civilians, including children.
More money will be going to weapons makers to replenish stockpiles used in the war with Iran, as the White House has asked Congress for roughly $70 billion in additional military spending to cover the costs of the conflict, including at least $21 billion for munitions.
“Which we did. They were like, ‘OK, fine, we’ll send somebody from the IRGC to go hang out in Doha with somebody from CENTCOM,’ and that’s how we’re going to settle a lot of these disputes,” the US vice president said during an interview conducted aboard Air Force Two on the flight home from Switzerland.
Flare-ups between the US and Iran remain possible, as the US hasn’t reduced its forces in the region and there appear to be differences between the two sides’ views on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. A direct communication channel between the two militaries, if implemented, could help de-escalate tensions after any flare-up to prevent the region from plunging back into full-scale war.
Vance also told Ahmari that Arab states like the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding “because of the conversations they’re having with the Iranians.”
“The Emiratis — by far the most hawkish, by far the most pro-Israel country in the [Gulf Cooperation Council] — they’re having conversations with the Iranians that have never happened before, including with the IRGC, about various types of economic incentives — ‘Here’s what we’d need to see to make your country investable’ — and the Iranians come back and say, ‘Okay, yeah, we’re willing to do all those things,'” Vance said.
The UAE had taken a much more offensive role in the US-Israeli war against Iran than the other Gulf Arab states, and as a result, it was pounded by Iranian missiles and drones. While more hawkish than other regional countries, Abu Dhabi, like the other Gulf countries, would likely prefer a diplomatic solution to a return to full-scale war since it would likely involve an escalation of Iranian attacks on oil infrastructure in the region.
US officials are
blaming the attack on Iran's IRGC
The UN’s
International Maritime Organization (IMO) said on Thursday that it paused an
effort to evacuate ships out of the Strait of Hormuz after a vessel was struck
off the coast of Oman, which came as Iran warned ships not to transit the
strait outside of routes it hasn’t approved.The UK’s Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) initially reported the attack and said the vessel was transiting along a UN-approved route as it was struck, though IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the ship “did not transit under IMO’s evacuation framework.”
The UKMTO also said that the ship had been damaged but that there were no casualties among the crew. Around the time of the attack, Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), a newly created Iranian government agency, issued a warning to vessels in the region.
“PGSA advises that vessels passage outside designated routes are not covered by the Safe Passage Guarantee, insurance, or related liabilities. Any consequences arising from unauthorized routing shall be the sole responsibility of the vessel owner, charterer, and master,” the Iranian agency said.
Two US officials speaking anonymously to The Wall Street Journal blamed the attack on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the IRGC had warned ships earlier in the day against using a non-Iranian-approved route through the strait, but so far, there’s been no confirmation or denial from Tehran.
It’s unclear at this point how the US will react to the incident. After Iran announced it was re-closing the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend in response to Israel’s continued war in Lebanon, which is supposed to end under the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, President Trump threatened to restart the bombing campaign.
Trump has been in
a spat with Italy's prime minister over Rome's denial of a request for US
bombers to land in Italy during the war
Italian Foreign
Minister Antonio Tajani spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on
Thursday and assured him that Italy didn’t support the US war against Iran
after NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte claimed that 500 US military aircraft
took off from bases in Italy during the US-Israeli bombing campaign.“Italy has never taken part in any military initiative and has never authorized the use of bases for war actions against Iran, in the strictest respect of the treaties with the United States,” Tajani said in a statement on his call with Araghchi.
Rutte’s comments came after Italian officials had repeatedly said Italy didn’t authorize direct military action to be taken against Iran from Italian soil, though the Italian Defense Ministry did acknowledge that “technical and logistical, non-kinetic, activities were authorized” during the bombing campaign.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday that Rutte gave a confused account of Italy’s role in US military operations and pointed out that her public spat with President Trump began when Italy refused to allow US bombers involved in the war to land at US bases in the country.
“In his — let’s call it enthusiastic — account, the secretary-general has lumped together things that are actually quite different from one another, confusing the types of authorized flights,” Meloni said.
“We did not participate in the conflict with Iran. By the way, if we had participated in the Iran conflict, there would be no explanation for this disappointment that the U.S. president keeps reiterating very often,” she added.
After the G7 summit in France, Trump claimed that Meloni had “begged” for a photo with him, a claim she strongly denied. Trump attacked Meloni in a post on Truth Social on Saturday and referenced her position on the war.
“She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a Nuclear Weapon (But so did NATO, for that matter!),” Trump wrote.
“She wouldn’t even let us use Italy’s landing strips or runways, a great logistical inconvenience, and this despite the fact the U.S. contributes hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year to protect Italy, and other ‘so-called’ NATO Allies. Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her ‘numbers up.’ No thanks!!!”
While Trump claims Meloni is losing popularity due to her lack of support for the conflict with Iran, polling in Italy shows the war is very unpopular. A poll from mid-April found that 79% of Italians disapproved of Trump’s handling of the war, which included 76% of center-right voters, Meloni’s base.
Under the contract
with the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency, Lockheed will quadruple the
production of THAAD interceptors
The Pentagon’s
Missile Defense Agency has awarded Lockheed Martin a $35 billion contract to
dramatically ramp up the production of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense
(THAAD) interceptors as the firm and other US arms makers are cashing in on the
Iran war.Lockheed Martin said in a press release about the contract that it will quadruple THAAD interceptor production over the next seven years. According to Breaking Defense, the weapons firm plans to increase annual production from 94 interceptors up to 400.
Lockheed initially announced plans to quadruple production in January of this year, before the current war, as the US had already used an enormous number of THAAD interceptors during the June 2025 war with Iran, known as the 12-Day War.
The THAAD system was first used by US forces in combat in late 2024 after the Biden administration deployed a battery to Israel. The purpose of the deployment was to prepare for potential Iranian retaliation for an Israeli attack that occurred in October 2024, but Iran didn’t respond, and the THAAD was later used to fire at missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah.
During the 12-Day War, the US fired about 150 THAAD interceptors to defend Israel, or about 25% of the total US stockpile of the munitions. Estimates for the use of THAAD interceptors in the current conflict range from 190 to 290, a rate that’s not sustainable at current production levels if the US plans to continue to use the air defense system in combat.
The Breaking Defense report said that Lockheed’s THAAD contract comes after the arms maker reached a deal with the Pentagon to increase production capacity for PAC-3 interceptors used in the Patriot missile defense system, resulting in a $4.7 billion contract.
Lockheed reached another deal to ramp up production of Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM), leading the US Army to award the firm a contract worth more than $13 billion. The PrSM was used by the US military for the first time in the Iran war, and according to an investigation from The New York Times, it struck a sports hall and school on the first day of the bombing campaign, part of an attack on the Iranian city of Lamerd that killed more than 20 civilians, including children.
More money will be going to weapons makers to replenish stockpiles used in the war with Iran, as the White House has asked Congress for roughly $70 billion in additional military spending to cover the costs of the conflict, including at least $21 billion for munitions.
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