Donald Trump has threatened that Iran will be 'blown off the face of the earth' if it attacks US vessels attempting to reopen a route through the Strait of Hormuz. The US launched an operation on Monday to assist hundreds of ships trapped with their crews in the Gulf, pushing the region back to the brink of full-scale war.
Strait of Hormuz Blockade
Tehran has sought to reassert its blockade on the strait, a vital waterway for global trade. While the US military claims to have destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted both Iranian cruise missiles and drones, Iran has denied these assertions. Trump's comments cast doubt on the fragile, Pakistan-brokered ceasefire that halted hostilities last month but failed to open the strait, through which about a fifth of international oil supplies typically travel. More than 800 ships and roughly 20,000 crew members remain stranded in the region.
Trump's Previous Threats
Trump's threats against Iran echo remarks he made in April, when he warned that a 'whole civilization will die' if Tehran failed to comply with his demands regarding the Strait of Hormuz. Those comments drew widespread domestic and international backlash.
Trump Officials Threaten UN Budget Cuts
The Trump administration continues to pressure the United Nations and the international aid sector to adopt trade-focused policies benefiting US firms, or face further budget cuts. Trump's second term has seen USAID suffer mass layoffs and its remaining operations folded into the State Department, with a ripple effect globally that experts warn will cost thousands of lives as vital programs are cut.
Food Aid Fraud Claims
The Trump administration's attack on the 87-year-old food aid program supporting tens of millions of low-income Americans escalated last week. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins claimed that 14,000 Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients included owners of luxury vehicles such as Ferraris, Bentleys, and Teslas. Critics say there is no evidence to support these claims.
Rubio to Meet Pope
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Pope Leo on Thursday, weeks after Donald Trump's unprecedented broadside against the pontiff. Rubio will meet the first US-born pope privately in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace at 11:30 a.m. (10:30 GMT), the Holy See's press office confirmed on Monday.
Florida Congressional Map
Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a new congressional map into law, which slices and dices districts around Miami, Orlando, and the Tampa Bay area, significantly influencing the outcome of congressional elections in the state.
Supreme Court on Abortion Pills
The US Supreme Court has temporarily reinstated nationwide access to mifepristone, blocking a ruling that threatened to upend accessibility of an abortion pill involved in nearly two-thirds of pregnancy terminations across the country.
Other News
- A study concludes that New Orleans has reached a 'point of no return' and should start relocating people immediately due to the climate crisis, as the city will be surrounded by the ocean within decades.
- At least 13 people were hurt in a mass shooting during a party at a campground in Oklahoma on Sunday night.
- A US judge apologized to the man accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump for the 'legally deficient' treatment he has faced in a Washington DC jail, including being placed on suicide watch and denied a Bible.
- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Europe will not submit to a more 'brutal world' and can instead be the base for rebuilding a new international order.
- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other local officials condemned ICE after federal officers dragged a man out of a hospital building, prompting protests and clashes with police.
