The branding of the U.S. military operation against Iran is a quintessentially Trumpian choice for a leader whose tenure has been marked by anger.
President Trump warned that he could postpone a meeting set to begin in just over two weeks if China refuses to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Five missiles struck the Baghdad International Airport and injured four people. Israeli and Iranian attacks continued as global economic concerns about the war mounted.
As the conflict with Iran expands and intensifies, President Trump’s options — to fight on, or to move toward declaring victory and pulling back — both carry deeply problematic consequences.
President Trump has urged China, Britain, France, Japan and South Korea to send warships to help reopen the waterway, even though they are not involved in the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passageway for oil shipments, remained unsafe for tankers. Iran has been firing projectiles and laying mines.
The unit’s arrival in the coming days will give the Pentagon the ability to quickly launch raids.
Unleashing his inner hawk, Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans President Trump’s military interventions. So far, they favor regime compliance, not change.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz were “something we are dealing with.” And about 2,500 Marines were headed to the Middle East to bolster the war effort.
Darren Beattie, the U.S. policy adviser on Brazil, planned to visit former President Jair Bolsonaro in prison and meet his son, who is also seeking the presidency.