Vance says ‘no chance’ US will get into prolonged Middle East war amid Iran tensions

As President Donald Trump pressures Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions amid rising tensions, Vice President JD Vance told The Washington Post there is “no chance” the U.S. will enter a yearslong war in the Middle East.

“The idea that we’re going to be in a Middle Eastern war for years with no end in sight — there is no chance that will happen,” Vance said on Thursday, according to the outlet.

“I think we all prefer the diplomatic option,” he said, according to the Post. “But it really depends on what the Iranians do and what they say.”

“I do think we have to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. I also think that we have to avoid overlearning the lessons of the past. Just because one president screwed up a military conflict doesn’t mean we can never engage in military conflict again. We’ve got to be careful about it, but I think the president is being careful,” Vance told the outlet.

Fox News Digital reached out to Vance’s office and the White House on Friday morning.

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Trump said during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, “My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy. But one thing is certain: I will never allow the world’s number-one sponsor of terror — which they are by far — to have a nuclear weapon.”

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In a Truth Social post regarding Iran on Monday, the president said that he “would rather have a Deal than not but, if we don’t make a Deal, it will be a very bad day for that Country and, very sadly, its people, because they are great and wonderful, and something like this should never have happened to them.”

Pakistan declares ‘open war’ on Afghanistan in response to Taliban’s retaliatory strikes

Pakistan’s defense minister declared an “open war” with Afghanistan on Friday after the two sides exchanged heavy fire along their shared border on Thursday, according to multiple reports.

Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said in a post on X that Pakistan had hoped the Taliban would bring stability after NATO’s withdrawal, but instead accused the group of turning Afghanistan “into a colony of India” and “exporting terrorism.”

“Our patience has now run out. Now it is open war between us,” he said.

The clashes came after the Taliban said it launched retaliatory strikes on Pakistani military positions, while Islamabad said it was responding to unprovoked fire in the area.

Reuters reported that both forces clashed for more than two hours along their roughly 2,600-kilometer (1,615-mile) border, threatening a ceasefire that had been agreed to in 2025 after fighting.

Thursday’s flare-up came after Pakistani forces carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan earlier this week, with Taliban officials saying the strikes killed at least 18 people, Reuters reported Feb. 24.

Pakistan said it targeted militant hideouts and rejected claims that civilians were targeted.

The Taliban described an “extensive” military operation against Pakistani army positions in response to the strikes.

“In response to repeated provocations, extensive preemptive operations have been launched against Pakistani military positions along the Durand Line,” Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on X.

 In a separate statement, he said “specialized laser units” were operating at night.

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Taliban military spokesman Mawlawi Wahidullah Mohammadi also said in a video shared with Reuters that the “retaliatory operation” began Thursday evening.

Mujahid said “numerous” Pakistani soldiers had been killed and some were also captured. Reuters said it could not independently verify those claims.

In another post on X, Mujahid said, “The cowardly Pakistani army has bombed some places in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia. Praise be to God, no one was harmed.”  

Pakistan has since rejected the Taliban’s account. 

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said on X that the Afghanistan Taliban’s “unprovoked action along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border” was given an “immediate and effective response.”

The ministry said Taliban forces had “miscalculated and opened unprovoked fire on multiple locations” along the border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The post said the fire was being met with an “immediate and effective response by Pakistan’s security forces.”

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“Early reports confirm heavy casualties on the Afghan side with multiple posts and equipment destroyed,” the ministry said. 

“Pakistan will take all necessary measures to ensure its territorial integrity and the safety and security of its citizens.”

Pakistani security sources also told Reuters that 22 Taliban personnel had been killed, and several quadcopters were shot down.

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The fighting follows Pakistan’s accusations that the Taliban is sheltering TTP militants behind a surge in violence and suicide attacks. 

The Afghan Taliban denies the claim. A day before February’s strikes, Pakistani officials said they had “irrefutable evidence” that militants were launching attacks from Afghan soil, Reuters reported.

Former Israeli prime minister argues Iran is trying to ‘buy time’ with Geneva talks

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett isn’t convinced the Iranian regime is sincere about ongoing talks with the United States about its nuclear program.

“I think Iran is going to try and do what they always do, which is buy time until they’re out of the water,” Bennett told Fox News host Brian Kilmeade Thursday on “Fox & Friends.”

Thursday’s talks, mediated by Oman, were held in Geneva and centered around Iran’s nuclear program. 

They came as the United States has built up a significant amount of military assets in the Middle East.

Oman’s foreign minister said after Thursday’s meeting that “significant progress” was made and “discussions on a technical level will take place next week in Vienna,” according to reporting from Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst. 

President Donald Trump made the desired outcome of the talks clear during his State of the Union address, emphasizing that he “will never allow the world’s No. 1 sponsor of terror … to have a nuclear weapon.”

Former Israeli Prime Minister Bennett believes the regime is set on its nuclear ambitions. 

“They are rebuilding nuclear capabilities as we speak,” he said, pointing to recent observed activity near the Natanz facility, which was struck in June 2025 by Israeli and U.S. forces. 

“A nation that does not seek nuclear weapons doesn’t need any enrichment within its country,” he said. “The only reason a regime is doing it is because it wants nuclear weapons.” 

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi declared Tuesday on X that “Iran will under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon,” saying Iranians have the right to harness “peaceful nuclear technology for our people.” 

Bennett does not believe those claims.

“As of now, Iran is pursuing intercontinental ballistic missiles,” he claimed, clarifying that “in simple English,” they are missiles that could land in “New York or Tennessee or California.” 

“The only reason a nation develops this sort of thing is for a nuclear war tip,” he said. “This is the time to act.” 

Israel’s 13th prime minister argued “there will be no point in history where Iran is at such a vulnerable point” after anti-government protests that left thousands dead. 

Bennett said the regime murdered “32,000 of its own citizens” and thousands of Americans and Israelis over the years through its proxies that he calls a “terror octopus.” 

One of those octopus arms is on Israel’s northern border in the form of the Lebanese Iranian-backed group Hezbollah, which was crippled by Israeli strikes and the 2024 assassination of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah. 

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“Do you believe Hezbollah won’t get involved, or do you believe you’re going to be attacked by what’s left of Hamas and Hezbollah, should the shooting start?” Kilmeade asked Bennett. 

“I don’t know. We have to be prepared one way or another,” Bennett said. “The 10 million Israelis living here in Israel, we are the boots on the ground of the free world.

“But we understand that it’s a price that we are willing to pay in order to remove this threat from the world.” 

Kennedy warns ayatollah wants to ‘drink our blood out of a boot’ as Iran tensions escalate

A Senate Republican warned Thursday that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s primary focus is shedding American blood as U.S.-Iran relations continue to simmer. 

“The ayatollah not only thinks that I’m going to hell because I don’t agree with his religion — he wants to kill me,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said on the Senate floor Thursday.

“He wants to kill Americans and the Israelis and anybody who does not believe in his jihad and drink our blood out of a boot,” Kennedy continued. “And he’s acted on that, and that’s not acceptable.”

Kennedy’s message comes as tensions with Iran are escalating. At the core of the issue is Iran’s capability and Khamenei’s desire to build a nuclear weapon.

President Donald Trump gave the country’s leadership roughly 10 to 15 days to reach a nuclear agreement and warned that the inability to strike a deal could lead to U.S. military action in the region.

He renewed that edict during his State of the Union address earlier this week.

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“I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror … to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

Kennedy cautioned that if the Trump administration were to broker a deal, it would need to have guardrails.

“If we make a deal with Iran, let’s make sure we have a protocol to enforce it because, in my experience in watching the Ayatollah through the years, I wouldn’t trust this man if he was three days dead,” he said.

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Lawmakers are wrestling with the exact nature of what a strike could look like and whether Congress should weigh in before Trump makes a decision.

Senators Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., expect that their Iran war powers resolution will hit the Senate floor next week, which would curb Trump’s ability to strike the country without Congress’ approval.

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the most important aspect of the Iran negotiations was “to prevent them from having nuclear capability.”

“But there are also other threats that they represent in the region, and we have a big presence in that region, as you know. So, I think they’re looking at and working through what the options might be,” Thune said. 

“In my view, if you’re going to do something there, you better well make it about getting new leadership and regime change.”

Iran rejects Trump demands despite ‘significant progress’ in nuclear talks

Talks between Iran and the U.S. wrapped up in Geneva Thursday as officials cited “significant progress” and announced a next meeting set for Vienna within days.

Yet despite senior U.S. officials describing the third round as “positive,” per Axios, Iranian state television also reported that Tehran will continue enriching uranium and rejected proposals to transfer it abroad.

According to The Associated Press , the reports claimed Iran would also push for the lifting of international sanctions — signaling it is not prepared to meet President Donald Trump’s demands.

The negotiations were carried out primarily indirectly, with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi relaying messages between the two sides.

In a post on X, al-Busaidi confirmed that the round had concluded and said discussions would resume soon.

“We have finished the day after significant progress in the negotiation between the United States and Iran,” he said on X.

“We will resume soon after consultation in the respective capitals. Discussions on a technical level will take place next week in Vienna. I am grateful to all concerned for their efforts: the negotiators, the IAEA, and our hosts, the Swiss government,” al-Busaidi said.

There was no immediate public statement from U.S. or Iranian officials after the session.

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Trump’s special Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, attended the three-hour negotiations with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi was also involved, with Iranian officials presenting a draft proposal for a potential nuclear agreement with the U.S., which has key demands.

Iran insists it has the right to enrich uranium and has appeared to refuse to negotiate over other issues, including its long-range missile program and support for armed groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.

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Trump, meanwhile, insists on a deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program. In his State of the Union address Feb. 24, the president said he prefers a diplomatic solution.

“My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy, but one thing is certain: I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon,” the president said. “Can’t let that happen.”

As the Geneva talks unfolded Thursday, Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also wrote on X that if the main U.S. concern is preventing a nuclear weapon, that stance “aligns” with Khamenei’s fatwa and Iran’s defensive doctrine.

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He added that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has “sufficient support and authority” to come to a final agreement in the talks.

The development came as the U.S. continues assembling military assets, including a fleet of aircraft and warships in the Middle East.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

Massie-led push to handcuff Trump on Iran gets Jeffries’ backing

A resolution led by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., aimed at curbing President Donald Trump’s war powers in Iran is getting the blessing of the House of Representatives’ top Democrat.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., released a statement alongside other Democratic leaders Thursday announcing that they will force a vote on Massie’s resolution next week.

“As soon as Congress reconvenes next week, we will compel a vote of the full House of Representatives on the bipartisan Khanna-Massie War Powers resolution,” the joint statement read.

“This legislation would require the President to come to Congress to make the case for using military force against Iran. The Iranian regime is brutal and destabilizing, seen most recently in the killing of thousands of protesters. However, undertaking a war of choice in the Middle East, without a full understanding of all the attendant risks to our servicemembers and to escalation, is reckless.”

Jeffries and other top Democrats argued that any military force against Iran would be illegal without approval from Capitol Hill.

“We maintain that any such action would be unconstitutional without consultation with and authorization from Congress. Next week, every Member will have the opportunity to go on the record as to whether they support military action against Iran absent Congressional approval,” they said.

Massie cited Congress’ war powers in the Constitution in unveiling the legislation earlier this month alongside Khanna.

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“Congress must vote on war according to our Constitution,” he posted on X. “[Khanna] and I will be forcing that vote to happen in the House as soon as possible. I will vote to put America first, which means voting against more war in the Middle East.”

But other Republicans, like House Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., are opposed to the resolution.

“This is not a war powers resolution, telling the President how he can protect our country. This is a surrender document to the Ayatollah, signed by a bunch of cowards, telling the President that no matter what Iran does, he cannot defend America,” he told Fox News Digital.

There are multiple mechanisms for forcing a vote over the will of House leadership. But the quickest route is called a “privileged resolution,” which mandates that a specific piece of legislation is considered by the full chamber within two legislative days of its introduction.

Before a vote on the measure itself, however, House GOP leaders can call for a preliminary vote to “table” the legislation or refer it to the relevant committee, both ways of effectively killing those resolutions. 

It’s considered easier for lawmakers in the majority party to vote to kill resolutions on that procedural vote before they have to take a vote on the bill itself.

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Privileged resolutions, which are traditionally seldom used, have gained popularity in recent years as Republicans grapple with a razor-thin House majority.

In this case, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., can only afford one GOP defection if all Democrats vote to proceed with blocking Trump’s war powers. 

Because Massie is already likely to vote with the minority party, all remaining Republicans in the chamber must vote in lockstep to block the resolution.

Trump ally Orban issues scathing letter demanding Zelenskyy change Ukraine’s ‘anti-Hungarian policy’

Hungary is beefing up security at its energy sites as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán accuses Ukraine of threatening his country’s energy supply. Orbán — a vocal ally of President Donald Trump — published a scathing open letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which he accused Kyiv of pursing an “anti-Hungarian policy.”

“In recent days, you have blocked the Friendship oil pipeline, which is critical to Hungary’s energy supply,” Orbán’s open letter, which he published on X, read. “Your actions are against Hungary’s interests and endanger the secure and affordable energy supply of Hungarian families. I therefore call on you to change your anti-Hungarian policy!”

On Wednesday, Orbán ordered increased security at critical energy infrastructure sites, The Associated Press reported. The prime minister’s order came as Budapest accused Ukraine of blocking the Druzhba pipeline, through which Russian oil is delivered to Hungary, but it crosses Kyiv’s territory. Ukrainian officials have denied the allegations, according to the AP, saying that the pipeline was hit in a Russian drone attack.

In a video posted on social media, Orbán claimed Ukraine was using an “oil blockade” to pressure Hungary and that Hungarian national security services showed Ukraine was “preparing further actions to disrupt the operation of Hungary’s energy system,” the AP reported.

“We will deploy soldiers and the necessary equipment to repel attacks near key energy facilities,” Orbán said, according to the AP. “The police will patrol with increased forces around designated power plants, distribution stations and control centers.”

The accusations lobbed against Ukraine also come as Orbán faces an upcoming election. As the election nears, Hungary has seen billboards across the country showing AI-generated images of Zelenskyy holding out his hand as if asking for money while surrounded by European officials, according to the AP.

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Hungary recently threatened to block a proposed €90 billion European Union loan to Ukraine — worth roughly $106 billion — over the blockade of the Druzhba pipeline.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Friday that “Ukraine is blackmailing” his country and that Kyiv was coordinating with Belgium and the Hungarian opposition to “push fuel prices higher before the elections.”

“By blocking oil transit to Hungary through the Druzhba pipeline, Ukraine violates the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, breaching its commitments to the European Union. We will not give in to this blackmail,” Szijjártó added.

Orbán also accused Ukraine, the Hungarian opposition and Belgium of coordinating to exert pressure on Budapest.

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In the letter released Thursday, Orbán, who has a close relationship with the Kremlin, also said Ukraine had refused “to accept the position of the sovereign Hungarian government and the Hungarian people regarding the Russia–Ukraine war.” Additionally, he accused Ukraine of trying to “force Hungary” into the war with Russia.

“We, the Hungarian people, are not responsible for the situation in which Ukraine finds itself. We sympathize with the Ukrainian people, but we do not wish to participate in the war. We do not want to finance the war effort, and we do not want to pay more for energy,” Orbán wrote.

The Hungarian prime minister ended his letter with demands that Ukraine reopen the oil pipeline and “refrain from any further attacks on Hungary’s energy security,” as well as a demand for “more respect for Hungary.”

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Neither Zelenskyy’s office nor the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.