President Trump declared the US ready for "next conquest" and stated military presence near Iran would continue until a "real agreement" is honored, while top GOP senators plan to meet him to discuss party-line DHS funding for ICE and CBP. Meanwhile, a new poll suggests "Make America Healthy Again" supporters are drifting from Trump.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized direct talks with Lebanon focusing on disarming Hezbollah, even as Israel continued its offensive, which Iran insists violates the US-Iran ceasefire. President Trump reportedly urged Netanyahu to scale back strikes to preserve the fragile truce.
House Democrats attempted to pass a resolution curtailing President Trump's war powers over Iran, which Republicans blocked, while some Democrats, including Senator Andy Kim, openly called for his removal. Hillary Clinton also criticized Trump's budget amid the Iran strikes, and discussions about the 25th Amendment resurfaced.
The AI industry is experiencing rapid developments with Anthropic's new agent impacting software stocks and OpenAI launching ChatGPT Pro, while Meta debuts its long-awaited AI model. Florida's AG opened a probe into OpenAI, and a US defense official faced scrutiny for selling xAI stock after a Pentagon agreement.
First Lady Melania Trump made a rare public statement from the White House, vehemently denying any relationship with Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell and calling for "lies" linking her to the disgraced financier to stop. She also urged Congress to allow Epstein's victims to testify and enter their stories into the official record.
Global markets saw a second day of stock rallies and gold advances on hopes for the US-Iran ceasefire, though oil prices remained volatile, with WTI briefly touching $100 per barrel. Analysts warn of continued choppiness as the truce's sustainability remains uncertain.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stated the world is safer under President Trump, but acknowledged allies were "slow" to back the US in the Iran war, signaling a shift from Europe's "unhealthy co-dependence" on the US. UK PM Keir Starmer criticized Trump's rhetoric as contrary to British values, while Trump again lashed out at NATO.
Iran Imposes Crypto Tolls on Hormuz Passage; Sanctions Evasion Grows