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

United States Vice President JD Vance has said he believes progress is being made in negotiations with Iran, despite President Donald Trump rejecting Tehran’s latest proposal as unacceptable. The comments come as diplomatic efforts continue to prevent a collapse in the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.

Meanwhile, Brigadier-General Mohammad Akrami Nia says Iran’s military remains at “the highest level of readiness”, warning that “there is no room for retreat” as tensions with the US persist. Iranian officials have continued to signal they are prepared to respond to any escalation.

Separately, Israel says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a “secret” visit to the United Arab Emirates during the war on Iran, where he met the UAE president, according to the Israeli prime minister’s office. The UAE has denied that the trip happened.

Here is what we know:

In Iran

• Iran warns states ‘colluding’ with Israel: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said countries working with Israel against Tehran will be “held to account”, after Israel revealed Netanyahu visited the UAE during the war. Araghchi accused states of helping “sow division” alongside Israel, calling such actions “unforgivable”.

• Iran gives World Cup send-off to national team: Crowds gathered in Tehran’s Enghelab Square to celebrate Iran’s national football team ahead of the 2026 World Cup, waving flags as players appeared on stage in red and black tracksuits. Iranian football federation president Mehdi Taj said the squad would represent “the people, the country’s fighters, the leader and the country”, while some fans carried placards honouring former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the war.

War diplomacy

• Vance says US is ‘making progress’ in talks: The US vice president says he believes progress is being made in negotiations with Iran. “I think that we are making progress. The fundamental question is, do we make enough progress that we satisfy the president’s red line?” Vance told reporters at the White House. “And the red line is very simple. He needs to feel confident that we put a number of protections in place such that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”
• China may seek concessions over Iran role: Analysts say China could demand concessions from the US, potentially on Taiwan, in exchange for using its influence to pressure Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Washington urges Beijing to play a greater role in easing tensions linked to the war.
• Iran war to cast a shadow at BRICS meeting: Iranian foreign minister Araghchi arrived in New Delhi late on Wednesday night to represent Iran at the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting.

In the Gulf

• Netanyahu’s UAE visit: The Israeli Prime Minister held a “secret” meeting with the UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, his office said. “The visit marked a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.”

• UAE denies Netanyahu visit claims: The UAE has rejected statements from Netanyahu’s office. In a statement carried by state news agency WAM, the UAE said reports of a Netanyahu visit or the presence of an Israeli military delegation were “baseless”, stressing that its ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords are public and “not based on secrecy or clandestine arrangements”.

In the US

• Senate backs Trump: US senators narrowly rejected a resolution curbing President Trump’s power to wage war on Iran – their first vote on the conflict since a 60-day deadline expired for the White House to seek formal authorisation.
• Trump dismisses China role on 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 China visit. “We’ll win it one way or the other, peacefully or otherwise,” Trump said, while analysts in Tehran said the summit was not seen as a threat to strong Iran-China ties.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has defended the war on Iran, claiming this time that Tehran was building a huge arsenal as a prelude to a nuclear weapon, which Tehran has always denied it is trying to obtain. “Iran was building up a conventional capability, where they would have so many missiles and so many drones, that they could overwhelm anyone’s defences,” Rubio told Fox News.

In Lebanon

• Israel-Lebanon talks: Officials from Lebanon and Israel will convene in Washington, DC, later on Thursday for a new round of peace negotiations as their “ceasefire”, which is in name only and due to expire, remains technically active despite Israel killing dozens of Lebanese people daily.
• Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reports that a series of Israeli overnight and early morning attacks have targeted multiple locations across southern Lebanon.
• Hezbollah on Thursday said it has carried out several attacks on Israeli army positions in or near the southern Lebanese town of Biyyada.
• Lebanon says 10,000 homes hit: More than 10,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed in Lebanon since a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, the head of the country’s National Council for Scientific Research said.
• At least 12 killed in Lebanon – Israel intensified strikes on Lebanon with the Ministry of Public Health reporting 12 people were killed in attacks on Wednesday, mostly south of Beirut, despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.