Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has written to U.S. President Donald Trump and Congress asking for more air defense ammunition. Kyiv said on Wednesday that the request comes as Russian missile attacks escalate. Zelenskyy also warned that U.S. stockpiles are being drained due to the attacks and the Iran war. Meanwhile, Russian lawmakers want bank staff to help combat Ukrainian drones. A draft bill suggests banks install jamming systems and train employees to intercept drones. The measure reflects Russia's struggle against Ukraine’s drone innovations. The U.K. intelligence reports that nearly 500,000 Russian troops have been killed since the conflict began.
Hamas is confirming that Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City killed the new leader of Hamas' military wing. The group said in a statement Wednesday that Mohammed Odeh was killed Tuesday along with his wife and two of his children. The attack came less than two weeks after Odeh's predecessor was killed. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Odeh was targeted by the Israeli military and called him “one of the architects” of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that led to more than two years of war in Gaza. The strike killed at least five people and injured 12 on the eve of Eid al-Adha, a major Muslim holiday.
The Latest: Iran deal progress is murky after US military says it carried out ‘self-defense’ strikes
President Donald Trump insists a peace deal is close on the 88th day of the Iran war. But on Tuesday Iran denounced U.S. strikes a day earlier as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability” as negotiations continue. Lebanese state media reports that 12 more people were killed in a strike by Israel. In Washington, the president has a medical checkup scheduled, and the Congressional Black Caucus is urging corporate America to step up to protect voting rights. In Texas, voters are choosing between Sen. John Cornyn and the Trump-backed, scandal-plagued Ken Paxton.
Iran has denounced U.S. strikes in southern Iran as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability” amid ongoing negotiations to end the war. The U.S. military described Monday's strikes as defensive, targeting missile launch sites and boats placing mines. Iran's foreign ministry called the strikes a ceasefire violation and warned Washington of consequences. The strikes occurred after Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf visited Qatar for talks. Negotiations have focused on the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway, and Iran's nuclear program. U.S. President Donald Trump now is suggesting including more countries in the Abraham Accords as part of the deal.
Officials who have been scrambling to find a safe resolution after a tank containing a hazardous chemical at a Southern California aerospace plant was damaged believe the risk of a catastrophic explosion has been eliminated. Also Monday, they lifted evacuation orders for about two-thirds of the 50,000 people who had been forced to leave their homes over the Memorial Day weekend. The tank overheated last week and began releasing vapors around Garden Grove in Orange County. Officials say a crack that developed in the tank has relieved the pressure and cooled the chemical contents. No injuries have been reported.
The United States is nearing a deal with Iran to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to regional officials. They say the emerging agreement would see Iran give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. President Donald Trump says “negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner” but the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports will remain until an agreement is signed. The reopening of the strait would help address the global energy crisis caused by recent conflicts. Iran’s president says they are ready “to assure the world that we are not after a nuclear weapon.”
The United States and Iran are closing in on a deal to end the war in the Middle East. A regional official says significant progress has been made in talks, but last-minute disputes could still derail efforts. The potential deal would include an official declaration of the war's end and two-month negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. The Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, and the U.S. would end its blockade of Iran’s ports. Iran describes the draft as a “framework agreement” for more talks. The U.S. has been weighing a new round of attacks on the Islamic Republic.
U.S. Muslim pilgrims have been preparing for this year's Hajj against the backdrop of a tenuous ceasefire, tensions and uncertainty in the Iran war. In California, one couple has prepared logistically, spiritually and physically for the journey and also leaned on their faith amid the uncertainty. They are feeling grateful for the opportunity to go. A Texas woman says conflict-related unpredictability has upended initial plans for her children's care while she travels for the pilgrimage. A religious obligation for Muslims who are physically and financially able to do it, Hajj can be the spiritual experience of a lifetime for the pilgrims. Muslims from around the world gather in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj and unite in religious rituals and acts of worship.
TEHRAN (AP) — Bands and orchestras have begun returning to the stage in Tehran, where musicians have struggled to find work since war with the…
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says there has been “slight progress” during talks with Iran amid uncertainty about whether a deal will be reached or war will resume. Rubio spoke Friday, days after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was holding off on a military strike against the Islamic Republic because negotiations were underway. Trump has been threatening for weeks that the ceasefire reached in mid-April could end if Iran does not make a deal. Rubio made the comments ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden.