The Dictatorship
IRAN: STRAIT CLOSED AGAIN
Confusion over the critical chokepoint threatened to deepen the energy crisis roiling the global economy and push the two countries toward renewed conflict, even as mediators expressed confidence a new deal was within reach. Iran’s joint military command said on Saturday that “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state … under strict management and control of the armed forces.”
Today’s live updates have ended. Follow more live coverage on the Iran war.
Major developments we’re following:
- Iran reversed course on reopening the Strait of Hormuz Saturday, warning that it would continue to block transit as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect.
- The British military says a cargo vessel was attacked near the Strait of Hormuzdamaging containers on board. The attack is the second on Saturday, after two gunboats from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards opened fire on a tanker transiting the key waterway.
- A 10-day ceasefire in Israel and Lebanon began at midnight Friday and appears to be holding after more than a month of war between Israel and Hezbollah, though the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group is not a party to the deal. The fragile calm has prompted thousands of displaced Lebanese families to head home.
- French president Emmanuel Macron said one french soldier was killed and three others were injured on Saturday morning during an attack against UNIFIL, the multinational U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon.
Israel’s military says another soldier has died in combat in southern Lebanon
It was the second death announced in under twelve hours and brought the total number of soldiers killed in Lebanon to 15. The Israeli military said another soldier was badly wounded in the same incident, along with four moderately wounded and four lightly injured.
It was the second soldier to die since the ceasefire. The first died because of wounds sustained during combat, the military said.
UN chief condemns attack in Lebanon that killed French UN peacekeeper
Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, says Guterres has strongly condemned the killing of a French peacekeeper and the wounding of three others in an attack in southern Lebanon.
The U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon came under attack with small arms fire Saturday morning. Two of the injured were hurt seriously, France’s president and the force known as UNIFIL said.
Both President Emmanuel Macron and the UNIFIL force blamed Hezbollah, but the Lebanese militant group denied involvement.
Iran declares the Strait of Hormuz fully closed, state media reports
The navy of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it extended the closure to the corridor it had earlier designated for the safe passage of vessels through the strategic waterway and declared the strait fully closed until the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports and ships is lifted.
On Friday, Iran said vessels could move through the strait in coordination with it and against the payment of a toll.
But in a statement late Saturday carried by Iran’s state media, the navy warned that any violating vessel would be targeted.
Iran considers the U.S. blockade a violation of the ceasefire between the two countries. Two vessels were attacked earlier on Saturday in the Strait of Hormuz and off Oman’s coast, at least one of them by Iranian gunboats.
Israel says one of its soldiers has been killed in Lebanon
The military said the soldier, an officer, was killed in south Lebanon on Friday, after the start of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that has otherwise largely held.
It said two other soldiers were injured in the incident, but didn’t release any more details.
This brings to 14 the number of Israeli soldiers killed in the latest war in Lebanon.
Hezbollah leader dismisses ceasefire paper published by US
Naim Kassem, head of the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, in a statement read on the group’s al-Manar TV said a paper published by the U.S. State Department that it described as the text of a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel “means nothing at the practical level, but it is an insult to our country.”
“Everyone knows that the government of Lebanon has not met or approved this statement,” he said.
The text published by the U.S. described the 10-day truce as a gesture by Israel “to enable good-faith negotiations” toward a permanent peace agreement with Lebanon. The text gives Israel the “right to take all necessary measures in self-defense, at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks.” It does not mention any similar right for Lebanon or Hezbollah.
Kassem said the truce should entail “a complete cessation of all hostilities” and that Hezbollah “will respond to enemy violations.”
Israel’s military kills two UNICEF-contracted truck drivers in northern Gaza
The Israeli military killed two UNICEF-contracted truck drivers at a water point in northern Gaza Strip, forcing the UN agency to suspend its operations in the area, UNICEF said.
Two other people were also injured in the attack that occurred Friday at the Mansoura water filling point in Gaza City, UNICEF said in a statement.
The firing took place “during routine, water trucking operations, with no changes in movement or procedures,” it said.
The Israeli military claimed that troops opened fire on suspected militants in the area of the so-called Yellow Line, which separates Israeli-controlled areas from the rest of Gaza. It said the incident was being investigated.
UNICEF said the point is being used multiple times a day to keep providing hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza City with clean water from the Mekorot water supply line.
The agency said it suspended onsite activities until security conditions in the area are restored.
India summons Iran’s ambassador after Indian-flagged tankers shot at near Strait of Hormuz
India on Saturday summoned Iran’s ambassador in New Delhi after two Indian vessels were forced to reverse course in the Strait of Hormuz following reports of gunfire from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
India’s foreign secretary conveyed New Delhi’s “deep concern at the shooting incident” at two Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz to the Iranian ambassador, a statement by India’s External Affairs Ministry said.
The foreign secretary told the Iranian envoy that Tehran had earlier facilitated the safe passage of several ships bound for India. The statement said the Indian official urged the Iranian ambassador to “convey India’s views to the authorities in Iran and resume at the earliest the process of facilitating India-bound ships across the Strait.”
Macron says a French soldier was killed and 3 were wounded in attack on peacekeepers in Lebanon
A U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon came under attack with small arms fire Saturday morning leaving one French peacekeeper dead and three wounded, two of them seriously, France’s president and the force known as UNIFIL said.
The attack near the southern Lebanese village of Ghandouriyeh came after a 10-day ceasefire went into effect at midnight Thursday between Israel and Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group.
Pakistan prime minister returns home after regional visits ahead of expected US-Iran talks
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif returned home Saturday after visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey ahead of an expected second round of talks between the United States and Iran.
Sharif’s office said in a statement that he was received by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi upon arrival in the eastern city of Lahore.
It said Naqvi, who visited Iran earlier this week along with army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and other officials, later met Sharif and briefed him on their talks with the Iranian leadership.
Hezbollah denies links to attack that left one French peacekeeper dead in south Lebanon
The Iran-backed group in a statement called for caution when assigning blame and judgment, until the Lebanese army completes its investigation of the incident.
Hezbollah said the peacekeeping forces should coordinate with the Lebanese army in their operations.
Hezbollah expressed surprise at the hasty accusations leveled against it, especially given the silence of these same parties “when the Israeli enemy attacks UNIFIL forces.”
Iran says it is reviewing new US proposals
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said in a statement that Pakistan’s army chief, serving as an intermediary, presented the proposals to Iran when he recently visited Tehran, and they were still under review.
It was not revealed what was in the proposals.
The council said Iran has yet to respond, but further talks would require the U.S. to abandon “excessive demands and adjust its requests to the realities on the ground.”
It also said that Iran will maintain full control over traffic through the Strait of Hormuz until “the war fully ends and lasting peace is achieved in the region,” adding that it would collect detailed information on passing vessels, issue transit certificates and impose tolls.
The council added that it considered the U.S. naval blockade a violation of the ceasefire, and there would be no reopening of the Strait of Hormuz until that was lifted.
Trump says Iran ‘got a little cute,’ but there are good conversations happening
President Donald Trump says that U.S. talks with Iran are going well and that he expects to have more information “by the end of the day.”
Trump made the comments Saturday morning during a White House event where he signed an executive order directing the Food and Drug Administration to expedite review of certain psychedelic drugs designed as breakthrough therapy for mental illness.
Trump declined to take reporters’ questions about Iran but said, “We have very good conversations going on.”
He says Iran “got a little cute,” later adding, “They wanted to close up the strait again,” referring to the Strait of Hormuz.
“They can’t blackmail us,” Trump said.
Pope Leo XIV says ‘not in my interest at all’ to debate Trump but will keep preaching peace
Pope Leo XIV said Saturday that it was “not in my interest at all” to debate U.S. President Donald Trump about the Iran war, but that he would continue preaching the Gospel message of peace.
Leo spoke to reporters aboard the papal plane flying from Cameroon to Angola.
He addressed the spiraling back-and-forth saga of Trump’s critiques of his peace message, which have dominated news headlines this week. But the American pope also sought to set the record straight, insisting that his preaching isn’t directed at Trump, but reflects the broader Gospel message of peace.
“There’s been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects, but because of the political situation created when, on the first day of the trip, the president of the United States made some comments about myself,” he said.
JUST IN: Pope Leo XIV says it’s ‘not in my interest at all’ to debate Trump, but will keep preaching peace
Turkish Vice President says US-Iran negotiations will take time to conclude
Cevdet Yilmaz, whose country has been supporting Pakistan’s efforts to bring the sides together, told The Associated Press there are many “complex issues” on the table.
Yilmaz said he still believes talks between Iran and the United States would continue.
“We would all like these talks to end all at once, in a very short time. But we need to be realistic. These comprehensive negotiations will take some time,” Yilmaz said.
The vice president also said that a comprehensive settlement between Iran and the United States would be a prerequisite for free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
“What is the root cause here? The ongoing war. Therefore, the end of this war will provide the greatest guarantee,” he said.
US says 23 ships turned back since Iran blockade started
The U.S. military says it has forced 23 ships to turn around near the Strait of Hormuz since it imposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports.
In a post on X, the Central Command said U.S. forces are still enforcing the blockade “against ships entering or exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas.”
The blockade ordered by President Donald Trump started April 13 as part of U.S. pressure on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
In response to the continued blockade, Iran reimposed restrictions on transit through the strait.
British military say container vessel was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said an unknown projectile hit the vessel, 25 nautical miles (46 kilometers) northeast of Oman.
Some containers on the vessel were damaged, it said.
The attack is the second on Saturday, after two gunboats from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a tanker transiting the key waterway.
French soldier killed during attack against UN mission in Lebanon
French president Emmanuel Macron said the soldier was killed and three others were injured on Saturday morning during an attack against the mission of the multinational U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL.
Macron identified the solider as Staff Sergeant Florian Montorio of the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment from Montauban.
“Everything suggests that responsibility for this attack lies with Hezbollah,” Macron wrote on social media. “France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest those responsible and assume their responsibilities alongside UNIFIL.”
Macron added that three of Montorio’s “comrades in arms were injured and evacuated.”
“The nation bows in respect and extends its support to the families of our soldiers and to all our military personnel engaged for peace in Lebanon,” he said.
Israeli military says it has conducted aerial and ground strikes in southern Lebanon
The military said the strikes came after identifying several incidents in which militants “violated the ceasefire understanding” by approaching areas close to where Israeli troops are located.
The military mentioned for the first time what it called a “Yellow Line,” saying militants tried to approach it from the north.
There is no mention of a “Yellow Line” in the 10-day ceasefire agreement that was announced by President Donald Trump and went into effect this week.
The U.S. State Department said Thursday that according to the ceasefire agreement, Israel reserves the right to defend itself “at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks.”
Senior Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qammati told Lebanon’s Al-Jadeed TV Saturday that the group will not tolerate any Israeli strikes similar to what happened after the November 2024 truce, when Israel continued to carry out almost daily airstrikes.
“This time we will not practice the strategic patience policy,” Qammati said.
Iran’s supreme leader sends defiant message
Iran’s “valiant navy” is “ready to inflict new bitter defeats on its enemies,” Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said.
Khamenei’s defiant remarks came as Iran swiftly reimposed restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz.
In a message celebrating the anniversary of the establishment of Iran’s army, he hailed Iran’s drone strikes that targeted Israel and the U.S. interests across the region during the war.
Indian vessels reverse course in Strait of Hormuz, vessel tracker says
Two Indian vessels have had to reverse course in the Strait of Hormuz following reports of gunfire from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, a vessel-tracker said.
TankerTrackers.com said the vessels include an Indian-flagged super tanker, carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil.
Iranian gunboats fire on tanker in Strait of Hormuz, British military says
The British military says two gunboats from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz after Iran said it had reimposed restrictions on the vital waterway.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said the tanker and crew were reported safe, without identifying the vessel or its destination.
Iran said earlier it was reimposing restrictions on the strait in response to a U.S. blockade on Iranian shipping and ports. Iran has prevented vessels from crossing throughout the seven-week-long war, except for ones it aut horizes.
Iran says it won’t hand over enriched uranium to US
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh dismissed claims from U.S. President Donald Trump over the uranium and sounded a note of caution with regard to future talks between the two countries.
Speaking to the Associated Press in the Turkish city of Antalya, Khatibzadeh said the Iranians were not ready for a new round of face-to-face talks with the U.S. because the Americans “have not abandoned their maximalist position.”
On Friday, Trump said the U.S. will go into Iran and “get all the nuclear dust,” referring to the 970 pounds (440 kilograms) of enriched uranium believed to be buried under nuclear sites badly damaged by U.S. military strikes last year.
Lebanese leaders discuss future talks with Israel
The meeting between President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam came during a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
According to a statement from Aoun’s office, the pair discussed Lebanon’s “readiness for negotiations” with Israel.
Lebanon and Israel have been in a state of war since 1948.
Earlier this week, the two countries’ ambassadors to the U.S. held a meeting, in the first direct talks in decades.
U.S. President Donald Trump has invited Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House, although no date has been set yet.
Aoun has said he is ready to go anywhere to “liberate my country, protect my people and save my nation.”
Pakistani foreign minister says US-Iran deal ‘very close’
Ishaq Dar said Pakistani diplomats are working to “bridge” differences between the US. and Iran.
He said one of the sticking points is Lebanon, while welcoming the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
Speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in southern Turkey on Friday, Dar said the U.S. and Iran were “very close” to agreeing a deal last weekend in talks in Islamabad.
Iran reimposes restrictions in Strait of Hormuz
Iran has reversed course on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, warning that it would continue to block transit through the narrow waterway as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect.
The country’s joint military command said “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state … under strict management and control of the armed forces.”
It warned that it would continue to block transit through the strait as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect.
The announcement came the morning after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. blockade “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the U.S., including on its nuclear program.
JUST IN: Iran has re-imposed restrictions on Strait of Hormuz, accusing the U.S. of violating deal to reopen it
Pakistani leader heads home from Turkey ahead of U.S.-Iran talks
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has left for home after visiting Turkey, where he attended a diplomacy forum in Antalya.
Whiie there, he met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani ahead of the second round of U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad.
While at the forum, Sharif discussed recent regional developments and ongoing diplomatic efforts between Tehran and Washington with Erdogan and the Qatari emir.
Pakistan is expected to host the second round of talks between Iran and the United States early next week
Iran announces partial reopening of its airspace
Iran has announced a partial reopening of its airspace after a seven-week hiatus because of the war, state media reported.
The Civil Aviation Organization said air routes over eastern Iran were reopened at 7 a.m. (0330 GMT), according to the state-owned IRAN newspaper. It said flights at the country’s airports would gradually resume but did not give a timeframe.
Iran’s airspace had been closed since the U.S. and Israel began striking Iran on Feb. 28. The partial reopening has come more than a week into a ceasefire between Iran and the U.S.
Iranian lawmaker clarifies conditions for transit through Hormuz
A senior Iranian lawmaker said only commercial vessels authorized by the Revolutionary Guard are allowed to transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s parliamentary National Security Commission, said in a social media post late Friday that commercial vessels must pay “required tolls” before transiting the strait, using a route set by Iran last month.
“The time has come to comply with the new Maritime Regime of the Strait of Hormuz,” he said. “These regulations are determined by Iran, not by social media posts!”
He warned that the mechanism could change “if the U.S. attempts to create any disturbance for Iranian ships.”
Strait of Hormuz only open during ceasefire, Iranian military official says
Iran’s Defense Ministry spokesperson said the Strait of Hormuz is only open during a ceasefire and conditionally, two Iranian semiofficial news agencies reported.
Brig. Gen. Reza Talaei-Nik said “military vessels and those linked to hostile forces have no right” of transit, according to the ISNA and Mehr news agencies.
Pakistani army chief leaves Tehran after meeting senior Iranian leaders
Field Marshal Asim Munir has concluded a visit to Tehran, where he met senior Iranian leaders in an effort to ease tensions between Iran and the United States, the Pakistani military said Saturday.
It said the visit reflects Pakistan’s commitment to promoting peace, stability and a negotiated settlement to regional conflicts.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accompanied Munir.
The delegation met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and held talks with Parliament Speaker Bagher Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and senior military officials.
Discussions focused on regional security, ongoing diplomatic efforts and steps to promote lasting peace.
Munir emphasized dialogue, de-escalation and resolving disputes through sustained engagement.
He also conveyed goodwill messages from Pakistan’s leadership and reaffirmed Islamabad’s desire to strengthen longstanding ties with Iran.
The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a vote on acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination, a spokesperson said late Wednesday, as two retiring Republicans on the panel dug in over President Donald Trump’s personal “anti-weaponization” deal with the government he runs.
Sen. Chuck Grassley’s decision to delay the committee vote that had been set for Thursday marks a setback for one of Trump’s highest-profile Cabinet nominees, at the hands of Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a pair of Republicans set to leave the chamber next year.
“Chairman Grassley works to set President Trump’s nominees up for success in committee, not failure. Senators Cornyn and Tillis want written assurances from the Department of Justice regarding the Trump-IRS settlement,” the committee spokesperson said.
Blanche’s nomination to permanently head the Department of Justice needs the support of either Cornyn or Tillis to make it out of the committee to a vote by the full Senate, assuming all Democrats remain opposed.
“Why don’t you call over the Department of Justice and tell them they have one hour and 50 minutes to get me what I asked for,” Cornyn told reporters Wednesday afternoon amid the hardening standoff over his demand that Blanche and the DOJ put in writing a commitment never to pursue the president’s prized “anti-weaponization” fund, and to clarify the terms of Trump’s personal deal with the Internal Revenue Service.
Tillis told MS NOW that the conversations were complicated by the need for the Justice Department to get “several parties” to agree on the language of the statement Cornyn and Tillis are seeking.
“What I’ve advised the chair, and I would assume Senator Cornyn said something similar, is that we’re not prepared to vote yes yet,” he added.
“The Department has been in regular communication with Committee members for weeks, and we look forward to continuing to work productively with Senators to address any concerns,” a Justice Department spokesperson said in response to the decision to postpone the committee vote.
Cornyn was set to meet with Blanche on Wednesday morning, but the meeting was called off after Blanche failed to meet the senator’s demand for written proposals to modify the controversial settlement agreement he brokered between Trump and the IRS. The Republican senator is set to leave Congress when his term ends in January after a bruising May primary loss to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Trump’s chosen candidate.
“Maybe John Cornyn’s upset with me because I didn’t endorse him,” Trump told reporters Wednesday afternoon in the Oval Office. “I don’t know what it is, but I haven’t heard that there’s a problem. I heard (Blanche) is going through quite nicely.”
Cornyn made clear to Blanche during his confirmation hearing that he will not get his support until he agrees to reopen and modify the settlement. Due to the committee’s narrow Republican majority, one GOP “no” vote is enough to sink Blanche’s nomination.
The senator has asked Blanche to provide proof that the proposed nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund established as part of the deal between Trump and the IRS is formally dead, and he has also demanded Blanche narrow the tax audit immunity provisions the settlement afforded to Trump and his family.
Blanche has publicly stated that his department has dropped the fund, but he and the DOJ have dodged requests from Cornyn and a federal judge to put that in writing.
After announcing his meeting with Blanche would not take place Wednesday morning, Cornyn told reporters that changes from Blanche “in a modified release form” would be acceptable, but that “for some reason … they simply refuse to do it,” referring to the DOJ.
Shortly after the meeting was called off, a Justice Department official told MS NOW that the department “provided a written proposal to Senator Cornyn’s staff yesterday following ongoing discussion with both the Committee and the Senator’s office.”
Cornyn said that proposal was “not responsive” to his demands because it did not address the tax audit immunity provisions in the settlement, one of his key demands.
In May, Blanche signed an addendum as part of the deal that granted Trump, his family and his businesses immunity from pending IRS tax audits. That agreement, which has been decried by former IRS officials and legal experts as unlawful self-dealing, is being contested in federal court.
Cornyn noted that Blanche testified under oath that he could meet the request during his confirmation hearing.
“Maybe they think I’m just going to give up or you know, go along, but they’re mistaken,” Cornyn said when asked why he thinks the DOJ could be slow-walking his request.
Kevin Frey contributed to this report.
Sydney Carruth is a breaking news reporter covering national politics and policy for MS NOW. You can send her tips from a non-work device on Signal at SydneyCarruth.46 or follow her work on X and Bluesky.
Mychael Schnell is a reporter for MS NOW.
Ebony Davis is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked at BLN as a campaign reporter covering elections and politics.
When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived this week for his tour of Washington, he may have had a mission in mind.
Netanyahu needed to overcome his newly diminished stature and waning influence over his once close friend President Donald Trump as both leaders grapple with the unpopularity of a war they started together and is escaping their control.
His meeting at the White House with Trump on Tuesday, which was closed to the press, was the first face-to-face encounter between the two allies since the U.S. and Israel launched a joint attack against Iran on Feb. 28.
Trump gave him a muted welcome and afterwards simply described the meeting as “very good.” “Obviously, many important subjects were discussed,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
Rather than an intimate one-on-one setting, the Oval Office was full of top U.S. officials — Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, and special envoy Steve Witkoff.
But Netanyahu continued the full court press on the Trump administration.
Over the course of two days, in addition to seeing Trump and attending Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral at the Capitol, Netanyahu also met separately with Vance, Hegseth, and Rubio, White House and Israeli officials confirmed to MS NOW.
The Israeli prime minister’s slate of meetings with key U.S. national security officials comes at a pivotal moment in the Iran conflict as tensions escalate in the region and Americans increasingly sour on the war. A recent Quinnipiac poll shows 60% of American voters opposing U.S. military action against Iran and 74% against sending U.S. ground troops into Iran.
Not only does Trump face pressure as Republicans face an uphill battle to retain congressional control in this fall’s midterms, Netanyahu’s fate as prime minister is at stake in Israel’s upcoming September elections – and he can’t afford to lose Trump’s favor.
The talks largely focused on what to do next as Iran continues to menace shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and retaliate against American bases in the region and launch attacks on Gulf allies.
According to a senior Israeli official who was granted anonymity to describe the closed-door meeting, President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu did not come to a final decision after discussing three paths forward: get a “good deal” focused on Iran’s nuclear program and enriched material, have no deal and instead continue the blockade and economic pressure, or take escalated military action.
But Netanyahu did not tell Trump what he should do – nor did he express a preference.
The senior Israeli official noted Netanyahu has not ruled out diplomacy – as long as it is coupled with “very strong pressures,” calling the push to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program “a contest of will and a contest of force.”
“There are ways of squeezing them and squeezing them and squeezing them and negotiating at the same time,” the official said.
Netanyahu did not present President Trump with new intelligence regarding the underground Iranian nuclear facility Pickaxe Mountain, per the senior Israeli official, noting the U.S. and Israel already are constantly sharing intelligence – and know where Iran’s highly enriched material is. “We don’t think it’s moved, and I think we have a pretty good grasp on that,” the official said.
During their meeting on Tuesday, Trump and Netanyahu discussed ways Israel and the U.S. can work together to stop Iran’s nuclear program and get the Strait of Hormuz open to maritime trade, the senior Israeli official said.
The two leaders also discussed a third goal: to continue to undermine the Iranian regime and “possibly create future conditions for a change in that area.” U.S. officials have backed away from pursuing paths that would overthrow the current leadership, but Netanyahu still believes that could happen.
“The chasm that has been created between the people and the regime is not about to be closed,” the senior Israeli official said of Netanyahu’s thinking.
Netanyahu advised Trump in February that Israeli intelligence indicated launching strikes against Iran would lead to the toppling of the Islamic Republic’s regime – and five months later, the slain ayatollah’s son retains power with a close circle of hardliners, calling into question the accuracy of Israel’s intelligence apparatus.
But the senior Israeli official said at the time, Netanyahu did not promise the Iranian people would take fate into their own hands following a coordinated attack. Rather, he chose his words carefully and said that an attack could create conditions to “advance the probability or the possibility that that would happen.”
The conditions needed for the Iranian regime to fall, “did not materialize,” the official told MS NOW, adding, “not for lack of insight, but for either operational failure or decisions that were made.”
Despite Netanyahu insisting Israel and the U.S. are on the same page, differences still remain: the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey and the Saudi nuclear arrangement did not come up during Wednesday’s White House meeting, according to a second Israeli official granted anonymity to describe sensitive discussions.
Meanwhile, the conflict continues to spread, with an Iranian drone attacking a U.S. gas storage tanker off the coast of Egypt on Wednesday.
Trump indicated he would not let Iran’s latest action slide, telling reporters on Wednesday that the U.S. would retaliate against Iran even as he leaves room for diplomatic talks to resume.
“It’s our turn, and we’ll see if we get there with an agreement at some point,” Trump said. “But we’re going to hit them very hard.”
As for what it would take for Israel to join the U.S. strikes, the senior Israeli official said that if Israel is attacked by Iran, “We will respond very, very forcefully and very quickly. And I think Iran would make a great mistake.”
Julia Jester covers politics for MS NOW and is based in Washington, D.C.
International rage over FIFA’s close ties to President Donald Trump has reached a fever pitch after soccer’s governing body announced a plan to sell a significant stake to an investor group led by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law.
The president and his family have all but turned the White House into their personal piggy bank. And FIFA — which has its own sordid history of corruption — seems to have made itself a party to Trump’s self-enrichment under Gianni Infantino’s leadership, such as by paying for space inside Trump Tower in New York. (The organization has defended the office rental as a World Cup outpost.)
Soccer is seen by many as a unifying game. But Trump’s incorporation of FIFA into his political dynasty is threatening that idea.
FIFA has announced plans to sell a large minority stake in a new company that will run its main events, including the World Cup and Club World Cup, as part of a plan to triple the amount of development money it dishes out to its 211 member associations.
Under the proposals — which are subject to approval by a majority of those national associations and FIFA’s 37-member council — a new entity called FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE) will take over all commercial operations, while FIFA remains the game’s global governing body and retains a majority stake in FFE.
A press release from FIFA confirmed the plans and said Thrive Eternal, which was launched by Joshua Kushner, is expected to lead the investment group that would control FIFA Forward Enterprise. FIFA did not clarify why Thrive Eternal was selected, and Kushner was already dabbling in sports.
But Trump basically has already given son-in-law Jared Kushner carte blanche to dictate U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East while simultaneously hatching business plans in the region. (Jared Kushner has denied any conflicts of interest.)
Joshua Kushner reportedly has been a major donor to Democrats. But, predictably, the idea of another Kushner becoming financially entwined with the World Cup — the world’s most popular sporting event — and basically being dropped into a position of global significance isn’t going over well. Several other soccer governing bodies have expressed concerns, including Europe’s UEFA.
“This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross,” UEFA said in a statement about The Athletic’s report, adding: “The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade — especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.”
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee also rebuked the plan, writing on X: “Apparently the fake Peace Prize and giant lease with Trump Tower weren’t enough — now Infantino performs a kickback hat trick by pursuing a multibillion-dollar deal with Jared Kushner’s brother to sell ownership stakes in the World Cup to private investors.”
FIFA, Donald Trump’s favorite corrupt racketeering enterprise in world sports, is now going directly into business with the Trump family!
Apparently the fake Peace Prize and giant lease with Trump Tower weren’t enough—now Infantino performs a kickback hat trick by pursuing a… https://t.co/knSZibuMea
— House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) July 28, 2026
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., has already launched an investigation into the FIFA leader’s relationship with the Trump administration, while dozens of European lawmakers — citing concerns about “potential breaches of political neutrality” — have called for the FIFA Ethics Committee to investigate Infantino. This new proposal seems unlikely to assuage those concerns.
But what it does seem likely to do is fuel global anger toward the U.S. — the kind that has been growing since Trump retook office.
And when you consider that, it’s truly remarkable how the same MAGA movement whose members whined for years about politics mixing with sports is now in lockstep with a president who seems dead-set on casting his shadow over every sports event he can.
This post on X basically sums up the foul stench around FIFA’s latest proposal.
Sepp Blatter was Infantino’s predecessor as FIFA president and oversaw the organization amid some of its many scandals. When heof all people, is warning about how Trump and Infantino’s relationship is “deeply damaging” soccer, it’s a sign of how far FIFA has descended into the gutter.
Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.
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