Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
How Trump cajoled Iran and Israel into a cease-fire and forced them to comply Trump’s strikes on Iran reinvigorate U.S.-Israel ties after being tested JPost Editorial: After Operation Rising Lion, Hamas should learn they have nowhere else to turn U.S. strikes set back Iran nuclear program by a few months, initial report says The pillars of Iran’s regime are damaged, not destroyed WSJ Editorial: After the ‘cease-fire,’ tests for Iran Bloomberg’s Marc Champion: There is no one-and-done on Iran Russian attacks kill 26 civilians in Ukraine as Zelenskyy seeks more Western help WSJ’s Karen Elliott House: U.S. credibility returns to the Middle East Israel-Iran conflict spurs China to reconsider Russian gas pipeline Trump set for win on higher NATO spending at summit Mamdani declares victory in NYC mayoral primary as Cuomo concedesIn The News
Israel
It began with a ferocious weekend assault on Iranian nuclear sites by U.S. stealth bombers. What came next was a stunning display of behind-the-scenes diplomacy, a telegraphed missile attack on an American military base and an expletive-laced tirade by President Trump aimed at the leaders of Israel and Iran. The result by Tuesday morning: a cease-fire between Iran and Israel. – Wall Street Journal
As a ceasefire between Israel and Iran went into effect Tuesday, the Middle East drew a collective, if tentative, sigh of relief. It was unclear if the truce would hold — with each side accusing the other of violations — but Arab countries that sought frantically to de-escalate the fighting expressed hope that it would stave off a potentially catastrophic war in the wider region. – Washington Post
Many Israelis were taken back Tuesday when a visibly angry President Donald Trump expressed his dismay over Israel’s continued bombing of Iran shortly after he had announced he’d secured a ceasefire deal. – Washington Post
Both Iran and Israel have denied violating a cease-fire deal after it was announced by President Trump Monday evening, despite a night of strikes and counter-strikes in the hours surrounding the time when the truce was set to take effect. – New York Times
The ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump between Iran and Israel appeared to be holding on Wednesday a day after both countries signalled that their air war had ended, at least for now. – Reuters
The United States is giving $30 million to a controversial humanitarian group delivering aid in war-torn Gaza despite concern among some U.S. officials about the month-old operation and the killing of Palestinians near food distribution sites, according to four sources and a document seen by Reuters. – Reuters
Israeli forces killed at least 40 Palestinians in Gaza and ordered new evacuations on Tuesday, local medics and residents said, in further bloodshed shortly after Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire in their air war. – Reuters
The Israeli military said seven personnel, an officer and six soldiers, were killed in fighting in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday. – Reuters
The Israeli military said on Tuesday it intercepted earlier this evening two drones “most likely from Iran” that were making their way towards Israel. Israel’s Kan radio said the drones were most likely launched in the morning hours about the same time as the launch of a surface-to-surface missile from Iran. – Reuters
Israel’s tally of the war damage it wrought on Iran includes the targeted killings of at least 14 scientists, an unprecedented attack on the brains behind Iran’s nuclear program that outside experts say can only set it back, not stop it. – Associated Press
The Palestinian-American political activist who has been mediating between the Trump administration and Hamas said Tuesday that it was possible to reach a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal “within days.” – Times of Israel
Israel reopened its skies for air travel on Tuesday night after the Home Front Command lifted all restrictions on gatherings as a fragile ceasefire with Iran appeared to take hold. – Times of Israel
The US Embassy in Israel has announced that regular operations resumed on Wednesday following the lifting of restrictions imposed by the Home Front Command. – Jerusalem Post
Several leaders from the opposition called on the government on Tuesday to carry the momentum from the achievements in the operation against Iran in order to end the Israel-Hamas War and return the remaining 50 hostages in Hamas captivity. – Jerusalem Post
Israel has been extended an invitation by Egypt to send a delegation to Cairo for hostage deal talks, a source familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. – Jerusalem Post
Saudi news outlet Al Hadath reported on Tuesday, citing an anonymous Israeli security source, that Israel “knows exactly” where Iran is keeping its stockpiles of enriched uranium. – Jerusalem Post
Editorial: The Qataris, who for the first time experienced Iranian missiles over their skies on Monday night, could perhaps be persuaded too. But that is long in the future. For now, as an Israeli delegation heads to Cairo for talks with Hamas, it must hold Israel’s military achievements of the past two weeks and the disintegration of Iran’s nuclear capabilities over the negotiating table and hammer home the message to Hamas: you have nowhere else to turn to. – Jerusalem Post
John Spencer writes: Clausewitz wrote that war is the use of force to compel an enemy to do your will. Israel compelled Iran to stop. The United States reinforced that outcome. Iran, for all its threats and weapons, could not impose its will on anyone. The true winner of this war is not only Israel or the United States. It is the international system. A nuclear threshold state was pushed back. A regime that has fueled terror across continents has been checked. And the principle that force can be used morally and precisely, in defense of peace, was upheld. – Jerusalem Post
Ahmed Charai writes: What President Trump achieved is strategically undeniable. He halted a conflict before it spread, before outside powers were drawn in, and before regional escalation became inevitable. He did so without occupation, without capitulation, and without dragging America into another war in the Middle East. Yet peace is never declared—it is constructed, patiently and deliberately. Whether this ceasefire represents a new regional balance or a brief pause in an ongoing storm will depend not only on Iran or Israel—but on whether the United States and its allies are ready to lead with vision, discipline, and the willingness to seize the opportunity that this moment presents. – The National Interest
Iran
A preliminary intelligence report found that the U.S. military’s strikes last weekend on three Iranian nuclear facilities only set back Tehran’s nuclear ambitions by a few months, countering claims made by President Trump and the White House, according to people familiar with the intelligence. – Wall Street Journal
Israel and the U.S. have delivered powerful blows to the pillars of Iran’s theocracy, degrading nuclear and missile capabilities, the highest military echelons and institutions of governance. Yet the regime, while weakened, is still intact, capable of recuperating and emerging more dangerous and unpredictable. – Wall Street Journal
The U.S. bombing of Iran and direct involvement in Israel’s conflict has added a fresh dose of uncertainty to a U.S. economic picture that was already looking pretty muddled. Recent gyrations in policy and global events have left economists and consumers in a state of confusion. – Wall Street Journal
In the hours before a cease-fire between Israel and Iran went into effect Tuesday morning, Tehran was pounded by the most intense and sustained airstrikes since the war started on June 13, residents said. – New York Times
Iran’s parliament approved a bill on Wednesday to suspend cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, state-affiliated news outlet Nournews reported. – Reuters
Iran executed three men on Wednesday, after they were convicted of collaborating with Israel’s Mossad spy agency and smuggling equipment used in an assassination, the judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported. – Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff said on Tuesday that talks between the United States and Iran were “promising” and that Washington was hopeful for a long-term peace deal. – Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump told Congress this week that the Iranian sites bombed by the U.S. housed a “nuclear weapons development program,” even though U.S. spy agencies have said no such program existed. – Reuters
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards denied earlier reports on Tuesday that there was a drone attack in the northwestern city of Tabriz, three Iranian news sites reported. – Reuters
Iran has, over the last 12 days, arrested more than 700 people accused of ties with Israel, state-linked media reported Wednesday in the wake of a ceasefire between the two countries that cut short almost two weeks of war. – Times of Israel
The Iranian prison authority has “transferred” prisoners out of Evin prison after it was hit the day before by Israeli strikes, the country’s judiciary reported Tuesday. – Times of Israel
Europe and the United States should not give a lifeline to the Iranian leadership under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei through talks when his rule is “closer every day” to ending, the son of Iran’s ousted shah said Monday. – Agence France Presse
Editorial: The President seemed to treat Israel and Iran as two equivalent threats to his diplomacy. “We basically have two countries that are fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f— they’re doing,” Mr. Trump said. Here’s what they’re doing: Iran fights because it is devoted to Israel’s destruction. Israel fights because it is devoted to not being destroyed. Israel took on the bulk of the risk and the fighting against Iran, which dramatically improved America’s position in the region. The U.S. contributed by doing what only it can. Now the peace is up to Mr. Trump—is he offering Iran a reckoning or a reprieve? – Wall Street Journal
Editorial: They should be reminded that the place in the world to which they aspire can only be achieved if they’re trusted by their neighbors as well as the broader international community. The rewards for a truly airtight nuclear deal should be substantive — and contrasted to the limited benefits that flow to well-connected regime insiders when Iran remains isolated and angry. Negotiations will be difficult and the White House will naturally be tempted to claim victory and move on. But the US should remember that a settlement would restrain Iran’s nuclear program far longer than airstrikes and targeted assassinations can. It should not miss this new opportunity to strike one. – Bloomberg
Marc Champion writes: That means Trump and his team will face many of the same questions as they did before what’s been, in reality, just the hottest stage to date in a long-running Iran-Israel war. Those include whether to lift at least some economic sanctions and whether to accept a heavily monitored civilian grade enrichment program, limited to 3.5% fuel. Of course the Islamic Republic could collapse, to be replaced by something less fanatical. That’s an outcome that very few would mourn, but you don’t plan for luck. Trump needs to assume that Iran will now learn, rearm and refocus its nuclear program to produce a weapon as quickly and quietly as possible. Diplomacy and inspections remain the best and least hazardous way to prevent that. – Bloomberg
Holly Dagres writes: At the same time, U.S. policymakers should keep in mind that developments in Iran are rapidly changing. They should also heed the lesson of recent events in the Middle East—from the October 7 Hamas attack to the fall of the Assad regime in Syria and beyond—which have demonstrated once again that conventional assumptions often do not carry weight there. As such, officials should prepare for all possibilities—not just a prolonged conflict without an apparent strategy, but also the potential collapse of an authoritarian regime that has wreaked havoc in the region and waged war on its own people for more than four decades. – Washington Institute
Jennifer Kavanagh and Rosemary Kelanic write: Even as he offers these three types of assurances, Trump should also retire the “deal or bombs” ultimatums that he continues to make to Iran’s leaders. With Iran’s nuclear program set back and its ballistic missile infrastructure severely damaged, there is not an urgent need for either a deal or further military action. Trump now has the luxury of time and so should take advantage of it. He has adopted “peace through strength” as a mantra. In the coming days and weeks, he will need to remember that strength is measured not only through the use of military force but also through the ability to credibly withhold it. – Foreign Affairs
David Harsanyi writes: Will the war lead to peace with fundamentalist clerics? If the ceasefire creates another Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, former President Barack Obama’s unenforceable deal that allowed Iran to continue its program to the point of no return, they’ll be in conflict again soon enough. If a weakened Iran feels compelled to sign a denuclearization agreement with some teeth, it will have been a diplomatic success, as well. – Washington Examiner
Russia and Ukraine
Ukrainian drone attacks overnight damaged a grain facility, a school, residential houses and a sport complex in Russia’s southern region of Rostov on the Ukrainian border, Russian authorities said on Wednesday. – Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a law authorising the development of a state-backed messaging app integrated with government services, as Moscow strives to reduce its dependence on platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. – Reuters
A Russian drone attack on a village in the Sumy area overnight killed an 8-year-old boy and two adults and injured another three people, the military administration of the region in northeast Ukraine said early on Tuesday. – Reuters
A Russian missile attack in southeastern Ukraine on Tuesday killed at least 17 people and caused sweeping damage, officials said, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Kyiv’s allies at a NATO summit to bolster Ukraine’s defence industry. – Reuters
Russian drones, missiles and artillery killed at least 26 civilians and injured more than 200 others in Ukraine, officials said Tuesday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought guarantees at a NATO summit of further Western help to repel Moscow’s invasion. – Associated Press
Russia is improving its drone technology and tactics, striking Ukraine with increasing success. But the U.K.’s Defense Ministry said Israel’s strikes on Iran will “likely negatively impact the future provision of Iranian military equipment to Russia,” since Tehran had supplied “significant quantities” of attack drones to Moscow. – Associated Press
Syria
Syria’s top Christian leader said on Tuesday at the funeral for victims of a deadly church bombing that President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government bore responsibility for not protecting minorities and his condolences were insufficient. – Reuters
The sleeper cell behind a deadly church bombing near Damascus belonged to the Islamic State group, which had plans to target a Shiite shrine in a similar attack, Syria ‘s Interior Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday. – Associated Press
A little-known Sunni Muslim extremist group claimed responsibility on Tuesday for a weekend suicide attack against a church in Damascus, while the Syrian government insisted they were part of the Islamic State group. – Agence France Presse
Middle East & North Africa
Before midnight on Monday, Qatari officials convened a group of journalists in a purple meeting room to protest a missile barrage from Iran that targeted a large U.S. military installation in the desert outside the Qatari capital, Doha. – New York Times
Qatar’s prime minister said on Tuesday relations with Iran have been scarred by an Iranian missile volley at a U.S. airbase in the Gulf Arab state, but that he hoped ties would eventually “come back to normal”. – Reuters
While there is uncertainty about whether the ceasefire between Iran and Israel will hold, it opens the possibility of renewed talks with Tehran over its nuclear program and reinvigorating stalled negotiations in other conflicts. – Associated Press
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague late Tuesday in a bid to turn the page on strained relations between the two nations. – Bloomberg
Karen Elliott House writes: Doubtlessly there will be more bumps in the road. Nothing in the Middle East comes easily. A 1977 visit to Jerusalem by Egypt’s President Anwar Sadat triggered great optimism about a new Mideast built on Arab-Israeli peace. Islamists assassinated Sadat in 1981, and nearly a half-century later, regional peace remains elusive. But with Iran no longer able to play the Palestinian card, and with growing alignment between Saudi and Israeli development strategies, the crown prince, who got where he is by cunning and courage, not cautious calculation, seems certain to follow his core creed. “If you don’t stand out, you might as well disappear,” he told me once. “If you see something to do, do it.” Do it regardless of what others think. – Wall Street Journal
Korean Peninsula
South Korea’s special prosecutor asked a court on Tuesday to issue an arrest warrant for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, an investigator said, as a probe intensified over the ousted leader’s botched bid to impose martial law. – Reuters
North and South Koreans aren’t allowed to exchange visits, phone calls or letters with their loved ones on the other side. Wednesday is the 75th anniversary of the war’s beginning. The Associated Press spoke with Koreans whose pain and sorrow likely won’t be healed anytime soon as diplomacy between the Koreas remains dormant. – Associated Press
North Korea has agreed to send thousands of additional construction workers and engineers to Russia in the latest indication of deepening military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. The plans were announced on June 17 following a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Sergei Shoigu, the former Russian Defense Minister who now serves as secretary of the country’s Security Council. – Atlantic Council
China
The war between Israel and Iran has revived Chinese leaders’ interest in a pipeline that would carry Russian natural gas to China, according to people close to Beijing’s decision-making, potentially jump-starting a project that has been stalled for years. – Wall Street Journal
China and Taiwan clashed over their competing interpretations of history in an escalating war of words over what Beijing views as provocations from Taiwan’s government, and said it is impossible to “invade” what is already Chinese land. – Reuters
China has initiated the installation of a new structure on the west side of the geographical equidistance between Japan and China in the East China Sea, the Japanese foreign ministry said on Tuesday, adding it has lodged a protest with China. – Reuters
The United States condemned what it described as Hong Kong’s “repression of U.S. Independence Day celebrations” after media reports on Tuesday that some schools had received “friendly reminders” warning students against taking part in such events. – Reuters
When Israel attacked Iran nearly two weeks ago, the Chinese government, a longtime friend of Iran, jumped into action — at least, when it came to words. It condemned the attacks. Its leader, Xi Jinping, got on the phone with the Russian leader and urged a ceasefire. Its foreign minister spoke with his counterpart in Iran. – Associated Press
China’s attempts to spy, destabilize and disrupt Britain’s economy and democracy have grown, but Beijing is still a vital economic partner for the U.K., the government said Tuesday. – Associated Press
President Xi Jinping will miss a meeting of BRICS leaders in Rio de Janeiro, according to a Brazilian official familiar with the matter, marking the first time the Chinese leader has skipped the summit since taking power. – Bloomberg
Karishma Vaswani writes: But this conflict is different. While Sino-Iranian ties are strong, Beijing holds little influence over Tel Aviv, particularly in light of its condemnation of Israel’s military action in Gaza. That has made its role as a potential broker unlikely. Other attempts to play global peacemaker have made little progress. China’s peace plan for Ukraine and Middle East diplomacy in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack have had no discernible impact. For countries in the Global South and the Gulf, China’s championing of a multipolar world may now ring hollow. Governments are looking for reliable crisis partners, not just trade and development. Beijing’s hands-off approach is raising doubts about how much weight it’s really willing to carry. – Bloomberg
South Asia
India’s aviation regulator said on Tuesday it had found multiple instances of aircraft defects reappearing “many times” at Mumbai and Delhi airports, two of the country’s busiest, indicating what it said were inadequate checks on jetliners. – Reuters
NASA retiree turned private astronaut Peggy Whitson was launched on the fifth flight to orbit of her career early on Wednesday, joined by crewmates from India, Poland and Hungary heading for their countries’ first visit to the International Space Station. – Reuters
A landmine explosion killed four people and wounded a number of other in northwest Pakistan’s restive Kurram district on Wednesday, police said. – Associated Press
Asia
Vietnam will remove the death penalty for eight offences from next month, including embezzlement and activities aimed at overthrowing the government, parliament said on Wednesday, sparing the life of a tycoon in a $12-billion fraud case. – Reuters
Taiwan will issue new air-raid guidance for its citizens next week, according to security officials and internal planning documents reviewed by Reuters, learning lessons from Ukraine and Israel in case it needs to counter a Chinese military attack. – Reuters
Thailand’s Bhumjaithai party, which left the ruling coalition last week, said on Tuesday it would seek a parliamentary no confidence vote against Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and her cabinet, in another blow to the embattled premier. – Reuters
Cambodia’s government on Tuesday accused Thailand of escalating border tensions by imposing new restrictions that have blocked almost all land crossings, especially for tourists heading into Cambodia. – Associated Press
Vietnam is seeking urgent discussions with Russia in an effort to accelerate its nuclear energy program, flagging risks to the country’s goal of having a reactor in operation by the end of the decade. – Bloomberg
Yuen Foong Khong and Joseph Chinyong Liow write: The second Trump administration may make Beijing’s task easier if the punishing “Liberation Day” tariffs that it imposed on April 2 on key ASEAN states, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam, are not lowered significantly; if key U.S. officials fail to show up for the annual ASEAN meetings; and if it acts on its threat to impose 100 percent tariffs on countries that have joined (Indonesia) or are moving to join (Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam) BRICS, a coalition of non-Western powers that includes China and Russia. If it doesn’t change its ways, the Trump administration will freely cede the trust and goodwill that its predecessors have built up in Southeast Asia over the past half century. – Foreign Affairs
Europe
Amid continuing repercussions of U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, President Trump is poised to claim one of the biggest foreign-policy wins of his second term: a pledge by NATO allies to more than double their defense spending. – Wall Street Journal
A U.S. State Department delegation met with senior officials from France’s National Rally (RN) in late May, but their offer to publicly support figurehead Marine Le Pen after a court barred her from office was rebuffed by the far-right party, two sources said. – Reuters
Seven people have been charged on Tuesday following a protest in London in support of Palestine Action, a campaign organisation the British government has proposed to ban under anti-terrorism laws. – Reuters
France’s Socialists filed a no-confidence measure against Prime Minister Francois Bayrou after pension talks collapsed, a senior party lawmaker said on Tuesday, but it seems unlikely to pass after the far-right indicated it would not follow suit. – Reuters
The British government said on Tuesday that it would purchase a dozen F-35A fighter jets capable of firing tactical nuclear weapons in what it described as the biggest expansion of its nuclear deterrent in a generation. – Reuters
European Union diplomats said they expect to reach a deal during an EU summit this week on an 18th package of sanctions against Russia, which Slovakia and Hungary are using as a bargaining chip for concessions on Russian energy. – Reuters
Leaders of Britain, France and Germany said on Tuesday that it was now “time for diplomacy”, as a shaky ceasefire began to take hold between Israel and Iran. – Reuters
The European Union wants China to resolve the current shortage of rare earth magnets before a meeting of their leaders next month, according to the bloc’s top envoy to Beijing. – Bloomberg
Trains have been cancelled between Amsterdam and The Hague following a potential act of sabotage intended to disrupt the NATO Summit taking place this week. – The Record
Jillian Kay Melchior writes: Why? “For Trump it’s not Ukraine, it’s not even Russia—it’s about China,” Mr. Tsahkna says. “There is some kind of idea as well that maybe it is possible for the U.S. to bring Russia out from the China influence.” The foreign minister is skeptical: “We don’t see that Putin wants to have any kind of peace.” If Mr. Putin fails to reciprocate Mr. Trump’s respect “the price may be high” for Russia, Mr. Tsahkna says—though he allows that “we don’t know that.” Still, the president has made peace in Ukraine a prominent objective of his second term. If Mr. Putin defies without consequence, Mr. Trump will lose some of the fearsome credibility that has underpinned foreign-policy successes. – Wall Street Journal
Africa
Kenyans are expected to take to the streets in large numbers on Wednesday to mark the one-year anniversary of anti-government protests that culminated in the storming of parliament and several deaths as police opened fire on demonstrators. – Reuters
A U.N.-mandated commission investigating suspected human rights violations and war crimes in Democratic Republic of Congo cannot proceed due to a funding crisis in the U.N. human rights office (OHCHR), according to a letter seen by Reuters. – Reuters
Nigeria and Brazil signed a $1 billion agreement on Tuesday to boost agriculture, food security, energy and defence in the West African nation, Nigeria’s vice president Kasim Shettima said. – Reuters
The top U.S. diplomat for Africa on Tuesday dismissed allegations of unfair U.S. trade practices and said that funding delays would not derail a key railway project connecting Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. – Reuters
Zambia hopes to start work on the Lobito Corridor railway connecting its copper belt to Angola’s Atlantic coast by the third quarter of 2026, Transport Minister Frank Tayali said, as the project moves forward amid financing negotiations. – Reuters
At least 120 children have been kidnapped by jihadist insurgents in northern Mozambique in recent days, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday, warning of a rise in abductions in the country’s troubled Cabo Delgado province. – Associated Press
The World Bank granted South Africa a $1.5 billion loan to upgrade transportation infrastructure and help it transition toward a low-carbon economy, the country’s National Treasury said Monday. – Associated Press
A United Nations peacekeeper was killed during an attack by armed men in Central African Republic, the UN said on Tuesday as the Security Council expressed concerns over growing attacks against peacekeepers in the country. – Associated Press
A Congolese soldier shot and killed two of his colleagues while a third died of critical injuries in an altercation in the country’s east that left others wounded, local officials said Tuesday. – Associated Press
The Americas
Spain’s High Court on Tuesday authorized the extradition of William Jofre Alcivar Bautista, accused of leading a violent attack on an Ecuadorean TV station in early 2024, provided that Ecuador guarantees his safety in custody. – Reuters
Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said any debate on increasing public spending is frozen until the government ensures fiscal sustainability, according to an interview with Record TV published on Tuesday. – Reuters
The U.S. Treasury Department said on Tuesday it has sanctioned Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, an alleged leader of Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua, who is already on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most-wanted list. – Reuters
Brazil Agriculture Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that 17 countries have removed trade restrictions related to the bird flu outbreak in May. – Reuters
A judge in El Salvador ordered Tuesday that a lawyer and well-known critic of President Nayib Bukele remain in jail as his prosecution on charges of money laundering proceeds in a blow to critics pushing back against the government. – Associated Press
A Venezuelan influencer who criticized both gangs and allegedly corrupt cops was shot and killed on Monday while livestreaming on TikTok, authorities said. – CNN
North America
President Trump seems intent on including tariffs in any trade deal, and Canadian negotiators in continuing talks are seeking ways to satisfy him while protecting their access to their biggest market, said Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. – Wall Street Journal
Panama’s government has extended by five days the suspension of constitutional guarantees in the western province of Bocas del Toro, Presidency Minister Juan Carlos Orillac said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Police in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas unveiled a fleet of armed drones Tuesday that they say will better position them against the heavily armed drug cartels vying for control of their border with Guatemala. – Associated Press
United States
Zohran Mamdani was poised to deliver a stunning upset in New York City’s mayoral primary that pitted youthful enthusiasm against Andrew Cuomo’s billionaire backers, union endorsements and old-guard Democratic support. – Wall Street Journal
President Trump dared political foes to try to remove him from office again, taking aim at comments by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) that his strikes on Iran rose to an impeachable offense, as Democrats grappled with how to respond to the weekend attack. “Go ahead and try Impeaching me, again, MAKE MY DAY!” Trump said on Truth Social. – Wall Street Journal
The strategy is one Trump has deployed on multiple occasions while seeking to reset America’s place in the world: a hard punch and a fast exit. The approach embodies seemingly conflicting impulses that inform his view of what it means to put the United States first. – Washington Post
The U.S. House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to set aside an effort to impeach President Donald Trump on a sole charge of abuse of power after he launched military strikes on Iran without first seeking authorization from Congress. – Associated Press
Bipartisan congressional briefings on the weekend US strike on Iranian nuclear facilities have been postponed as Iran and Israel appeared Tuesday to honor a ceasefire agreement. – Bloomberg
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is moving resources off immigration cases and back to counterterrorism, citing potential threats after the US launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites and helped broker a ceasefire between Iran and Israel following nearly two weeks of fighting. – Bloomberg
More than eight in 10 voters support President Donald Trump’s job of hunting down and deporting illegal migrants who have committed crimes in the United States, the latest sign that his top issue continues to be embraced in America. – Washington Examiner
The US economy needs the fragile ceasefire President Donald Trump brokered in the Middle East to hold. If the pause in fighting between Israel and Iran fails and major hostilities resume, oil prices would likely spike again. And surging gasoline prices are the last thing the US economy needs right now. – CNN
Hostage families demanded that US President Donald Trump facilitate another deal to release their loved ones from captivity at a Washington rally, insisting Trump could ride on the recent success in brokering an Iran-Israel ceasefire. – Jerusalem Post
George F. Will writes: By joining Israel against Iran, the United States has expanded its commitments more than it can now know. The United States is waging only a proxy war in Ukraine, but its prestige and credibility are fully at risk there. And now the United States is a participant in a war the likely outcome of which is obscured by the fog of war, and the momentum and direction of which is being set by an ally that has its own agenda. – Washington Post
Cybersecurity
Hackers backing Tehran have targeted U.S. banks, defense contractors and oil industry companies following American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities — but so far have not caused widespread disruptions to critical infrastructure or the economy. – Associated Press
Staunch opposition from a handful of Republican lawmakers is endangering the tech industry’s drive to attach a ban on state regulation of artificial intelligence to Donald Trump’s tax bill. – Bloomberg
The U.S. should stay vigilant about the ongoing digital threat posed by China even though events in the Middle East have drawn attention to potential cyberattacks by Iran, according to a senior FBI official. – The Record
A hacking group linked to Russian military intelligence is targeting Ukrainian state agencies with newly discovered malware delivered through the Signal messaging app, according to Ukraine’s cybersecurity officials. – The Record
A Russian court sentenced several members of the notorious REvil ransomware gang to five years in prison but let them walk free right after the verdict, saying they had already spent enough time behind bars while awaiting trial. – The Record
Supposed experts and mainstream media have spent the past few days hyperventilating over reports of a colossal data breach that exposed more than 16 billion credentials — a level of theft that should have defenders clutching their pearls. There’s just one inconvenient detail: the original report is curiously short on anything resembling actual evidence to support its sensational claim. – Cyberscoop
A notice to House offices Monday from the chamber’s chief administrative officer said that staffers are forbidden from having WhatsApp on official devices starting next week, prompting a rebuttal from the app’s parent company Meta. – Cyberscoop
Defense
The Space Development Agency has successfully launched its first satellite designed to demonstrate experimental tactical data delivery capabilities from low-Earth orbit (LEO) four months ahead of schedule, the organization announced Tuesday. – Defensescoop
There aren’t enough electronic warfare tools resident within the U.S. military services currently, according to a top lawmaker. At the end of the Cold War, many of the services divested of their capability within the electromagnetic spectrum. Now, these technologies are at a premium and in high demand for jamming enemy communications, navigation and missiles while protecting against the same. – Defensescoop
The officer picked by President Donald Trump to be the next commander of U.S. Central Command suggested to lawmakers Tuesday that the American military needs more sensors and weapons that can detect and attack underground targets. – Defensescoop
Iran still has “considerable” abilities to threaten American forces and other interests in the Middle East despite Israeli and U.S. bombardment in recent days, the admiral nominated to lead U.S. forces in the region told lawmakers Tuesday. – Military.com
After a delay of nearly two years, the Missile Defense Agency has declared a successful test of its Long-Range Discrimination Radar’s ability to track a live ballistic missile target. – Military.com
As lawmakers and Pentagon officials push for reforms to the defense acquisition system, a small tech firm is expanding a data-analysis platform it says could arm Pentagon weapons-buyers with the information they need to more effectively manage the Defense Department’s nearly trillion-dollar budget. – Defense News
Michael Rubin writes: If there is one takeaway Pentagon planners should recognize, it is that the next war the U.S. faces will likely begin with covert action launched from within the U.S. rather than a missile salvo detectable by radar or a Pearl Harbor–style air raid. The Israel–Iran and Russia–Ukraine conflicts are warnings. It is not clear, however, whether U.S. leaders have awoken to the real lessons they present. – Washington Examiner