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A curated guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
ISRAEL-IRAN WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
President Trump said yesterday that “based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,” giving a two week deadline to decide whether to attack the country’s nuclear program. Trump previously told his senior aides on Tuesday that he has approved of attack plans for Iran, but is holding off on a final order in hopes Tehran would abandon its nuclear program. In response, Iran’s foreign minister said that Iran “does not want to negotiate with anyone” until Israel ends its attacks, adding, “The Americans want to negotiate and have sent messages several times, but we have clearly said that there is no room for talking until this aggression stops.” The Washington Post reports; the New York Times reports; Alexander Ward, Lara Seligman, and Michael R. Gordon report for the Wall Street Journal.
Iran is yet to decide whether to construct a nuclear bomb, even though it has a large stockpile of the enriched uranium necessary to do so, U.S. intelligence officials believe. Iranian leaders are likely to shift toward producing a bomb if the U.S. military attacks a main uranium enrichment site, or if Israel kills Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the officials added. Julian E. Barnes reports for the New York Times.
ISRAEL-IRAN WAR
Ali Shamkani, Khameini’s top aide declared dead by Israel last week, has proclaimed himself alive and “in stable condition,” Iranian state media reported today. Angus Watson reports for CNN.
Israel carried out the targeted killing of a scientist and nuclear expert in Tehran today, an Israeli official said. Separately, the Israeli military said it struck dozens of military targets in Iran overnight, including missile manufacturing facilities and a “critical component” of Iran’s nuclear program. Meanwhile in Israel, seven people have been injured by Iranian missile strikes on Beersheba overnight, health officials say. Felix Solomon reports for the Wall Street Journal; BBC News reports.
An Iranian missile damaged one of Israel’s largest hospitals yesterday, causing minor injuries to around 80 people, hospital officials said. Iran’s official news agency said Tehran was targeting the headquarters of the IDF’s technological unit and an “intelligence camp” near the hospital. Israeli officials said the strike is an example of Iran targeting civilians, with Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz saying he has instructed the military to “intensify strikes against strategic targets in Iran and government sites in Tehran” in retaliation. Ilan Ben Zion, Abbie Cheeseman, Lior Soroka, and Claire Parker report for the Washington Post.
Israeli jets have bombed a nuclear reactor under construction in central Iran to stop it being used for “nuclear weapons development,” the Israeli military said. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed the reactor was hit and that it contained no nuclear material. Iran’s foreign minister said the bombing was against the UN Charter and urged the UN Security Council to hold Israel to account for attacking a nuclear facility. David Gritten reports for BBC News; Eyad Kourdi and Alex Stambaugh report for CNN.
ISRAEL-IRAN WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
The British, French, and German foreign ministers will hold talks with their Iranian counterparts in Geneva today in a meeting being coordinated with the United States, in a bid to accelerate diplomatic efforts to end the Israel-Iran war. Iran’s nuclear programme will be discussed at the meeting, according to Iranian state media. BBC News reports; Ellen Francis reports for the Washington Post.
Russia is “extremely concerned” about the situation in the Middle East because the whole region “is now plunging into an abyss of instability and war,” a Kremlin spokesperson said today. A Russian foreign ministry spokesperson added, “We are literally centimeters away from a nuclear catastrophe.” Mary Ilyushina reports for the Washington Post.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Israeli forces yesterday killed at least 12 Palestinians waiting for aid in central Gaza, rescuers and medics say. The U.S. and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) denied there were incidents near its site, with the Israeli military telling Reuters that its soldiers fired warning shots after “suspects” attempted to approach its forces in the area. BBC News reports.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war yesterday following an agreement struck in Istanbul, officials from both countries said. Kyiv said the Ukrainian POWs exchanged were sick or injured, while Moscow said the Russian POWs would be sent for treatment. Reuters reports.
GLOBAL AFFAIRS
The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda will sign a peace agreement in Washington on June 27, in a major step that aims to end fighting in the eastern Congo, the two countries and the U.S. State Department said Wednesday. Wilson Mcmakin reports for AP News.
Following a request from France, a former senior official at Interpol has been detained in the United Arab Emirates under an Interpol arrest alert. Vitalie Pirlog now faces charges of forgery, bribery, and fraud, after an investigation into the highly sensitive commission,which he led at Interpol’s headquarters in France,found that wanted fugitives could get arrest alerts lifted in return for payments to corrupt officials. Andrew Higgins reports for the New York Times.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is facing growing pressure to resign, after appearing to criticize the military in a leaked phone call she had with Cambodia’s former leader over a border dispute. Paetongtarn has apologized for the call, with Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs labeling the leak “a breach of diplomatic etiquette” and summoning the Cambodian ambassador to deliver a letter of protest. Helen Regan and Kocha Olarn report for CNN.
New Zealand has paused millions of dollars in funding to the Cook Islands over the “breadth and content” of agreements it has made with China, New Zealand’s foreign ministry said yesterday. New Zealand, the Pacific island nation’s biggest funder, had previously expressed concerns over the Cook Islands’ growing ties and pacts it made with China earlier this year. Charlotte Graham-Mclay reports for AP News.
Rwanda has arrested prominent opposition leader Victoire Ingabire on charges of inciting the public and creating a criminal organization, the Rwanda Investigations Bureau said yesterday. Reuters reports.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
A member of the French National Assembly, Pouria Amirshahi, is calling on U.S. officials to overturn a decision denying him entry to the United States. Amirshahi, a member of the Green Party, said he planned to visit the United States and meet with progressive lawmakers to understand “what the new situation was in the country since Mr. Trump came to power.” A member of Amirshahi’s team said late yesterday that the U.S. embassy was “reconsidering the reasons for the refusal.” Ségolène Le Stradic reports for the New York Times.
U.S. POLITICAL VIOLENCE
FBI agents on Monday arrested A North Dakota man after he reportedly emailed violent threats to a federal prosecutor and referenced the weekend fatal shootings of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, according to a federal criminal complaint In the email, the man wrote, “I don’t want this situation to end up like Minnesota over the weekend, do you?” The email allegedly also named two public officials and a judge who the man claimed were not effectively performing their duties. Marlene Lenthang reports for NBC News.
Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) said yesterday he contacted Capitol Police after being “run off the road” by a man displaying a Palestinian flag. Miller, who is Jewish and supportive of Israel, said the man also yelled “death to Israel.” Andrew Solender reports for Axios.
Memphis Police on Wednesday arrested a 25-year-old after he went to the home of Memphis Mayor Paul Young to confront him about crime. The man, who has been charged with attempted kidnapping, stalking, and aggravated criminal trespass, is set to be arraigned today, after he scaled a wall of the mayor’s home Sunday night while armed with a stun gun before knocking his front door, Memphis Police say. Aishvarya Kavi reports for the New York Times.
The New York City Police Department yesterday said its hate crime unit is probing anti-Muslim threats against mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. No arrests have been made so far and the investigation is ongoing. Kanishka Singh reports for Reuters.
U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS
The Department of Homeland Security has issued a new policy tightening Congressional lawmakers’ access and visits to ICE facilities, saying while members have the right to make unannounced visits to detention facilities, ICE field offices “fall outside” that remit. The new protocol, which several House Democrats say is aimed at blocking congressional oversight of ICE facilities, requires members to provide at least 72 hours notice of an impending visit. Vivian Ho reports for the Washington Post; Rebecca Beitsch reports for The Hill.
The Los Angeles Dodgers organization yesterday blocked federal immigration agents from accessing Dodger Stadium parking lots, the team said. ICE denied its agents were at the stadium, while the DHS acknowledged that Customs and Border Protection vehicles were present, saying they “were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement.” Kelly Kasulis Cho and Tobi Raji report for the Washington Post.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
The State Department is planning to review social media accounts of student and scholar visa applicants with a focus on perceived “hostility” toward the United States once application processing resumes. Applicants will be asked to make their social media accounts “public” for the review, officials announced Wednesday. Critics say the review process and other visa-related actions are aimed at suppressing free speech, discouraging criticism of the Trump administration, and pressuring foreign nationals into self-censorship. Edward Wong reports for the New York Times.
The Justice Department is planning to reduce the number of inspectors who monitor federally licensed gun dealers by two-thirds, budget documents show. The move, which is part of the Trump administration’s effort to downsize the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, comes as the department weighs merging the ATF and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Glenn Thrush reports for the New York Times.
Over 200 business leaders signed an open letter released Wednesday calling on the Trump administration to reverse its measures against colleges and universities, arguing that funding cuts and student visa restrictions are a threat to U.S. economic competitiveness. Chip Cutter reports for the Wall Street Journal.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
In a unanimous ruling, a three-judge federal appeals court panel yesterday cleared the way for Trump to continue using the National Guard to respond to immigration protests in Los Angeles. “Affording appropriate deference to the president’s determination, we conclude that he likely acted within his authority in federalizing the National Guard,” the judges wrote, declaring that a San Francisco judge erred last week when he ordered the protests were not severe enough to deploy the troops. Charlie Savage and Laurel Rosenhall report for the New York Times.
The Trump administration cannot require states to cooperate with federal immigration authorities to receive transportation funding, a federal judge ruled yesterday. U.S. District Judge John McConnell issued a preliminary injunction barring the government from enforcing the new policy — which he described as “arbitrary and capricious in its scope” — while the lawsuit works its way through court. “Congress did not authorize or grant authority to the Secretary of Transportation to impose immigration enforcement conditions on federal dollars specifically appropriated for transportation purposes,” McConnell wrote. Jacob Rosen and Joe Walsh report for CBS News.
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