Iran war day 76: Vance says progress has been made in talks; Israeli pound Lebanon | The US-Israel War on Iran News

US Vice President JD Vance says progress is being made in talks with Iran to end the war as President Donald Trump begins his visit to China.

United States Vice President JD Vance said they believe that progress is being developed in negotiations with Iran, although President Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s latest proposal as unacceptable. The comments come as diplomatic efforts continue to block the end of the war between Washington and Tehran.

Meanwhile, Brigadier-General Mohammad Akrami Nia says the Iranian military is still highly prepared, warning that there is “no place to retreat” as tensions with the US continue. Iranian officials have continued to show they are ready to respond to any escalation.

Separately, Israel says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a “secret” visit to the United Arab Emirates amid the Iran conflict, where he met with the president of the UAE, according to the Israeli prime minister’s office. The UAE has denied that the visit took place.

Here’s what we know:

In Iran

• Iran has warned the world that it will ‘cooperate’ with Israel: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that countries working with Israel against Tehran “will be held accountable”, after Israel revealed that Netanyahu had visited the UAE during the war. Araghchi accused the international community of helping to “sow division” with Israel, calling it “unforgivable”.

• Iran will give the opportunity to the World Cup to the national team: A crowd gathered in Tehran’s Enghelab Square to celebrate Iran’s national football team ahead of the 2026 World Cup, waving flags as the players appeared on stage dressed in red and black. Iran Football Association president Mehdi Taj said the team would represent “the people, the country’s fighters, the leader and the country”, while some fans carried signs honoring former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the war.

Discussions of war

• Vance says the US is ‘making progress’ in negotiations: The US vice president says he believes progress is being made in talks with Iran. I think we are making progress. Vance told reporters at the White House. “And the red line is simple. They have to have confidence that we’re going to put several safeguards in place to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon.”
• China may seek concessions on Iran’s activities: Experts say China he may want to be forgiven from the US, possibly Taiwan, in exchange for using its influence to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Washington urges Beijing to take steps to reduce tensions related to the war.
• Iran war casts shadow over BRICS summit: Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi he arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday night to represent Iran at the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting.

In the Gulf

• Netanyahu’s visit to the UAE: The Israeli prime minister held a “secret” meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, his office said. “This visit marked the historic relationship between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.”

• UAE rejects Netanyahu’s claims: The UAE has denied the claims by Netanyahu’s office. In a statement published by state news agency WAM, the UAE said reports of Netanyahu’s visit or the presence of Israeli military delegations were “baseless”, stressing that its relations with Israel under the Abraham treaty are public and “not based on secrecy or secrecy”.

In the US

• Senate backs Trump: US senators narrowly rejected a resolution to block President Trump’s powers to go to war with Iran – their first vote on military action since 60 days before the White House approved it.
• Trump rejects China’s role in Iran: The US president said Washington does not need Beijing’s help to end the war in Iran or reopen the Strait of Hormuz, ahead of his visit to China. “We’re going to win one way or another, peacefully or not,” Trump said, while analysts in Tehran said the meeting was not seen as a threat to Iran’s strong ties with China.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has defended the war on Iran, saying that this time Tehran is building large-scale weapons as a precursor to nuclear weapons, which Tehran has denied it is trying to acquire. “Iran is developing a full-time capability, where it would have more missiles and more drones, so it could compromise everybody’s security,” Rubio told Fox News.

In Lebanon

• Israel-Lebanon talks: Lebanese and Israeli officials will meet in Washington, DC, on Thursday to discuss peace as their “ceasefire”, which is only in name and ending, remains technically in place even though Israel kills dozens of Lebanese people every day.
• The National News Agency (NNA) of Lebanon said that a number of Israeli terrorists have been attacking many areas in southern Lebanon during the night and morning.
• Hezbollah on Thursday said it had carried out several attacks on an Israeli military base in or near the southern Lebanese town of Biyyada.
• Lebanon says 10,000 homes hit: More than 10,000 houses have been damaged or destroyed in Lebanon since the end of the war between Israel and Hezbollah, the head of the National Council for Scientific Research.
• At least 12 people have been killed in Lebanon – Israel escalated protests in Lebanon as the Ministry of Public Health said 12 people were killed in attacks on Wednesday, mostly in southern Beirut, despite the end of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.