Russian envoy taunts Trump over Iran nuclear remarks

US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said China has “backed away” from Iran following President Donald Trump’s meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing this week.

Appearing on Fox News program The Story, Waltz described Beijing’s shift in posture as one of the major outcomes of Trump’s three-day visit to China.

Asked to explain what he meant, Waltz said Beijing had agreed on two key principles: “no nuclear weapons and no militarization of the Strait of Hormuz.”

Senate Intelligence Committee chair Mark Warner said on Friday that Americans are increasingly feeling the economic impact of the conflict with Iran through rising housing and borrowing costs.

“From gas prices to home costs, Trump’s war of choice is making it harder and harder to afford the life you want,” Warner wrote in a post on X.

The Virginia Democrat shared a New York Times article examining how the Iran war and resulting rise in Treasury yields have pushed mortgage rates higher, adding pressure to an already strained US housing market.

Tehran media coverage of the impasse with Washington following President Donald Trump’s visit to China points to growing frustration, with many insiders voicing concern that diplomacy has stalled and more confrontation may lie ahead.

Trump’s visit had fueled speculation in parts of the Iranian press that China might play a more active mediating role or pressure the United States toward concessions over the Strait of Hormuz and the broader conflict.

Instead, Chinese statements after the summit largely emphasized stability in global trade and uninterrupted shipping flows, reinforcing perceptions in Tehran that Beijing would ultimately prioritize its own economic interests.

Part of the disappointment stems from signs that Trump saw little value in seeking China’s help on Iran, while Beijing itself appears unwilling to meaningfully intervene unless its own strategic and economic interests are directly threatened.

US officials suspect Iranian hackers were behind a series of breaches targeting systems used to monitor fuel levels in storage tanks at gas stations across several states, CNN reported on Friday.

According to the report, the breaches involved automatic tank gauge systems, which help track fuel levels and detect leaks or other issues.

Officials told CNN there is no indication of physical damage so far, but warned that compromising such systems could create broader safety risks if problems go unnoticed.

US investigators reportedly suspect Iranian involvement partly because Iranian-linked cyber actors have previously targeted vulnerable infrastructure systems tied to energy and utilities.

The United Arab Emirates said on Saturday that all its actions were part of defensive measures aimed at protecting its sovereignty, civilians and vital infrastructure.

The statement by the UAE foreign ministry came days after the Wall Street Journal reported that Abu Dhabi carried out military operations against Iran in early April.

The UAE statement did not explicitly refer to the reported strikes on Iran.

“All actions taken by the UAE came within its framework of defensive measures aimed at protecting its sovereignty, civilians, and vital infrastructure,” the foreign ministry said.