Trump says Iran war 'hopefully' nearing end as House Speaker vows Tehran won't get nuclear weapon
As the Iran war nears the seven month mark, President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday that Tehran "wants to make a deal," while House Speaker Mike Johnson said the threat of an Iranian nuclear weapon has been "taken care of" and that Republicans should turn their attention to lowering gas prices ahead of the midterms.
China responds to Lindsey Graham-named sanctions bill that also extends penalties for Iran
China's foreign ministry has responded to the House passing a bill Wednesday named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., that would expand penalties on countries that continue purchasing Russian energy or helping Moscow evade sanctions.
"Economic and trade cooperation between China and other countries does not target any third party and shall be free from disruption or coercion from any third party," a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The spokesperson added: "China opposes long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law and lack UN Security Council mandate."
The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, introduced by Graham last year, authorizes 100% tariffs on all goods imported to the U.S. from countries that buy a sufficient amount of crude oil or natural gas from Russia.
The bill, if passed, would impose this penalty if a country ends up ranking among the five largest importers of Russian energy during the preceding 12 months.
China was by the far the largest importer of Russian fossil fuels in August, according to the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
Iran is also targeted by the bill, which, if signed by President Donald Trump, would extend existing U.S. sanctions on Tehran through 2031.
Gas prices across the nation edge higher overnight
The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in the United States has risen 1.6% overnight from $4.36 to $4.43, according to AAA.
As of Thursday, gas prices are more than 9% higher nationwide than they were a month ago, driven in part by continued disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran war.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. acknowledged this dynamic at a Wednesday press conference, saying it was time for his fellow Republicans to focus on getting fuel costs down ahead of the midterms.
"Of course, gas prices are too high. When we get that thing resolved in the Strait of Hormuz, that will have a direct effect on that and it will help to bring down grocery costs," Johnson said. "Our candidates are addressing that and they are again reminding the American people of the extraordinary record of success that we have done."
Vance warns US withdrawal from Middle East would trigger ‘worldwide energy crisis’
Vice President JD Vance warned Wednesday that a U.S. withdrawal from the Middle East would trigger a “worldwide energy crisis” as Iran continues targeting commercial shipping.
“What I would say to anybody who’s frustrated right now is the alternative here, which is the United States effectively says to the Middle East, ‘You’re on your own,’ would mean necessarily a worldwide energy crisis, so long as the Iranians keep on shooting at shipping, which we know that’s exactly what they would do,” Vance said during an appearance at the All-In Summit.
“The president came in, and yes, he wanted to keep the United States out of foreign entanglements,” Vance said.
“He also said that he was committed to Iran not having a nuclear weapon, and I think that wanting to keep the United States out of foreign entanglements does not mean that you can never use the military in order to accomplish the American people’s objectives.”
Vance said the U.S. had achieved “substantial destruction” of Iran’s nuclear program and conventional military but that Iranian forces continued targeting commercial shipping “even in the midst of peace negotiations.”
“I think the president has actually done the responsible thing here, which is to try to ensure that world energy markets, despite Iranian terrorism, continue to get that flow of oil and gas,” Vance added.
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