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The Dictatorship

USA AND ISRAEL LAUNCH MAJOR STRIKE ON IRAN

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USA AND ISRAEL LAUNCH MAJOR STRIKE ON IRAN

Today’s live updates have ended. Follow continuing updates here.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack by Israel and the United States, Iranian state media confirmed early Sunday, throwing the future of the Islamic Republic into doubt and raising the risk of regional instability.

President Donald Trump announced the death hours earlier, saying it gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country.

State media reported that the 86-year-old was killed in an airstrike targeting his compound in downtown Tehran. Satellite photos from Airbus showed that the site was heavily bombed.

His death at his office “showed that he consistently stood among the people and at the forefront of his responsibilities, confronting what officials call global arrogance,” state TV said.

More explosions in Dubai

Heavy explosions again heard in Dubai.

Sri Lanka warns its nationals in the Middle East to exercise caution

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday urged nearly one million Sri Lankans working and living in the Middle East to exercise heightened vigilance, and avoid nonessential travel as well as large public gatherings.

Separately, the country’s aviation authority said flights from Sri Lanka to destinations in the Middle East have been suspended.

Argentina’s President Milei celebrates Khamenei’s death

Argentine President Javier Milei praised the joint operation carried out Saturday by the U.S. and Israel that killed Iran’s supreme leader, whom he described as “one of the most evil, violent, and cruel individuals in modern history.”

In his statement, Milei also recalled the 1994 terrorist attack on the Argentine Jewish community center, known as AMIA, in Buenos Aires.

The bombing killed 85 people and injured hundreds, marking one of the deadliest attacks in the country’s history.

The president reaffirmed that pursuing justice for the victims of the AMIA attack remains a state policy.

“We will continue until the last person responsible pays with his freedom or his life for this horrific crime,” Milei said.

Sirens sound in parts of Israel

Sirens sounded across parts of Israel as its military warned of another Iranian attack.

Air defenses in Dubai go off at dawn

In Dubai, air defenses boomed off and on as the sun rose.

China organizing evacuations from Iran

A Chinese organization is registering citizens in Iran for evacuation to neighboring countries, according to a Chinese media report.

More than 200 Chinese are scattered across Iran, Tan Kai, the president of the Iran Federation of Chinese Organizations, told the Global Times newspaper.

The group is making evacuation preparations at the instruction of the Chinese Embassy, Tan said.

An embassy statement said the land borders with Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey were open for individuals wishing to depart on their own.

In Israel, the Chinese Embassy advised citizens to move to safe areas away from the centers of Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem and airports, power stations and similar sites.

It said it would begin registering citizens on Sunday who wish to evacuate to Egypt and cannot do so on their own.

US-Israeli strikes kill the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and a top security adviser

The head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and a top security adviser to the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were killed in American-Israel airstrikes on the country, state media reported Sunday.

The state-run IRNA news agency announced the death of Maj. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, who took over as the Guard’s top commander after Israel killed its past commander in the 12-day June war.

Also killed was Ali Shamkhani, long a figurehead within Iran’s security establishment, IRNA said.

Shamkhani was wounded in the June war.

JUST IN: Head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and a top security adviser killed in US-Israeli strikes, state media reports.

Council forms to govern Iran after Khamenei’s killing

A council has formed to govern Iran after the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

That council is enshrined in law in the Islamic Republic.

The council is made up of Iran’s sitting president, the head of the country’s judiciary and a member of the Guardian Council chosen by Iran’s Expediency Council, which advises the supreme leader and settles disputes with Parliament.

Iran’s reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian and hard-line judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei are on it.

Iranian law says the Assembly of Experts “must, as soon as possible” pick a new supreme leader.

Debris from an aerial interception causes fire at major Dubai port

Dubai authorities say that debris from an aerial interception sparked a fire at Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port, the city’s main sea terminal and a major global transshipment hub.

The Dubai Media Office says emergency crews responded immediately to the blaze on one of the port’s berths and were working to contain it.

The sprawling Jebel Ali, which sits between Dubai’s two manmade palm-shaped islands, is the world’s busiest port outside of East Asia.

The best known of those islands, the Palm Jumeirah, was also struck.

Dubai officials earlier reported that debris from an intercepted drone also caused a fire on the facade of the city’s iconic Burj Al Arab hotel.

The media office also said the Dubai International Airport was damaged and that four employees were injured.

It said the damage was quickly contained.

Mourners raise black flag in Iran’s Mashhad

Mourners raised a black mourning flag over the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city and a major pilgrimage site for Shiite Muslims.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatens to launch ‘most-intense offensive operation’

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard threatened Sunday to launch its “most-intense offensive operation” ever after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“The most-intense offensive operation in the history of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will begin in moments, targeting (Israel) and American terrorists bases,” it said.

JUST IN: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says ‘the most-intense offensive operation’ ever coming to target Israel, US Mideast bases

JUST IN: Iranian Revolutionary Guard says ‘a severe, decisive and regret-inducing punishment’ coming over Khamenei’s killing.

Air defenses open fire in Tehran

Immediately after the announcement of Khamenei’s death, air defenses around Tehran opened fire with the sound of airstrikes echoing across the capital.

How Khamenei’s death was announced in Iran

On Iranian state television, an anchor broke in to read the announcement of Khamenei’s death.

“To the noble and proud people of Iran: With the ultimate grief and sorrow this is to inform you that following the barbaric attack by the crim inal governments of America and the evil Zionist regime, the true example of faith, jihad and resistance, the Supreme Leader of the Revolution Grand Ayatollah Khamenei achieved the blessing of martyrdom,” the anchor said.

Iranian Cabinet warns ‘great crime’ will not go unanswered

Iran’s Cabinet warned early Sunday that this “great crime will never go unanswered” after a U.S.-Israeli campaign killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The statement comes after Iranian state media reported Khamenei, 86, had been killed in an airstrike targeting his compound in downtown Tehran.

JUST IN: Iranian Cabinet warns that this ‘great crime will never go unanswered’ after Khamenei is killed by US-Israeli campaign.

Iranians seen cheering in Tehran

Iranians initially cheered from rooftops and their homes in Tehran, Iran’s capital, when rumors first started to spread late Saturday of Khamenei’s death.

Iran declares 40-day mourning period for Khamenei

Iran’s government declared 40 days of public mourning and a seven-day nationwide public holiday to commemorate Khamenei’s death.

Khamenei family members killed in attacks, Fars news agency reports

The daughter and son-in-law of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei were killed in the U.S.-Israeli attacks Saturday in Iran, according to a semiofficial news agency.

Also killed in the Saturday attacks were a grandchild and a daughter-in-law, the Fars News Agency said, citing unidentified sources.

The agency didn’t provide further details.

Israel says it carried out dozens of strikes Sunday

Israel’s military said it carried out strikes in central and western Iran early Sunday that targeted “ballistic missile array and aerial defense systems.”

It said more than 30 targets were hit.

Iran has not acknowledged its materiel losses since the American-Israeli campaign began Saturday.

Khamenei died in Tehran compound, Iran state media says

Iranian state television described Khamenei as being at his compound in downtown Tehran when the initial attack began.

Satellite photos from Airbus showed the site heavily bombed.

His death at his office “showed that he consistently stood among the people and at the forefront of his responsibilities, confronting what officials call global arrogance,” state TV said.

Iran state media says Khamenei is dead

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, is dead, Iranian state media reported early Sunday.

Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency reported his death, without elaborating on a cause of death.

U.S. President Donald Trump had said earlier he’d been killed in a joint American-Israeli operation targeting Iran.

JUST IN: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead, Iranian state media reports

Global shipping firm tells its vessels in the Persian Gulf to shelter

A global shipping firm has instructed its vessels inside the Persian Gulf, and bound to the Persian Gulf, to shelter, citing the rapid military escalation between the U.S., Israel and Iran, and restrictions on traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The company, CMA CGM, said on its website that it has suspended the passage of its vessels through the Suez Canal, a crucial waterway connecting the Red and Mediterranean seas.

“Vessels will be rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope,” it said.

New Zealand says US and Israeli attacks meant to stop Iran’s security threat

New Zealand says the U.S and Israeli attacks were designed to prevent the Iranian regime from threatening international peace and security.

“New Zealand has consistently condemned Iran’s nuclear program, its destabilising activities in the region and elsewhere, and its repression of its own people,” New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a joint statement.

“Iran has, for decades, defied the will and expectations of the international community. The legitimacy of a government rests on the support of its people,” they added. “The Iranian regime has long since lost that support. In this context, we acknowledge that the actions taken overnight by the U.S. and Israel were designed to prevent Iran from continuing to threaten international peace and security.”

Arab League calls Israeli-US airstrikes on Iran ‘a moment when the Arab-Israeli conflict has expanded into a full-scale regional war’

Maged Abdelaziz, the 22-nation league’s U.N. observer, accused Israel of using the Iran war to evade ending its occupation of Palestinian territories and prevent the establishment of an independent Palestinian state – and to impose its “hegemony on the Middle East by using military means.”

Despite the announcement of some progress in U.S.-Iranian talks in Geneva two days ago, he told ab emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council Saturday that Israel launched “a wanton military attack” claiming it “was intended to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.”

“At the same time, Israel itself refuses to join the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty,” he said., and it refuses to subject its nuclear facilities to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s nuclear safeguards regime.

Abdelaziz, a former Egyptian ambassador to the U.N., said Israel has also refused to attend U.N. conferences on establishing the Middle East as a zone free of nuclear weapons.

One killed, seven injured in drone strike on airport in Abu Dhabi

Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi said Sunday morning that one person was killed and seven others were injured in a drone strike, the second attack on an Emirati commercial airport in the past 24 hours.

The airport is home to Etihad Airways and a transit hub between Europe, the Middle East and Asia. It said the individual killed was a national of an unnamed Asian country.

Nuclear watchdog to hold emergency session Monday

The Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency will convene a special session at its headquarters in Vienna on Monday morning following a request from the Russian Federation, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said in a press release.

In a diplomatic note dated Feb. 28 and seen by The Associated Press, Russia’s Permanent Mission to the International Organizations in Vienna requested the convening of the special session “on matters related to military strikes of the United States and Israel against the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran … .”

Iranian and US ambassador have tense back-and-forth in Security Council session

In a rare and colorful exchange, the representatives of the U.S. and Iran at the United Nations exchanged warnings and direct rebuffs toward the end of the emergency session on Iran as military aggression between their countries risked spilling into a regional war.

After U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz responded to Iranian claims that America had violated international law, Tehran’s diplomat to the U.N. asked to speak again to issue a warning. “I advise to the representative of the United States to be polite. It will be better for yourself and the country you represent.”

Waltz responded immediately, saying, “This representative sits here, in this body, representing a regime that has killed tens of thousands of its own people, and imprisoned many more, simply for wanting freedom from your entire tyranny.”

Israel says it acted against an ‘existential threat,’ not out of ‘impulse but necessity and survival’

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that Iranian chants of “Death to Israel, Death to America” and the burning of both countries’ flags were acts of “state-sanctioned hatred” and preparation for action.

“But today, alongside our ally the United States, we acted to stop … an existential threat before it, became irreversible,” he said, stressing that Israel didn’t act on impulse or for aggression. “We acted out of necessity,” he said.

Danon said “diplomacy was exhausted.”

Addressing the Iranian people, he said the operation is directed “at a regime that has silenced you” and Israel stands “with you.”

In Dubai, air defenses intercepted a drone whose debris caused a limited fire on the exterior façade of the Burj Al Arab, Dubai’s iconic sail-shaped luxury hotel, the Dubai media office said in a statement on Sunday.

Civil defense teams brought the blaze under control with no injuries reported, the statement added.

Earlier, videos circulating on social-media showed debris falling near the Burj Al Arab with a fire visible in the area.

Syria condemns Iranian attacks that targeted Gulf monarchies

Syria’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it “strongly condemns the Iranian attacks that targeted the sovereignty and security” of Gulf monarchies hit by barrages of Iranian missiles.

Under ousted leader Bashar Assad, Syria was among Iran’s closest regional allies and a staunch critic of Israel. Yet the statement made no mention of the Israeli or U.S. strikes that began the day, reflecting the new government efforts to rebuild ties with regional economic heavyweights and the United States.

Iran’s Iravani blasts UN and the Security Council

Iran’s Iravani blasted the U.N. and the Security Council — its most powerful body — for not heeding Tehran’s warnings about the “warmongering statements and interfering actions” by the U.S. in the last several weeks while calling for the council to act.

“The issue before the council is straightforward: whether any Member State may, including a permanent member of this Council, through the use of force, coercion, or aggression, determine the political future or system of another State or impose control over its affairs,” he said.

During his speech, the diplomat did not mention or comment on Trump and Netanyahu’s recent statements about Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei being dead.

JUST IN: Iranian diplomat tells UN Security Council that hundreds of civilians have been killed and injured in US-Israel strikes

With border crossings closed and missile salvos overhead, Palestinians in Gaza scramble to stockpile food

As the missiles started flying Saturday morning and Israel closed border crossings into Gaza, Palestinians in the strip panicked, fearing the unfolding regional conflict would create further scarcity in the war-torn territory.

The packed markets, empty grocery shelves and scores of desperate Palestinians searching for food in the markets of Deir al-Balah made clear no one had forgotten the long periods of hunger they endured during the Israel-Hamas war, which a ceasefire paused in October.

Aid groups had already warned supplies were flagging before the first missiles flew.

Customers tried to grab whatever non-essential items remained on the shelves. Many merchants hiked prices of essential goods, like sugar and oil. Cooking oil went from 6 shekels to 30 shekels ($1.91 to $9.50). As cars lined up outside gas stations, the price of fuel rose to 35 shekels ($11.16 a liter)

The Hamas-run Interior Ministry said that Hamas police had arrested 29 merchants and closed 11 shops that were inflating prices, as part of an anti-monopoly effort across the strip Saturday. They called on Palestinians to make a report to authorities if they observed price-gouging.

Hundreds celebrate attack on Iran in Los Angeles

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Demonstrators gather in reaction to the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

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Demonstrators hug as they march in reaction to the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

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A motorist attaches an Iranian flag to a window during a demonstration in reaction to the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

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Two women embrace during a demonstration in reaction to the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

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A demonstrator carries an Iranian flag during a march in reaction to the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

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People march during a demonstration in reaction to the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

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People march during a demonstration in reaction to the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

Demonstrators in Los Angeles — home to the largest population of Iranians outside Iran — celebrated the attack by dancing, chanting and waving flags outside a federal building in the Westwood neighborhood.

“Down with Islamic Republic!” they shouted. “Democracy for Iran!”

Many in the crowd of hundreds waved the red, white and green “Lion and Sun” flag, which was the Iranian flag before the 1979 revolution brought the ayatollah to power. Others carried Israeli or American flags.

Led by an emcee, the crowd also chanted thanks to President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Some wore hats or shirts labeled “MIGA” or “Make Iran Great Again.”

About half a million Iranian Americans live in the Greater Los Angeles region. West Los Angeles in particular is home to a cultural enclave known as “Tehrangeles,” or Little Persia, featuring grocery stores, ice cream and kebab shops, restaurants, bakeries and bookstores.

Iranian official says Israel and the US will ‘regret their actions’

Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, said Saturday that Israel and America will “regret their actions.”

“The brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran will deliver an unforgettable lesson to the hellish international oppressors,” Larijani posted on X.

Israel’s rescue service says one woman in the Tel Aviv area died from an Iranian missile attack

Israel’s rescue service Magen David Adom said Saturday night that a woman in the Tel Aviv area had died after being injured in an Iranian missile attack.

It was the first death announced in Israel since the exchange of missiles began Saturday morning. It came after a heavy barrage of Iranian projectiles targeted central Israel, damaging buildings and setting fires.

The service did not immediately identify the woman or give more details on the incident.

JUST IN: Rubio canceled his trip to Israel early next week following US-Israel strikes on Iran, State Department official says

Russia’s UN ambassador calls US-Israeli airstrikes `another unprovoked act of aggression’ against Iran’s sovereignty and independence

“We demand that the United States and Israel immediately cease their aggressive actions,” Vassily Nebenzia told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council. “We insist on the immediate resumption of political and diplomatic settlement efforts … based on international law, mutual respect and a balance of interests.”

He said Moscow stands ready “to provide all necessary assistance” for that to happen.

China’s U.N. Ambassador Fu Cong supported Russia’s call for de-escalation and a return to diplomatic negotiations.
He said China is very concerned at “the sudden escalation of regional tensions” caused by the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes.

“China stresses that the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Iran and other regional countries must be respected,” Fu said.

UAE condemns attack by Iran allegedly using ballistic missiles

Dubai International Airport, the largest in the United Arab Emirates and one of the busiest in the world, said Saturday that four people were injured in a “blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles.”

The UAE condemned the attack.

Strikes were also reported at other commercial airports in the region, including Kuwait International. Other airports closed and canceled flights

US ambassador defends US action against Iran, saying it’s ‘not a matter of politics’

Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, spoke during an emergency Security Council meeting Saturday after China, Russia and France, among others, requested a meeting hours after the first strikes on Tehran.

“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. That principle is not a matter of politics. It’s a matter of global security. And to that end, the United States is taking lawful actions,” Waltz said.

France’s UN ambassador calls for serious Iranian commitment to nuclear negotiations `that will guarantee that Iran never has a nuclear weapon’

Jerome Bonnafont also offered France’s assistance to help protect regional countries targeted by Iranian retaliatory attacks.

He called the new war between the United States, Israel and Iran “dangerous for everyone — and it must cease immediately.”

He did not condemn the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, but told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council: “We robustly condemn the indiscriminate attacks by Iran against several countries in the region.” he said.

“And we are ready to deploy the means necessary to protect them if they so request,” the French ambassador said.

He accused Iran of failing to provide transparency about its nuclear program and its enriched uranium.

Nonetheless, Bonnafont said France believes a nuclear agreement is possible and calls for a serious Iranian commitment to negotiations.

Khamenei’s death may not portend regime change, expert says

Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, told The Associated Press earlier in the week that one of the key lessons Tehran drew from last year’s war was the need to ensure regime continuity in case of Khamenei’s death.

“Iranian decision-makers understand that leadership decapitation is not merely symbolic,” he said.

Based on published reports and Iran’s past behavior, Citrinowicz said power could shift to a small committee of top officials rather than a single successor until hostilities subsided.

“It is possible that Khamenei has indicated a preferred successor behind closed doors. However, automatic implementation of a pre-selected successor will increase internal friction during war,” he said.

Here are the Iranian military leaders Israel said its strikes Saturday killed

Here’s a quick look at the Iranians who Israel is claiming its strikes killed. Iran and the US have yet to comment on the claims.

  • Ali Shamkhani, a top adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who survived an Israeli attack targeting him during the June war
  • Gen. Mohammad PakpourCommander of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard
  • Salah Asadithe chief of intelligence in Iran’s military emergency headquarters
  • Gen. Aziz NasirzadehIranian Defense Minister
  • Mohammad Shirazi, Head of Military Bureau of Khamenei

Trump says bombing of Iran will continue through week or go even longer

Trump in his social media post said that the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei would not bring an end to the joint airstrikes by the U.S. and Israel.

“The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!” Trump said.

The president stresses that his hope was for the Iranian government to join with the opposition.

Trump said on social media that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is dead, saying his passing is “the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.”

The death occurred after a joint U.S. and Israeli aerial bombardment that targeted Iranian military and governmental sites.

Trump in his post called Khamenei “one of the most evil people in history.”

Trump said that Khamenei “was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do.”

JUST IN: Trump says ‘heavy and pinpoint bombing’ to continue ‘uninterrupted’ through the week or longer

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The Dictatorship

Blanche’s confirmation imperiled by GOP holdouts Cornyn, Tillis

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July 30, 2026

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Blanche’s confirmation imperiled by GOP holdouts Cornyn, Tillis

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.

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The Dictatorship

Netanyahu leaves his visit with Trump without a clear endgame on Iran

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July 30, 2026

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Netanyahu leaves his visit with Trump without a clear endgame on Iran

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.

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The Dictatorship

FIFA faces global anger over plan to give Kushner brother a financial stake

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2 months ago

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July 30, 2026

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FIFA faces global anger over plan to give Kushner brother a financial stake

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.

As The Athletic reported:

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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