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Pentagon seeking $80 billion for Iran war, other costs
A Pentagon official said in April that the Iran war had cost about $25 billion, but the full cost of the war has remained unclear.
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The U.S. Department of Defense needed $80 billion to cover costs from the Iran war, as well as other expenses unrelated to the conflict, Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg told lawmakers in phone calls this week, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
A broader U.S. supplemental funding request could be sent to lawmakers in the coming days, the newspaper said. It would include money for the Pentagon and for non-defense priorities, including farm and disaster relief.
The conflict began on Feb. 28, and an initial $200 billion request for additional funding faced opposition from lawmakers.
White House budget director Russell Vought told an April hearing of the House Budget Committee that he had no estimate for the cost of the war, while defending a request for a $1.5 trillion annual military budget.
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Israel strikes southern Lebanon, Vance delays Switzerland trip
The fighting came a day after the United States and Iran signed an agreement to end the Middle East war on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
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Israel’s military said Friday that its forces struck targets across southern Lebanon overnight as Hezbollah reported intense fighting, raising pressure on a new U.S.-Iran agreement that calls for an immediate halt to military operations “on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”
Talks planned for Friday in Switzerland between the United States and Iran were postponed as mediators worked to calm the fighting, regional officials said. Vice President JD Vance had been scheduled to attend.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said at least 18 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes. Israel’s military said the strikes were ongoing. Israel also said four soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, were killed in fighting in southern Lebanon, and that five others were wounded in an explosive drone attack.
The Israeli military said it also struck targets in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley on Friday. Lebanese media said the village of Douris was hit.
Israel and Hezbollah are not parties to the U.S.-Iran agreement. Iran has said Israel must withdraw from the area of southern Lebanon it occupies, but the interim deal does not explicitly require that. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israeli forces would remain in a “security zone” in southern Lebanon as long as “Israel’s security needs require it.”
President Donald Trump criticized Netanyahu’s recent moves before the agreement was signed, saying: “Without me, there would be no Israel because no other president was willing to do what I did — I have had a great relationship with Bibi. Now Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon.”
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee defended Israel on Friday in a post on X, writing: “Israel strikes when struck … Ceasefire happens when Hezbollah stops shooting & killing.”
Two regional officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door diplomacy, said mediators were focused on Lebanon. One said Iran withdrew from the Switzerland meeting over the fighting and Netanyahu’s comments, which Iran viewed as violating the interim deal.
The agreement reopened the Strait of Hormuz to shipping and returned Washington and Tehran to talks over Iran’s nuclear program. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, in his first public reaction, said direct negotiations would not mean “accepting the enemy’s opinion.”
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Vance defends Iran deal amid GOP, Israeli criticism
Vance also warned Israeli critics to be cautious in attacking Trump, saying, “Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time.”
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Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that the United States was not giving Iran money under President Donald Trump’s interim peace deal, and that any economic benefits depended on Iran fully complying with the agreement.
“The United States isn’t giving up a cent of money to Iran,” Vance said at a White House news conference.
His comments came as the White House faced criticism from some Republicans and Israeli officials over a 14-point memorandum of understanding that included sanctions relief, access to frozen funds, and a proposed $300 billion reconstruction plan.
Vance said, “The only way the Iranians get any of these resources … is if they comply fully” with the deal. He also said Iran was already selling oil despite U.S. sanctions, which he described as ineffective by the time of the agreement, and argued that easing sanctions could give the U.S. more insight into Iran’s financial activity.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, also described the deal as conditional. In a statement Thursday, he said he approved the memorandum after receiving assurances that Iran’s rights and the “resistance front” would be protected, and after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accepted responsibility for safeguarding Iran’s interests.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that “we encourage everyone in the Middle East Region to maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations to beautifully unfold.” He added that markets were responding positively and said, “We expect a complete Ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Israel.”
Vance said Iran’s “nuclear program has been completely destroyed” and described the agreement as the next stage of Trump’s pressure campaign. The deal, signed by Trump and Pezeshkian, paused military operations and reopened the Strait of Hormuz for at least 60 days to allow negotiations on a final agreement. Vance said that period began Thursday and could be extended.
Lawmakers in both parties criticized the agreement. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., called it “one of the worst follies” of Trump’s term. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said, “History demonstrates that giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is an exceptionally bad idea.” Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said the memorandum could undercut recent U.S. military gains.
Vance said members of Congress received, or would soon receive, a copy of the signed document, and that the administration planned a formal briefing “very soon.” He also said the administration believed it could temporarily lift some sanctions without congressional approval.
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Hormuz traffic resumes, Lebanon strikes cloud accord
Brent crude fell another 2% to below $78 a barrel, its lowest since Feb. 28.
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About 12.5 million barrels of crude passed through the Strait of Hormuz overnight, Vice President JD Vance said Thursday, hours after President Donald Trump signed an agreement with Iran aimed at ending a war that had disrupted energy supplies.
The memorandum of understanding, also signed Wednesday by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, took effect two days earlier than expected. It called for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of a U.S. blockade on Iran’s ports.
Shippers said traffic through the strait could take time to return to prewar levels because safe access still needed to be confirmed and mines cleared.
The agreement explicitly called for a “permanent termination” of the war in Lebanon and for Lebanon’s “territorial integrity and sovereignty” to be ensured. But Israel, which invaded Lebanon in March and has said it was targeting Hezbollah fighters in the south, was not part of the talks.
Trump had recently criticized Israel’s operations in Lebanon. Still, Israel said it did not intend to withdraw and on Thursday released a new map showing an expanded area in southern Lebanon occupied by its troops as a buffer zone.
Vance said one goal of the deal was to allow Lebanese authorities to police the south. “What we want to see is the Lebanese government, the elected representatives of the people of Lebanon, who are able to police southern Lebanon, so that Hezbollah has not taken over the country, the Israelis are not threatened, and then consequently the Israelis are not attacking southern Lebanon or Beirut either,” he said.
Two Israeli officials, including one close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Reuters Israel was negotiating with Washington to keep troops in Lebanon. One described the talks as “stubborn” and said the outcome would depend on whether Trump chose to press Israel.
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Trump, Pezeshkian sign interim U.S.-Iran accord
Tehran agreed to dilute its enriched uranium in exchange for economic relief.
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President Donald Trump and Iran’s president signed a memorandum of understanding Wednesday aimed at ending the Middle East war, according to U.S. and Iranian officials.
A U.S. official told Agence France-Presse that Trump signed the document during a dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles after a Group of Seven summit. “Just signed it,” Trump told reporters.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, quoted by the state news agency IRNA, said the document “was finalized with the signatures of the presidents.”
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Thursday on X that the memorandum “shall enter into force with immediate effect and as a first step, Islamic Republic of Iran will instantly reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the United States of America will immediately lift the naval blockade.” He said Pakistan, with Qatari support, would host a ceremony in Switzerland on Friday to “commemorate this landmark event and commence with the technical level talks.”
Baqaei said, “Now it is time to test the implementation of the agreement.”
The deal says Washington would immediately waive oil sanctions on Iran and, once a final agreement is reached on Iran’s nuclear program, facilitate the release of a $300 billion reconstruction fund backed by regional countries.
The agreement was presented as an effort to end fighting that began Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran, prompting Iranian missile and drone attacks across the region and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
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Trump Iran deal tests ties with Netanyahu on Lebanon
Reports indicated Netanyahu was seeking a meeting with Trump after international meetings in Switzerland this week.
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A U.S.-Iran agreement expected to be formalized in Switzerland on Friday highlighted differences between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Iran’s nuclear program and Israel’s military operations in Lebanon.
Trump was expected to sign a memorandum of understanding with Iran that administration officials described as a framework for possible new direct talks on Iran’s nuclear program and other disputes.
Speaking Tuesday, Trump said the agreement would block Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, that’s what it says,” Trump said. “It won’t have one to buy, to develop. They will not have a nuclear weapon.”
Many details had not been made public, including possible limits on uranium enrichment, inspection mechanisms, and whether sanctions relief could follow.
Netanyahu expressed doubt about the agreement.
“With or without an agreement, Iran will not have nuclear weapons, not today and not tomorrow,” Netanyahu said Monday. “As long as I am Prime Minister of Israel, it will not happen.”
The disagreement also extended to Lebanon, where Israel continued operations against Hezbollah. On Tuesday, Trump said the campaign had gone on too long and was complicating efforts to stabilize the region.
“Israel is fighting Hezbollah for too long and too many people are being killed,” Trump said. “And you don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody.”
Trump also singled out Netanyahu.
“I’ve had a great relationship with Bibi, but now Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon,” Trump said.
The dispute grew after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reportedly said any Israeli troops remaining in southern Lebanon, or future Israeli strikes there, would violate the agreement.
Israeli officials rejected that interpretation and said operations would continue. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Monday that “Trump’s agreement does not bind us.”
Retired Israeli Defense Forces Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi defended Israel’s position, saying Hezbollah still threatened communities near the border.
“We are not going to let Hezbollah endanger our towns, endanger our soldiers,” Avivi said. “We are a sovereign country. We have a right to defend ourselves.”
Still, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Leiter played down suggestions of a broader split.
“We began this process together and we’ll end it together,” Leiter said.
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Draft U.S., Iran memorandum outlines 60-day talks
Pending a final deal, Iran would maintain the status quo on its nuclear program, and the U.S. would not impose new sanctions or strengthen its forces in the region.
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The U.S. and Iran were expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on June 19 in Switzerland that would begin 60 days of negotiations on ending their war and setting new limits on Iran’s nuclear program.
Under the draft, Iran, the U.S., and their allies in the war would declare an immediate and permanent end to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, and commit not to take hostile action or threaten or use force against each other. Both sides would also agree to respect each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and internal affairs.
The draft set a 60-day period for negotiating a final agreement, with the option to extend by mutual consent. It said the final agreement would be approved through a binding United Nations Security Council resolution.
The U.S. would lift its naval blockade immediately and restore shipping traffic to full prewar capacity within 30 days. Iran would take steps to resume merchant shipping between the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman within 30 days, subject to removal of technical obstacles and mine clearance by Iran. The U.S. also would withdraw its forces from surrounding areas within 30 days after a final agreement.
The draft said the U.S., with regional partners, would create a plan for Iran’s economic rehabilitation and development with at least $300 billion in financing. It also said the U.S. would end sanctions on a timetable to be set in the final agreement, including U.N. Security Council measures, International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors measures, and U.S. primary and secondary sanctions.
Iran reiterated in the draft that it would never produce nuclear weapons. The two sides said the fate of enriched material and other nuclear-related issues, including Iran’s nuclear needs, would be addressed in a final agreement.
The draft also said the U.S. Treasury Department would issue waivers for exports of Iranian crude oil, petrochemical products, related services, and banking, insurance, and transportation. It said frozen or restricted Iranian funds would be released and made fully available as negotiations progressed, and that an implementation mechanism would be created to oversee compliance with a final agreement.
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U.S., Iran reach deal, signing planned Friday
Israel said it was not party to the planned U.S.-Iran deal.
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The United States and Iran reached an agreement to end their war and planned an official signing ceremony for Friday in Switzerland, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on social media early Monday.
Shortly after Sharif’s announcement, President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: “The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete.”
The terms were not immediately known. Sharif said the pact called for “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”
Multiple sources told reporters the draft deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, end the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, and extend a ceasefire, while leaving Iran’s nuclear program to be addressed during a 60-day period of additional talks. The United States would also reportedly release $25 billion in frozen Iranian assets, while Iran would agree not to produce or acquire nuclear weapons. Iran also allegedly agreed to maintain the nuclear status quo, including no uranium enrichment or expansion of nuclear facilities, until a final deal is reached.
Trump said on Sunday that the strait would be open “toll free” and that the U.S. naval blockade would end. “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” he wrote.
The agreement was reached despite an Israeli strike on Lebanon on Sunday that drew criticism from Iran and Trump.
Earlier Sunday, Iranian negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Israel’s latest attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs, which Israel said targeted Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, showed the United States lacks “the will and ability to fulfill your commitments,” in a post on X.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it held the United States responsible for the attack. Iran warned of a “strong response,” and its top joint military command said the “finger (is) on the trigger” ready to fire at the “enemy’s heart.”
Trump wrote on Sunday: “This morning’s attack on Beirut should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran.”
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Moulton criticizes reported U.S.-Iran deal terms
“It’s basically a surrender document from Donald Trump to the supreme leader of Iran.”
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Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., criticized the reported terms of a U.S.-Iran agreement after President Donald Trump said the United States and Iran planned to sign a peace framework Sunday.
“This is a terrible deal,” Moulton told MS NOW on Saturday. “It’s basically a surrender document from Donald Trump to the supreme leader of Iran.”
Moulton, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, pointed to the war’s cost.
“I mean, $100 billion of taxpayer money already put into this war, 14 Americans dead, and we get a deal that just reopens the strait that was already open before he started the war? How is that a win?” he said.
A senior U.S. official said Friday that the deal included provisions to prohibit Iran’s nuclear building capabilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route.
Trump said Saturday that a peace framework would be signed Sunday and that the strait would reopen “immediately” afterward. Pakistan, which has mediated the talks, said the agreement would be signed electronically, followed by technical-level talks next week to work toward a peace deal.
“This is just lose, lose, lose across the board for Trump and the United States of America,” Moulton said after Trump’s announcement.
He added, “And yet, I will still say that stopping this war and getting out of it is the best that we can do at this point. And so that’s why we are still hoping for a deal, even though we have to admit it’s a losing deal for America.”
Moulton also said Trump had previewed imminent agreements with Iran “countless times.”
“It really sounds like Donald Trump wants a deal,” he said. “It sounds like the Iranians are pretty content dragging out negotiations because guess what? They have a stranglehold on the world economy by closing the strait.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei gave a different timeline. Baghaei told Iran’s Tasnim News Agency on Saturday that a signing of the framework deal would “not be tomorrow.”
“The possibility that it will happen in the coming days is not ruled out,” Baghaei said. “However, due to the other party’s instability, we must be cautious about any statements regarding this process.”
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Trump says Israel, Hezbollah agreed to reduce fire
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President Donald Trump said Monday that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to reduce fighting after he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and communicated with Hezbollah through mediators.
In a social media post after his call with Netanyahu, Trump said there would be no Israeli troops “going to Beirut, and any Troops that are on their way, have already been turned back.” He also said Hezbollah had “agreed that all shooting will stop — That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel.”
Soon after, Israel said it detected missile launches from Lebanon and warned residents in parts of northern Israel to take shelter. Trump’s comments came after Israel ordered strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and Hezbollah fired rockets toward northern Israel, including near Haifa.
A statement from Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the strikes followed what they described as repeated Hezbollah violations of the ceasefire and “attacks against our cities and citizens.” Israel’s military later warned residents to leave the southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, and said it would strike there if Hezbollah continued attacks.
After the warning, many residents fled the area.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said Israeli airstrikes overnight in southern Lebanon killed six people, including a Syrian citizen near Nabatiyeh. The Health Ministry said a strike Monday in Tyre heavily damaged Jabal Amel Hospital. Israel’s military said it intercepted two projectiles from Lebanon and a suspicious aerial target near Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. No injuries were reported.
Hezbollah said it carried out rocket and missile attacks on northern Israel on Sunday and early Monday, including against Israeli troops in Zawtar al-Sharqieh and what it said was military infrastructure in Tiberius.
The latest fighting has killed 3,433 people in Lebanon and displaced more than 1 million. Netanyahu’s office said at least 26 Israeli soldiers, a defense contractor, and two civilians have been killed.
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Iran halts talks as Israel expands Lebanon strikes
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Iran halted “dialogue and exchange of texts through mediation” because of Israel’s strikes on Lebanon, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. Tasnim also reported that Iran was blocking the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel’s military warned residents in Beirut’s southern suburbs to leave, saying it would target sites in Dahiyeh if Hezbollah “continues launching rockets towards Israeli cities and towns.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier instructed the military to strike “terrorist targets” in Dahiyeh.
The United States proposed that Israel refrain from escalation in Beirut in exchange for Hezbollah halting attacks on Israel, an official said.
U.S. Central Command said it intercepted two Iranian missiles targeting U.S. troops in Kuwait on Sunday night.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Monday that it launched a retaliatory strike on an unnamed air base after U.S. strikes on Sirik Island in Hormozgan province. Central Command said it had carried out “self-defense” strikes over the weekend on Iranian radar and drone command and control sites in Goruk and Qeshm Island, after what it described as aggressive Iranian actions, including the downing of a U.S. MQ-1 Predator drone.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said 3,412 people had been killed and 10,269 injured in Israel’s military campaign. It said 127 health care workers were among the dead since March 2.
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U.S. guided 70 ships through Strait of Hormuz
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U.S. forces helped coordinate the passage of about 70 commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz over the past three weeks, according to U.S. officials, as talks to end the war with Iran remained stalled.
One official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss operations, said U.S. Central Command guided the ships into and out of the Persian Gulf. The officials said most of the vessels turned off their transponders while crossing the narrow waterway to avoid detection.
Before the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran in late February, well over 100 commercial ships a day moved through the strait. By comparison, the U.S.-coordinated crossings averaged about three a day over the three-week period, and analysts said they could not independently verify the total because the ships were making “dark” passages with transponders turned off.
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U.S. strikes Iran sites, Kuwait intercepts fire
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U.S. forces struck Iranian radar and drone control sites in Iran after Tehran shot down an American MQ-1 Predator drone over the weekend, the U.S. military said Monday. Iran said it launched a retaliatory strike, and Kuwait said it intercepted incoming drone and missile fire.
U.S. Central Command said Monday it carried out strikes in Iran on Saturday and Sunday near Geruk and on Qeshm Island.
“The measured and deliberate strikes occurred … in response to aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a U. S. MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters,” Central Command said.
“U. S. fighter aircraft swiftly responded by eliminating Iranian air defenses, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters.”
Kuwait said its air defenses opened fire early Monday to intercept incoming drones and missiles. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, in a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency, said U.S. forces had targeted a telecommunications tower on an island. The Guard said it responded with an attack without saying where, likely referring to the attack on Kuwait.
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Hegseth says U.S. military ready amid Iran talks
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said before departing Singapore that President Donald Trump would agree to a deal with Iran only if he believed it was favorable to the United States and global security.
Hegseth spoke after attending the Shangri-La Dialogue, an Indo-Pacific security summit. He said Trump remained committed to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“You saw it in how he’s been talking about it publicly, those goal posts haven’t shifted at all, which is the expectation [of] the American people, and what we’ve stated to Iran. So, in the middle of negotiations, the closer they come to that reality, both now and into the future, the closer we’re going to get to that kind of a deal,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth also said Trump was prepared to use military force if negotiations failed.
“Also having been in the room with him, I know he means it when he looks in the camera in the Cabinet Room and said they can either do this now through a deal, and we think we’re a good place to make that deal, or they can deal with the War Department, and we are prepared,” Hegseth said. “We’re postured even stronger today than we were on day one to address it that way if we have to, but he’d prefer not to.”
“So, Iran knows very, very clearly what our expectations are, and that’s on the negotiating team to deliver. They’re coming in our direction. The talks have been productive. I think they know where it needs to go, and I’m quite confident with this with our president, who makes nothing but great deals, that ultimately it’ll be something he’s proud to defend, that ensures that Iran, which everyone knows, should not have a nuclear weapon,” Hegseth said.
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U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal remains uncertain
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Uncertainty remained Friday over a tentative U.S.-Iran agreement to extend a ceasefire in their war, as Vice President JD Vance said key terms were still under discussion and an Iranian official said Tehran wins concessions “through missiles,” not talks.
Vance said Thursday that negotiators had reached a tentative agreement but were still debating “a couple of language points,” and he could not say whether President Donald Trump would approve it.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf wrote Friday on X that Iran has “no trust in guarantees or words,” only actions, and that “no step will be taken before the other side acts.” Qalibaf, who was involved in talks in Qatar this week, added: “We do not gain concessions through talks, but through missiles. In negotiations, we only make them understand that.”
According to a U.S. official familiar with the matter, the proposal would extend the ceasefire in the 3-month-old war by 60 days and begin a new round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said one of the first issues would be Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Iran has 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
Iran has long said its nuclear program is peaceful and has not publicly committed to giving up the stockpile. The uranium is believed to be buried under three nuclear sites badly damaged by U.S. airstrikes last year.
The proposed memorandum also said Iran would not be allowed to impose tolls on the Strait of Hormuz and would have to remove all mines from the waterway within 30 days, the U.S. official said. During the war, Iran effectively closed the strait, through which about one-fifth of globally traded oil and natural gas had passed.
Under the proposal, the United States would gradually lift its naval blockade on Iranian ports and relax sanctions to allow more Iranian oil sales. Even so, the Treasury Department this week imposed additional sanctions on the Iranian military’s oil sales arm.
Iran has also said any deal must include an end to Israel’s military operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah. Since the ceasefire began about seven weeks ago, the United States and Iran have exchanged strikes and accused each other of violations, but they have not returned to full-scale war.
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U.S. struck Iran site, downed drones, official says
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The U.S. military carried out strikes overnight in Iran targeting a military site that officials believed threatened U.S. forces and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. official told Reuters on Wednesday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. military also intercepted and shot down multiple Iranian drones that posed a similar threat.
The strikes came as negotiations continued to try to end a three-month war.
Earlier Wednesday, President Donald Trump dismissed an Iranian state media report that Iran and Oman would jointly manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as part of a peace deal. Trump said the waterway would remain open.
The U.S. carried out what it described as defensive strikes against Iran on Monday. Iran said those strikes violated the countries’ fragile ceasefire. U.S. targets then included boats attempting to lay mines and missile launch sites that U.S. Central Command said threatened U.S. forces.
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Netherlands sends minesweeper for NATO Gulf planning
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The Netherlands will send a minesweeper to the Mediterranean Sea as part of NATO operations, allowing for a possible rapid deployment to the Strait of Hormuz if a mission is agreed after the Iran war ends, ministers said Wednesday in a letter to parliament.
The minesweeper, which departs this week, will be able to join NATO’s standing mine countermeasures group from mid-June, according to the letter from Defense Minister Dilan Yesligoz and Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen.
The ministers said preparations were under way for a possible Dutch role in helping keep shipping routes open in the Gulf region.
One option for the Netherlands would be to deploy a combined team for search, diving, and explosive ordnance disposal, the letter said.
The Netherlands was also assessing whether it could contribute staff to any international coalition involved in the mission, according to the letter.
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Iran restores some internet after months-long shutdown
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Iranian authorities partially restored internet access Tuesday after an almost three-month shutdown imposed during the war with Israel and the United States, according to internet monitor NetBlocks, a senior official, and people inside the country.
“Live metrics show a partial restoration to internet connectivity in Iran on day 88,” NetBlocks said on X. The group added that it was “unclear” whether this marked a permanent end to what it called the “longest nationwide internet shutdown in modern history.”
Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said on X that the “first step toward free and regulated access to cyberspace has been taken,” adding that the demands of Iranians “will be fulfilled.”
State news agencies IRNA and Fars said “full international internet connectivity has been restored” for fixed broadband users, but NetBlocks had not confirmed that. People inside Iran told AFP that mobile internet remained cut while home Wi-Fi had returned, though virtual private networks, or VPNs, were still needed to access some social media sites.
The shutdown began when war erupted on Feb. 28. It followed a similar blackout imposed from Jan. 8 as Iran faced mass anti-government protests.
Iran’s judiciary earlier Tuesday suspended a presidential body created May 12 that had ordered the restoration. Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said the body decided Monday to “restore the internet” in Iran.
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Report links LA transit breach to Iran-backed hackers
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Security researchers said a March breach of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority was carried out by hackers linked to Iran.
Israeli startup Gambit Security said in a report released Tuesday that the hackers worked for Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and State Security.
A group calling itself Ababil of Minab had claimed responsibility for the breach, saying it stole and then deleted data from the transit agency’s systems.
Gambit said its assessment was based on forensic evidence linking the group to an earlier Iran-linked campaign, as well as activity attributed to the ministry by Israel National Cyber Directorate. The company said it also investigated other attacks against companies in Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
The group’s name refers to a U.S. airstrike on an Iranian school in Minab that killed more than 175 people, most of them children.
Earlier this year, Handala hacked U.S. medical technology company Stryker, wiping thousands of company systems and employee devices.
After the Stryker breach, the FBI seized two Handala websites, and the U.S. Justice Department accused Iran’s government of being behind the group and its attacks.
Iran-linked hackers increased their activity and public claims of responsibility after the U.S. and Israel began bombing Iran earlier this year. In April, a group of U.S. agencies warned that Iranian hackers were targeting American critical infrastructure.