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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the last 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
IRAN WAR
A cargo ship reported being hit by a projectile overnight off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the UKMTO maritime security agency. Maritime sources told Reuters this morning that the vessel struck near Hormuz was a dry bulk ship. Its crew had to abandon the vessel, and one seafarer was missing, the sources said. Parisa Hafezi and Nandita Bose report.
President Trump said yesterday that talks between Iran and the United States were underway, while Iran insisted that it was only talking with Oman and that the discussion focused on the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said that Iran had no plans to host foreign delegations or send negotiators abroad in the coming days. Hours later, Trump called Iran’s leadership “unbelievably duplicitous,” saying Iran had asked for a meeting and more talks were scheduled for the “immediate future.” Elena Becatoros and Samy Magdy report for AP News; Reuters reports; Nandita Bose, Elwely Elwelly, and Paris Hafezi report for Reuters.
Iran and Oman are closing in on an agreement to reopen shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian and U.S. officials. Under the emerging accord, vessels entering the Persian Gulf will transit a channel controlled by Iran; ships leaving the Gulf will travel on a channel near Oman. Two Iranian officials said the agreement includes a “service fee” to cover the environmental impact of shipping, security for ships, and staffing, which will be divided equally between Iran and Oman. A U.S. official familiar with the negotiations said any “temporary” routes established through the strait would not involve permissions by Iran, and would not involve tolls. David E. Sanger, Farnaz Fassihi, and Eric Schmitt report for the New York Times.
IRAN WAR – YEMEN
Six Saudi-flagged supertankers have changed course in the Gulf of Aden in recent days and are heading to southern Africa, following threats by Yemen’s Houthis to target Saudi shipping, tracking data showed yesterday. Their journey will add at least 25 additional days of sailing time if they opt to cross Suez back to Saudi ports in the Red Sea, according to Reuters calculations. Jonathan Saul reports for Reuters.
IRAN WAR – OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
Around 6,000 sailors are still unable to leave the Persian Gulf following the U.S.-Israel attacks on Feb. 28 and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the International Maritime Organization. This includes around two dozen sailors on the MSC Francesca, which was seized by Iran on April 22. Jenny Gross and Peter Eavis report for the New York Times.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
The Board of Peace met yesterday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the new disarmament deal reached with Hamas, according to a statement, which said that the talks were “constructive and detailed.” Two sources said that Nikolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza, pressed Netanyahu to halt Israeli strikes in Gaza during the meeting. Julia Frankel and Samy Magdy report for AP News.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
A Ukrainian drone strike yesterday killed seven people and wounded 40 on a beach in southwestern Russia. Three children were among those killed, and 21 people were hospitalized, the regional emergency response team said in a statement. There has been no official statement from Ukraine on the strike. Zane Irwin reports for the New York Times.
Ukrainian drones struck three warehouses across Russia overnight, including two run by online retailer Wildberries, killing five people, local officials said today. Reuters reports.
SUDANESE CIVIL WAR
A Sudanese army drone strike on a civil court in Sudan’s Darfur region on Sunday killed at least 35 people, according to Emergency Lawyers. AP News reports.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Spanish authorities should have anticipated the consequences of a court ruling that weakened a key deterrent against illegal migration and contributed to last week’s mass crossing into the enclave of Ceuta, a senior Moroccan official said yesterday. The Spanish ruling on July 8 limited the immediate return of migrants who reach the Spanish enclaves by sea. The official added that Morocco had not relaxed border controls or reduced security deployments before the mass crossing on Thursday. Ahmed Eljechtimi reports for Reuters.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The State Department has notified Congress that it plans to close five foreign missions: St George’s, Grenada; Nagoya, Japan; Medan, Indonesia; Douala, Cameroon; and Winnipeg, Canada, according to sources. The department issued a statement on Sunday that did not confirm the closures, but said it was focused on ensuring that the nation’s diplomatic footprint was efficient and effective. Humeyra Pamuk and Gram Slattery report for Reuters.
U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS
Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, a Salvadoran man who was being held at Delaney Hall detention center in New Jersey, died over the weekend, federal officials confirmed yesterday. ICE said that Lopez-Cornejo died in a hospital following a medical emergency at the detention center. He is the second Delaney Hall detainee to have died in the past eight months. Ana Ley, Tracey Tully, and Mark Bonamo report for the New York Times.
A federal judge yesterday issued a preliminary injunction blocking New York’s law prohibiting federal immigration agents from wearing masks and requiring them to display identification. The judge said she expected the federal government to succeed at trial with its argument that the state’s “face covering and identification acts directly regulate federal officers in violation of the Supremacy Clause.” Grace Ashford reports for the New York Times.
ICE’s deportation numbers have remained mostly flat so far this year, according to figures shared with POLITICO. A source said that the overall number of deportations has fluctuated under Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, reaching close to 2,000 per day at varying points in recent weeks, but that the number generally matches the number under former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Eric Bazail-Eimil reports.
In recent months, ICE has deployed a round-the-clock digital surveillance program to scour social media for speech that could endanger the agency’s mission, paying millions to private contractors to surface anything that could be relevant, according to federal documents, contractors, and former Homeland Security Investigations agents. Contractors prepare daily reports and dossiers on threat actors, identifying the poster’s name, location, date of birth, workplace, Social Security number, vehicle registration, and criminal history when possible. Several sources said that DHS has sent hundreds of subpoenas to social media companies to unmask anonymous online critics. Hannah Critchfield and Shane Shifflett report for the Wall Street Journal.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) said yesterday in a joint statement that they were “pleased” that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a memo that appeared to acknowledge their demands regarding Trump’s IRS settlement. The senators confirmed that they would allow Blanche’s nomination to move forward. Critics, however, said Blanche’s written assurances were a political solution to a political problem, rather than a legally binding document. Michael Gold and Andrew Duehren report for the New York Times; Devlin Barrett reports for the New York Times.
Jay Clayton was sworn in as the director of national intelligence yesterday. Julian E. Barnes reports for the New York Times.
Former special counsel Jack Smith will testify on Sept. 22 before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Smith’s lawyers confirmed in a letter yesterday. Chris Marquette reports for POLITICO.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
Trump said yesterday that U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro “folded like an umbrella” in moving to drop charges against a former Olympian accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Though she has not commented publicly since Trump’s social media post over the weekend criticizing her, Pirro was spotted walking into the White House yesterday evening. Will Weissert reports for AP News.
The Education Department yesterday sent a letter to university leaders asking them to address grade inflation, improve transparency about the cost of attending their schools, curb foreign donations, and hire faculty of “all relevant perspectives.” Rebecca Carballo and Bianca Quilantan report for POLITICO.
A New York Times investigation reports that the Pentagon is using closed-door separation boards to remove transgender service members, with critics arguing the process is secretive and unfair. Army Reserve lawyer Priya Rashid said at least six of her clients were barred from attending their own hearings because they refused to cut their hair and appear in the uniform of their sex assigned at birth. Greg Jaffe and Dave Phillips report for the New York Times.
Trump signed an executive order yesterday to form a new commission called the President’s Military Spouse Commission, which will be chaired by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s wife Jennifer Rauchet. It will advise the commander in chief on challenges faced by military spouses, including healthcare, employment, childcare, education, and others. Filip Timotija reports for The Hill.
TECH DEVELOPMENTS
The White House said yesterday that it met its deadline to establish a voluntary framework for evaluating advanced AI, but has not said what the framework contains, who has seen it, or when companies will start using it. A source said that the White House will hold a staff-level meeting with companies today to review the framework. Maria Curi reports for Axios.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
A group of 25 Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit yesterday to block the Trump administration’s latest round of tariffs. The lawsuit accused the White House of exceeding its authority when it used Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 – which allows a president to impose tariffs over unfair trade practices – to penalize countries over the alleged use of forced labor. Ari Hawkins reports for POLITICO.
Democratic officials from 24 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit yesterday to block the Department of Homeland Security from accessing personal details of millions of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients. “The Trump Administration is exploiting a program designed to ensure children do not go hungry and to help needy families get back on their feet in order to fuel its mass surveillance effort,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. “It’s cruel, unnecessary, and illegal.” Tyler Katzenberger reports for POLITICO.
Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions.
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