Foreign
US at war with Iran’s nuclear program, not Iran – JD Vance
- /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/JD-Vance.jpg&description=US at war with Iran’s nuclear program, not Iran – JD Vance', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/JD-Vance.jpg&description=US at war with Iran’s nuclear program, not Iran – JD Vance', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday the U.S. was not at war with Iran but at war with its nuclear program, adding the program had been pushed back by a very long time due to American strikes ordered by President Donald Trump.
Trump said he had “obliterated” Iran’s main nuclear sites in strikes overnight with massive bunker-busting bombs, joining Israel’s assault against its Middle East rival in a significant new escalation of conflict in the region.
“We’re not at war with Iran. We’re at war with Iran’s nuclear program,” Vance said in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press with Kristen Welker” show
“I think that we have really pushed their program back by a very long time. I think that it’s going to be many, many years before the Iranians are going to be able to develop a nuclear weapon.”
Vance accused Iran of not negotiating in good faith, which he said served as a catalyst for U.S. strikes. The U.S. had been in diplomatic talks with Iran about Tehran’s nuclear program.
Tehran vowed to defend itself while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “gravely alarmed” by the U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear sites.
“We don’t want a regime change,” Vance added. “We do not want to protract this… We want to end the nuclear program, and then we want to talk to the Iranians about a long-term settlement here.”
Vance said Trump made the final decision to strike Iran right before the strikes took place and that Washington has received some “indirect” messages from Tehran since the strikes.
Vance said the U.S. “had no interest in boots on the ground.”
Trump said on Friday he was going to decide in the next two weeks about direct U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran war which began with Israel’s attacks on Iran on June 13. The war has raised alarm in a region already on edge since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023.
U.S. ally Israel is the only country in the Middle East widely believed to have nuclear weapons and says it struck Iran to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons.
Iran, which says its nuclear program is peaceful, is a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, while Israel is not.
Many Democratic U.S. lawmakers said Trump’s actions were unconstitutional and that it was the U.S. Congress that had the power to declare war on foreign countries.
Vance responded to that criticism by saying Trump had “clear authority to act to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.”
Foreign
Trump Signs Executive Order Renaming Lake Ontario To ‘Lake America’
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario as “Lake America” for official US federal use, in the latest escalation of his dispute with Canada.
Trump signed the order on Thursday at the White House, saying the change was effective immediately. The order directs the US Department of the Interior to update federal geographic records and naming systems.
Trump justified the move by accusing Canada of treating the United States unfairly in trade and defence. He said Canada had been “ripping us off” in trade and criticised Ottawa over its relationship with Washington.
However, the order does not require Canada or international organisations to adopt the new name. Lake Ontario is shared by the US state of New York and Canada’s province of Ontario, with more than half of its surface area lying in Canadian territory.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford dismissed the move, saying the lake would continue to be known as Lake Ontario by Canadians and much of the rest of the world.
The renaming comes amid a rapidly worsening US-Canada trade dispute. Washington recently imposed 50 per cent tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, while Canada responded with retaliatory tariffs of its own on hundreds of US products.
The latest move echoes Trump’s decision in January 2025 to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” for US federal purposes.
Trump also suggested that further geographic name changes could be considered, joking that after a gulf and a lake, the United States might eventually rename the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government had not immediately issued a formal response to the latest order.
The controversy has added another symbolic dimension to already strained relations between the two neighbouring countries, as both sides continue to impose tariffs and seek to protect their economies.
Foreign
US Secret Service Reacts To Iran’s Alleged Threat To Trump’s Son Life
The United States Secret Service has confirmed that it is aware of a video broadcast by Iranian state media that appears to threaten the life of Barron Trump, the youngest son of US President Donald Trump.
The nearly three-minute video, aired by the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), opens with an English-language graphic asking: “Where to kill Barron Trump?!” It then displays stylised graphics identifying places where Barron is publicly known to spend time, including Trump Tower in New York.
The video ends with a narrator referring to people being “eagerly waiting to receive our $10 million reward.”
Secret Service spokesperson Nate Herring confirmed that the agency was investigating the video as a potential threat against one of its protectees.
“The US Secret Service is aware of the video and investigates anything that can be perceived as a threat toward our protectees,” Secret Service spokesperson Nate Herring told CNN in a statement. “Out of concern for operational security, we do not discuss matters of protective intelligence.”
The apparent targeting of Barron marks a new development in a broader pattern of threats directed at Trump and members of his family by hard-line Iranian media.
Iranian media outlets have previously published material threatening President Trump and his family, while first lady Melania Trump has also been the subject of threats. However, the video appears to be the first public instance in which Barron has been specifically singled out.
A federal law enforcement source told CNN that the video forms part of a wider campaign of material from Iran targeting Trump and his family. According to the source, some of the videos have included details about movements and suggestions for killing members of the president’s family.
The security response to such threats involves continuously changing and adjusting protective arrangements, based on information gathered by the Secret Service, other US agencies, police authorities and foreign governments.
IRIB, which broadcast the video, is regarded as aligned with hard-liners within Iran’s regime, while its head is directly appointed by Iran’s supreme leader.
Trump has previously spoken publicly about threats against his life from Iran.
“I’m on whatever list… so far, I guess I’ve been a bit lucky, but maybe that doesn’t last very long. These are evil, sick people.”
He made the comments in July at the NATO summit in Turkey, before secretly leaving the country aboard an alternate military aircraft.
The departure was part of an elaborate security operation reportedly triggered by an Iranian threat. Trump boarded the aircraft while concealed inside a catering truck after officials determined that travelling on either version of Air Force One could expose him to an unacceptable level of danger.
A person familiar with the matter told CNN that the threat involved a shoulder-fired missile and was considered specific enough for officials to fear that Trump’s life would be at enormous risk if he travelled on either version of Air Force One.
Foreign
18 Killed In UK E-bike, E-scooter Battery Fires
At least 18 people have died and nearly 700 have been injured in fires involving e-bikes, e-scooters and their batteries across the United Kingdom, according to new data obtained by BBC Verify.
More than 2,000 fires linked to the vehicles or their batteries were recorded by fire and rescue services between 2019 and 2025. The number of incidents increased every year, with almost half occurring in homes or garages.
Battery-related fires rose sharply from 32 incidents in 2019 to 605 in 2025.
The London Fire Brigade said it was increasingly concerned about the fire risks posed by some e-bikes and e-scooters, particularly those that have been modified or bought second-hand.
Assistant Commissioner Pam Oparaocha said many of the fires attended by the brigade involved second-hand vehicles or bikes modified with parts bought online. She urged consumers to be careful about where they purchase e-bikes and e-scooters.
Experts say lithium-ion batteries, which power most of the vehicles, can store large amounts of energy in a small space. However, faulty, damaged or overcharged batteries can release that energy rapidly, producing flames and burning projectiles.
Dr Simon Jones of the University of Warwick said such fires could spread through a room within seconds, potentially blocking escape routes. He also warned that burning batteries can release toxic fumes that pose a serious health risk.
The danger was highlighted by the experience of 24-year-old Jahmell Campbell, whose e-scooter caught fire at his grandmother’s home in London.
Campbell said the vehicle suddenly burst into flames near the front door, leaving the family unable to escape normally. He jumped from a window, while his father helped his grandmother escape through the same route.
His grandmother suffered minor injuries, while the flat, where she had lived for more than 20 years, was destroyed.
Several deaths have also been linked to fires involving e-bike batteries.
Eight-year-old Luke Albiston-O’Donnell from Birkenhead died in 2024 after inhaling toxic fumes from a house fire caused by an e-bike battery that was charging.
In another case, 28-year-old Mohsin Janjua from Bradford died in 2023 after a fire involving an e-bike conversion kit purchased online from China. Investigators concluded that a catastrophic battery failure was more likely than not to have caused the fire.
Coroners have issued at least five reports since 2023 warning about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes and e-scooters and calling for improvements to public safety.
The Bicycle Association said the growing availability of cheap and unsafe products online was undermining efforts by legitimate retailers to provide safe e-bikes.
Steve Garidis of the association said illegal and unsafe products sold through online marketplaces could put unsuspecting consumers at risk.
The UK government has warned that batteries can become a serious fire hazard if they fail to meet safety standards, are damaged, modified or used with incompatible chargers.
Its “Buy Safe, Be Safe” campaign advises consumers to check for recognised UKCE or CE safety markings when purchasing e-bikes and e-scooters.
The government also said it was strengthening the responsibilities of online marketplaces and working with local authorities to identify and remove unsafe products from sale.
-
News19 hours agoUgandan King Who Became Monarch At Age 3 Di£s Aged 34
-
Metro19 hours agoPolice Parade Doctors, Others Over Alleged Organ Trafficking In Nasarawa
-
News19 hours agoNYSC sets September 7 for 2026 batch C registration
-
News19 hours agoFG moves to harmonise salaries of federal government workers
-
News19 hours agoPolice-Led Joint Team Arrests Nine, Recovers Three AK-47 Rifles, Pump-Action Gun in Anambra
-
News19 hours ago2027 Presidency: Very Unlikely North Will Support Obi-Kwankwaso Ticket — Datti
-
News14 hours agoConfusion in Niger as gunfire, explosions rock presidential palace, airport
-
News14 hours agoPolice rescue two abducted Colombian women in Lagos

Warning: Undefined variable $user_ID in /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/themes/zox-news/comments.php on line 49
You must be logged in to post a comment Login