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  • ‘She folded like an umbrella’ – Trump slams Jeanine Pirro over Reflecting Pool case

    ‘She folded like an umbrella’ – Trump slams Jeanine Pirro over Reflecting Pool case

    Former U.S. President Donald Trump has launched a stinging public criticism of former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, using a vivid metaphor to mock her role in the high-profile case of a former Olympian charged with defacing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. In a public statement, Trump compared Pirro’s handling of the situation to a folding umbrella, implying she caved quickly under pressure and failed to stand by the narrative that had been pushed around the case.

    The case took an unexpected turn recently when federal prosecutors officially dropped all criminal charges against the former Olympic athlete, who had been accused of vandalizing the iconic National Mall landmark. Prosecutors did not dispute that damage occurred at the site, but they placed the blame squarely on third-party contractors, pointing to the contractors’ rushed and shoddy construction work as the actual cause of the damage visible at the Reflecting Pool.

    The dismissal of charges has sent ripples through political and media circles, with Trump taking the opportunity to lash out at Pirro, who had previously amplified claims supporting the vandalism accusation against the former Olympian. The sudden collapse of the case has also sparked new questions about how the accusation was initially brought forward, and the role of media figures and political actors in shaping public perception of the incident before all evidence was fully examined.

  • Watch: Texas sinkhole swallows pickup truck

    Watch: Texas sinkhole swallows pickup truck

    A dramatic incident in Texas has gone viral after newly released footage captured a large sinkhole completely swallowing a full-size pickup truck, leaving onlookers stunned by the sudden geologic hazard. The shocking clip, which has circulated widely across local social media channels, shows the passenger vehicle plunged nose-first into the unexpected ground collapse, with its front end fully submerged in the hollowed opening and only a small portion of the truck’s rear frame visible above ground.

    Emergency response teams and roadside recovery crews were quickly dispatched to the scene to address the safety hazard and extract the trapped vehicle. After securing the surrounding area to prevent bystanders from getting too close to the unstable ground, crews brought in a heavy-duty tow truck to complete the delicate recovery operation. The step-by-step process, documented in the same video footage, shows the tow truck’s powerful winch system securing a firm hold on the sunken pickup before gradually lifting the vehicle back out of the sinkhole to solid, stable ground.

    Local authorities have not yet released information about any injuries reported in connection with the incident, nor have they shared details on what may have caused the ground collapse in the area. Sinkholes are a relatively common geologic occurrence in parts of Texas, often triggered by prolonged drought, heavy rainfall that erodes underground soil layers, or aging underground infrastructure that fails over time. Officials have urged residents in the region to stay alert for any signs of ground shifting in their neighborhoods and report any unusual depressions or soft spots to local public works departments immediately.

  • Washington state wildfires force 60,000 people to evacuate homes

    Washington state wildfires force 60,000 people to evacuate homes

    A devastating outbreak of wildfires across Washington state has triggered the largest evacuation in the region’s recent history, forcing more than 60,000 residents to flee their homes as flames destroy hundreds of structures and cripple local infrastructure. As of Monday, three large uncontrolled blazes were still raging on the outskirts of Spokane, Washington’s second-most populous city, with emergency officials warning that containment remains far out of reach.

    Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown labeled the event “the worst natural disaster our region has ever faced”, noting that assessment teams are still working to map the full scale of destruction and have not ruled out potential fatalities. To date, no official deaths or injuries have been confirmed by authorities. Across the entire state, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources reports a total of 16 active wildfires burning across more than 250,000 acres of land. The destruction extends far beyond charred wilderness: an estimated 600 buildings, including residential homes and local commercial properties, have been reduced to ash, and local utility provider Avista Utilities confirms more than 10,000 customers remain cut off from electrical power.

    Footage captured from Spokane shows towering plumes of black smoke billowing over residential neighborhoods, with fire crews operating helicopter water dumps to slow flames advancing toward occupied homes. The conditions that allowed the fires to spread so rapidly were predicted days in advance: the U.S. National Weather Service issued an “extremely critical” fire weather warning ahead of the weekend, noting that high gusty winds paired with record-dry vegetation would create ideal conditions for fast-moving wildfires. Meteorologists and climate scientists warn that these extreme conditions are becoming increasingly common, pointing to human-caused climate change as a key driver of warmer, drier summers, more frequent intense heatwaves, and longer, more severe droughts that set the stage for catastrophic wildfire seasons.

    Washington Governor Bob Ferguson has already signed a declaration of statewide emergency to free up additional state resources, and confirmed Sunday that he has formally requested federal disaster assistance following a conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump. Speaking to media, Mayor Brown emphasized that public compliance remains critical to avoiding loss of life, urging at-risk residents to remain alert, follow evacuation orders promptly, and stay patient as first responders work to get the blazes under control. She also highlighted the enormous strain the disaster has placed on local support systems: “While local communities have stepped up with incredible generosity, and our first responders are working 24 hours a day, we need outside support to address the scale of mass displacement, the shortage of emergency housing, and the growing need for basic essential supplies for displaced residents.”

    While forecasters predict calmer, lighter winds for Monday, they have also warned that temperatures are set to climb again later this week, which could reignite active flames and speed new spread across dry unburned areas.

  • Blanche withdraws Trump fund plan in writing, ahead of AG confirmation vote

    Blanche withdraws Trump fund plan in writing, ahead of AG confirmation vote

    A months-long political standoff over the permanent appointment of U.S. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has taken a critical turn, after Blanche formally abolished a controversial administration-proposed fund that had derailed his confirmation for weeks. The proposal, once tied to a legal settlement between President Donald Trump and the Internal Revenue Service, had sparked bipartisan backlash over fears it would open the door to compensating rioters charged in the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol attack.

    First unveiled earlier this year as part of a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” plan attached to Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his personal tax returns, the fund was framed by the administration as a mechanism to compensate allies who claimed they faced politically biased prosecutions under previous presidential administrations. Beyond Capitol riot defendants, the original deal also included provisions that would have shielded Trump, his family members and their private business entities from future IRS audits of past tax filings.

    The proposal faced immediate pushback from across the political spectrum. Democrats uniformly condemned the plan as a self-serving giveaway to Trump allies that would reward people convicted of violent actions during the Capitol riot. Even some Republican lawmakers raised sharp concerns, with two GOP senators — John Cornyn and Thom Tillis — blocking Blanche’s confirmation vote over verbal assurances that the fund had been scrapped. The pair argued that public statements were not enough to guarantee the plan would not be revived later, and demanded formal, written confirmation that the proposal was permanently dead, alongside changes to the IRS immunity language that narrowed its overly broad scope.

    In a series of posts to X Sunday evening, Blanche addressed both of the holdouts’ core concerns. The acting attorney general wrote that he had held multiple closed-door meetings with Senate Judiciary Committee members over recent weeks to answer outstanding questions and resolve lingering worries. Attached to one post was an official signed order stating clearly: “This Order establishes, beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund.” In a second post, Blanche confirmed he had revised the language around IRS audit protection to narrow its scope, meeting the senators’ demand for clarification.

    A spokesperson for Cornyn confirmed to CBS News, the U.S. partner of the BBC, that the senator had reached a formal agreement with the Department of Justice on the issue, clearing the path for a confirmation vote. Tillis has not yet issued an official public response to Sunday’s developments, but prior comments from the senator left little doubt about his opposition to the original fund: he previously described the proposal as a “payout pot for punks” and called the confirmation impasse “unfortunate”, noting he viewed Blanche — Trump’s former personal lawyer — as qualified for the role despite his objections to the plan.

    Trump himself had sent mixed signals about the plan and Blanche’s nomination in the days leading up to Sunday’s announcement. On Friday, he told reporters the fund was “dead”, but just days later threatened to revive the proposal if Senate Republicans failed to advance Blanche’s confirmation. He also openly floated the idea of withdrawing Blanche’s nomination entirely after weeks of stalled negotiations.

    Now, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a meeting Tuesday that is expected to include a formal vote on advancing Blanche’s nomination to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote. The formal abolition of the fund removes the last major barrier to Blanche taking the role of attorney general on a permanent basis, ending a weeks-long intra-Republican standoff that had put the nomination in doubt.

  • Trump suggests new talks with Iran to begin on Monday

    Trump suggests new talks with Iran to begin on Monday

    On a Sunday flight aboard Air Force One, U.S. President Donald Trump made a sweeping announcement that new negotiations with Iran will kick off Monday afternoon, just days after he abruptly called off what he described as a “massive, unprecedented” military strike against the Islamic Republic that was already positioned and ready to launch.

    Speaking to reporters traveling with him, Trump confirmed that Iranian officials and key U.S. Middle Eastern allies had formally requested he delay the planned attack after preliminary agreement on core parameters for a potential diplomatic deal had been reached. “They saw the attack building, so they knew exactly how large it would be,” Trump told reporters. “Negotiations start tomorrow afternoon, and we will see how they progress. I’m not setting an artificial deadline for an agreement. We are fully prepared to resume military action at any moment if talks fall apart, but that is not the outcome I want – I have no interest in loss of life.”

    The U.S. leader specifically named Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, alongside United Arab Emirates and Qatari leaders, as key regional partners that urged him to hold off on weekend strikes. “We were completely locked and loaded to go,” he said. “They asked to hold off because they believe a deal is within reach. We already have a framework for an agreement on Strait of Hormuz shipping, and we will reach a deal on Iran’s nuclear program as well.”

    Trump also emphasized that calling off the strike, which he claimed would have been the largest U.S. military attack on a single target since World War II, was necessary to preserve the fragile path to diplomacy that has opened after months of escalating conflict. When pressed if the planned strike had targeted Iranian energy infrastructure – a move that international law experts have warned would qualify as a war crime that endangers civilian energy access – Trump declined to comment.

    However, Tehran has pushed back directly against Trump’s narrative. Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency dismissed the president’s claim that Iran requested a delay to strikes as “nothing but a new lie.” Despite that denial, Iranian state media reported Sunday that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed negotiations mediated by Oman focused on securing a Strait of Hormuz shipping agreement are “on track for finalization.”

    Iran’s acting Defense Minister Majid Ibn al-Reza reiterated Tehran’s position that all American military threats are taken seriously, regardless of whether they are framed as psychological warfare. “We will not be caught off guard, and we will not remain passive in the face of any aggression,” he stated.

    Following Trump’s announcement of incoming talks, global energy markets reacted positively in early Monday Asian trading. International benchmark Brent Crude dropped 4.5% to $83.98 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 4.6% to $80.74 per barrel. Energy prices have swung wildly since the latest conflict between the U.S. and Iran began in February, driven by investor fears over disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that carries roughly 20% of the world’s total crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.

    Trump’s shift from aggressive military rhetoric to diplomacy follows a well-established pattern of the president’s approach to the conflict. Just this past Saturday, he posted to Truth Social warning that the U.S. was prepared to launch an attack on Iran “at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II,” only to reverse course hours later and announce he was cancelling the strike for “the future benefit of the world and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran.”

    This back-and-forth is not new. Back in April, Trump issued an extreme warning that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” if Iran refused to enter peace talks, while also threatening to destroy Iranian civilian infrastructure and power plants. That threat did eventually lead to historic face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan led by Vice President JD Vance, but those talks ultimately failed to produce a binding agreement.

    To date, the Trump administration has not released details on where Monday’s talks will be held, nor who will represent the two sides in the negotiations. The ongoing conflict and its economic fallout have become increasingly unpopular with U.S. voters, according to multiple national polls, including disapproval from a large share of Republican voters. The low approval ratings for Trump’s handling of the conflict have sparked growing concern among conservative political strategists ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections. This report includes additional reporting from Peter Hoskins.

  • Ariana Grande pulls out of musical for break from ‘endless’ scrutiny

    Ariana Grande pulls out of musical for break from ‘endless’ scrutiny

    Global pop superstar Ariana Grande has announced she will step away from the public eye and exit a highly anticipated West End musical production once her current world tour wraps up, ending months of growing speculation over her well-being amid relentless public attention.

    The 33-year-old Grammy-winning singer, whose latest studio album *Petal* dropped just two days ago, has faced heightened online and tabloid scrutiny over her physical appearance and personal health in recent years. That speculation exploded in recent days after promotional materials for the new record sent social media discussions about her body trending. A spokesperson for Grande confirmed the star’s plans to *People* magazine, noting that she will pull back from public visibility following the conclusion of her *Eternal Sunshine* tour next month, a break prompted by what the representative called “endless, ongoing public scrutiny.”

    Grande was originally attached to star as Dot in a major 2027 revival of Stephen Sondheim’s beloved 1984 musical *Sunday in the Park with George*, scheduled to run at London’s iconic Barbican Centre. She was set to share the stage with her *Wicked* movie co-star Jonathan Bailey, who would portray the iconic pointillist painter Georges Seurat in the production. On the heels of Grande’s public break announcement, the show’s producing team, Empire Street Productions, confirmed her exit and expressed full backing for her decision.

    “Following this evening’s announcement from Ariana Grande’s team, we can confirm that she has decided to step back from *Sunday in the Park with George*,” a representative for the production told the BBC. “We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support. We wish her nothing but the best.” The production will move forward with a new casting search to fill Grande’s role, the team confirmed.

    Grande’s representative pushed back against harmful speculation about the singer’s health, emphasizing that she remains in good shape as she finishes the final leg of her demanding tour. The *Thank U, Next* and *7 Rings* hitmaker’s *Eternal Sunshine* tour is a physically demanding production that requires high-level athletic performance night after night, and the representative confirmed she has consistently delivered successful, healthy shows throughout the run. The star looks forward to wrapping the tour “on a high note, both healthily and happily” before beginning her planned break from public life, they added.

    The BBC has reached out to Grande’s representatives for additional comment following the announcement, which has drawn widespread support from fans across social media who have echoed calls for less invasive scrutiny of celebrities’ personal lives and bodies.

  • How ransom notes could help catch Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapper

    How ransom notes could help catch Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapper

    Half a year after 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of prominent American news anchor Savannah Guthrie, was abducted from her Arizona residence, law enforcement has taken a new step to generate leads in the stalled investigation: releasing two authenticated ransom notes linked to the kidnapping, hoping distinctive linguistic patterns in the documents will help identify the perpetrators.

    Guthrie went missing from her Tucson-area home in January this year, launching a months-long probe that has yielded little in the way of solid leads or persons of interest. The two notes, both sent to local Tucson television stations in early February, carry conflicting core claims: the first, sent February 2, demands a multi-million dollar ransom paid in Bitcoin, assures the Guthrie family that Nancy was alive but unhurt, and threatens to kill her if payment is not received by a specified deadline. The second, dated February 6, claims Guthrie died of an undiagnosed heart-related issue shortly after being taken, and states her body was buried in an unmarked natural location. Local authorities have not independently confirmed Guthrie’s death as of the release date.

    Investigators are pinning new hope on forensic linguistic analysis of the notes, arguing that every individual carries a unique “language fingerprint” — called an idiolect — that can distinguish their writing from that of any other person, even when the writer attempts to hide their natural style. William Eggington, a retired Brigham Young University linguistics professor and veteran forensic consultant, broke down key clues hidden in the short documents for the BBC.

    Eggington’s analysis identifies multiple revealing patterns in the first note. The writer’s consistent reliance on passive voice and structured “if-then” sentence construction suggests they have at least a high school education, and may have completed some post-secondary schooling. A notable inconsistency also appears: the writer correctly spells “received” in one sentence, but misspells it later in the text. Eggington says this inconsistency indicates either a lack of familiarity with the word’s correct spelling, or that the writer failed to closely proofread the final document before sending it.

    In the second note, Eggington points out that the writer refers to Guthrie exclusively in the third person, framing her death as the result of her own unaddressed health issues rather than a consequence of the kidnapping. This, he argues, works to dehumanize Guthrie and deflect responsibility for her death from the kidnappers. The note also uses unusually formal, restricted academic phrasing that may not reflect the writer’s natural voice, indicating a likely attempt to disguise their idiolect to avoid detection.

    Despite the potential for disguise, Eggington confirms one key finding: the same person wrote both notes. He cites consistent stylistic quirks, most notably the repeated habit of using a comma where a full stop is grammatically required to separate two independent clauses, as clear evidence of a single author.

    Forensic teams will use these small, unique details to build a behavioral and linguistic profile of the kidnapper. Once a person of interest is identified — either through investigative work or a tip from the public — investigators can compare the suspect’s known writing samples to the ransom notes to find a match. This method has led to successful arrests in high-profile cases before: in 1995, the Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski was identified after his brother recognized his unique writing style in the manifesto Kaczynski forced major publications to publish.

    Still, some criminology experts are skeptical that the notes will break the case open. Jeffrey Adler, a University of Florida professor who studies the history of American crime, points out that kidnapping is an extremely rare offense in the U.S., with most incidents involving internal family custody disputes rather than stranger abductions for ransom. With six months already passed and no solid leads to work from, Adler calls the odds of identifying the kidnapper via the notes “a stretch.”

    Police confirmed they consulted extensively with the Guthrie family before agreeing to release the redacted ransom notes to the public. Hours after the release, Savannah Guthrie issued an emotional public appeal for information, saying her family is desperate for answers and urging anyone who recognizes the writing style, or has any information related to the abduction, to come forward to authorities.

  • China: UN a solid platform for AI cooperation

    China: UN a solid platform for AI cooperation

    Two weeks after Shanghai wrapped up the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, China’s top envoy to the United Nations has reaffirmed the global body’s central role as the leading platform for international collaboration on shaping the future of artificial intelligence governance.

    Speaking at a briefing hosted by China’s UN mission at UN headquarters on Friday, Ambassador Fu Cong outlined China’s commitment to working with all nations through the UN framework, guided by core principles of openness, open-source collaboration, and inclusive mutual benefit. Fu emphasized that the landmark Shanghai gathering was far more than just a forum for dialogue—it created new pathways to break down barriers and enable the free global flow of AI-focused innovation resources.

    “Above all, the conference centered on the defining question of our era: how can we steer AI development to deliver shared prosperity and benefit for every person across the world?” Fu told attendees drawn from more than 70 countries and international organizations. He detailed the vision for global AI governance laid out by Chinese President Xi Jinping, which rests on four key pillars: driving innovation-led growth, upholding human oversight and AI security, fostering cross-civilizational exchange and learning, and strengthening inclusive multilateral governance frameworks.

    A signature outcome of the Shanghai conference was the launch of the World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO), the world’s first intergovernmental international body dedicated exclusively to advancing AI collaboration. Fu described the new entity as a tangible response to growing calls from Global South nations for more equitable AI development, and a critical milestone in uniting countries around shared goals for inclusive progress and coordinated governance.

    To date, 29 countries have signed WAICO’s founding convention, and Fu stressed that the organization remains open to all nations seeking to participate. He clarified that WAICO is structured to complement, rather than compete with, existing UN efforts in AI governance, with a core focus on expanding global capacity building, facilitating policy dialogue, advancing technical cooperation, and scaling responsible AI applications.

    “China is fully prepared to deepen policy coordination, institutional partnership, and on-the-ground collaboration with the United Nations, and to support the UN in expanding its central role in global AI governance,” Fu added. “We view the UN as the primary channel and core platform for multilateral AI governance worldwide.”

    Addressing questions around AI regulation, Fu noted that governments face a critical balancing act between nurturing innovation and mitigating emerging risks. “Overly restrictive regulation will suffocate creative progress,” he explained, “but turning a blind eye and letting unregulated development run wild exposes entire societies to the inherent dangers of ungoverned AI.”

    Amandeep Gill, UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ envoy on technology, joined the briefing and praised the Shanghai conference as a transformative step forward for global AI cooperation. Gill noted that the event set a new standard for international collaboration by placing capacity building for developing nations at the top of the global AI agenda, a shift he described as “qualitatively different” from previous gatherings. He echoed Fu’s affirmation of the UN’s central role, noting that Guterres has prioritized advancing AI capacity, safety and sustainability globally, and that all complementary international initiatives should center the UN as the inclusive, multilateral home for global AI governance.

    Representatives from across every inhabited continent weighed in at the briefing, with many highlighting the unique barriers that Global South nations face in accessing AI opportunity. Moses Jere, counselor and cyber-digital expert with Zambia’s UN mission, noted that limited access to computing infrastructure is the single biggest bottleneck holding back AI progress across most African nations – not a lack of ambition or local technical talent.

    “African nations have the drive and the people to lead in AI, but we lack the foundational computing infrastructure, high-quality datasets, and harmonized standards we need to compete,” Jere explained. “The commitments made in Shanghai to expand access to these critical resources and develop inclusive AI standards are genuinely transformative for our region.”

    Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, called the launch of WAICO both timely and consequential, saying the new body fills a critical gap by giving Global South nations a dedicated platform to build their domestic AI capacity and advance shared development. Ahmad stressed that developing countries need more than just access to finished AI products built in wealthy nations – they need support to build their own AI ecosystems, including access to data, computing capacity, open models, development tools, and sustained technical assistance to adapt AI to local needs.

    “In this respect, the outcomes of the Shanghai conference and high-level meeting deliver a clear, action-oriented roadmap to advance inclusive global progress,” Ahmad said.

    Other participating representatives echoed widespread support for WAICO, calling for all initiatives agreed in Shanghai to be translated into tangible, on-the-ground capacity building support for developing nations. The shared overarching goal across speakers was to make AI development more inclusive, broadly accessible, and mutually beneficial for all countries, regardless of their current level of economic or technological development.

  • Washington state wildfires trigger evacuations

    Washington state wildfires trigger evacuations

    Wildfire season has brought unprecedented emergency conditions to Washington State, as fast-spreading blazes have scorched more than 250,000 acres of land across the region, prompting state officials to order widespread evacuation orders and leaving thousands of residents without access to electrical power. The scale of the infernos has stretched emergency response resources thin, with flames advancing through dry, vegetation-heavy landscapes that have been primed for rapid spread by record-high temperatures and prolonged drought conditions that have gripped the Pacific Northwest in recent months. Local emergency management teams have been working around the clock to move vulnerable residents out of harm’s way, set up temporary emergency shelters for displaced people, and coordinate with fire crews from neighboring regions to contain the blaze’s expansion. Power infrastructure has been heavily impacted by the advancing fires, with utility providers forced to shut down transmission lines and distribution networks to avoid further damage or safety hazards to workers and residents. As firefighters continue to battle the multiple concurrent blazes, authorities are urging residents in at-risk zones to stay alert, adhere to evacuation orders immediately, and prepare for potential extended disruptions to basic services before containment efforts can be completed.

  • Trump cancels Iran strikes subject to deal being made ‘rapidly’

    Trump cancels Iran strikes subject to deal being made ‘rapidly’

    In a sudden reversal of escalating military rhetoric, U.S. President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he has called off planned large-scale military strikes against Iran, on the condition that a new diplomatic agreement is reached “rapidly” between the two nations. The announcement comes just days after multiple U.S. media outlets confirmed that Washington and its ally Israel had finalized plans for one of the most intense bombing campaigns against Iranian energy infrastructure in the history of the ongoing conflict.

    The breakthrough announcement, shared via a post on Trump’s social platform Truth Social, revealed that Iran and regional Middle Eastern stakeholders had requested Washington delay military action after agreeing to the core outlines of a potential new deal. “We are locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War Two,” Trump wrote in the post. “I have been asked to hold off any attack, and I have agreed. Cancelling this strike will serve the future benefit of the world, and likewise the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran.”

    This pattern of bellicose threats followed by a last-minute turn to diplomacy is not unprecedented for the current U.S. administration. Back in April, Trump issued an apocalyptic warning that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” if Iran refused to enter peace talks, a threat that included open promises to target civilian infrastructure and power plants – a move widely condemned by international legal experts as a potential war crime. That warning did ultimately lead to historic face-to-face negotiations between U.S. and Iranian delegations in Pakistan, led by U.S. Vice President JD Vance. For Trump’s political supporters, the outcome validated the president’s unorthodox “Madman Theory” approach to nuclear and regional diplomacy, where extreme threats push adversaries to the negotiating table. However, those earlier talks collapsed without any agreement, as irreconcilable differences over core red lines on both sides left no path to a deal.

    The latest military escalation plans were first confirmed by multiple U.S. sources during Trump’s closed-door cabinet meeting at Camp David held last Friday. Speaking with reporters still present in the meeting room, CBS News – a U.S. news partner of the BBC – captured Trump telling attendees, “We’ll be hitting them [Iranians] very hard. At some point, they’re going to say, ‘We just can’t take it anymore.’” In the days leading up to Trump’s announcement, the U.S. State Department had also issued an urgent alert urging all American citizens across the Middle East to remain on high alert and prepare for immediate evacuation if regional tensions escalate further.

    As of Sunday, Iranian officials have not confirmed any request for new talks or any preliminary agreement on deal parameters, nearly five months after the current open conflict began with joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28. Speaking publicly Sunday, Iran’s acting Defence Minister Majid Ibn al-Reza stressed that Tehran treats every threat from its adversaries as “real and credible,” even when framed as psychological warfare. “We will neither be caught off guard nor remain passive,” he added, reaffirming Iran’s commitment to responding to any military attack.

    Regional powers have moved quickly to push for de-escalation in the 48 hours after Trump’s announcement. On Saturday, a day after the Camp David cabinet meeting, Saudi Arabia’s official SPA news agency confirmed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman held a phone call with Trump focused on reducing regional tensions. The statement added that the crown prince “emphasised the necessity of prioritising dialogue to reduce tensions and the importance of exerting all possible efforts to achieve a truce that paves the way for diplomatic solutions.”

    Gulf U.S. allies, including Bahrain, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, have long expressed deep concern over any major escalation of the conflict: unlike the U.S. mainland, which lies outside the range of Iranian conventional missiles, these regional states host critical infrastructure – including water desalination plants that supply the majority of drinking water for local populations – that are widely considered prime targets for Iranian retaliation. The Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important chokepoint for global oil exports, also runs through the region, and Iran has already targeted commercial shipping in the waterway since the ceasefire collapsed in June.

    The current conflict between Washington and Tehran dates back to an April ceasefire that paused open hostilities, only to collapse in June, triggering a new cycle of escalating strikes and counter-strikes. The U.S. has enforced a full blockade of Iranian ports and carried out repeated bombing raids on Iranian military and infrastructure targets, while Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks on U.S. military assets across the Middle East and disruptions to global oil shipping. The ongoing instability has already triggered significant volatility in global crude oil prices, a trend that threatens to push up energy costs for consumers around the world, including in the U.S.

    Domestically, Trump faces growing headwinds over his handling of the conflict as crucial U.S. midterm elections approach. Data from the Pew Research Center shows that roughly 60% of American voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of the war with Iran, a factor that has contributed to the president’s falling overall approval ratings. Political analysts widely note that any major escalation of the conflict would almost certainly drive up global oil prices, further squeezing household budgets for U.S. consumers and amplify political risks for Trump’s party in the upcoming elections.