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.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Justice has subpoenaed New York Times journalists after they reported on security concerns involving the new, Qatari-gifted Air Force Onemarking a dramatic escalation of President Donald Trump ’s campaign against the media that has drawn condemnation for eroding a fundamental freedom of American democracy.
The new jet, a present from the U.S. ally that the administration spent $400 million on to retrofit and upgrade, entered service last week. But Trump used an older model Air Force One jet to leave a NATO summit in Turkey and later referenced threats against him made by Iran.
The subpoenas seek to force the reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan next week, the Times said, adding that federal agents delivered some subpoenas to the reporters at their homes.
They were issued after FBI Director Kash Patel and other Justice Department officials met at the White House on Friday to talk about the matter, according to a person familiar with the discussions who was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The journalists subpoenaed included Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt, the Times reported.
It also said that before its first story was published, a senior official at the FBI contacted a reporter and editor to ask that the article be held, citing national security issues. The newspaper said that the FBI official declined to explain the security issue but asked The Times to disclose its sources for the story, which the Times said it refused to do.
“The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” David McCraw, a lawyer for the Times, said in a statement.
The White House did not answer messages seeking comment about the subpoenas of the Times journalists.
Bruce D. Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said Trump’s “war on the press is looking for another victim.”
He said in a statement that the subpoenas “break from longstanding Justice Department practice to protect the public interest and press independence by requiring prosecutors to only seek information from reporters as a last resort when all other avenues have been exhausted.”
The Justice Department said that “to be clear, reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are.”
Its statement said “we value and appreciate the important role that the press plays in this country, but DOJ also plays an important role to make sure that the people entrusted with our nation’s secrets do what they’re supposed to do with that information, which means not sharing classified information.”
While recognizing “there may always be natural tension there,” the department said “we are not going to ignore the law and stop investigating the people who work in the administration and think it’s okay to leak classified information impacting national security.”
Part of a pattern of anti-press actions
Issuing subpoenas represents further ramping up of Trump’s effort to threaten independent new organizations by leveraging the power of the federal government against them. It is also part of a systematic pattern by the Republican president to attempt to undermine press freedom in order to shield him from negative coverage.
Earlier this year, the Justice Department issued subpoenas seeking to compel testimony from reporters at The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. In both cases, the department later withdrew the subpoenas, though.
In January, FBI agents searched the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson, who has been covering Trump’s transformation of the federal government, as part of a leak investigation into a Pentagon contractor accused of taking home classified information.
Adam Steinbaugh, senior attorney for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said Friday’s subpoenas and the prospect of “hauling reporters before grand juries sends a chilling message to journalists and whistleblowers alike: Watch what you say, or expect a knock on the door.”
“These tactics are becoming more common,” Steinbaugh said in a statement. “That doesn’t make them normal.”
During his first term, Trump suggested that the press constituted an “enemy” of the American people. Since returning to the White House, he has waged an aggressive campaign against the media unlike any in modern U.S. history.
Trump’s attacks against news outlets and media figures he believes are overly critical of him has included filing lawsuits against outlets whose coverage he dislikesthreatening to revoke TV broadcast licenses and seeking to bend news organizations and social media companies to his will.
The Justice Department over the years has developed and revised internal policies governing how it will respond to news media leaks.
Though the department across presidential administrations has periodically seized the phone records of individual journalists in hopes of identifying sources for national security stories, it is extremely rare for the government to attempt to compel reporters to reveal their sources before a grand jury.
In April 2025, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi rescinded a policy from President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration that protected journalists from having their phone records secretly seized during leak investigations — a practice long decried by news organizations and press freedom groups.
Doing so again gave prosecutors the authority to use subpoenas, court orders and search warrants to hunt for government officials who make “unauthorized disclosures” to journalists.
A memo Bondi issued said members of the press are “presumptively entitled to advance notice of such investigative activities,” and subpoenas are to be “narrowly drawn.” Warrants must also include “protocols designed to limit the scope of intrusion into potentially protected materials or newsgathering activities,” the memo stated.
Trump didn’t use his new Air Force One while leaving Turkey
The president flew the new Air Force One to Turkey during this week’s visit. But he departed Wednesday on one of the older-model Air Force One jets for Mildenhall, a Royal Air Force base in Suffolk, England.
The newer plane also flew to Mildenhall. Trump then switched to that plane for the flight home to Joint Base Andrews.
The abrupt swap came as a shaky ceasefire with Iran had collapsed, with the U.S. launching airstrikes on Iran and Tehran attacking three Gulf Arab states. Iran and Turkey share a border, sparking speculation that the new jet lacked certain sophisticated security and countermeasure systems.
The Times, citing anonymous sources, reported the switch had come at the urging of the Secret Service, and that the newer plane lacked some of the advanced security features of the older aircraft, including antimissile capabilities.
Trump denied any security concerns, posting on social media that the stop in Mildenhall was so that service members there could view the new jet. During the flight, Trump denied to the reporters accompanying him that security concerns involving Iran were a factor in flying two planes home.
Still, asked if he was aware of any credible threats against Air Force One by Iran, Trump responded, “I have a threat all the time. I’m No. 1 on their list.”
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Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Alanna Durkin Richer, Michelle L. Price and Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report.
Senator Lindsey Graham, who played a major role in shaping a quarter-century of American foreign policy — from the post-9/11 U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq to the second Trump administration’s war with Iran — died unexpectedly on Saturday. He was 71.
Graham had just returned from a trip to Ukraine, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” said a statement posted to Graham’s social media account. “Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.”
In a social media postPresident Donald Trump called Graham “one of the greatest people and Senators” he has ever known and “a true American Patriot.”
Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that he spoke to Graham on Saturday around 7 p.m. about the so-called Save America Act, the GOP’s election overhaul bill. The president said there were no signs the senator was not well. “He was like a member of the family to me. It’s very tough, actually,” Trump said.
“I think America has lost a great patriot. Israel has lost a great champion of the American-Israeli alliance,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told NBC. “And frankly, I’ve lost a beloved friend I’ve had for many decades.”
Emergency medical workers responded to a call for “cardiac arrest” at Graham’s home on Capitol Hill Saturday night, according to police scanner audio obtained by MS NOW.
House Majority Leader John Thune posted in response to the news, calling Graham “a trusted adviser and colleague to me and many others, and numerous presidents and heads of state have relied on his counsel. His influence on the federal judiciary, our national defense, and his beloved South Carolina will be felt for generations.”
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that he loved Graham “like a brother, which means when I fight with him, I want to kill him, and they’re awful and ugly fights. And yet, when we work together, and when I see the good that he wants to do for our country, I’m able to forgive him and find the positives in him. We had knockdown, drag-out fights.” Coons said he attended Graham’s recent birthday dinner — the late senator turned 71 on July 9.
Graham was elected to the Senate in 2002 and was seeking a fifth Senate term in November, after fending off multiple primary challengers. Chair of the Senate Budget Committee, he was a powerful figure in conservative South Carolina politics and a national GOP leader in defense policy and foreign affairs.
“Lindsey Graham is irreplaceable,” said South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster in a statement. “The fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America — and a loyal and steadfast friend.”
McMaster will appoint a temporary replacement to fill Graham’s seat until January 2027. South Carolina Republicans will have to hold a primary later this summer to choose a new candidate to replace Graham on the ballot to face Democrat Annie Andrews in November. Andrews, a pediatrician who is not favored to beat a Republican in her deep red state, said in a statement, “I hope that South Carolinians will join me in setting partisanship aside and offering gratitude to Senator Lindsey Graham for his service to the great state of South Carolina.”
Colleagues were stunned to learn of his passing.
“Total shock and disbelief,” Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she was “shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of my good friend and valued colleague.” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he, too, was “shocked and saddened,” calling Graham “a tireless champion for South Carolina, and an outspoken advocate for America’s role in protecting freedom throughout the world.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Graham was “my friend and a true leader for our country. It is hard to convey the loss that I feel knowing that we will no longer have his leadership in the Senate.”
“South Carolina lost a giant last night,” said Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C. Mace, who lost her primary bid for governor, is “strongly considering” running in the GOP primary to replace Graham, a source familiar with the matter told MS NOW.
South Carolina Democratic Rep. Jim. Clyburn also said he was “shocked and saddened” about Graham’s passing. “Our political relationship was sometimes partisan and passionate, but always pleasant and productive on behalf of the people of South Carolina,” he said, extending his condolences to Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., called for Senate approval of a bipartisan bill, which the White House recently endorsed, to impose sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. “There can be no more fitting memorial to Lindsey, his legacy, or the cause he fought for, than to pass this legislation.”
Zelenskyy, who met with Graham just on Friday, a day before he died, said on X“We remained in constant dialogue, and I will miss our conversations. We met twice in just the past week.”
Graham was a protégé of the late Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, and the two were personal friends well before Graham became an ally of Trump, who later frequently criticized McCain.
He was one of the so-called “Republican revolutionaries” of 1994, a class of newly elected conservatives who swept Democrats out of power for the first time in 40 years. He eventually became a member of the House Judiciary Committee and served as one of 13 managers prosecuting President Bill Clinton’s impeachment in 1998.
Newt Gingrich, who was speaker when Graham was elected to the House of Representatives, praised the late politician in a statement: “Senator Lindsey Graham was a remarkable leader. He was always positive enthusiastic and personable. He made major contributions to American national security.”
In the 1980s, Graham served as a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps in the U.S. Air Force for six years and later served in the Air Force Reserve while in Congress. Graham’s military service helped inform his foreign policy views, and he remained one of the more hawkish members of the GOP when it came to international conflicts, including the war with Iran. In 2014, he was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service.
David Rohde, Emily Hung, Erum Salum and Sydney Reynolds contributed to this report.
Kathleen Creedon is a platforms editor for MS NOW. She has previously worked as a web producer for Vanity Fair and Texas Public Radio.
Mychael Schnell is a reporter for MS NOW.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States attacked Iranon Sunday over an Iranian strike on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz that set it ablaze and left a crew member missing. Iran responded with attacks on countries including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Oman — the nation on the other side of the strait that Tehran has pressed to join in managing shipping traffic.
The U.S. struck again later Sunday. Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency cited the governor of Qeshm island near the strait as saying projectiles had been fired at military targets, with no casualties. IRNA said explosions were also heard in the coastal city of Bandar Abbas and Hajiabad city to the north.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss military operations, said a few strikes were conducted on missile and air defense systems, as well as small boats of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard at a couple of locations around the strait to further degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping.
Iran and the U.S. are nearly at the midway point of the 60-day periodof their interim dealaimed at reaching a permanent end to the war. The strait, a key route for the global supply of oil and natural gas and long considered an international waterway, has become a sticking point in negotiations that seem in danger of collapse.
The United Nations secretary-general, António Guterres, was “deeply concerned by the serious escalation,” according to a statement.
Iran says the strait is closed and the US disagrees
The U.S. military’s Central Command said earlier Sunday that it hit some 140 targets, including missile and drone launch sites, ammunition dumps, communication equipment and other sites. It said the attacks, heavier than in recent days, would weaken Iran’s ability to threaten shipping.
“We bombed the hell out of them last night,” President Donald Trumptold NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Semiofficial Iranian news agencies reported that a navy officer was killed. Iran retaliated by attacking nations in the region hosting U.S. military forces, while insisting it alone must control the strait and potentially charge vessels for traveling through it.
“The era of one-sided deals is OVER,” Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament and a main negotiator, wrote. “We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking.”
The U.S. has launched three rounds of airstrikes targeting Iran in the last week over Iranian attacks on ships heading through the strait using a route off Oman, seeking to avoid the Islamic Republic’s territorial waters.
The U.S. military and Trump asserted that the strait remained open Sunday. Iran said it was closed until calm is restored, and Tehran would consider targeting “additional enemy bases in the region” if it faced more attacks.
The U.S. military said over 140 ships had transited the strait over the past week. A multinational body overseen by the U.S. Navy said traffic continued “at reduced levels” off both Oman and Iran. It said nearly 140 vessels transited daily before the war.
About a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas passed through the strait before the war began. Iran’s grip on it led to a global energy crisis, though oil prices have sharply droppedsince wartime highs of $120 a barrel.
Oman summons Iranian envoy to protest attack
Missile alerts sounded across several Gulf Arab countries.
Qatar’s military said it intercepted incoming Iranian fire, with explosions heard in the neighboring United Arab Emirates. Three people, including a child, were wounded as a result of shrapnel from the interception of Iranian attacks, Qatar’s Interior Ministry said, giving no further details on their condition.
Missile alerts sounded in Bahrain, an island kingdom in the Persian Gulf home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.
Kuwait’s Defense Ministry said three “land border posts” in the north and an offshore drilling platform of the Kuwait Oil Company were damaged, with one platform worker wounded.
A day after Oman and Iran held talks on the strait, the Omani state news agency said drones struck sites in an area on the waterway.
Oman summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest the strikes, the first such move since the war began, calling Iran’s acts “irresponsible.”
Three Iranian missiles struck areas across Jordan, causing minor damage but no injuries, Jordan’s state news agency reported.
Sirens also sounded in the UAE, but the government said missiles did not cross into its territory.
Iranian strike on ship harms Indian crew
A Cyprus-flagged container ship was hit by Iran and suffered “significant engine room damage,” the U.S. Central Command said.
Oman’s maritime authority said it rescued 23 crew members but one was missing. India’s Ministry of External Affairs called him an Indian national and it was working with Oman to locate him.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, overseen by the British military, said the ship had been moving along Oman’s shoreline.
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said multiple vessels “disregarded our warnings” and ignored instructions to follow what it called an approved route. One “was struck by a warning shot and brought to a stop.”
Iranian state media later reported U.S. strikes across the country, including southern Iran in the province closest to the strait and military sites in a province near Tehran.
Attacks followed more diplomatic talks about the strait
The strait sits in Iran and Oman’s territorial waters. Oman on Saturday said it and Iran agreed to continue discussing the strait “at the technical and political levels.”
Trump suggested last week that the interim deal in the war was “over.” But mediators, including Pakistan, Qatar and Egypt, have continued effortsto reach an agreement. A regional official involved in mediation, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss talks, said efforts to shore up the ceasefire continued Sunday. Pakistan said its foreign minister spoke by phone with Iran’s top diplomat and urged “de-escalation” on both sides.
Iran’s new supreme leader, unseen since the war began, on Saturday vowed in his first statement since the funeral of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khameneithat Iranians would avenge his killing in the war’s opening strikes on Feb. 28.
Such revenge “is the will of our nation and must certainly be carried out,” Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khameneisaid in a statement carried on state television.
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