Friday/Saturday 17 July 2026

Capitals – Agencies:

US President Donald Trump threatened Iranians with defeat very soon, stating that Iran wants to hold a meeting with Americans.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump revealed Iran's request for a meeting with his administration, saying: 'We received a call while I was on my way here informing me that they want to meet,' noting that Iran strongly desires to reach a settlement with the United States.

US Vice President JD Vance confirmed that divisions between the 'hardline' and 'pragmatic' currents within Iran were among the factors that contributed to the renewed confrontation between Washington and Tehran. Vance revealed that he was among the officials least enthusiastic about military intervention at the beginning of the crisis, but he affirmed his full support for Trump's decisions, considering that any military action must be 'legal and ethical.' He also rejected accusations that Israel pushed the United States into war, stressing that Trump would have confronted Iran even without any Israeli influence, based on his firm conviction of the necessity of preventing it from acquiring nuclear weapons. The US administration still sees an opportunity to revive the diplomatic track, despite the recent military escalation.

This comes as several Iranian regions witnessed rapid field escalation, with successive reports of explosions in several provinces, coinciding with the activation of air defense systems in Tehran and its surroundings, while Iranian media reported targeting of military sites, amid security and precautionary measures taken by neighboring countries.

The US Central Command said: 'We targeted Iranian command centers, air defense sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities.'

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