1.) IRAN UPDATE
Trump is weighing another strike campaign as Netanyahu heads to Washington, the Pentagon moves forces and the Houthis threaten Red Sea shipping.
[TALKS AND STRIKES] Trump weighs escalation as U.S. envoys resume talks
Trump met with top advisers as he considers a major military escalation, even as U.S. envoys resumed talks with Tehran. The conflict has lasted nearly five months.
[NETANYAHU] Netanyahu will meet Trump Tuesday
This will be Netanyahu’s seventh Oval Office meeting with Trump since Trump returned to office—more than any other world leader. Axios says the visit could affect the timing and coordination of another joint strike; announced visits have previously been used as cover before attacks.
[U.S. FORCE BUILDUP] Pentagon moves fighters, special operations forces and medics toward Iran
The Pentagon deployed special operations forces, fighter squadrons and refueling tankers, put bombers on heightened alert and sent about 150 additional medics to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. Israel raised military readiness and reopened bomb shelters in several cities.
[WAR’S END] White House names no condition Iran can meet to stop the strikes
A U.S. official said attacks will continue until Trump “deems otherwise.” Eighteen U.S. service members have been killed since the war began, and the campaign has cost an estimated $37.5 billion.
[GULF STATES] Bahrain and Kuwait sent warplanes to strike Iran
The Wall Street Journal reports that Bahrain and Kuwait sent jets to attack sites inside Iran earlier this month—their first direct military retaliation against Tehran.
[IRAQ] Five explosive drones intercepted near U.S.-hosted base in Erbil
Kurdish security officials said coalition forces shot down five explosive-laden drones over Erbil International Airport, which hosts U.S. troops. No casualties or damage were reported; the attack came hours after the Pentagon completed its 13th consecutive night of strikes on Iran.
[RED SEA] Houthis threaten oil tankers; Trump threatens to widen the war
The Houthis, an Iran-backed armed group that controls much of Yemen, threatened oil shipments through the Red Sea. Trump said he would expand the war if the group launches more attacks.
Context: About 5.4 million barrels of oil a day passed through Bab el-Mandeb (the narrow strait at the Red Sea’s southern entrance) in early 2026, down 42% from 9.3 million in 2023. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that rerouting around Africa adds about 15 days to a voyage from the Arabian Sea to Europe.
[SECURITY] Iran threat prompted Trump’s Air Force One swap
The Secret Service urged Trump to leave the NATO summit in Turkey aboard the older Air Force One rather than the newer, Qatari-donated jet after receiving a credible Iranian threat, according to The New York Times.
2.) NYT: Trump administration says states’ 2024 votes alone determined which energy grants it targeted
DOE lawyer Jeff Novak said officials put 624 grants on a list for possible termination; halted funding totaled billions of dollars.
_QUICK BITES_
THE HILL: Warner Merger Delayed
Paramount Skydance agreed to delay its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery until June 2027, unless a judge rules sooner on a lawsuit by 12 state attorneys general seeking to block the merger.
THE HILL: Romania Downs Intruding Drone
A Romanian fighter jet shot down an unidentified drone Friday after radar detected it 20 kilometers east of Sulina, marking the first time the NATO member has downed an aircraft breaching its airspace.
DNC: DNC panel proposes six-state opening calendar for 2028
The Rules and Bylaws Committee proposed the following opening sequence; the full DNC must still ratify it:
- Jan. 22 — South Carolina
- Feb. 1 — Nevada
- Feb. 8 — New Hampshire
- Feb. 15 — New Mexico
- Feb. 22 — Michigan
- Feb. 29 — Virginia
FOX: Thune puts government funding ahead of Trump’s election bill
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is holding the House budget framework until the Senate advances a government-funding extension, delaying Republicans’ attempt to move part of the SAVE America Act through reconciliation. Thune says he cannot currently count 50 votes for the budget resolution.
[RELATED] Trump presses Thune to move the House framework
Trump urged Thune to take up the House-passed resolution before the August recess; it would also advance funding for the Iran war, but Thune says the votes are not there.
NOT NEWS NEWS
3.) THE HILL: Two small businesses sue Trump over tariffs covering nearly all U.S. imports
The challengers say the administration reused its global tariff policy under a third statute without making the country-specific findings Congress required.
[CONTEXT]
The Supreme Court struck down Trump’s earlier worldwide tariffs under a different law in February. This case challenges the new use of Section 301, arguing that 60 separate investigations did not establish how each economy’s practices justified nearly uniform tariffs; Section 301 tariffs Trump imposed on China in his first term survived prior court challenges.
[RELATED] Russia sanctions bill stalls over giving Trump more tariff power
The revised bill would let Trump impose tariffs of up to 100% on imports from the five largest buyers of Russian energy. It has more than 60 Senate sponsors, but Democrats object to granting another unilateral tariff power; Trump also demanded that the package include expiring Iran sanctions.
TRUMP’S COMMENTS
What Trump said today, from policy conditions to off-the-cuff remarks.
FOX: Trump explains his Jordan pick: “I only like people that like me”
Trump was answering the Jordan-versus-LeBron question after James announced plans to sign with Philadelphia.
FOX: Trump makes Saudi normalization with Israel a condition of nuclear agreement
Trump said the newly signed civilian nuclear agreement will not advance unless Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords, which would require Riyadh to normalize relations with Israel. He said the condition was “always understood,” even though Energy Secretary Chris Wright signed the agreement before Trump publicly imposed it.
THE HILL: Trump says he trusts Russia and China are staying out of the Iran war
Trump said Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping told him they were not arming Iran and that he takes them at their word. He warned that supplying weapons or otherwise joining the conflict “would be very bad for them.”