Tom Howell Jr.

Israel, Iran hold their fire after Trump pressures Netanyahu

Israel and Iran announced separately Monday that their militaries would halt offensive operations against each other after an explosive exchange of fire overnight that threatened to restart hostilities in the region and upend U.S.-led peace efforts.

June 8, 2026

Iran war pushes Trump-Netanyahu friendship to limit

The Iran war has rattled the global economy, shaken the security assumptions of an emerging Gulf region and nudged up gas prices.

June 8, 2026

U.S. forces disable a blockade-evading ship in Gulf of Oman

The U.S. military said Monday it disabled an oil tanker that attempted to get around President Trump's blockade by sailing toward an Iranian port.

June 8, 2026

Trump hopeful that Iran and Israel will stop shooting at each other as violence reemerges in Mideast

President Trump told Iran and Israel to "immediately stop" attacking each other on Monday as the two countries traded their first military strikes since a ceasefire took hold in early April.

June 8, 2026

Art of the Ordeal: Domestic clamor to wind down the war complicates Trump’s negotiations with Iran

President Trump is increasingly fighting the Iran war on two fronts, battling a defiant Islamic regime that's stringing out peace talks and grappling with growing domestic pushback because of higher prices and anti-war sentiment.

June 5, 2026

Trump narrows DNI search to five candidates to replace Tulsi Gabbard as intelligence chief

President Trump says he's conducting five interviews before he selects someone to permanently fill the director of national intelligence job in the wake of Tulsi Gabbard's resignation.

June 5, 2026

U.S. adds 172,000 jobs in May as 2026 hiring streak continues, government says

The U.S. added 172,000 jobs in May, the government said in a report that far exceeded expectations and continued a robust run of hiring after a sluggish 2025.

June 5, 2026

Israel, Hezbollah trade attacks despite ceasefire, threatening peace deal between U.S., Iran

Israel and Hezbollah exchanged fire again on Thursday despite the announcement of a new ceasefire agreement with the government of Lebanon the day prior, further threatening the chances of a negotiated end to the U.S.-Iran war.

June 4, 2026

Bessent presses Congress to suspend federal gas tax

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday urged Congress to suspend the federal gas tax as U.S. consumers deal with higher fuel prices due to the Iran war.

June 4, 2026

Trump lashes out at lawmakers who voted to rein in his Iran war powers

President Trump on Thursday scolded House lawmakers who voted to rein in his war powers in Iran, calling it a "meaningless" move that undercut his ability to negotiate a peace deal.

June 4, 2026

Trump: Ceasefire in the Middle East means ‘moderate’ shooting

President Trump on Wednesday brushed off Iran's recent attack on Kuwait, saying it was part of an exchange of fire in the region, and argued he is still on track to make a peace deal.

June 3, 2026

Iranian attack on Kuwait airport puts deadly dent into ceasefire

Iran escalated tensions in the Middle East on Wednesday by bombing a Kuwaiti airport and targeting a U.S. fleet in Bahrain in the biggest flare-up since the start of a ceasefire in April.

June 3, 2026

Rubio bemused by Democrats’ questions about Trump ‘sleeping,’ shoe gift: ‘Are you guys kidding me?’

Democrats challenged Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday over President Trump's sleeping habits and whether the shoes the president gave him fit well, flummoxing the Cabinet member.

June 3, 2026

Trump says he would like to meet Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei

President Trump says that Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is heavily involved in Iran's decision-making during peace talks and that he would like to meet with the supreme leader at some point.

June 3, 2026

Iran, U.S. issue contradictory statements on diplomacy as Rubio details redlines

The U.S. and Iran sent contradictory signals on the status of peace negotiations Tuesday, as Israel's assault in southern Lebanon threatened to derail the process entirely.

June 2, 2026

Trump says U.S.-Iran talks are on, denies any break in communication

President Trump on Tuesday insisted that talks with Iran have been continuous, despite recent turmoil in the Middle East and a flare-up over Israel's actions in Lebanon.

June 2, 2026

Iran’s Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei probably still alive, Rubio says

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday he believes Mojtaba Khamenei is alive and "increasingly engaging at some level" in decision-making, even though he hasn't appeared in public.

June 2, 2026

Trump names Bill Pulte, a vocal attack dog, to oversee national intelligence

President Trump appointed William J. Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to serve as acting director of National Intelligence after Tulsi Gabbard's departure.

June 2, 2026

Sen. Lindsey Graham says any Iran deal must prevent future support for Hezbollah in Lebanon

Sen. Lindsey Graham pushed President Trump on Tuesday to include strict limits on Iran's support for terror proxies in Lebanon as part of any peace deal with Tehran.

June 2, 2026

Trump keeps fragile Iran talks intact after urging restraint on Netanyahu, Tehran proxies in Lebanon

President Trump said Monday that peace talks with Iran remain on track after he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and representatives of the Iran-backed Hezbollah to rein in fighting in Lebanon.

June 1, 2026