WASHINGTON — The marathon negotiations between the United States and Iran in Pakistan didn’t lead to a peace deal, but American leadership came away with one major conclusion: Iran is delusional about its standing in negotiations. Vice President JD Vance will soon arrive back in Washington, and President Donald Trump has upped the ante declaring a complete blockade of the Straight of Hormuz. The negotiations helped the United States understand just how little Iran understood their situation, U.S. officials told The Daily Wire. Iran failed to recognize the reality of the situation on the ground, the officials say, and has not come to terms with the fact that its inability to ever have a nuclear weapon is a primary American objective. A U.S. official said that Vance entered the negotiations well-aware that the United States and Iran had hardly interacted with one another for half a century. Vance went into the 21 hours of negotiations with plans to test the counterparties and assess what they believed their situation was. Vance probed their vulnerabilities, and Trump is now testing those vulnerabilities, the official said, and the world will see whether the Iranians recognize reality. After Vance’s departure, Trump announced that the United Staes would blockade the Strait because Iran had refused to commit to abandoning its nuclear program. The president shared that he had been fully briefed by the vice president, and said that the U.S. Navy would begin its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and targeting vessels that attempt to enter or exit, as well as identify vessels that have paid what he described as “illegal” tolls to Iran. “The meeting with Iran began early in the morning, and lasted throughout the night — Close to 20 hours. I could go into great detail, and talk about much that has been gotten but, there is only one thing that matters — IRAN IS UNWILLING TO GIVE UP ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS,” the president said. “In many ways, the points that were agreed to are better than us continuing our Military Operations to conclusion, but all of those points don’t matter compared to allowing Nuclear Power to be in the hands of such volatile, difficult, unpredictable people.” One of the vice president’s main goals, heading into the talks, was for both the United States and Iran to get to a mutual understanding on each country’s objectives and their “negotiating space,” the first U.S. official explained. Though the conversations were tough, the official said, by the end, the negotiators had completed a productive exchange of proposals. It became clear from the outset that the Iranians weren’t grasping the core objective of the United States: any deal would have to center on the fact that Iran can not ever obtain a nuclear weapon. Vance corrected this misunderstanding during the deliberations, the official shared, and when the vice president left Islamabad, he had offered Iran the best and final offer that worked for both parties. US Vice President JD Vance (L) talks to Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshall Asim Munir (R) and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar (C) before boarding Air Force Two after attending talks on Iran in Islamabad on April 12, 2026. (Photo by Jacquelyn MARTIN / POOL / AFP via Getty Images) Vance also believed that deal should be acceptable to the Iranians and said publicly that he hopes they will accept it. Another key point of the weekend negotiations: Vance probed the Iranian assessment of their own position and discovered that they fundamentally misunderstood their own position walking into the negotiations. That was why the vice president left Islamabad after he gave that final offer: if the Iranians believe they have leverage that they do not have, the official said, no deal is achievable. And before they are ready to entertain a serious offer, the Iranians need to recognize that the realities on the ground in Iran do not match their assumptions heading into the negotiations. “The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vance told reporters as he departed Pakistan. “That is the core goal of the president of the United States. And that’s what we’ve tried to achieve through these negotiations.” “We leave here, and we leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We’ll see if the Iranians accept it.” The White House national security team has come up with a plan, in consultation with the president, intended to break the Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz and, at the same time, challenge the idea that the Strait of Hormuz can distract from the main issue: Iran’s nuclear program. The vice president is hopeful that Iran recognizes that the deal they have been presented is in both parties’ interest, the official said. A separate U.S. official outlined the United States red lines to The Daily Wire: Iran must end all uranium enrichment, dismantle all major nuclear enrichment facilities, retrieve highly enriched uranium, accept a broader peace, security and de-escalation framework that includes regional allies, end funding for the terrorist proxies Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, and fully open the Strait of Hormuz, charging no tolls for passage. There is a deal still on the table, the U.S. official noted, and the vice president’s statement emphasized that. It now remains up to the Iranians whether or not they accept it.

President Donald Trump and a number in his administration have suggested that Democrats and media were actively rooting for the United States to lose the war with Iran — and one New York Times columnist gave a striking example of that during a Saturday interview on CNN. Foreign affairs columnist Thomas Friedman admitted that he felt torn over fully backing the United States in the ongoing Operation Epic Fury, saying that he wanted the Iranian regime to fall but that he wasn’t sure it was worth the cost of elevating President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Friedman told CNN host Micheal Smerconish that he was all for the end of the Iranian regime, but that it was the likelihood the credit — and with that credit, political capital — would go to Trump and Netanyahu that gave him pause. WATCH: Don’t want Iran to lose if it means Trump wins. @TomFriedman of @NYTimes really wants “to see Iran defeated militarily because this regime is a terrible regime for its people and the region,” but on CNN’s @Smerconish he fretted “the problem is I really don’t want to see Bibi… pic.twitter.com/rgPngGXkGc — Brent Baker

Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman admitted to stealing one very important item from the capsule as he and his teammates disembarked the Orion capsule after Friday’s splashdown in the Pacific Ocean: the crew’s zero-gravity indicator. The little plush ball, nicknamed “Rise” and made to look like the iconic “earth-rise” over the moon that can only be seen from space, was featured alongside the human crew members throughout the Artemis II lunar mission and had, in effect, become part of the team. Rise could be seen in a photo of Wiseman after he left the capsule, prompting a comment on X that read, “It’s very moving to me that Commander Reid Wiseman, the last of the #ArtemisII astronauts to exit Integrity, made sure to bring the plushie Rise — and the 5 million names it carries — back with him immediately upon landing. Every one of those names completed the mission with him.” Wiseman responded, saying, “I was supposed to leave Rise in Integrity … but that was not something I was going to do. I stuffed that little guy in a dry bag we had in our survival kit and hooked the bag onto my pressure suit.” I was supposed to leave Rise in Integrity….but that was not something I was going to do. I stuffed that little guy in a dry bag we had in our survival kit and hooked the bag onto my pressure suit. — Reid Wiseman (@astro_reid) April 11, 2026 Wiseman followed that with another photo later on, reassuring fans that Rise was still safe and in his custody. “PS- it’s hard not to love this little guy. I cant let Rise out of my sight…currently tethered to my water bottle,” he said. 8-year-old Lucas Ye designed Rise, the mascot for the Artemis II mission.pic.twitter.com/7hZOJLuz0i — Cinema Hub (@_CinemaHub_) April 11, 2026 In addition to functioning as the team’s zero-gravity indicator throughout the mission, Rise also carried the names of millions of people on earth as the team traveled farther from earth than anyone in history. Hi Rise!

Rudy Giuliani is sharply criticizing New York City politics and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, arguing that the city he once led is moving away from the reforms and identity he fought to build during his tenure as mayor. Speaking in on “Pod Force One”, Giuliani said his reaction to the current direction of the city is emotional and personal, describing it as “heartbroken” and rooted in decades of attachment to New York.

Pressure is rapidly mounting on Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) as members of his own party increasingly join Republicans in calling for his resignation, or even expulsion, amid a growing sexual misconduct scandal and an active criminal investigation. A growing number of House lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are now openly discussing removing Swalwell from office — a rare moment of bipartisan alignment on Capitol Hill. Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Byron Donalds (R-FL) made clear he would support expulsion if the issue comes to a vote. “[If] that vote comes to the floor, I will be voting yes on both measures. These allegations are despicable and they demean the integrity of Congress,” Donalds said. “These things are just completely unacceptable… both gentlemen need to go home.” That sentiment is now being echoed by prominent Democrats. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) also said she would support expulsion, on “Meet the Press,” emphasizing that the issue transcends party lines. “This is not a partisan issue,” Jayapal said. “This is clearly a pattern … and I think we have to hold everybody accountable.” Meanwhile, Ro Khanna (D-CA) has called directly for Swalwell to resign, framing the controversy as part of a broader cultural issue within Congress. “I believe that he should resign,” Khanna said on Fox News Sunday. “And whatever in terms of the House has to happen should happen… This shouldn’t be about politics… anyone who abuses staffers should not be in the United States Congress.” Khanna also stressed the importance of setting a standard for congressional staffers, arguing that lawmakers must demonstrate that “their bosses don’t get to do this to them.” The criticism has extended beyond television appearances and into direct calls from colleagues. Jared Huffman wrote on social media that he has “seen enough,” arguing that Swalwell’s own public defense “all but admits a per se abuse of power under House ethics rules.” “He must now drop out of the Governor’s race and resign from Congress,” Huffman wrote on X, adding that he would support a vote to expel Swalwell if he refuses to step down. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM), chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, issued a forceful statement to X on Sunday, calling for both Swalwell and Tony Gonzales (R-TX) to step down. “Men in power rely on the silence of the women they have abused,” Leger Fernández said. “Both Reps. Gonzales and Swalwell believed it was acceptable to sexually abuse staff and still run for and serve in elected office. They clearly did not expect there would be any consequences for their actions.” She continued by highlighting the vulnerability of congressional staffers, saying they were “preyed upon” despite their commitment to public service. “These women have suffered enough. Now we must act to protect them and make sure there is accountability,” she said. “Reps. Gonzales and Swalwell are not fit to serve. They must resign. If they do not, I will vote to expel them.” The growing backlash comes after multiple reports detailing allegations against Swalwell. A woman first accused him of sexual assault on Friday, and within hours, three more women came forward with additional claims ranging from harassment to sending unsolicited explicit images. Swalwell has denied all allegations, calling them “absolutely false” and vowing to fight them. The situation has already triggered a criminal inquiry by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which is investigating claims that include an alleged assault involving a former staffer in New York City in 2024. At the same time, Democratic leadership has begun to distance itself, though not all have gone as far as calling for resignation from Congress. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) urged Swalwell to end his gubernatorial campaign, stopping short of demanding he leave office entirely. The controversy has also drawn comparisons to Gonzales, a Republican facing his own misconduct allegations. Lawmakers in both parties have increasingly linked the two cases, calling for equal accountability regardless of party affiliation. Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), says she intends to inquire with the house parliamentarian to pair her resolution to expel Swalwell with Gonzalez. They would be the seventh and eighth expulsions in the history of the house, while only the fourth and fifth since the civil war. The most recent expulsion was George Santos in 2023. Even as Swalwell remains defiant, insisting the allegations are politically motivated, the political reality around him appears to be shifting quickly. With allies stepping away, leadership urging him out of the governor’s race, and a bipartisan bloc now openly discussing expulsion, the congressman is facing the most serious threat to his career since entering public office.  Whether that pressure ultimately forces him from Congress, or triggers a historic expulsion vote will be determined in the days ahead.