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A curated guide to major news and developments over the weekend. Here’s today’s news:
IRAN WAR
President Trump announced on Friday that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran was “OVER,” though diplomatic talks will continue. He also warned that thousands of missiles would be launched if the Iranian government tried to assassinate him. Gregory Svirnovskiy, Connor O’Brien, and Nahal Toosi report for POLITICO; Eric Schmitt reports for the New York Times.
The Trump administration demanded that Iran publicly acknowledge that the Strait of Hormuz is open and pledge to stop firing on commercial ships, three U.S. officials said on Friday, adding that they expected a statement by Saturday. One of the officials said there would be harsh consequences if Iran refused. “If it is not their position [on Saturday], it is not gonna be a great day for them,” the official said. Officials told the New York Times that Iranian negotiators said the drone attacks in the strait last week had been conducted by rogue military units that were trying to undermine the memorandum of understanding. Barak Ravid reports for Axios; David E. Sanger reports.
The U.S. military said on Saturday that it launched a new round of strikes against Iran after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC also on Saturday declared that the strait was “closed until further notice.” U.S. Central Command said on social media that U.S. forces hit approximately 140 Iranian military targets on Saturday in its third round of retaliatory strikes in a week. Iran responded by launching drones and missiles at Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. Reuters reports; Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
The U.S. and Iran exchanged further strikes overnight into this morning. The U.S. military said yesterday that it had completed its latest wave of strikes against Iran. U.S. Central Command said its forces had struck “dozens of targets,” without specifying how many strikes were carried out. Tehran said it targeted U.S. military assets across the Gulf. Kuwait’s army said its air defenses were intercepting hostile aerial targets this morning. Eric Schmitt, Aaron Boxerman, Erica L. Green, Sanam Mahoozi, and Hari Raj report for the New York Times; Christina Anagnostopoulos, Kylie MacLellan, Estelle Shirbon, and Isabella Lapadula report for Reuters.
“Everything that has happened over the past several weeks, especially in the past few days, is the direct responsibility of the United States, because they cheated from the very first day,” Esmail Baqaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, said today. Baqaei claimed that the United States did not allow Iran to carry out the work needed to make the Strait of Hormuz safe for transit, and instead created other routes in the waterway that Tehran claims are unsafe. Khaled Wassef reports for CBS News.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Russian attacks on Ukraine killed eight people, including a child, and wounded 29, officials said on Saturday. Ukraine’s General Staff said that Ukrainian strikes damaged 21 Russian tankers in the Sea of Azov. Russian officials said one person was killed in the Ukrainian drone strikes and that only four ships had come under attack. AP News reports; Reuters reports.
Western allies are meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris today to secure additional air-defence support for Ukraine. A French official said the focus would be anti-ballistic-missile cooperation, ranging from sourcing more U.S. Patriot interceptors and advancing the deployment of the Franco-Italian SAMP-T air defence system to looking at how the European and Ukrainian defence industries can develop alternatives. John Irish reports for Reuters.
Germany is funding 50,000 attack drones for Ukraine, a source said. Auterion CEO Lorenz Meier confirmed the size of the contract, adding that it was worth €90 million and was funded by a European country. Meier told Reuters some of the drones had already been delivered to Ukraine’s government, with the rest due for dispatch this year. Skyfall, a Ukrainian manufacturer, confirmed Germany’s involvement. Cassell Bryan-Low reports for Reuters.
The United Kingdom announced today a new package of sanctions targeting Russian cyber networks, which it blamed for trying to sow chaos and division across Europe. The sanctions were announced in coordination with the European Union. Reuters reports.
A New York Times investigation found that Russia has used Japan’s relatively weak espionage laws and advanced technology sector to secretly acquire sanctioned components for its weapons, with military intelligence officers operating under commercial cover to procure and ship dual-use technology despite international sanctions. Jane Bradley, Michael Schwitz, and Adam Goldman report.
WEST BANK VIOLENCE
U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) said on Saturday that he was stopped by settlers and the Israeli military during a visit to an abandoned Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank and released only after calls to the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. The Israel Defense Forces denied detaining any visitors in the incident and said it dispersed the settlers. Khanna said that when Israeli soldiers arrived, he was dispirited to see them interact in a friendly manner with the settlers and block his exit from the village. Nicholas Riccardi reports for AP News.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Japan is creating its first centralized intelligence agency since World War II, working with partners including Germany, the United States, and Australia to strengthen intelligence sharing, cybersecurity, and counterespionage in response to threats from Russia, China, and North Korea, according to the New York Times. The Japanese government declined to comment on whether it was seeking help from foreign officials as it establishes the agency. Javier C. Hernández reports.
The South African government said yesterday that more than 53,000 foreign nationals have been deported or repatriated since launching a “migration management” campaign five weeks ago. Most were from Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, officials said, and the number is likely to rise as repatriations and deportations continue. Richard Kagoe reports for BBC News.
TECH DEVELOPMENTS
Meta last week appealed the verdict of a social media addiction lawsuit in Los Angeles, challenging the jury’s determination that the company designed its platform to hook young users without concern for their well-being. Kaitlyn Huamani reports for AP News.
Apple on Friday accused OpenAI of stealing trade secrets as it seeks to build its own hardware for ChatGPT. Apple said in the lawsuit filed in a California federal court that OpenAI encouraged Apple employees it was recruiting to share confidential information. Kaitlyn Huamani and Matt O’Brien report for AP News.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The U.S. on Friday loosened export controls on the United Arab Emirates, making it easier to export Nvidia AI chips, military equipment, commercial satellites, and spacecraft. The Commerce Department said the more favorable treatment for certain exports came as the “UAE played a key role [in] advancing U.S. interests during Operation Epic Fury,” referring to the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. Karen Freifeld reports for Reuters.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio now effectively controls Venezuela’s finances, the distribution of its natural resources, and its government, according to interviews with more than a dozen officials and other sources. While Rubio has not visited Venezuela in person since the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro, he is deeply involved in the country’s day-to-day operations, keeping in close contact with President Delcy Rodríguez, sources said. Tyler Pager and Anatoly Kurmanaev report for the New York Times.
A former Afghan general and politician, Abdul Zahir Qadeer, was extradited from Kenya to the United States on Friday to face charges of conspiring to traffic heroin, methamphetamine, and military-grade weapons, following an investigation involving an undercover DEA operation. AP News reports.
U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS
Surveillance footage obtained by the New York Times shows ICE agents driving aggressively in unmarked vehicles during the pursuit of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was fatally shot by ICE officers last week. The footage does not confirm whether Araujo rammed into an ICE vehicle, as DHS officials have claimed. Robin Stein, Devon Lum, Sam Lerma, Mimi Dwyer, Alexander Cardia, Aric Toler, Dmitriy Khavin, Charlie Smart, and Allison McCann report.
The ICE officers involved in Araujo’s death were not wearing body cameras, the Department of Homeland Security has said. Rebecca Santana reports for AP News.
The Department of Homeland Security on Friday told employers to let go of workers whose Temporary Protected Status work permits expire later this month, including more than 330,000 Haitians, 6,100 Syrians, and around 20,000 people from Ethiopia, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen. Repeated changes by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to the permit expiration dates have caused widespread confusion for employers, with some employers having already terminated workers by the time they were notified of Friday’s latest extension. Miriam Jordan and Madeleine Ngo report for the New York Times.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
A group of states is preparing to file a lawsuit to block Paramount’s proposed $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery as soon as this week, four sources said. A draft of the lawsuit argues that the merger could reduce competition in the entertainment industry. The deal has drawn scrutiny over ties between Paramount owner David Ellison, his father Larry Ellison, and Trump’s administration, including a high-profile CBS News dinner held while the Justice Department was reviewing the merger. The DOJ said last month it would not challenge the transaction. David McCabe, Benjamin Mullin, and Lauren Hirsch report for the New York Times.
The Justice Department launched a grand jury investigation into allegations that UAW President Shawn Fain pressured union officials to provide financial benefits to his fiancée and her sister, according to internal communications. The grand jury has subpoenaed the union’s court-appointed monitor as it probes the claims against Fain. Fain denied the allegations and accused Vice President Rich Boyer of trying to influence the upcoming UAW elections. David Welch reports for Bloomberg.
A federal judge on Friday granted a Justice Department motion to drop the Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy case against Proud Boys leaders, concluding that he had no power to overrule prosecutors. “No one should mistake the Court’s granting of the Government’s motion for its agreement with those decisions,” the judge added. Kyle Cheney reports for POLITICO.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) died on Saturday evening. According to recordings of dispatcher calls obtained by the New York Times, emergency workers responded late Saturday to a call about a person experiencing chest pains at Graham’s Capitol Hill address. Robert Jimison, Zachary Wolfe, and Amelia Nierenberg report.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
The White House on Friday directed FBI Director Kash Patel to oversee a leak investigation into reporting by the New York Times about security issues with the new Air Force One, according to sources. One source said Patel had his own concerns about the type of information publicly disclosed about the plane. Another said Patel went to the White House of his own volition to oversee the investigation. By the end of Friday, reporters were served with subpoenas demanding that they provide evidence before a grand jury on July 15. In some cases, the subpoenas were delivered by federal agents who showed up at reporters’ homes. Devlin Barrett, Glenn Thrush, and Maggie Haberman report; Michael M. Grynbaum reports for the New York Times.
The Defense Department announced on Friday that it has paid nearly $3 million in compensation to victims of the so-called Havana Syndrome. The payments are the first to be made to U.S. agency staff in relation to the illness. Dearbail Jordan reports for BBC News.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
The New York Times is countersuing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming the agency’s discrimination lawsuit against it is politically motivated and violates its constitutional rights. Olson reports for AP News.
Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions.
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