US-Iran Conflict Escalates as Trump, Vance Signal New Phase

The United States is escalating its conflict with Iran, with President Donald Trump pushing for Tehran to back down and Vice President JD Vance saying the war will enter a "much different phase in a couple of months." China's Xi Jinping is reportedly unwilling to let Iran fold, while Azerbaijan's top security adviser praises Trump as a peacemaker and says a deal is still possible. Congressional budget scorers have issued a new cost estimate for the Iran war, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's counter-terrorism body has condemned military strikes against Iran. Meanwhile, vulnerable House Republicans have suddenly come out against Trump's Iran war.