- Iran's foreign minister on Thursday dismissed President to wield "Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale" as a diversion from the burgeoning U.S. and a "doubling down on failed policies."
asserted
President → dismiss → policies
Mr. Trump threatened Iran on Wednesday with "an economic D-Day."
asserted
Trump → threaten → Day
- Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that the war with Iran has entered a "new phase" of economic pressure.
asserted
war → say → pressure
"We're going to keep that going because we think that's the best way to ultimately accomplish the final objective here," he said on "The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show."
asserted
he → go → Show
- The aircraft carrier started heading home after a nine-month deployment, a U.S. official confirmed to CBS News.
asserted
official → start → News
The aircraft carrier arrived in the Middle East on Wednesday.
asserted
carrier → arrive → Wednesday
China says U.S. "sanctions and pressure" on Iran won't work
China said on Friday that U.S. "sanctions and pressure" wouldn't resolve the Middle East conflict, after Washington urged governments including Beijing to join efforts to isolate Iran's economy.
"Sanctions and pressure will not help resolve the issue," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters at a news briefing, calling on "all relevant parties to take responsible measures and resolve the problem through political and diplomatic means."
asserted
Jian → say → means
President Trump threatened Iran with "economic D-Day" on Wednesday, vowing to wield "
."
asserted
Trump → threaten → "
Iran quickly dismissed the threat as a distraction and said it would backfire.
asserted
it → dismiss → distraction
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent underlined in an interview with CNBC on Thursday that Washington expects both allies and rivals to join the ramped-up campaign against Iran.
asserted
allies → underline → Iran
"This is going to be the greatest coordinated economic isolation in the history of the world.
asserted
This → go → world
And we are going to them and saying you are either with us or against us," he added in a message to allies.
asserted
he → go → allies
Asked whether the United States would pressure China, Bessent said "many conversations are best to have in private," but called on Beijing to "get with the program."
CBS/AFP
6 European countries and Canada condemn Israel's planned West Bank settlement project
Six European countries along with Canada condemned the latest development in a contentious Israeli settlement project near Jerusalem that would effectively cut the occupied West Bank in two.
Israel's Ministry of Construction and Housing issued a tender for constructing several compounds with more than 1,200 homes in total in an open tract of land east of Jerusalem.
asserted
Ministry → ask → Jerusalem
It's the latest step in a project under consideration for more than two decades, which critics say would prevent the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian state in the territory.
asserted
critics → say → territory
The joint statement from the leaders of the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Canada said international law is clear the settlement is illegal and noted "unprecedented levels of violence by settlers against civilians."
"We urge the government of Israel to retract these plans immediately and end its expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
asserted
We → say → Bank
Not only will they take us further from peace, but they further undermine Israel's international standing," the countries wrote.
asserted
countries → take → standing
Egypt and Jordan also condemned Israel's move.
asserted
Egypt → condemn → move
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar responded on Thursday by defending "the historic right of the Jewish people to reestablish their national home in the Land of Israel — including in the area in question."
Saar criticized the U.K. government for "blaming only Israel while ignoring Palestinian extremism."
asserted
Saar → respond → extremism
USS Abraham Lincoln leaves Middle East, U.S. official says
A U.S. official confirmed to CBS News that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is headed home after a nine-month deployment.
asserted
carrier → leave → deployment
It could still take several weeks for it to get back to its home port in San Diego, California.
uncertain
it → take → Diego
The USS George Washington arrived in the Middle East Wednesday.
asserted
Washington → arrive → East
In recent weeks, family members of Lincoln service members
about deteriorating mental health conditions aboard the ship, as well as sanitary conditions and food shortages..
Vance says war is in "new phase" using economic pressure
Vice President JD Vance on Thursday said the war with Iran has entered a "new phase where the most effective tool that we have is the economic pressure that we can apply to them."
In an interview on "The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show," Vance noted the "delicate dance" involved.
asserted
Vance → deteriorate → dance
"We apply economic pressure to them, they're going to try to apply economic pressure to us," the vice president said.
asserted
president → apply → us
"But what has been true over the last couple of weeks is they felt a lot more pressure than we have.
asserted
we → feel → pressure
We're going to keep that going because we think that's the best way to ultimately accomplish the final objective here."
asserted
that → go → objective
U.S. increases sanctions on network smuggling millions in cash to Hezbollah
Ten people smuggling millions of dollars in cash to the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon have been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department.
asserted
people → increase → Department
The network was previously led by Iranian Gen. Behnam Shahriyari, however, he was killed in an Israeli airstrike in western Iran in June.
asserted
he → lead → June
The same network is now being targeted with sanctions, including against the person who manages the network of couriers, Turkish businessman Yunus Alper Yilmaz, according to the Treasury Department.
uncertain
who → target → Department
Yilmaz is accused of abusing Turkey-based exchange houses as fronts for business dealings with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC.
asserted
Yilmaz → accuse → Corps
The other nine people included in the sanctions are the actual couriers who would collect the money from the exchange houses and deliver it to Hezbollah.
asserted
who → include → Hezbollah
The sanctions release also notes the information on the couriers as evidence of the IRGC's involvement in coordinating attacks by Hezbollah, which is currently fighting a war with Israel in Lebanon and "deep involvement in directing Hizballah's political decision-making."
asserted
which → note → making
U.S. blockade on Strait of Hormuz redirects 2 more ships, military says
The blockade on commercial ships entering and exiting Iranian ports via the Strait of Hormuz was up to 67 through Thursday, after two more ships were stopped in the last day, according to U.S. Central Command.
The blockade was reinstated on July 14 after a brief period when a larger number of ships were able to get through following the signing of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding.
uncertain
number → redirect → understanding
The Trump administration has shown no inclination to call off the blockade anytime soon, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent touting it on Thursday.
asserted
Bessent → show → Thursday
"It is a one-two punch," Bessent told CNBC.
asserted
Bessent → tell → CNBC
"We have the blockade, and we are going to have the toughest sanctions in history."
asserted
we → have → history
The USS George Washington and its strike group have now arrived in the region, CENTCOM said on Thursday, and will begin taking part in the blockade.
asserted
CENTCOM → arrive → blockade
The aircraft carrier will replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been on a record-long deployment.
asserted
which → replace → deployment
Safe passage through Strait of Hormuz can only be guaranteed with lasting regional peace, Oman says
Security for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz is only possible once lasting peace is reached in the Middle East, Oman's foreign minister said Thursday.
asserted
minister → guarantee → East
"Achieving sustainable security in the Strait of Hormuz requires establishing lasting peace in the region, through restraint, diplomacy and continuous engagement to address the underlying causes of instability, including policies of exclusion and failure to comply with international law," Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said, according to the state-owned Oman News Agency.
uncertain
Albusaidi → achieve → Agency
Albusaidi's comments came in a joint press conference with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi.
asserted
comments → come → Motegi
…and 129 more, not listed.
