In a significant development, President Donald Trump has announced that the conflict with Iran has concluded. This declaration comes as the White House gears up for a potential second round of peace negotiations with Iranian representatives, slated to take place in Pakistan.

Maria Bartiromo from Fox Business shared an intriguing tidbit after her visit to the White House on Tuesday evening. She released a brief video previewing her forthcoming interview with the president, which is scheduled to air on Wednesday morning.

During her visit, Bartiromo had an enlightening exchange with President Trump. “One thing that I’ll leave you with,” she recounted to her audience, “I asked him, ‘Mr. President, you keep referring to the war as if it’s in the past, using terms like ‘was, was, was.’ I asked, ‘Is it over?’ and he confirmed, ‘It’s over.'”

This unexpected revelation coincides with reports suggesting that President Trump is contemplating dispatching Vice President JD Vance back to Pakistan. The objective would be to engage in another round of peace discussions with Iranian officials, aiming to solidify the newfound peace.

The shocking announcement came amid reports that the president is considering sending Vice President JD Vance back to Pakistan for a second round of peace talks with Iranian officials.

The vice president previously met with Iranian authorities in Islamabad on Saturday to discuss a deal to end the war during the two-week ceasefire agreed upon by both sides.

But those negotiations ended without any deal after the Iranians pushed for the right to enrich uranium for 20 years, Trump has said.

Still, Vance – along with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner – have been continuing to engage with Iranians and their intermediaries, CNN reports.

President Donald Trump declared that the war in Iran is over in an interview with Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo, scheduled to air Wednesday morning

Bartiromo left the White House Tuesday evening, and posted a short clip teasing her interview with the president that is set to air Wednesday morning

Amid these discussions, Trump administration officials are said to be drawing up plans for a second round of peace talks.

‘Further talks are under discussion, but nothing has been scheduled at this time,’ an unidentified US official told CNN.

Yet Trump had earlier told the New York Post that ‘something could be happening’ over the next two days, before the ceasefire deal expires.

The president had reportedly been weighing three different options to force Iran back to the negotiating table, including holding off on direct military strikes while maintaining a significant US military presence in the region.

His other options involve limited military action, such as targeted strikes on the regime’s nuclear, ballistic missile, and energy facilities.

The final option is a maximalist strategy aimed at overthrowing the regime by carrying out attacks against senior Iranian leadership. 

However, the president appears reluctant to restart a full bombing campaign, wary that it would further inflame tensions in the region, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

Sources say the escalation risks widening the war across the Middle East, even as economic strain rises in the US amid President Trump’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz – a narrow waterway through which one-fifth of the world’s oil passes.

Vance has been engaging with Iranians and their intermediaries – along with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner – since the negotiations failed on Saturday

US and Iranian officials had agreed to a two-week ceasefire. Workers are pictured here rebuilding a wall at the site of a damaged residential building in Tehran on Tuesday

After negotiations failed, Trump organized a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz (pictured in March), a narrow waterway through which one-fifth of the world’s oil passes

Since the start of the war, US gas prices have been above $4 nationwide and global oil prices have been past $100 a barrel.

Moreover, US wholesale prices surged last month as the war drove up the cost of energy.

The Labor Department reported Tuesday that its producer price index – which measures inflation before it hits consumers – rose 0.5 percent from February and four percent from March 2025.

The situation may now grow even more fraught, as Saudi Arabia has warned Trump that Iran may shut down the Middle East’s remaining oil routes in retaliation for his naval blockade.

Riyadh fears Tehran could deploy its Houthi proxy in Yemen to disrupt the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a critical artery carrying 10 percent of global trade between Asia and European markets via the Suez Canal.

Since the start of the war, US gas prices have been above $4 nationwide and global oil prices have been past $100 a barrel

Trump is now facing mounting pressure from Riyadh to lift the Hormuz blockade and return to negotiations with Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, warned on April 5 that Iran ‘views Bab al-Mandeb as it does Hormuz.’

If Washington ‘dares to repeat its foolish mistakes, it will soon realize that the flow of global energy and trade can be disrupted with a single move,’ he added.

Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also warned Tehran could throttle the Bab al-Mandeb, Arabic for ‘Gate of Tears,’ a stretch notorious for its treacherous navigation.

‘What share of global oil, gas, wheat, rice, and fertilizer shipments transits the Bab al-Mandeb Strait?’ he asked on April 3. ‘Which countries and companies account for the highest transit volumes through the strait?’

A Texas resident accused of attempting to firebomb the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was detained without bail on Tuesday, with his attorney asserting that the defendant is suffering from a mental health crisis.

Daniel Moreno-Gama, 20, made a court appearance in San Francisco but refrained from entering a plea to several charges, including attempted murder. The judge allowed a postponement of his arraignment, scheduling his next court appearance for May 5.

Moreno-Gama’s public defender, Diamond Ward, vigorously challenged the prosecution’s case. She stated that Moreno-Gama is on the autism spectrum and was undergoing a “severe mental health crisis” during the time of the alleged incident.

“At most, this is a property crime,” Ward argued, suggesting that the prosecutors had overcharged her client. She implied that Sam Altman’s high-profile status might have influenced the gravity of the charges.

The accusations against Daniel Moreno-Gama, who allegedly targeted the OpenAI leader, were addressed in a San Francisco court. (KTVU)

Prosecutors say the attack was anything but minor.

Authorities allege Moreno-Gama traveled from Texas to San Francisco in a planned, targeted attempt to kill the OpenAI CEO. Early Friday morning, he allegedly hurled a Molotov cocktail at Altman’s home, setting an exterior gate on fire before fleeing on foot. No one was injured, and officials have not said whether Altman was home at the time.

Less than an hour later, investigators say Moreno-Gama showed up at OpenAI’s headquarters about three miles away, where he allegedly threatened to burn the building down and kill anyone inside. Surveillance video captured him throwing a chair at the glass doors, according to police.

The home of Sam Altman is seen from Chestnut Street in San Francisco on April 10, 2026. (Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle)

He was arrested outside the building, where authorities say he was carrying a jug of kerosene, a lighter and writings outlining his hostility toward artificial intelligence.

Sources familiar with the investigation previously told Fox News the suspect was carrying what they described as a manifesto — a multi-part document that included a list of AI executives and investors, along with their names and addresses.

“This was not spontaneous. This was planned, targeted and extremely serious,” FBI San Francisco Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo said.

Daniel Moreno-Gama appears in court as he faces attempted murder and arson charges in connection to the Sam Altman attack. (KTVU)

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has charged Moreno-Gama with two counts of attempted murder, alleging he targeted both Altman and a security guard at the residence, along with multiple arson-related offenses. She has said the charges carry potential penalties ranging from 19 years to life in prison.

Federal prosecutors have also filed charges, including possession of an unregistered firearm and destruction of property using explosives, which could add decades to any sentence if he is convicted.

“We are at the beginning of this investigation, but if the evidence shows that Mr. Moreno-Gama executed these attacks to change public policy or to coerce government or other officials, we will treat this as an act of domestic terrorism,” U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California Craig Missakian said Monday.

Meanwhile, FBI agents raided Moreno-Gama’s home in Spring, Texas, on Monday, with Fox News on the ground as agents collected evidence for several hours.

Daniel Moreno-Gama stands in court with a deputy as he faces charges tied to the alleged attack on Sam Altman’s home and threats against OpenAI. (KTVU)

Officials say the suspect’s writings also included threats against other leaders in the artificial intelligence industry, raising broader concerns about escalating rhetoric surrounding the rapidly evolving technology.

Even groups that have warned about the risks of AI condemned the violence. The Future of Life Institute said intimidation has “no place” in the debate, while PauseAI said the suspect had no formal ties to the organization.

Prosecutors, however, are framing the case as a clear warning, urging cooler public discourse as tensions around artificial intelligence continue to rise.

Erika Kirk opted out of attending a Turning Point USA gathering on Tuesday, citing ‘threats’ as her reason, shared Vice President JD Vance.

The planned interview with Vance at the University of Georgia formed part of the nonprofit’s initiative to energize young conservative voters before the midterm elections.

Vance mentioned that Erika had discussed the threats with him in advance. In the end, she chose to skip the rally.

“I have a lot of respect for Erika, and I understand she received some threats,” Vance remarked during the event. “Just two hours prior, I was concerned we might need to cancel the event because Erika was very anxious about attending.”

Following consultations with the Secret Service, Vance proceeded with the event in Erika’s absence.

No further information about the threats have been released. The Daily Mail approached the White House for comment. 

On September 10, Erika’s husband, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated at Utah Valley University while conversing with students. She succeeded her husband as the CEO of Turning Point USA shortly after his death.

For many on the right, Erika has become a figure to rally around because of the tragic and brutally public way her husband died. Others have nitpicked various appearances of hers, claiming that she doesn’t look sad or grieves in a performative manner.

Erika Kirk decided not to show up at Turning Point USA’s latest tour stop at the University of Georgia due to unknown ‘threats’, according to Vice President JD Vance, the headliner at the event

Pictured: Vance on stage at the event on Tuesday. He is sitting opposite Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet

Vance shut down those criticisms while being interviewed by Andrew Kolvet, a Turning Point USA spokesperson.

‘I was holding her hand, my wife was hugging her while we loaded Charlie’s body onto Air Force Two and said the Lord’s Prayer,’ he said. ‘The people telling you that Erika wasn’t grieving her husband are full of s***.’

He didn’t specifically address criticisms from Candace Owens and others that Erika is hungry for fame and tone deaf, pointing to things like Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, which at times sounded like a political rally and featured pyrotechnics on stage.

Owens has also pushed debunked conspiracy theories such as claiming that Erika removed her wedding picture from her set, suggesting she did so out of malice.

A Turning Point USA spokesperson told Newsweek at the time that ‘Erika moved it to a lower shelf when her daughter asked to see it so she could hold and look at the photo. It’s still on the studio shelf, just lower down where her daughter can look at it whenever she’s in there with her mom.’

Owens also said that Turning Point USA’s alternate halftime show for the Super Bowl faked the amount of views it got to make it appear successful in the wake of Bad Bunny’s highly watched performance.

Vance said that everything Erika has done as the new leader of the organization has been with the aim of ‘trying to make sure that Charlie’s legacy doesn’t die’.

Charlie Kirk is pictured at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, shortly before he was fatally shot in front of a crowd of hundreds of students

The conversation at the event on Tuesday eventually moved on to foreign policy, with Vance defending President Donald Trump’s war in Iran.

Later on, while discussing Trump’s recent feud with Pope Leo, a man in the audience began shouting ‘Jesus doesn’t support genocide’, to which Vance agreed with him.

‘I agree. Jesus Christ certainly does not support genocide, whoever yelled that out from the dark… I think that’s pretty easy,’ he said.

Then the man could be heard saying there is a genocide in Gaza and that Israel is ‘killing children’. 

Israel has conducted large-scale strikes on the Gaza Strip since Hamas attacked the country on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 Israeli civilians and taking dozens of hostages.

The audience universally booed the heckler almost as soon as he mentioned Gaza.

In response, Vance pointed to the ceasefire he and Trump negotiated in Gaza that took effect on October 10, 2025.

‘If you want, sir, to complain about what happened in Gaza, why don’t you complain about Joe Biden and the last administration. We’re the administration that solved that problem,’ he said.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued to bomb the Gaza Strip for the last six months. 

Most recently, the Israel Defense Forces killed an Al Jazeera reporter they claimed was a member of Hamas. The killing has been condemned by the Committee to Protect Journalists.