伊朗恫言彻底封锁霍尔木兹海峡

2026年6月1日 21:59 / 联合早报

这张由伊朗伊斯兰共和国通讯社（ISNA）于6月1日发布的照片显示，一些伊朗民众坐在位于霍尔木兹海峡沿岸的阿巴斯港苏鲁海滩上。 （法新社）

伊朗媒体周一报道称，伊朗和“抵抗阵线”计划彻底封锁霍尔木兹海峡，并在曼德海峡（Bab al-Mandeb）等其他“战线”开启行动。

伊朗媒体星期一（6月1日）还报道称，鉴于以色列在黎巴嫩的持续军事行动，伊朗谈判团队已暂停通过中间人同美国对话。

报道称，在伊朗要求以色列“立即停止”在加沙和黎巴嫩的军事行动得到满足之前，“不会进行任何对话”。

以色列宣布扩大对黎巴嫩真主党的军事打击范围，从以黎南地区为主要目标，扩大至涵盖黎巴嫩首都贝鲁特。

以色列总理内坦亚胡与国防部长卡茨周一发表联合声明，下令以色列国防军对贝鲁特南部郊区达希耶（Dahiyeh）发动空袭。

伊朗外长阿拉格齐周一在社媒发文说，任何一条战线上的停火遭到破坏，等同于所有战线上的停火遭到破坏。

受中东紧张局势影响，周一油价上涨超过每桶3美元。

Congress returns with GOP agenda stalled over DOJ’s “anti-weaponization” fund

June 1, 2026 / 9:21 AM EDT / CBS News

Washington — Congress is returning from recess this week to resume work that went unfinished before lawmakers left town, when GOP leaders were forced to scrap plans to fund immigration agencies after a Republican revolt over the Trump administration’s “anti-weaponization” fund.

Senate Republicans were preparing to begin a marathon vote series to fund the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement agencies last month through the budget reconciliation process. And although Senate Republicans appeared largely ready to pass the long-sought funds, the announcement of the controversial DOJ fund at the eleventh hour imperiled the path forward.

The $1.776 billion fund aims to provide taxpayer-funded payouts to people who allege the legal system has been “weaponized” against them. Established as part of a settlement of a suit by President Trump against the IRS, the fund has divided Republicans, especially as some Trump allies and people charged for their involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol have expressed eagerness to submit claims.

During a heated conference meeting, Senate Republicans expressed consternation over the fund to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who had been deployed to smooth over GOP concerns. GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas called it “one of the roughest meetings I’ve seen in my entire time in the Senate.”

Democrats had vowed to force votes on amendments targeting the fund during the Senate’s marathon vote series on the $72 billion immigration enforcement package, complicating the path forward for Republicans. Leaving the GOP meeting, a number of Republicans indicated they had reservations, with lingering questions about how the fund will operate and who might receive payments from it, along with possible guardrails to prevent people who assaulted law enforcement from being compensated.

Plans to move forward with the DHS funding, which the president wanted on his desk by June 1, were scrapped, and senators headed quickly for the exits.

Now, as the Senate returns Monday, Republicans remain bedeviled by the fund and how to move forward. As they look to proceed with a “vote-a-rama” on the reconciliation package, the DOJ fund still remains to be addressed — whether by the administration or by the Senate.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, who was a target of rioters on Jan. 6, 2021, said on “Face the Nation” on Sunday that he hopes the administration will drop the fund entirely. Pence said he’s been “heartened by the number of Republicans in the Senate who have spoken out against it.”

With the Senate set to reconvene, Democrats are poised to ramp up their opposition to the DOJ fund. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pledged in a “Dear Colleague” letter Monday to launch a coordinated effort to quash the fund. He said “no matter what Republicans do, we will force them to vote.”

“There will be no escape hatch. No fake guardrails or backroom promises to hide behind,” Schumer wrote in the letter. “No Justice Department announcement that makes this corruption acceptable.”

The fund has also sparked pushback in the House, where plans to remain in town after Senate action on the reconciliation package were quickly canceled last month. Some Republicans, like Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, expressed “urgent concern” about the anti-weaponization fund. In a letter to Blanche, Fitzpatrick said it “represents a dangerous backsliding in the transparency of our institutions and our commitment to the American taxpayer.”

Congress’ return comes after a federal judge temporarily barred the Justice Department from moving forward with work on the fund last week. But the DOJ has continued to express confidence in the fund’s legality amid a handful of challenges to its implementation.

Meanwhile, another fight is hanging over both chambers this week as the war with Iran — and a possible peace plan — weighs on lawmakers.

The House abruptly canceled a vote on reining in Mr. Trump’s war powers in Iran before leaving town for recess last month, when it became clear that Republicans didn’t have the votes to defeat the resolution. The chamber is now expected to vote this week. A vote earlier last month fell just short of a majority in a 212-212 split. At the time, three Republicans backed the resolution, and more could join them this week.

In the Senate, GOP leaders will be looking to bolster attendance to ward off more progress on a Democrat-led war powers push that has successfully siphoned off a handful of Republicans, and resulted in a resolution being discharged from committee in a 50-47 vote last month. Three Republican senators were absent.

卡乐比黑白包装虾条亮相东京超市

2026年6月1日 22:33 / 联合早报

卡乐比黑白包装虾条亮相东京超市

卡乐比公司5月14日在东京的公司总部展示了标志性的鲜艳包装薯片（左），和改成单调的黑白色包装薯片。 （法新社档案照片）

中东冲突导致的航运中断持续波及全球市场，日本薯片品牌卡乐比（Calbee）则因印刷油墨短缺，不得不把标志性的鲜艳包装改成单调的黑白色。

共同社报道，黑白色包装的卡乐比虾条星期一（6月1日）开始在东京都内的超市上架。

卡乐比公司5月中旬宣布，从5月底开始，旗下薯片、虾条、早餐麦片等14款产品包装将仅使用黑白两色。公司说，这是由于中东紧张局势升级，导致某些原材料供应不稳定。

据日本媒体报道，近期石脑油（naphtha）短缺，影响了卡乐比的印刷油墨采购。石脑油是一种石油副产品，广泛应用于多个行业，是印刷油墨和塑料的原料。

周一在东京都内的大超市里，袋子上印有“石油原料节约包装”字样的虾条上架，与彩色包装的零食并排摆放。

FDA delays cost Americans trillions and slow lifesaving drugs, new report says

Economist Tomas Philipson warns China’s faster clinical trial system could lure investment away from the US

June 1, 2026 8:00am EDT / Fox News

By Amanda Macias

Unleash Prosperity economist Tomas Philipson argues lengthy FDA approval timelines are delaying lifesaving treatments and calls for a COVID-era “Operation Warp Speed” model to accelerate patient access to new medicines.

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

A new report argues that speeding up Food and Drug Administration reviews could unlock trillions of dollars in economic value and get lifesaving treatments to patients faster.

“It takes about a decade from start to finish to come through FDA,” economist and former acting chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers Tomas Philipson told Fox News Digital in an interview. “Most of that time is not spent on safety. Most of it time is spent on effectiveness trials.”

The paper, titled “The Multi-Trillion Dollar Opportunity in Reforming the FDA,” estimates that cutting FDA effectiveness-review timelines by one year could generate more than $10 trillion in economic value by getting new treatments to patients sooner and encouraging additional medical innovation.

19 DRUG APPROVALS IN 2024 THAT HAD ‘BIG CLINICAL IMPACT,’ ACCORDING TO GOODRX

The report argues that speeding up drug approvals could help reduce prescription costs by boosting competition among manufacturers.(iStock)

Philipson argued that most delays in the drug approval process stem from determining effectiveness rather than safety.

“FDA is charged by Congress to enhance both safety and effectiveness of new drugs,” Philipson said. “People recognize the role of the government potentially ensuring safety and consumer protection, but it’s a unique role that FDA has of ensuring effectiveness.”

He also argued that faster approvals could help lower prescription drug costs by increasing competition among manufacturers.

“Reforming FDA would have a big impact on drug affordability for patients because it would allow for far more competition between drugs that come out faster,” he said.

OPERATION WARP SPEED WAS MIRACULOUS. TRUMP ADMIN SHOULD NOT ABANDON TECHNOLOGY THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE

The report also questions whether the federal government should continue playing such a large role in determining a drug’s effectiveness before it reaches the market.(Issam Ahmed/AFP)

The report estimates that accelerating approvals by one to six years could generate trillions in economic value through earlier access to drugs, biologics and medical devices, as well as stronger incentives for innovation.

The authors also warn that China’s faster, lower-cost clinical trial system could lure investment and drug development activity away from the United States.

Philipson said the competitive challenge from China underscores the need for policymakers to rethink the pace of FDA approvals.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The authors propose reforms including greater use of artificial intelligence in drug reviews.(iStock)

“I think there’s a huge role for the president here to push an analogous effort to what he did with Operation Warp Speed during COVID,” Philipson said. “It’s equally urgent for other patient groups who don’t have COVID but other diseases.”

The authors propose reforms including greater use of artificial intelligence in drug reviews, faster clinical trial designs and broader access to “right to try” programs.

Amanda covers the intersection of business and politics for Fox News Digital.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6397215771112

郑丽文：期待访美深化两岸与区域和平稳定的努力

2026年6月1日 23:01 / 联合早报

台湾在野的中国国民党主席郑丽文星期一（6月1日）在中央党部举行访问美国的行前记者会。 （法新社）

台湾在野的中国国民党主席郑丽文星期一（6月1日）启程访美。她表示，希望这次访美能深化对于两岸和平、区域和平稳定的愿望跟努力，“这样的承诺跟努力，不只是来自于两岸，更需要来自国际社会，尤其美国的支持”。

郑丽文星期一在中央党部召开行前记者会，作上述表示。她并透露，此行在华府会见到美国联邦政府官员，在其他地方也会跟官员会面，包括国务院、国防部和涉台系统等，至于见面的层级、对象与内容，向来尊重美方惯例，都是保密的。

郑丽文表示，她4月访问大陆，和中共总书记习近平会面，美国总统特朗普5月也访问北京，与习近平会谈，都引发全世界高度关注，也攸关台海未来走向，都朝向两岸和平稳定的目标。

所以她希望此行能够深化对于两岸和平、区域和平稳定的愿望跟努力，“这样的承诺跟努力，不只是来自于两岸，更需要来自国际社会，尤其美国的支持”。

特朗普自北京返美时，清楚表达反对台湾走向台独的态度，不愿美国卷入台海冲突。郑丽文认为，这有助于排除两岸战争的可能性，这也是国民党长期以来的立场。

郑丽文希望向美方倡议结束上世纪的冷战思维，第一岛链转化成“和平繁荣之链”，“这需要美、中共同支持，尤其是来自美国的高度支持与领导”。

郑丽文同时也点出，希望美国不要被执政的民进党长期以来的恶意误导，对国民党持有不实的误解和成见，从第二次世界大战迄今，国民党才是最负责任的政党，可以维系两岸和平，不让美国卷入一个可以避免的战争。

郑丽文在答复《联合早报》提问时，进一步说明“和平繁荣之链”的构想。她表示，从日本到韩国、中国大陆东南沿海、台湾、香港、新加坡等，这是世界上最富裕、科技最进步、专业人才最多、资金最丰沛，市场最大的地区。

她说：“我们不希望所有的讨论跟资源都在思考战争。如果大家共同思考如何在科技上合作，可以有更大的经济能量跟发挥，不管是在技术、资金、人才，那会有大家想像不到的巨大和平的红利。”

外界关切郑丽文是否有可能见到特朗普。郑丽文说：“我当然非常的愿意。” 但她很清楚台美断交之后，台湾从来没有一个现任的政治人物可以跟美国现任总统见面。《华尔街日报》引述接近白宫人士的说法报道，由于华府外交惯例，郑丽文或许无缘会晤特朗普政府高层。

国安会前秘书长、民进党智库新境界文教基金会副董事长邱义仁5月31日受访时强调，总统赖清德上任后延续前总统蔡英文两岸路线，核心仍是“中华民国台湾是一个主权独立的国家”“中华民国与中华人民共和国互不隶属”，重点在于维持现状。

郑丽文认为，包括民进党“国师”邱义仁的说法也是互相矛盾，一方面说台独议题不存在，一方面重申从前总统蔡英文到赖清德的“两国论”，民进党左支右绌，台独已经穷途末路，又不能面对现实，因为会面对基本政治盘彻底崩盘的政治危机。

郑丽文率国际部主任董佳瑜和组织发展委员会海外部主任吴亮仪等人，将于当地时间星期一晚（台北时间星期二近中午）抵达旧金山，她将参访当地具代表性的企业，并前往斯坦福大学胡佛研究所与学者座谈。

郑丽文一行随后飞往波士顿，与哈佛大学及麻省理工学院学者交流，并与学生座谈；之后飞往纽约拜访侨界及当地重要智库；纽约行程结束之后前往华府，拜访国会议员及行政部门的官员，也将前往重要智库参加座谈会；最后再飞往洛杉矶拜访侨胞，预定6月16日返台。

卡乐比黑白包装虾条亮相东京超市

2026年6月1日 22:33 / 联合早报

卡乐比黑白包装虾条亮相东京超市

卡乐比公司5月14日在东京的公司总部展示了标志性的鲜艳包装薯片（左），和改成单调的黑白色包装薯片。 （法新社档案照片）

中东冲突导致的航运中断持续波及全球市场，日本薯片品牌卡乐比（Calbee）则因印刷油墨短缺，不得不把标志性的鲜艳包装改成单调的黑白色。

共同社报道，黑白色包装的卡乐比虾条星期一（6月1日）开始在东京都内的超市上架。

卡乐比公司5月中旬宣布，从5月底开始，旗下薯片、虾条、早餐麦片等14款产品包装将仅使用黑白两色。公司说，这是由于中东紧张局势升级，导致某些原材料供应不稳定。

据日本媒体报道，近期石脑油（naphtha）短缺，影响了卡乐比的印刷油墨采购。石脑油是一种石油副产品，广泛应用于多个行业，是印刷油墨和塑料的原料。

周一在东京都内的大超市里，袋子上印有“石油原料节约包装”字样的虾条上架，与彩色包装的零食并排摆放。

By Matthew Lally, CNN

Updated 9:51 AM EDT, Mon June 1, 2026

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‘A question for Mainers to weigh’: Congressional Democrat speaks out about latest media reports around Graham Platner

CNN This Morning

Rep. Johnny Olszewski tells CNN’s Audie Cornish the latest reports about Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner give him “pause”

1:59 • Source: CNN

https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/01/politics/video/olszewski-platner-maine-texting-scandal

日本舆论：小泉香会驳斥中国是“大胆创新”

2026年6月1日 23:21 / 联合早报 符祝慧 东京特派员

专家称，日本防长小泉进次郎在第23届亚洲安全峰会（香格里拉对话）平台上，从发言到提问环节全程说英语，获高度评价为开创了“防卫外交典范”。 （张俊杰摄）

日本国防部长小泉进次郎在刚落幕的第23届亚洲安全峰会（香格里拉对话）上对中国指日本走向“新军国主义”的正面驳斥，在日本国内获得高度评价。日本舆论认为，他既大胆驳斥了中国的主张，却又释放继续对话意愿，这是日本对华防卫外交策略上的一种“平衡”姿态。

日本《朝日新闻》指出，此次在新加坡举行的香格里拉对话（简称“香会”），美中冲突明显降级。不过，日本却有效地阐明了自己是在高度透明的前提下发展国防能力，并且积极发出愿意与区域国家加强军事装备合作的信息。

有专家形容，小泉是首次参与香会，却是香会20多年历史上首位全程用英语发言的日本防长，包括发言和提问环节，却还能明确强调日本防卫外交的实效，有效阐明自身立场，堪称“开创了防卫外交典范”。

针对外界对日本军国主义复辟的疑虑，小泉星期天（5月31日）在香会上不点名驳斥：“一个拥有大量核武器和战略轰炸机的国家，竟然给既无核武器也无战略轰炸机的日本贴上‘新军国主义’标签，你们不觉得很奇怪吗？”

他接着强调：“此时此刻，我们需要的不是在背后散布毫无根据的言论，而是坦诚直接地沟通。”同时，又向未能出席的中国防长问候喊话：“我对这次错过会面机会感到失望”，并表达了双方对话的愿望。

一名不愿具名的日本军官对时事通讯社透露，小泉在中国问题上其实做足了功课，直至最后一刻仍在斟酌有关措辞。促成他小心翼翼的背景原因有两个，一是不愿重蹈日首相高市早苗“台湾有事，日本有事”言论的覆辙，避免关系进一步恶化。其次，日本意识到特朗普访华后美中关系正在逐渐改善。

这名军官说，小泉无法无视中国对日本的批评，但是在未找到改善日中关系的方法之际，他选择谨慎。当中国与会者在提问时要日本就二战道歉，小泉并未直接回应，只强调“日本对话的大门永远敞开”。

香会闭幕当天，小泉在新加坡回答日本媒体提问时也强调：“日本防卫当局将继续利用海上和空中联络机制等各种日中沟通渠道，抓住一切机会，与中方进行深入交流。”

小泉欲借助香会平台拓展军事产业销售渠道

今年4月，日本政府修订了《防卫装备转让三原则》，解除了对杀伤性防卫装备出口的禁令。报道指出，小泉出席香会，也意在借助这个平台拓展日本军事产业的销售渠道，并建立在紧急情况下相互提供装备援助的合作关系。

《日经新闻》报道，小泉与菲律宾防长特奥多罗达成日本海上自卫队阿武隈级驱逐舰出口菲律宾的协议，并在2027年之前出售一架TC-90运输机。

小泉指出：“我已向特奥多罗部长确认，我们将继续讨论出售其他装备的可能性，包括菲律宾感兴趣的地对舰导弹。”

据报道，小泉也成功为三菱重工拉线，要将三菱改进型“最上”级驱逐舰向新西兰出口，也正与印度尼西亚磋商出口日本海上自卫队二手潜艇。

对于军备输出，小泉说：“我们欢迎战略原则与价值观跟我们完全一致的国家，在体制和作战层面上进一步加强合作。这是对日美同盟力量有力的支援。”

日本舆论：小泉香会驳斥中国是“大胆创新”

2026年6月1日 23:21 / 联合早报 符祝慧 东京特派员

专家称，日本防长小泉进次郎在第23届亚洲安全峰会（香格里拉对话）平台上，从发言到提问环节全程说英语，获高度评价为开创了“防卫外交典范”。 （张俊杰摄）

日本国防部长小泉进次郎在刚落幕的第23届亚洲安全峰会（香格里拉对话）上对中国指日本走向“新军国主义”的正面驳斥，在日本国内获得高度评价。日本舆论认为，他既大胆驳斥了中国的主张，却又释放继续对话意愿，这是日本对华防卫外交策略上的一种“平衡”姿态。

日本《朝日新闻》指出，此次在新加坡举行的香格里拉对话（简称“香会”），美中冲突明显降级。不过，日本却有效地阐明了自己是在高度透明的前提下发展国防能力，并且积极发出愿意与区域国家加强军事装备合作的信息。

有专家形容，小泉是首次参与香会，却是香会20多年历史上首位全程用英语发言的日本防长，包括发言和提问环节，却还能明确强调日本防卫外交的实效，有效阐明自身立场，堪称“开创了防卫外交典范”。

针对外界对日本军国主义复辟的疑虑，小泉星期天（5月31日）在香会上不点名驳斥：“一个拥有大量核武器和战略轰炸机的国家，竟然给既无核武器也无战略轰炸机的日本贴上‘新军国主义’标签，你们不觉得很奇怪吗？”

他接着强调：“此时此刻，我们需要的不是在背后散布毫无根据的言论，而是坦诚直接地沟通。”同时，又向未能出席的中国防长问候喊话：“我对这次错过会面机会感到失望”，并表达了双方对话的愿望。

一名不愿具名的日本军官对时事通讯社透露，小泉在中国问题上其实做足了功课，直至最后一刻仍在斟酌有关措辞。促成他小心翼翼的背景原因有两个，一是不愿重蹈日首相高市早苗“台湾有事，日本有事”言论的覆辙，避免关系进一步恶化。其次，日本意识到特朗普访华后美中关系正在逐渐改善。

这名军官说，小泉无法无视中国对日本的批评，但是在未找到改善日中关系的方法之际，他选择谨慎。当中国与会者在提问时要日本就二战道歉，小泉并未直接回应，只强调“日本对话的大门永远敞开”。

香会闭幕当天，小泉在新加坡回答日本媒体提问时也强调：“日本防卫当局将继续利用海上和空中联络机制等各种日中沟通渠道，抓住一切机会，与中方进行深入交流。”

小泉欲借助香会平台拓展军事产业销售渠道

今年4月，日本政府修订了《防卫装备转让三原则》，解除了对杀伤性防卫装备出口的禁令。报道指出，小泉出席香会，也意在借助这个平台拓展日本军事产业的销售渠道，并建立在紧急情况下相互提供装备援助的合作关系。

《日经新闻》报道，小泉与菲律宾防长特奥多罗达成日本海上自卫队阿武隈级驱逐舰出口菲律宾的协议，并在2027年之前出售一架TC-90运输机。

小泉指出：“我已向特奥多罗部长确认，我们将继续讨论出售其他装备的可能性，包括菲律宾感兴趣的地对舰导弹。”

据报道，小泉也成功为三菱重工拉线，要将三菱改进型“最上”级驱逐舰向新西兰出口，也正与印度尼西亚磋商出口日本海上自卫队二手潜艇。

对于军备输出，小泉说：“我们欢迎战略原则与价值观跟我们完全一致的国家，在体制和作战层面上进一步加强合作。这是对日美同盟力量有力的支援。”

U.S. sought Russia’s help to free journalist Austin Tice in Trump’s first term, ex-envoy says

June 1, 2026 / 11:22 AM EDT / CBS News

Washington— U.S. officials sought help from Russia during President Trump’s first term to secure the release of journalist Austin Tice after intelligence indicated that the Marine veteran was likely still alive but numerous leads and a hefty reward hadn’t helped locate him.

Robert O’Brien, who was a hostage negotiator for the administration at the time and later became Mr. Trump’s national security adviser, asked Nikolai Patrushev, the Russian national security adviser, if Russia could use its pull with then-Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to free Tice.

“The Russians had long been one of Assad’s patrons, and in fact the dictator substantially owed the survival of his regime to Russian military intervention in the civil war in 2015,” O’Brien wrote in a new book, which includes previously unreported details on multiple attempts to track down Tice.

Patrushev agreed, O’Brien wrote. But “even Assad’s allies ran into a brick wall,” according to an advance copy of the book that has been circulating inside the Trump administration in digital form and was obtained by CBS News.

Tice, a freelance journalist, disappeared in August 2012 while reporting on the Syrian civil war. Weeks later, a short video appeared online that showed a distressed Tice blindfolded with his apparent captors. It was the last time he was seen.

Freelance journalist Austin Tice. Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Kash Patel, actor Sean Penn, the Vatican, the king of Jordan, Czech officials, various Gulf states and a Lebanese businessman who claimed he’d met with Tice in person also tried to chase potential leads or backchannel with the murderous Assad regime, with whom the U.S. did not have official diplomatic ties, O’Brien said.

In the fall of 2020, O’Brien sent two U.S. officials to Syria to meet with the country’s head of intelligence: Patel, then the National Security Council’s senior director for counterterrorism, and Roger Carstens, O’Brien’s successor as special presidential envoy for hostage affairs.

“There was no unanimity within the Trump Administration on the wisdom of this tactic,” O’Brien wrote.

Then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a strong concern about the risk that the American officials would be kidnapped, and also wanted to maintain a hard line on Assad through diplomatic and economic sanctions, O’Brien wrote.

Pompeo arranged with U.S. Central Command to have armed drones and overhead satellites moved into place to monitor and protect Patel and Carstens while they were in Damascus to meet with Ali Mamlouk, the intelligence chief.

It was a risky overland drive from Beirut to Damascus, but “again, despite their best efforts, Kash and Roger could not procure Austin’s release.”

Penn, who used his Hollywood celebrity status to aid wrongfully detained Americans, called O’Brien in 2019 to tell him about an encounter he’d had at a fundraiser in Los Angeles. Penn said a Lebanese businessman with contacts with the Assad regime claimed that he had just seen Tice in Syria at a meeting orchestrated by the regime to signal the kidnapped reporter was very much alive.

O’Brien met with Penn and the businessman, Elias Kwaham, to strategize how the pair could act as intermediaries with the regime. “But the hoped-for connections never materialized,” O’Brien wrote.

Although Jordan didn’t have good relations with the Assad regime, O’Brien theorized that one of the Syrian refugees the country hosted might know something about Tice.

He caught up with Jordan’s king, Abdullah II, at a counterterrorism conference in Napa Valley, California. The king was “gracious, knowledgeable about the Tice case, and receptive of some additional case details. He promised to task his security services to look for new leads, although he expressed concern that we had not received proof of life for several years,” O’Brien wrote.

The Vatican, which has one of the world’s most expansive diplomatic footprints, including inside Syria, hosted a dinner where O’Brien connected with a prominent Lebanese businessman who had grown up with Assad.

“He eventually reached out to Assad, who told him that if the Americans wanted Tice back,” O’Brien wrote, “they shouldn’t go about it in such a secretive way.”

The CIA changed its assessment of Tice’s case in 2024 to indicate, with low confidence, that he was likely dead.

O’Brien said the first Trump administration recovered 55 Americans from 24 countries without concessions. More than 80 have been recovered so far during the president’s second term.

New podcast on Austin Tice’s disappearance

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/new-podcast-digs-into-american-journalist-austin-tice-who-went-missing-in-syria/