Trump says Iran peace deal could be a week away as Tehran reviews latest US offer

China has ordered companies to disregard U.S. sanctions targeting Iranian oil, forcing a direct test of Washington’s ability to enforce its crackdown on Iran.

A new directive, issued through China’s Commerce Ministry Sunday, invokes a 2021 "blocking statute" that prohibits firms from complying with foreign sanctions deemed illegitimate. The order applies to several Chinese refiners accused by the United States of purchasing Iranian crude, including major independent processors known as "teapot" refineries.

The move represents a shift from years of opaque workarounds to more explicit state-backed resistance, as Beijing signals it will not cooperate with U.S. efforts to cut off a key source of revenue for Iran.

"This is unprecedented. It’s a major escalation in terms of China’s response to U.S. economic statecraft. It is a measure of defiance by Beijing," said Max Meizlish, a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

The escalation comes as the Trump administration intensifies its sanctions campaign, targeting Chinese refiners and warning financial institutions they could face penalties for facilitating oil transactions between Iran and China.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has accused Beijing of effectively financing Iran’s military activity through its oil purchases, arguing that Chinese demand is sustaining Tehran’s economy.

"China, let’s see them step up with some diplomacy and get the Iranians to open the strait," Bessent said in a Fox News interview Monday.

"Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism … China has been buying 90 percent of their energy, so they are funding the largest state sponsor of terrorism," he added.

China remains the primary destination for Iranian crude, with much of the country’s sanctioned oil exports flowing to Chinese refiners despite mounting U.S. pressure.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Morgan Phillips.

Pope Leo XIV greeted Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican on Thursday.

The meeting was Leo's first with an American official after President Donald Trump lashed out at the Holy Father for his criticism of the war in Iran last month.

Images from the meeting show Rubio and the pope in discussion with one another, but details of their conversation have yet to be released.

A fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is holding despite continued attacks, as President Donald Trump announced a pause in naval escort operations to allow negotiations to continue — while warning that failure to reach a deal would result in a significantly escalated bombing campaign.

Trump said the pause in Project Freedom — the U.S. mission to guide commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz — is intended to give negotiators time to finalize what he described as a potential "complete and final agreement" with Iran, while maintaining that the U.S. naval blockade would remain in place.

Trump suggested in a social media post Wednesday morning the conflict could soon come to an end if Iran agrees to the terms under discussion, but warned that if it does not, U.S. forces would resume bombing at a significantly higher level and intensity.

"Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran," Trump wrote Wednesday morning. "If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before."

"We prefer this to be a peaceful operation, but are locked and loaded to defend our people, our ships, our aircraft, and this mission without hesitation," War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday. 

Even as negotiations advance, Iran has continued attacks on commercial vessels and U.S. forces, which officials say remain "below the threshold" of restarting major combat operations.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Morgan Phillips.

The man who allegedly attempted to kill President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner April 25 may have been motivated by the conflict in Iran.

According to a Department of Homeland Security preliminary intelligence report viewed by Reuters, Allen had "multiple social and political grievances," and the report says the war in Iran "may have contributed to his decision to conduct the attack."

The report, labeled a "Critical Incident Note," was originally obtained via a public records request by a nonprofit called Property of the People, according to Reuters. It reportedly cited Allen's social media posts about the Iranian war to justify its conclusion.

"DHS shares Critical Incident Notes to quickly communicate information and intelligence to federal, state and local authorities," the agency told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

"These reports notify our partners of the latest available information following significant incidents that have impacts to homeland security. DHS does not publicly comment on the information contained in internal law enforcement communications."

Allen's anti-Trump sentiments were expressed in a so-called manifesto, according to authorities.

Minutes before the attack, a pre-scheduled email from Allen was sent to his family and friends, explaining his actions, authorities said.

He allegedly acknowledged that his mission would likely severely harm him at the least but never stated that he was willing to die for his cause. His motivations were political, and he painted himself as a savior of those who he thinks have been oppressed by the current administration. 

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Peter D'Abrosca.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio previewed a high-profile trip to Rome from the White House briefing room Tuesday, delivering sharp warnings to Iran and flashing easy command of the podium that drew praise from conservative allies online.

"The trip is really not tied to anything other than the fact that it would be normal for us to engage, and other secretaries of state have done that in the past," Rubio said at the White House press conference on Tuesday of his trip to Italy.

The briefing came two days before Rubio is set to visit the Vatican and Italy for meetings amid heightened tensions between President Donald Trump, Pope Leo and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over the U.S.-Iran conflict. Rubio used the briefing to defend the administration’s posture toward Tehran, downplay the timing of the Italy visit and signal that Washington is not backing off its pressure campaign.

"The message to Iran ... these guys are facing real catastrophic destruction to their economy, generational destruction to their economy, generational destruction to the wealth of their country imposed on themselves by the actions that they're taking," said Rubio of Iran on Tuesday. 

"They should check themselves before they wreck themselves in the direction that they're going," Rubio quipped, referencing Ice Cube's rap song, "Check Yo Self."

Rubio, a Catholic, is expected to meet with Pope Leo on Thursday morning, at a time when the pontiff has criticized the Trump administration’s Middle East peacemaking efforts.

"There has also been this threat against the entire people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable," the pope said in April. "There are certainly issues of international law here, but even more so a moral issue for the good of the whole entire population."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Ashely J. DiMella.

Three Iranian prisoners executed over the weekend described torture, forced confessions and denied legal rights in messages shared with The Jerusalem Post before their deaths, according to a report citing the Kurdistan Human Rights Network.

Yaghoub Karimpour, 43, and Nasser Bakerzadeh, 26, were hanged Saturday, while Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, 28, was executed Sunday at Orumiyeh Central Prison. None were granted final visits with their families, the report said.

Karimpour, who was accused of espionage, said he confessed under pressure after authorities threatened his wife. “Many things were dictated to me, and I wrote untruths involuntarily and out of helplessness,” he wrote.

Bakerzadeh, also accused of spying, said he endured months of solitary confinement and “severe psychological torture.”

Abdollahzadeh, who denied involvement in a protest-related killing, said he was beaten for days and coerced into confessing. “I am completely innocent, but they want to make me a scapegoat,” he said.

According to the report, all three cases involved allegations of coerced confessions, lack of legal representation and trials lasting only minutes.

Fox News' Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump says a peace deal with Iran could be reached in as soon as one week.

Trump offered the assessment in a phone interview with Fox News' Bret Baier after he ordered a Thursday pause on Project Freedom.

Trump has threatened to begin a new wave of bombing if Iran does not soon agree to a version of a deal that reopens the Strait of Hormuz.