Iran-US war latest: Trump extends pause on power grid strikes as Pentagon reportedly weighs sending 10,000 more troops to region

The United Nations’ Security Council will hold a closed-door meeting Friday to discuss US-Israeli attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran, two UN diplomats told the Associated Press.

“I’ve heard that today Blinken made a statement that he should have done it. Thanks a lot Blinken, I appreciate it”, Trump said. “But he came out with the statement that they should have done it, they made a mistake”.

Blinken took to X Thursday, writing that Trump “cited me as supporting his attack on Iran and expressing regret we didn’t do it during the Biden Administration. Except I didn’t”.

There will be no press conference with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, this week, the Pentagon said, per The New York Times.

Admiral Brad Cooper, the leader of U.S. Central Command, did give a video update Wednesday, in which he said American forces have hit more than 10,000 military targets since the Iran war began more than three weeks ago.

In pictures: A woman holds a portrait of Iran’s late Supreme Leader during a protest outside Iran’s embassy in Beirut, Lebanon

It was the influencer capital of the world, a photogenic playground for the young, glamorous and wealthy. But as Iranian missiles fall on Dubai, the largest and most ostentatiously luxe city in the United Arab Emirates, the facade seems about to crack.

The city once touted as one of the safest places in the world is no longer a peaceful haven. And the UAE government has rushed to try and control the narrative, prompting a huge crackdown on anyone sharing photos of missile attacks and their aftermath. Instead, content creators have been posting uncannily similar photos and videos full of praise, parroting buzzwords about the city’s strong, stable leaders.

How can influencers continue to portray the “Dubai dream” online, when the whole world knows that the city has been mired in conflict? And what about the ordinary people who are being detained for sharing photos and videos that go against the official line?

Katie Rosseinsky has the story…

US President Donald Trump is considering sending another 10,000 troops to the Middle East amid the Iran war, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday night local time, citing US defense officials.

The potential deployment would probably include infantry and armored vehicles, according to the publication.

The Independent has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.

The US has already sent thousands of Marines and paratroopers to the region to help with the war effort.

US Vice President JD Vance is currently meeting with Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, NewsNation White House Correspondent Libbey Dean has reported, citing an unnamed source.

“A range of foreign policy issues are expected to come up, including Iran and Gaza — with talks focused on defense cooperation, protecting energy infrastructure, and collaborating on freedom of navigation, per source”, Dean wrote on X Thursday night.

The Pentagon is developing military options for a “final blow” in Iran that could include the use of ground forces and a massive bombing campaign, two US officials and two sources with knowledge told Axios.

The news outlet reported four potential “final blow” options Trump could choose from:

1. Invading or blockading Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub.
2. Invading Larak, an island that helps Iran solidify its control of the Strait of Hormuz. The strategic outpost hosts Iranian bunkers, attack craft that can blow up cargo ships and radars that monitor movements in the strait.
3. Seizing the strategic island of Abu Musa and two smaller islands, which lie near the western entrance to the strait and are controlled by Iran but also claimed by the UAE.
4. Blocking or seizing ships that are exporting Iranian oil on the eastern side of the Hormuz Strait.