Iran-US war latest: Vance says ‘sometimes things happen’ after US accused of killing five in wedding strike

Close 'Sometimes things happen': Vance addresses suspected US strike on Iranian wedding On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice JD Vance has faced backlash after appearing to dismiss reports that a US strike killed five people, including two children, at a wedding gathering in southern Iran . When asked about whether a US strike was responsible, he said “sometimes things happen”. He said: “I will say that the Iranian state media has not been a very good scribe about what’s happened in the conflict thus far, so I’m extremely sceptical of this.” The toll was confirmed not by the Iranian government but by the Iranian Red Crescent, a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. “What I can say with 100% confidence is that, unlike the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] IRGC , the United States never targets civilians in combat,” Vance said. “We never will do that. We never have done that, and unfortunately, obviously, sometimes things happen.” Meanwhile, president Donald Trump insisted he had done the “right thing” with the war. It comes amid fears Trump is planning to extend Washington’s war on Iran, after The Wall Street Journal reported that the Pentagon was extending the presence of troops in the Middle East into next year. Recommended Iranian strikes on Jordan test the bonds between the US and one of its staunchest Mideast allies ‘I wouldn’t call it a war’: JD Vance’s jaw-dropper after reporter asks about Iran timeline JD Vance took over the White House press briefing — and took it in a very unexpected direction Sailors on USS Abraham Lincoln describe ‘the worst deployment that they have ever experienced’ as they dock in Thailand Key Points JD Vance faces backlash over response to alleged wedding gathering strike Vance refuses to give a deadline to end US war on Iran Oil prices rise as US-Iran tensions fuel supply concerns Two children killed in US strikes in Kuhestak along Strait of Hormuz, Iran says EU officially joins economic pressure campaign against Iran, Scott Bessent says Watch: White House launches arcade games based on Trump's agenda White House launches arcade games based on Trump's agenda James Reynolds 4 September 2026 09:26 This morning: Asian benchmarks mostly rise after tech stocks lead rally on Wall Street Asian shares were mostly higher in early Friday trading, as regional market sentiment got a boost from the rally on Wall Street, mostly from big technology stocks. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.6% in morning trading to 64,622.33. South Korea's Kospi gained 0.9% to 6,635.67. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was little changed, slipping less than 0.1% to 9,011.80. Hong Kong's Hang Seng jumped 2.1% to 25,751.26, while the Shanghai Composite added 0.8% to 3,973.27. Stocks on Wall Street closed higher Thursday as a recent run-up in bond yields eased further and big technology companies rallied. The S&P 500 rose 1.1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.2%, and the Nasdaq composite closed 1.4% higher. The latest: Asian benchmarks mostly rise after tech stocks lead rally on Wall Street Asian shares are mostly higher as regional market sentiment got a boost from the rally on Wall Street, led by tech stocks James Reynolds 4 September 2026 09:00 Shipping traffic through Hormuz well below normal, Kpler data says Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained well below normal on Thursday, with only four commodity vessels crossing the key waterway, according to preliminary Kpler data cited by Reuters. That was down from nine crossings the day before and well below the 10-day average of about 15. The vessels included two medium-range tankers, a Kamsarmax tanker and a Handysize vessel. Maroosha Muzaffar 4 September 2026 08:20 Vance refuses to give a deadline to end US war on Iran JD Vance has declined to give a timeline for ending the US war on Iran, while downplaying the conflict by saying there was no active shooting and major combat had lasted only about six weeks. “I wouldn’t call it a war. Right now, there is no active shooting,” Vance said. He added: “I recognise there have been places where this has flared up.” “When you ask, ‘When will this end?’, you’re asking me a question like: When will the Iranians stop shooting at ships?” Vance told reporters. “I think the reality is, I don’t know the answer to that question. You’d have to ask the Iranians.” His remarks come after days of intense fighting between the US and Iran. Maroosha Muzaffar 4 September 2026 08:00 Israel says economic pressure on Iran could push the regime to take ‘desperate steps’ Israel’s defence minister has warned that growing economic pressure could push Tehran to take more desperate measures. “We see signs indicating that the heavy economic pressure they are under, and the fear of an uprising and the collapse of the regime, may push them to desperate steps,” Israel Katz said. Earlier, Iran had claimed that it had the capability to manufacture more missile stockpiles and maintained enough in its war against the US“Initially, some believed that Iran had only a limited number of missiles and that its stockpiles would eventually be depleted as the war continued,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson Brig Gen Hossein Mohebbi said. “However, that assumption proved incorrect, as Iran’s missile capability has remained sustained and its missile production has continued.” Maroosha Muzaffar 4 September 2026 07:40 Trump rejects reports of US weapons stockpiles running low Donald Trump has rejected reports that US military stockpiles of weapons are running dangerously low as the war with Iran enters its seventh month. In a post on his Truth Social platform he wrote that the US was producing munitions at “levels never seen before” and has “far more than we could ever use”. “For the treasonous SCUM that refuses to accurately report on our Military Operation in Iran, we have virtually unlimited amounts of Mid to High Grade Ammunition, far more than we could ever use for this, or for any other War (which is highly unlikely!), that could improbably take place,” Trump wrote. “In addition, we are producing Munitions at levels never seen before. We are stockpiling and preparing for any contingency that could happen. We are taking them for ourselves, the U.S.A., rather than selling them to others, but the sales to Allies will soon again, begin. Also, please let it be known, that the Biden Administration gave far more Munitions away to Ukraine, at no cost to them, whatsoever, than we have used in Iran.” Maroosha Muzaffar 4 September 2026 07:20 Kuwait says their air defences intercepted ‘blatant Iranian aggression’ Iran fired missiles and drones towards Kuwait yesterday, with Kuwaiti air defences intercepting the attacks. The Kuwait defence ministry wrote on X that their air defences intercepted missiles and drones during a “blatant Iranian aggression”. Bahrain and Jordan also reported intercepting Iranian attacks. Maroosha Muzaffar 4 September 2026 07:00 Iran’s attacks on commercial shipping have ‘less effect day by day’ on global energy markets JD Vance said Iran’s attacks on commercial ships were having “less effect day by day” on global energy markets and added that the US efforts to protect shipping were preventing a wider energy crisis. “When will the Iranians shooting at ships stop having an effect on world energy markets? The answer is it has less effect day by day.” He also chided allies for not doing enough to contribute to the war. “What we’re doing right now is protecting commercial shipping in order to ensure that we don’t have a worldwide energy crisis. “The only reason we don’t have an energy crisis is because of the leadership of the president (Trump) but also because of the fine work of our military.” Maroosha Muzaffar 4 September 2026 06:40 EU officially joins economic pressure campaign against Iran, Scott Bessent says The US treasury secretary says the EU has joined America’s campaign to put pressure on Iran’s economy. In a post on X, Scott Bessent wrote: “The European Union has officially joined Operation Economic Outcast and we appreciate their strong and early stance. The United States stands firm with our allies in ensuring the murderous Iranian regime cannot exploit the global financial system to fund its nuclear ambitions, weapons programs, and terror proxies.” He added: “The world is sending a clear message to the Iranian regime: We will not stop until every remaining financial lifeline has been severed.” Earlier, the EU said in a statement that it would “work closely with the United States and other G7 and international partners to maintain pressure on Iran and contribute to de-escalation and regional stability”. Maroosha Muzaffar 4 September 2026 06:20 Oil prices rise as US-Iran tensions fuel supply concerns Oil prices rose on Friday as renewed hostilities between the US and Iran raised concerns over possible disruptions to energy supplies. Brent crude futures climbed 15 cents, or 0.2 per cent, to $95.67 a barrel by 01:00 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained 26 cents, or 0.3 per cent, to $91.56. Both benchmarks were on track for their strongest weekly gains since mid-July. Brent has risen 7.1 per cent over the past week, while WTI is up 9.8 per cent, according to Reuters. Maroosha Muzaffar 4 September 2026 06:00 Newer 1 / 3 Older