Trump and Iran both say US Midterm Elections not a factor in peace talks

Key Points:

• Former Vice President Mike Pence condemned President Donald Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian oil, calling it a “betrayal” of the late Senator Lindsey Graham’s legacy and urging Trump to rescind the move to maintain pressure on Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine.
• Pence emphasized that lifting sanctions aids Putin’s war efforts, asserting that Russia’s aggression threatens global security and that the U.S. should continue imposing harsh sanctions and support Ukraine militarily.
• Separately, Iranian anti-regime protester Alireza Sepahi was executed in Isfahan Central Prison shortly after marrying his imprisoned fiancée, Mahshad Keshani, over a phone line in a rare and poignant ceremony facilitated by a human rights lawyer.
• President Trump and Iranian officials both claim the upcoming U.S. Midterm Elections do not affect peace talks, with Trump warning Iran post-election to comply with U.S. demands or face severe consequences, while Iran insists on lifting sanctions and blockades as conditions for resolving the conflict.