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A curated guide to major news and developments over the weekend. Here’s today’s news:
IRAN WAR
A U.S. Army helicopter went down near the coast of Oman on Monday night but President Donald Trump said the pilots were “fine.” It is not clear what caused the Apache helicopter to crash but the two crew members on board were safely rescued after the incident, Eric Schmitt, Maggie Haberman, and Jonathan Swan report for the New York Times. “The cause of the incident is under investigation,” a statement from U.S. Central Command said.
After Iran and Israel appeared ready to return to full-scale war over the weekend, the two countries signaled Monday that their escalating strikes are over for now. The strikes over the weekend were the first time Israel and Iran directly attacked one another since a “ceasefire” was declared in April. Both countries said Monday that if the other side attacked again, they would respond forcefully. Gerry Shih, Lior Soroka, and Susannah George report for the Washington Post.
President Donald Trump asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pull back on military strikes against Iran in a phone call on Monday morning, telling Netanyahu that both sides were close to a breakthrough on talks. It was not the first time the president claimed to be nearing an agreement. The call with Trump prompted Netanyahu to call off new strikes on Iran that Israel was planning to take. Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan, and Ronen Bergman report for the New York Times.
But on Tuesday morning, Israel launched new strikes across southern Lebanon, putting the fragile ceasefire on shaky ground again. “The Israeli airstrikes hit areas of southern Lebanon that were not covered by evacuation warnings that Israel’s military had issued hours earlier. Lebanon’s state-run news agency reported that at least nine people were killed in one strike near the southern city of Tyre.” Euan Ward reports for the New York Times.
Early Tuesday, Trump claimed that a deal with Iran to end the war could be reached in “two or three days.” Speaking to reporters, the president said it would be a “very, very good deal that will not in any way allow nuclear weapons.” Joseph Wilkins reports for CNBC.
Beginning in March, Trump has said that a deal with Iran is around the corner at least 37 times. Trump has made this claim “in social media posts, public appearances and phone calls with the media,” often portraying Iran as desperate to sign a deal. Aaron Blake for CNN.
On Monday, the U.S. military disabled a Palau-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman that it said “violated the ongoing blockade against Iran by attempting to sail to an Iranian port.” A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet fired a precision munition into the ship’s engineering and steering spaces, J.D. Simkins reports for Defense News.
The commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Quds Force Esmaeil Qaani said on Monday that a new security belt of “resistance” will be established from the Strait of Hormuz to the Bab El-Mandeb Strait, off Yemen, according to comments carried by state media. He also praised Houthi rebels in Yemen for launching missile attacks against Israel on Monday. Fox News reports.
IRAN WAR – LEBANON
After an Israeli airstrike injured and trapped Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil in April, rescuers had to wait over two hours for permission from the Israel Defense Forces to attempt to save her, according to a new investigation from the Washington Post. By the time they reached her, she had died from her wounds. “A Washington Post reconstruction of Khalil’s final hours…found that rescuers were denied access to Khalil during a crucial period when she was still alive.” Suzan Haidamous, Meg Kelly, Scott Nover, and Mohamad El Chamaa for the Washington Post.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan was suspended on Monday as he waits for the Court’s oversight body to decide on whether and how to punish him for allegations of sexual misconduct. He has denied any wrongdoing. The Assembly of States Parties, which oversees the ICC, will now hold a special session to decide if Khan can remain in his job. Molly Quell for the Associated Press.
At the United Nations on Monday, officials warned that Afghanistan faces an expanding humanitarian emergency but that the $1.7 billion budget to respond to the crisis has only received funding for 15 percent of its target. Severe food insecurity is spreading across the country as women and girls continue to suffer under Taliban rule. “What we are witnessing are severe and growing restrictions, the imposition of systemic and institutionalized harm with long-term generational consequences for Afghan society as a whole,” Georgette Gagnon told the U.N. Security Council. Ephrem Kossaify reports for Arab News.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says Uganda should reconsider its decision to close its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, a move the country made to stop the spread of Ebola. “But blanket travel restrictions don’t work,” the WHO chief said. Reuters reports.
Clashes in Pakistan-administered Kashmir have turned deadly. The violence broke out Sunday between supporters of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and security forces, killing at least seven people. Protests began after the Supreme Court in Pakistan-administered Kashmir ruled that 12 legislative seats reserved for people who migrated to Pakistan from Indian-controlled Kashmir decades ago are constitutionally protected and cannot be abolished without a constitutional amendment. JAAC has demanded the refugee seats be removed because they give outsized influence to these refugees, the group claims. Munir Ahmed reports for the Associated Press.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The top African soccer referee, Omar Artan, was refused entry to the United States and will have to miss the World Cup. Artan, who is Somali, was blocked from entering over the weekend at Miami International Airport. In June 2025, the Trump administration ordered a sweeping travel ban, refusing entry to people from 12 countries, including Somalia. “Denying him entry to the U.S. and preventing him from officiating scheduled matches harms not only him personally but also undermines football’s commitment to fairness, merit, and the spirit of fair play,” representatives of the Somali government said in a statement. Paul MacInnes and Alexander Abnos report for the Guardian.
An Indian energy empire was being targeted by the Trump administration’s tariff campaign until it made an enormous investment in an obscure Texas company with ties to Donald Trump Jr. The details of the deal “reveal the role the president’s son has played in a theme of Trump’s second term: overseas investors with interests before the administration putting money into the Trump family’s business interests.” Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott and Alex Mierjeski for ProPublica.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
The Trump administration said Monday that it is seeking to revoke the U.S. Citizenship of 17 immigrants across the country. The denaturalization cases the Justice Department has filed are the “latest sign that the administration is setting its sights on the legal immigration system, expanding the focus of its crackdown beyond people living in the country unlawfully,” Madeleine Ngo reports for the New York Times.
The Justice Department is not taking the steps it would typically take to establish a “command center” to monitor “emergencies that pop up around Election Day.” The Justice Department has also “canceled election-integrity training sessions for prosecutors and FBI agents, deleted a 281-page guide to prosecuting election offenses, fired most of the lawyers in its Public Integrity Section and failed to replace the director of its Election Crimes Branch,” Jose Pagliery reports for NOTUS.
On Monday, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill (D), visited Delaney Hall, an ICE Detention Center in Newark, but the lawmaker said her visit was strictly controlled. Immigrants being held there have complained of inhumane conditions, but Sherrill was not allowed to speak with any of them during her visit. Ana Ley and Mark Bonamo report for the New York Times.
Chicago’s U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros is facing blistering criticism from former federal prosecutors who say the Trump appointee has “tarnished the reputation” of the office. In a letter published Monday, more than 100 former federal prosecutors blasted Boutros and asked whether “once-forbidden political considerations are infecting prosecutorial decisions.” Matt Masterson for WTTW News.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
Trump officially nominated his former personal lawyer Todd Blanche to serve as attorney general on Monday. Blanche has been in the role in an acting capacity since Trump removed Pam Bondi from the post in April. It’s unclear if Republican senators will back the nomination or if Blanche will face a difficult confirmation process. Kit Maher and Sarah Ferris report for CNN.
Trump’s actions in California’s political races serve as a preview for how he might cast doubt on election outcomes in the midterms this fall, Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman report for the New York Times. Once all the votes were counted in Los Angeles’ mayoral race, reality television star Spencer Pratt had lost his second-place spot, meaning he would no longer advance to November’s runoff. Pratt is a Republican and so his loss upset Trump, who took to social media to suggest such a result simply wasn’t possible. Even if Trump can’t change the rules around how people vote, “he can sow substantial chaos simply by trying to convince voters that the results were fraudulent,” Swan and Haberman write.
Vice President JD Vance has referred allegations of fraud in Minnesota, including against Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, to the Department of Justice for criminal investigation. Kit Maher for CNN.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
On Monday, a federal judge blocked Trump’s effort to make employers pay a $100,000 fee if they seek to hire foreign workers for specialized roles. U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin labeled Trump’s policy an unauthorized “tax,” and said it required congressional approval. Kyle Cheney reports for POLITICO. The ruling pulled from two Supreme Court precedents: “the ruling that upheld Obamacare by labeling its most controversial provision — a mandate for people to obtain health insurance — a ‘tax;’ and the justices’ recent rejection of Trump’s unilateral effort to impose global tariffs, concluding the president can only exercise taxing authority when given unambiguous approval by Congress.”
Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions.
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