All articles tagged with #foreign policy
President Trump is weighing a narrow, familiar set of options in the Iran situation, guided by a flood of advice from his national security team, foreign leaders, Republicans in Congress, and allies abroad. The discussions reveal a spectrum of views—from hawkish pushes for escalation to caution urging restraint—as he contemplates the next steps and the risk of widening conflict.
Trump’s assertion that the Iran cease-fire is over has unleashed renewed U.S. strikes and exposed rifts inside the Republican Party, as lawmakers wrestle with backing the president or opposing a broader confrontation that could boost energy costs and complicate the midterm message. Some call for congressional authorization while others push for a hard-line campaign; the White House argues the moves curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, but the episode highlights deep intra-party divisions amid a volatile international scenario.
Trump switched aircraft on the way back from the NATO summit in Turkey, flying first on the older Air Force One and then taking the Qatar-donated Boeing 747 for the remainder of the trip home. He denied security concerns drove the early switch, even suggesting Iran could have targeted him; the Qatar jet is said to lack some advanced security tech of the prior planes.
Trump announced the temporary ceasefire with Iran is over, reversing earlier conciliatory talk after Iranian attacks and U.S. strikes renewed tensions. The piece tracks his shifting rhetoric since the June 17 MOU—calling it “unconditional surrender,” threatening to destroy the Strait of Hormuz, and, by July 8, declaring the deal over—while leaving open a possible, if unlikely, pathway to talks.
Trump declared the U.S.-Iran ceasefire over, reviving an unpopular war as midterm elections approach, leaving Republicans tied to the conflict in a position voters oppose while Democrats argue the move worsens affordability and national-security concerns; at a NATO summit in Ankara, he signaled a hard line and limited appetite for new negotiations, underscoring a political problem for his party.
The United States and Iran conducted new military strikes overnight following attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, signaling renewed escalation just after a ceasefire agreement; Iran said it targeted more than 80 U.S. facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait in retaliation, while reports noted a tanker caught fire in the Hormuz and Iran claimed another tanker (a Qatari vessel) was targeted. No casualties were reported, underscoring the fragility of the strategic Hormuz chokepoint.
China fired a long-range submarine-launched ballistic missile into the Pacific, marking its first known demonstration of a sea-based strategic nuclear strike capability and prompting alarm among U.S. allies.
U.S. officials warned Tehran that Israel planned to target Iran’s top negotiators in talks to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting strains in the US–Israel relationship while Washington backed the peace process.
The House rejected Rashida Tlaib’s second bid to curb U.S. military options in Lebanon, a vote that underscored a widening Democratic split over Israel amid Gaza and Iran-war tensions, with 189-235 defeating the measure; 187 Democrats backed it—up from 91 four weeks earlier—while Republicans dubbed the move moot since the U.S. isn’t at war in Lebanon, as leaders also weigh a separate bill to cut Israel’s security aid.
Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s policy chief under Trump, has become the central figure in a battle to define the future of America First foreign policy, fueling a GOP rift over troop withdrawals and U.S. defense strategy.
At a closed Vatican conference, the Church’s doctrinal head accuses the EU of applying international law selectively and calls for rethinking the just-war doctrine as cardinals debate how the Church should respond to modern conflicts and redefine legitimate self-defense.
The Washington Post reports a preliminary U.S.-Iran peace framework could grant Iran a major economic lifeline—sanctions relief, asset unfreezing and oil sales—in return for compliance with terms like inspections, potentially stabilizing Iran's postwar economy and funding reconstruction, though critics warn it could bolster Tehran's military reach and regional influence.
Conservative pro-Israel voices are criticizing Vice President JD Vance over his role in ending the Iran war, but evangelical conservatives at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority Conference remain broadly supportive and open to him as a potential GOP nominee, with mixed views on his Israel stance and some mention of Marco Rubio as a fellow contender.
A Pew Research Center survey of over 42,000 people in 36 countries finds 76% have no confidence in Donald Trump’s leadership on world affairs and only 23% express confidence; trust in the US as a partner has sharply declined in major allies—UK reliability falls from 82% in 2022 to 49%, and Canada from 83% to 35%—as criticisms mount over Gaza handling, tariffs and the Russia-Ukraine war, though Trump supporters say he is restoring America’s standing.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio travelled to the Gulf on a two‑day mission to reassure U.S. allies in Bahrain, the UAE and Kuwait that Washington isn’t sidelining them from Iran negotiations, a bid to steady a region still reeling from war and shifting alliances as Gulf states weigh their stance toward Tehran and its leverage while Rubio emphasizes U.S. security commitments and economic ties.