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Vice President Vance left for Switzerland Saturday evening to join special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, for technical talks with Iran in hopes of reaching a potential nuclear deal.
The U.S. and Iran this week reached a preliminary agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical trading corridor whose months-long closure disrupted global oil supply and caused energy prices to skyrocket.
But uncertainty loomed over the prospect of reaching a final peace deal between the two sides after Iran on Saturday announced that it is closing the waterway again, accusing the U.S. and Israel of violating a ceasefire deal after Israel launched strikes in Lebanon targeting the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah.
The strikes targeting southern Lebanon occurred hours after a ceasefire agreement went into effect, killing at least 16 people and injuring 12, according to the Lebanese Civil Defense.
In response to the closure, Trump on Saturday threatened to impose American tolls in the strait if a final deal with Iran is not reached in 60 days, adding that the money collected from the tolls would be for “services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East.”
The negotiations, which will be mediated by Pakistan and Qatar, were originally supposed to occur on Friday but were postponed due to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Vance had previously been expected to arrive in Switzerland on Thursday to lead the U.S. delegation, but postponed his trip at the last minute.
Vance told reporters that he expected to be in Europe for “a day or two” and was optimistic about making progress in the technical talks and on reaching a ceasefire in southern Lebanon.
The developments ahead of the anticipated talks between the U.S. and Iran are expected to dominate Sunday morning news shows as questions swirl around whether the administration’s diplomatic strategy can withstand renewed tensions in the Middle East.
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the U.S. and Tehran this week also faced skepticism from some of Trump’s own allies in his war on Iran over some of the terms in the 14-point tentative agreement.
Conservative pundits and hawkish Iran experts warned against potential aspects of the agreement that could sacrifice key leverage from the U.S. over the regime or receive significant funding before dismantling its nuclear program.
After Iran leaked initial details of the MOU, Trump brushed off concerns that the agreement could provide Iran access to a $300 billion reconstruction fund should they comply with their obligations, calling it “Fake News.”
Vance doubled down on the president’s dismissal, assuring Tehran would not be “receiving any cash” under the agreement.
While Republicans remain divided on the political impacts of the deal, they remain optimistic that it will deliver positive results in the midterms as gas prices continue to drop.
Customers have felt relief at the pump in recent weeks as the national average for a gallon of gas dropped below $4 a gallon ahead of a busy summer season. The current average sits at $3.95, according to AAA.
Beyond Iran, the administration’s multimillion dollar Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation came under scrutiny after reports of a massive algae bloom and peeling paint were found two weeks after the expensive project’s completion.
Trump insisted Friday evening that the Pool, whose renovation was part of the administration’s broader effort to clean up Washington, was vandalized.
“We’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool, which sits between The Washington Monument and The Lincoln Memorial,” the president wrote in a Truth Social post.
Trump on Friday unveiled the new Air Force One plane gifted by Qatar, which he said will fly “further and faster” than previous presidential plane models.
The plane will be used to take the president to next month’s NATO summit held in Turkey, as well as to China presumably to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in November.
Trump said the plane will also do a flyover on July 4.
Meanwhile, lawmakers are preparing to return to Washington after the House’s recess, setting the stage for a renewed push on key aspects of Trump’s agenda.
House Republicans are divided over Trump’s latest push to attach the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act to legislation renewing a key government spy power as part of the president’s broader effort to secure elections as this year’s midterms heat up.
Speaking of the midterms, the anti-incumbent and anti-establishment sentiment has been prevalent across the board, according to election analysts.
House members who chose to forgo reelection and run for higher office have seen an abysmal track record so far — especially those who fail to secure an endorsement from Trump — gearing up for a higher rate of primary losses than in years prior.
See the full list of guests on the Sunday morning news shows below:
NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday”: Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.)
NBC’s “Meet the Press”: Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.)
CBS’s “Face the Nation”: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.)
ABC’s “This Week”: Energy Secretary Chris Wright, former national security adviser Susan Rice
CNN’s “State of the Union”: Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Mitt Romney
Fox News’s “Fox News Sunday”: Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.)
Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures”: DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.)
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