MON SIX

Romania, a nation of some 19 million people, shares around 400 miles of border with Ukraine. To its east, Romania abuts the Black Sea, the Danube River and -- beyond that -- Ukraine, putting that part of the country in particular on the front lines of Russia's war against its neighbor and Moscow's wider showdown with the NATO alliance.

The contact zone there spans the Danube, the river's width of around 1,640 feet -- less than three football fields -- separating Romania and its NATO defenses from the Ukrainian river ports that have for years been a focus of Russia's long-range drone and missile bombardments.

Data provided to ABC News by Romania's Defense Ministry shows that the rate of Russian attacks on Ukrainian targets close to the NATO frontier is increasing, resulting in more regular scrambling of NATO fighters for defensive missions, more violations of NATO airspace by Russian drones and the discovery of more munition fragments on allied territory.

Ukraine outshoots Russia in cross-border drone war for 1st time, March data suggests

In all four categories, 2026 is set to be a record-breaking year, according to Bucharest's tallies.

As of April 28, since the start of 2026, Romania recorded seven airspace violations by Russian drones, the discovery of munition fragments 11 times and the scrambling of "Air Policing" missions 18 times, a Defense Ministry spokesperson told ABC News. Those incidents were the result of the 25 Russian attacks on Ukrainian areas close to Romania's border.

Within the first four months of this year, the figures are already approaching the record annual highs set across 2025, during which Romania reported nine airspace violations, the discovery of fragments 16 times, 21 air policing missions and 28 attacks on Ukrainian targets close to Romania.

In total since Russia launched its invasion, Romania has recorded 25 airspace violations, the discovery of fragments 47 times, 53 air policing scrambles and 91 attacks on Ukrainian targets close to the shared border, the Defense Ministry's data showed.

Thus far, then, the first third of 2026 alone accounts for around 28% of all airspace violations since 2022, 23% of incidents of fragment discovery, nearly 34% of all air policing missions and 27% of attacks close to Romania's border.

Constantin Spinu, a former Romanian Defense Ministry official who left his role in 2025, told ABC News that Bucharest always expected Russia to expand attacks along the country's shared border with Ukraine, particularly after the breakdown in 2023 of the Black Sea Grain Initiative -- negotiated between Russia and Ukraine in 2022 -- which had sought to ensure the safe flow of grain exports from southern Ukrainian and Russian ports.

"We were very much aware that this would happen," Spinu said. "It was not possible back then to foresee the amplitude of the attacks."

The first Russian drone was discovered on Romanian territory in the fall of 2023, according to officials in Bucharest, though that craft was not equipped with explosives. "We realized again that it was a matter of when, not a matter of if, drones equipped with explosives would hit Romanian soil," Spinu said.

The Defense Ministry's data, Spinu said, showed a "clear" and "growing tempo" of Russian attacks on Ukrainian targets along the Romanian border.

'Everything is covered with Russian bodies': Ukraine's frontline troops on 4 years of war

'Emphasis on restraint'

Romania has yet to shoot down any Russian drones or other munitions in its airspace, though national law does allow forces to engage drones in Romanian airspace during peacetime if lives or property are at risk.

There is no suggestion that Russian drones have been aimed at targets in Romania, Spinu said. "All the situations were consequences of their attacks on Ukrainian targets," he said. "I don't see this changing in the future."

Last week, British fighter jets were scrambled to track multiple drones attacking targets in Ukraine close to the Romanian border.

Initial reports suggested that the British aircraft intercepted the craft while they were in Ukrainian airspace, though the U.K. and Romanian defense ministries later clarified that the allied pilots tracked, but did not fire upon, the drones.

'Normal life has disappeared': Russia's energy offensive plunges Ukraine into dark and bitter cold

Romanian authorities said that around 200 people were evacuated during the incursion, which saw one drone land in the southeastern border city of Galati. Romanian President Nicusor Dan said it was "the first incident where Romanian property has actually been damaged, a threshold we take very seriously."

Following that incursion, Russia's ambassador in Bucharest -- Vladimir Lipayev -- told the state-run Tass news agency that the incident was a "provocation" by Kyiv.

Romania's Foreign Ministry summoned Lipayev to protest the violation. The ambassador, though, told Tass after the meeting, "Due to the lack of any objective evidence of the drone's national identification, the protest was rejected as far-fetched and groundless."

Russia downs 4,300 Ukrainian drones in December, setting new record, Moscow claims

The incident again raised questions as to whether NATO forces should intercept Russian munitions close to allied borders while they are still in Ukrainian airspace.

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Ionela Ciolan, a research officer at the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies think tank in Brussels, told ABC News that Romania's political leadership has shown "a consistent emphasis on restraint" regarding wayward Russian drones.

"Those in power in Bucharest are careful to avoid any actions that could be interpreted as direct participation in the conflict," Ciolan said. Questions as to a more assertive NATO posture "remain largely absent from the domestic agenda," she added.

Oana Popescu-Zamfir, the director of the GlobalFocus Center think tank in Bucharest, told ABC News that the government in Bucharest is broadly "downplaying these incidents and avoids commenting too much about them."

"The general perception that still the war is something that -- though it's on our border -- is still kind of distant," Popescu-Zamfir said. The official understanding appears to be that the violations are "not a direct act of hostility from Russia," she added.

Poland, Romania scramble jets as NATO ally records new Russian drone violation

That stance could be partly down to domestic political considerations, Ciolan said. "Romanian society has become increasingly polarized," Ciolan said. Recent data suggests that only about 55% of Romanians primarily blame the Kremlin for the war, while approximately 14% attribute responsibility to Ukraine and others point to the U.S. or the European Union," she said.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with the declared intention of toppling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government in Kyiv.

The "special military operation," as the Kremlin described the invasion, followed eight years of fighting in eastern Ukraine, sparked by Russia's annexation of Crimea and fomentation of separatist rebellion in the eastern Donbas region.

The cost of action

The first instance of NATO nations downing drones came last year, when Polish and Dutch fighters destroyed three Russian drones over Poland. At least 19 drones penetrated Polish airspace in that instance, according to Warsaw.

After that incident, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Moscow was engaging in "reckless behavior" and said the incursion was not "not an isolated incident."

"Allies are resolved to defend every inch of allied territory," Rutte added. "We will closely monitor the situation along our eastern flank, our air defenses continually at the ready."

Russian officials have broadly denied any responsibility for munition incursions into neighboring nations, while also accusing NATO states of allowing Ukraine to use their airspace for routing drone attacks into Russia -- an allegation allied leaders have denied.

As incursions mount, politicians in NATO member states are facing more public pressure to take action. But a more assertive response could carry political, military and economic risks, the analysts who spoke to ABC News said.

In the dark and under fire, Ukraine strains to keep the lights on

"It is extremely costly to shoot down drones that may only cost a few thousand euros with missiles that can cost hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of euros," Ciolan said. Engaging incurring Russian drones could also hand Moscow useful military intelligence on NATO capabilities.

Romania and other NATO allies are rushing to adopt versions of cheaper counter-drone munitions showcased by Ukraine. In January, for example, Romanian military chief Gen. Gheorghita Vlad said Bucharest planned to acquire the U.S.-made MEROPS interceptor drone.

The costs of intercepting could also balloon if targets are engaged over populated areas, with drones, defensive munitions and falling debris all posing risks to people and property on the ground.

"It doesn't make sense from an economical point of view, but also from a public safety point of view," Spinu said.

Popescu-Zamfir said that while Romania has "made progress" on the issue, the country largely lacks the political will and means to engage.

In Iran fight, US scrambles to adapt in its 1st major drone war

"We now have a clear legal framework that actually allows us to directly engage the drones," she said, "and it also allows the pilots, in cases where we use fighter jets, to make that decision."

"But we don't actually have the equipment," Popescu-Zamfir added. "We have started positioning more radars and sensors around the Danube Delta, but we're nowhere near where we should be."

Romania, along with its NATO allies, faces a difficult and ever-evolving threat, Spinu said.

"You cannot install defensive equipment that would cover the whole border of Romania with Ukraine," he explained. "That's not militarily or economically possible. And no country in the world would be able to do that."

"It's a matter of risk calculation," Spinu said, suggesting that the defense of populated areas and critical infrastructure must take precedent over sparsely-populated border regions in which Russian drones have largely fallen.

"I don't think anyone has the perfect solution," Spinu added. "Not even the most developed armed forces in NATO."

Not only that, but the playoffs have a way of exposing teams for who they are, revealing the emperor’s clothes, showing exactly how far away they really are from contending with a team like the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

We’re not even through the first round of the playoffs, and already there is significant development. Some surprising teams can convince themselves now that they are an Antetokounmpo away from title contention. Likewise, some pretenders who thought they might not need Antetokounmpo now require a serious roster shakeup.

Let’s take a look at some of the potential playoff suitors.

Portland Trail Blazers

First round:Trail Blazers lost to the San Antonio Spurs 4-1

According to The Oregonian’s Bill Oram, the Blazers “are prepared to make a pitch” for Antetokounmpo’s services if he is willing to sign a long-term extension in Portland.

They have a trump card no other team can offer the Bucks: Their own draft picks. Since trading Damian Lillard to Milwaukee in September 2023, Portland holds the rights to the Bucks’ 2029 first-round selection in addition to swaps in 2028 and 2030.

Of course, the Blazers also have re-signed Lillard, who should return from a ruptured Achilles at the age of 36 next season, and his fit with Antetokounmpo already proved to be awkward in Milwaukee. Likewise, Deni Avdija led the league in drives this year, and his downhill game will come with some redundancy alongside Antetokounmpo.

Atlanta Hawks

First round:Hawks trail the New York Knicks 3-2 (Game 6 on Thursday, 7 p.m. ET)

Rich Paul, the agent to Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson, actually proposed a Johnson-for-Antetokounmpo swap on his podcast in January, though it never came to fruition.

“If I’m the Bucks, I’m looking at a young player, high character, high talent, high IQ,” said Johnson’s agent. “I’m calling Atlanta.I want Jalen Johnson. He’s from Milwaukee.”

In addition, the Hawks hold a first-round pick in June’s draft from the New Orleans Pelicans. That selection has a 29.3% chance of landing in the top-4 and a 6.8% shot at No. 1 overall. It could definitely become the best asset available to Milwaukee. And few teams have a better roster construction to field around Antetokounmpo.

Minnesota Timberwolves

First round:Timberwolves lead the Denver Nuggets 3-2 (Game 6 on Thursday, 9:30 p.m. ET)

According to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, there wasmutual interestbetween the Timberwolves and Antetokounmpo in getting a deal done during the regular season. Antetokounmpo was reportedly interested in being paired with Anthony Edwards, and Minnesota was actively pursuing complicated multi-team deals to get one done.

The Wolves may be convinced, if healthy, they could still contend in the Western Conference as is, since they’ve played so well against the Nuggets. Should they drop their first-round series, though, sans Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, it is hard to imagine them becominglessinterested in the services of Antetokounmpo.

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Houston Rockets

First round:Rockets trail the Los Angeles Lakers 3-2 (Game 6 on Friday, 9:30 p.m. ET)

Before trading for Kevin Durant last offseason, the Rockets were considered among the favorites to land Antetokounmpo, if the Bucks ever made him available, given Houston’s trove of talented young players and draft picks. They could easily build an attractive package for Milwaukee around either Alperen Şengün or Amen Thompson.

Except, earlier in the season, the Rockets werereportedlynot in on Antetokounmpo, preferring instead to see how far their young core could carry them. Well, it appears the existing core will not vault them anywhere near contention, as they trail the Los Angeles Lakers, leavinganything on the table, including a pursuit of Antetokounmpo.

Cleveland Cavaliers

First round:Cavaliers lead the Toronto Raptors 3-2 (Game 6 on Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET)

The Cavaliers checked in on Antetokounmpo’s availability earlier in the season,according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, though the framework of any potential deal was largely speculative. It made sense. The Cavs, who won 64 games last season, had taken a step back, necessitating some sort of shakeup to their four core stars.

So, Cleveland instead traded 26-year-old All-Star guard Darius Garland for 36-year-old future Hall of Famer James Harden, fully committing to a championship bid. Only, the Cavs are now in danger of losing in the first round. Such a defeat would almost certainly lead them to consider trading more of their core, including Evan Mobley.

Toronto Raptors

First round:Raptors trail the Cavaliers 3-2 (Game 6 on Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET)

The Raptors, who have a ton of good players but no great one, are always in search of a superstar. Look at what they accomplished in one season with Kawhi Leonard.

Meanwhile, Collin Murray-Boyles has emerged as a real asset in these playoffs, potentially sweetening any offer that Toronto could make Milwaukee. Combine him with matching salaries and a collection of draft assets, and suddenly the Raptors are in a conversation for Antetokounmpo we didn’t think possible at season’s start.

Orlando Magic

First round:Magic lead the Detroit Pistons 3-2 (Game 6 on Friday, 7 p.m. ET)

The Magic were a mess two weeks ago. A talented starting lineup of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane, Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr. underperformed expectations, and it appeared they would get their head coach, Jamahl Mosley, fired.

Now, they could become the seventh No. 8 seed in NBA history to upset a No. 1 seed in the opening round of the playoffs, as they take a 3-2 series lead against the Detroit Pistons home to Orlando on Friday. But nobody considers them contenders.

Might they still convince themselves, with a new coach and the collective improvement of their relatively young core, that they could contend next season? Or, more likely, do they consider upgrading from, say, Banchero to Antetokounmpo?

Philadelphia 76ers

First round:76ers trail the Boston Celtics 3-2 (Game 6 on Thursday, 8 p.m. ET)

It’s unclear how the Sixers would pull off a deal for Antetokounmpo that did not include rookie standout VJ Edgecombe. He should be the future of the franchise, along with Tyrese Maxey, as they are one of the league’s most talented backcourts.

But Philadelphia executive Daryl Morey is as creative — and perhaps as desperate — as it gets, and if he envisions a brighter future with Antetokounmpo at the helm, there is no telling what he might do to make it happen, including dealing Edgecombe.

Abortion Pills

The unanimous ruling Friday from the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals marks a substantial victory for abortion opponents seeking to stem the flow of abortion pills prescribed online that they view as subverting state bans on the procedure.

The ruling, which is expected to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, requires that mifepristone be distributed only in person and at clinics, overruling regulations set by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

Here's what to know.

Impact extends beyond states with abortion bans

Frustrated with a lack of federal actionagainst medicated abortions, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill sued the FDA last month, saying its regulations undermined the state’s ban on abortions at all stages of pregnancy.

“The regulation creates an effective way for an out-of-state prescriber to place the drug in the hands of Louisianans in defiance of Louisiana law,” Judge Kyle Duncan, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, wrote in the ruling.

FDA officials have said the agency is conducting a new review of mifepristone’s safety, but the appeals court noted that there was no timeline for its completion.

Friday’s ruling is in effect while the case works its way through the courts. It affects all states, even those without abortion restrictions.

There is little precedent for a federal court overruling the scientific regulations of the FDA, and it remains to be seen how the decision could impact how the drug is dispensed long-term.

Murrill, a Republican, celebrated the ruling as a “victory for life” while other anti-abortion advocates cheered the reversal of rules finalized under President Joe Biden thatended a longstanding requirementthat the pills be obtained at an in-person doctor’s visit.

Representatives for the FDA and the U.S. Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mifepristone long considered safe and effective

Danco Laboratories, a mifepristone manufacturer and defendant in the lawsuit, has asked the appeals court to put its order on hold for one week to give the company time to seek relief from the Supreme Court.

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Mifepristone was approved in 2000 as a safe and effective way to end early pregnancies. It is typically used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol, which is not affected by the ruling but is less effective on its own.

Surveys have found that the majority of abortions in the U.S. are administered using pills and that about one in four abortions nationally are prescribed via telehealth. Providers have suggested that its availability through telehealth is a reason why the number ofabortions in the U.S. has not fallensince Roe was overturned in 2022.

As a result, abortion pills and those who prescribe them out of state have become key targets of abortion opponents.

Some Democratic-led states have adopted laws that aim to protect providers who prescribe via telehealth and mail the pills to states with bans. Those so-calledshield laws are being testedthrough civil and criminal cases in Louisiana and Texas.

One telehealth provider in a state with a shield law, Dr. Angel Foster, was working with legal experts to understand how the ruling would impact her organization, The Massachusetts Medication Abortion Project.

"We will do everything in our power to continue providing care to people in all 50 states,” she said.

Abortion policy could come into play in the midterms

The case could again make abortion a key issue in the midterm elections as Democrats aim to take back control of the U.S. House and Republicans fight to hold on to a narrow majority.

Recent electoral results suggest that voters seeking to maintain abortion access have the political momentum. Since Roe was overturned, abortion has been on the ballot directly in 17 states. Voters have sided with the abortion-rights side in 14 of those questions.

Abortion-rights supporter Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center, slammed the ruling as “deeply out of step with both the public and fact-based science.”

Trump received criticism after the ruling from some anti-abortion advocates who expressed frustration that he did not take action himself to block distribution of the pill.

The FDA under Trump approved another generic version of mifepristone last year, whichpeeved some alliesof the Republican president.

“It’s shameful that the Trump administration’s inaction has forced pro-life states to take their battle to the federal courts,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, who also applauded the ruling.

It follows a string of arson attacks around Europe that have been claimed by the group, whose name translates as the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right. But, unlike some of the previous claims that appeared to show footage taken by the perpetrators, Wednesday’s video used footage that was already in the public domain.

Experts think that HAYI, or people using their branding, are opportunistically claiming the terror attack that saw two men, aged 76 and 34, stabbed.

The Metropolitan Police has said that the suspect in the Golders Green attack is a 45-year-old British national who came to the UK from Somalia as a child, and who has a history of serious violence and mental health issues.

In the video claiming responsibility for the attack, HAYI claim that the victims were “targeted by our lone wolves in the Golders Green area of London”.

It goes on to encourage followers to “kill Zionists” and then “salutes” Cole Thomas Allen, the suspected gunman who appeared to target US president Donald Trump at the White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington DC last weekend. The claim video then calls for people to kill Mr Trump.

Roger Macmillan, former director of security at media company Iran International, explained: “They’re saying he’s one of our lone wolves, the imagery is nothing new, it’s all publicly available. It’s not somebody else filming it.

“Also if you look, normally there’s been a warning beforehand, saying something spectacular is going to happen, coming soon. But what happened here was the attack took place at around 11:20, then about around an hour later we saw commentary appearing on the usual channels saying ‘watch this space, this has got the hallmarks of the Right Hand’.

“And then a few hours after that the video was released, seeming to claim responsibility. This seems to be an opportunistic one, we’ll call it a lone wolf, we’ll link it to Cole Thomas in the US.”

The group first emerged around 9 March, when a post on the social media network Telegram, reportedly from HAYI, announced the beginning of “military operations” against US and Israeli interests.

A Telegram channel purporting to represent the group claimed responsibility for anarson attack on four Jewish ambulances in Golders Green, northwest London in March. More recently they have claimed anarson attack on a building connected to the Jewish Futurescharity in north London.

The origins of the group remain unclear, although experts have said that their branding is similar to that of theIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps(IRGC) and its broader network.

Before it was deleted, the HAYI Telegram channel had also posted videos of four other arson attacks around Europe – and shared information about an attack in the Czech Republic attributed to another group called the Earthquake Faction.

Some of the videos had been circulating in channels affiliated with Iraqi pro-Iranian militia beforehand, according to a digital analysis by researchers at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism. One of the claimed attacks – against an unspecified site in Greece on 11 March – is likely to be disinformation, researchers believe.

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While security sources recognise HAYI’s modus operandi, they do not recognise their name and cautioned against a rush to attribute the attacks.

In CCTV footage of the ambulance attack in March, three individuals can be seen setting light to an ambulance in the early hours of Monday morning. The ambulances were run byJewishcharity Hatzola and were parked in the car park of the Machzike Hadath Synagogue.

In posts to Telegram, HAYI claimed responsibility for the ambulance attack in a video that contained text in Hebrew, English and Arabic. The text did not refer to the ambulances but instead said the target was the synagogue, which was described as “one of the main bastions of support for Israel in Britain”.

The group also shared a “final warning” to EU citizens to “immediately distance yourselves from all American and Zionist interests”. One video apparently claimed an attack outside an American bank near the World Trade Centre in Amsterdam earlier last month; another claimed to show fires being lit outside a Jewish school in Amsterdam.

Another unverified video claimed to show an explosion outside a synagogue in Rotterdam. Five young men, three aged 19, one 18 and one 17, have been arrested in relation to this explosion. Dutch authorities have said that it is too early to say whether the incidents are linked.

French newspaperLe Mondereported that one of the suspects in an apparent bomb attack outside a US bank, also claimed by HAYI, in Paris said he had been recruited via Snapchat with a promise of €600.

Analysis by Julian Lanches, junior research fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT), found no known references to HAYI prior to 9 March, when a post of the group was circulated in a Telegram channel seemingly affiliated with an Iraqi pro-Iranian militia group.

Mr Lanches wrote: “The suspicious dissemination patterns raise the question whether HAYI is a genuine terrorist group or merely serves as a facade for Iranian hybrid operations that enable plausible deniability.”

He also highlighted inconsistencies, such as unsophisticated linguistic errors in the claim videos and the logo featuring a sniper rifle instead of the more typical AK-style imagery.

Mr Lanches suggested it pointed less to the “direct execution of attacks by Iranian intelligence operatives” and more towards “locally recruited actors”.

Dr Hans-Jacob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project, emphasised that HAYI was unlikely to be a newterror group. Referring to their claims of attacks across Europe, Dr Schindler said: “Whether the perpetrators are connected, or whether it’s a framework the IRGC is giving them, is up for discussion.”

Speaking after the ambulance attack in March, he said: “It’s much more powerful to say that a new terrorist group exists, but given they have claimed five attacks in four countries, it is unlikely that a new group would be able to set up that network within weeks. Posts like these create the impression that there is massive terror against Europe. These actors will post everything they can to insinuate that Europe has become very very unsafe.”

Jason Brodsky, policy director at the United Against Nuclear Iran, said: “Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya’s branding on videos includes logos that are adopted from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its broader terror network.

“The IRGC has different options to choose from in activating these groups: it can activate sleeper cells in the United Kingdom or it can employ transnational criminal syndicates to target Israeli interests, Jewish organisations, and the Iranian diaspora.”

Washington — President Trump on Thursday said he is nominating Dr. Nicole B. Saphier to be the next U.S. surgeon general, replacing his nomination ofCasey Means, whose bid has stalled in the Senate for months.

The president announced the shuffle in a pair of posts on Truth Social. In the first, heblamedSen. Bill Cassidy for Means' nomination stalling in the wake of her confirmation hearing in February, saying the Louisiana Republican "has stood in the way" of his pick.

"I nominated Casey, a strong MAHA Warrior, at the recommendation of Secretary Kennedy, who understands the MAHA Movement better than anyone, with perhaps the possible exception of ME!" he wrote. "Nevertheless, despite Senator Cassidy's intransigence and political games, Casey will continue to fight for MAHA on the many important Health issues facing our Country."

Minutes later, Mr. Trump said he's nominating Saphier, a radiologist and director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Monmouth. She is also a Fox News contributor and wrote the 2020 book, "Make America Healthy Again: How Bad Behavior and Big Government Caused a Trillion-Dollar Crisis." She hosts a health and wellness podcast called "Wellness Unmasked."

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"Nicole is a STAR physician who has spent her career guiding women facing breast cancer through their diagnosis and treatment while tirelessly advocating to increase early cancer detection and prevention, while at the same time working with men and women on all other forms of cancer diagnoses and treatments,"the president wrote. "She is also an INCREDIBLE COMMUNICATOR, who makes complicated health issues more easily understood by all Americans."

Means' confirmation hearing was Feb. 25, but since then, the process stalled as she struggled to receive sufficient support in the Senate.

Among a handful of notable moments during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Health Committee, Means in her testimony wouldn't directly say if she would encourage mothers to vaccinate their children. Cassidy, who is a doctor, and others on the committee have stressed the value of many vaccines in saving lives. When asked about vaccines and any potential link to autism, Means told the committee the "science is never settled."

Means also publicly acknowledged experimenting with psychedelic drugs in her 30s.

Means, who was educated as a physician, does not have a currently active medical license, something that was pointed out in her confirmation hearing. The president nominated Means in May 2025, but her confirmation hearing was delayed when she gave birth to her first child.

FIFA’s ruling council agreed Tuesday to increase the basic payments to each federation by $2 million to a minimum of $12.5 million. The governing body is expecting revenue of at least $11 billion for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico that starts June 11.

Some of the 48 federations, especially from Europe, told FIFA that the prize money structure and payments for preparation costs that had been set last year would see them lose money on the tournament unless their team went deep into the knockout rounds.

Teams playing games in the United States also face some tax obligations that are exempted in Canada and Mexico.

The financial support for pre-tournament training and expenses will now rise to $2.5 million from $1.5 million and each federation gets a $1 million raise in basic prize money to $10 million, the FIFA Council agreed at a meeting in World Cup host city Vancouver.

The totalprize money fund of $655 millionthat was announced in December is set to give $50 million to the eventual champion.

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Argentina’s federation got $42 million in prize money for winning the 2022 tournament in Qatar. That 32-team edition had a total prize fund of $440 million.

Hotel and travel costs

FIFA said it will also allocate an extra $16 million in “subsidies for team delegation costs” and giving more tickets to each federation for its games.

Under the World Cup regulations, FIFA is already obliged to pay for business‑class return flights for each federation to travel to the tournament plus board and lodging for a 50-person delegation. The hotel payments start five nights before a team’s first game and one night after it is eliminated.

FIFA also covers the cost of domestic travel for up to 50 delegation members, and “a dedicated fleet of vehicles, including an equipment truck.”

The soccer federations of World Cup teams must pay for “adequate insurance ... including but not limited to injury, accident, disease and travel,” plus “incidental hotel costs” and housing additional members of a delegation.

AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Iran's supreme leader defiantly vowed Thursday to protect the Islamic Republic's nuclear and missile capabilities, which President Trump has sought to curtail through airstrikes and as part of a wider deal to cement the war's shaky ceasefire.

In a statement read by a state television anchor, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said the only place Americans belonged in the Persian Gulf is "at the bottom of its waters" and that a "new chapter" was being written in the region's history. Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking over as supreme leader following the killing of his father in the war's opening airstrikes.

His remarks come as Iran's economy is reeling and its oil industry is being squeezed by a U.S. Navy blockade halting its tankers from getting out to sea. The world economy is also under pressure as Iran maintains its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of all crude oil is transported. On Thursday, the global benchmark for oil, Brent crude, traded as high as $126 a barrel.

Trump says if U.S. left Iran right now it would "take them 20 years to rebuild"

In an interview with Newsmax's Greta Van Susteren, President Trump again proclaimed "We've already won" the war in Iran but said he wants to "win by a bigger margin."

Mr. Trump said Iran's navy and air force have been destroyed, along with the country's leadership, claims the administration has been making since very early in the war.

But multiple U.S. officials with knowledge of intelligence on the mattertold CBS News last weekthat Iran maintains more military capabilities than the White House or Pentagon has publicly admitted.

About half of Iran's stockpile of ballistic missiles and its associated launch systems were still intact as of the start of the ceasefire in early April, three of the officials told CBS News.

"We've destroyed everything. If we leave right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild if they ever could rebuild," Mr. Trump said Thursday, but added it's "not good enough."

"We have to have guarantees they will never have a nuclear weapon," Mr. Trump said.

UAE bans citizens from traveling to Iran, Lebanon and Iraq

The United Arab Emirates' Foreign MinistryannouncedThursday it was banning citizens from traveling to Iran, Lebanon and Iraq "in light of the current developments in the region."

The ministry also urged "all citizens present in these countries to depart quickly and return to the United Arab Emirates at the earliest opportunity."

FIFA president reiterates his belief that "of course" Iran will participate in World Cup, play in U.S.

FIFA President Gianni Infantinostressed yet againThursday his belief that Iran will participate in the World Cup this summer despite the war.

Addressing the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Canada — an annual meeting which involves FIFA representatives from more than 200 nations — Infantino opened his remarks by "confirming, straight away, for those who want to say something else or write something else, that of course Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026. And of course Iran will play in the United States of America."

As of now, Iran is scheduled to play its three group matches on the West Coast. The first two, against New Zealand and Belgium, are slated to take place at SoFi Stadium south of Los Angeles, and the third, against Egypt, is set for Lumen Field in Seattle.

Since the Iran war broke out, President Trump and Iranian officials have waffled regarding whether the Iranian men's team will take part in the tournament. At one point, Iranian officialsexplored whetherto try moving the group games to Mexico, which is co-hosting the World Cup with the U.S. and Canada.

During a White House meeting in mid-March with Infantino, Mr. Trumpsaidthat Iran was welcome to play in the tournament, sources told CBS News at the time. However, two days later, Mr. Trumpwroteon Truth Social that while the Iranian team was "welcome" to participate, he didn't "believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety."

Infantino on Thursday said "the reason" Iran will take part "is very simple."

"It's because we have to unite, we have to bring people together," Infantino said. "It is my responsibility, it is our responsibility. Football unites the world, FIFA unites the world."

Trump again insists Iran "wants to make a deal badly"

Speaking with reporters on Thursday, President Trump dismissed the idea that talks with Iran have stalled, saying, "Nobody knows where the talks are except myself and a couple of other people. They want to make a deal badly."

Mr. Trump disputed the idea that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has not been part of the negotiations with Iran, telling reporters he is "very much involved."

Mr. Trump reiterated that the U.S. is insistent on Iran giving up its enriched uranium.

"We want to get the nuclear dust," he said. "You need excavators and everything to get it. But we want to get it. We'll take it one way or the other. We'll get it. We will either get it or we'll take it. They'll either give it to us or we'll take it."

Asked aboutgas prices, which hit their highest mark in several years this week, Mr. Trump insisted, "The gas will go down. As soon as the war is over, it'll drop like a rock."

Treasury secretary says Iran's currency has hit "all-time low"

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said onsocial mediathat Iran's currency has "hit an all-time low" and "The Iranian people deserve a new era, which the corrupt and shambolic Iranian regime cannot provide.

"it is past time for the Iranian regime to concede that the people of Iran deserve much better than the ruins of their current regime can provide," Bessent wrote.

True cost of Iran War: $50B, not $25B, sources say

As Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appeared before lawmakers this week to defend the Pentagon's sprawling $1.5 trillion budget request, a far costlier reality of the conflict with Iran came into sharper view — the war's true price tag is roughly closer to $50 billion, according to U.S. officials familiar with internal assessments — roughly double the public estimate revealed on Wednesday.

In testimony on Capitol Hill, a Pentagon officialplaced the costof the Defense Department's Operation Epic Fury at about $25 billion, a figure that did not fully account for damaged or destroyed equipment or U.S. military installations damaged. The $25 billion figure mostly concerns the cost of munitions used.

For instance, the Pentagon has lost 24MQ-9 Reaper drones— sophisticated unmanned aircraft that can cost $30 million or more apiece — underscoring how quickly the financial toll has mounted. Taken together, the higher estimate reflects not only the tempo of operations but also the often unseen costs of attrition, as material lost in the field reshapes the ledger.

CNN was first to report the realestimateis closer to $40-50 billion.

Read more here.

Senate rejects Democrats' 6th Iran war powers resolution ahead of 60-day deadline

The Senate rejected Democrats' sixth attempt to limit President Trump's authority to wage war on Iran, with Republicans continuing to stand behind the administration as the conflict approachesa key 60-day deadline.

A procedural vote to advance awar powers resolutionbrought by California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff failed 47 to 50 on Thursday. The measure would have directed the president to remove American forces from hostilities with Iran.

The War Powers Resolution of 1973 says the president must remove armed forces from hostilities after 60 days if Congress has not authorized the war. The 60-day clock starts once the president sends formal notification to Congress. Mr. Trump notified lawmakers of the hostilities with Iran in a letter on March 2, meaning the 60-day window closes on Friday, May 1. The president can extend the deadline by 30 days to allow for the removal of troops.

Read more here.

Iranian speaker mocks U.S. ability to block country's borders

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian Parliament, took a shot at the United States' ability to block Iran's vast borders — and got in a dig at Secretary Pete Hegseth's grasp of the metric system as well.

"If you build two walls, one from NYC to the West Coast and another from LA to the East Coast, the total length will be 7,755 km, which is still about 1,000 km short of Iran's total borders. Good luck blockading a country with those borders," Ghalibafwrote on X, adding a laughing emoji for added emphasis.

Ghalibaf then added a post-script to his message: "P.S. For Pete Hegseth: 1 km = 0.62 mi"

During testimony in the Senate on Thursday, many of the Democrats pointed out the Strait of Hormuz is not open and that is causing economic pain for Americans. Hegseth responded the blockade means "we control the straits."

State Department launches diplomatic effort to open Strait of Hormuz

The State Department is launching a diplomatic effort to free up transit in the Strait of Hormuz, asking partners worldwide to sign on to an initiative meant to identify safe corridors for commercial and other vessels to pass through the chokepoint.

It is not clear how many countries have been asked to participate, or whether any have signed on.

Details on the initiative are scarce, but officials stress the "Maritime Freedom Construct," or MFC, is not intended to supplant other efforts to secure the strait, including one initiated recently by the French and British governments.

"The State-led component, based in Washington, D.C., will serve as the diplomatic operations hub, uniting partners and the commercial shipping industry," according to a State Department official. "It will provide a platform to coordinate diplomatic actions and socialize and align economic measures designed to impose costs on Iran for disrupting maritime security."

The news wasfirst reportedby The Wall Street Journal.

President Trump has criticized NATO countries for not helping to reopen the strait to shipping traffic, then offering to help only "now that the Hormuz Strait situation is nearly over," according to comments the president made in Phoenix nearly two weeks ago.

Iran's president: U.S. blockade is "extension of military operations"

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday called the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and vessels "an extension of military operations" against Iran, amid a U.S.-Iran ceasefire.

"The world has witnessed Iran's tolerance and conciliation," heposted on X. "What is being done under the guise of a naval blockade is an extension of military operations against a nation paying the price for its resistance and independence. Continuation of this oppressive approach is intolerable."

Hegseth: 60-day legal limit for war "pauses" during ceasefire

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during testimony in the Senate on Thursday that the 60-day clock for the president to receive congressional approval for war "pauses" due to the ceasefire.

"We are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses, or stops, in a ceasefire," Hegseth said. "That's our understanding, so you know."

"I do not believe that statute would support that," Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said in response to Hegseth, adding he believed the clock ran out Friday.

The Friday deadline is due to a decades-old law that limits the use of force without authorization from Congress. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 lays out a timeline for when lawmakers must be notified of hostilities, and when a president is required to withdraw American forces from a conflict in the absence of congressional authorization.

Trump officials in talks with lawmakers about Iran war authorization ahead of deadline, White House official says

Trump administration officials are in active conversations with members of Congress about congressional authorization for the Iran war ahead of Friday's deadline, a White House official said.

Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the president has 48 hours to notify Congress after entering the U.S. into new hostilities, then a 60-day clock begins. At the end of that 60-day clock, the president must terminate the use of force without explicit congressional approval. That clock runs out tomorrow, Friday.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Thursday it isn't necessary for Congress to vote to approve the Iran operation, because the U.S. is "not at war."

"I don't think we have an active, kinetic military bombing, firing or anything like that," hetoldNBC News. "Right now, we are trying to broker a peace."

Meanwhile, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said, "President Trump has been transparent with the Hill since before Operation Epic Fury began, and administration officials provided over 30 bipartisan briefings for members of Congress to keep them apprised of military updates."

"The President's preference is always diplomacy, and Iran wants to make a deal," she said.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs confirms Russian involvement in Iran war

Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, told senators Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has aided Iran's war effort.

He declined to go into details, citing the public nature of the hearing where he was speaking, but said, "There's definitely some action there."

The chair of the committee, Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, agreed, saying "there's no question that Vladimir Putin's Russia is taking serious action to undermine our efforts for success in Iran."

TheEU's top diplomat saidlate last month that Russia was providing intelligence support to Iran in the war.

"We see that Russia is helping Iran with intelligence to target Americans, to kill Americans, and Russia is also supporting Iran now with the drones so that they can attack neighboring countries and also U.S. military bases," Kaja Kallas said at a G7 meeting outside Paris.

Multiple sources, including a senior U.S. official with direct knowledge,told CBS Newsearlier last month that Russia was providing intelligence to Iran regarding U.S. positions in the Middle East during joint U.S.-Israeli military operations.

Israel "will not allow" naval blockade of Gaza to be broken, says foreign minister

Israel "will not allow" its naval blockade of the Gaza Strip to be broken, its foreign minister said Thursday, hours after 22 ships from a humanitarian flotilla were intercepted in the Mediterranean.

In the early hours of Thursday morning, Israeli forces intercepted 22 vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), which had been trying to break the maritime blockade of the besieged enclave, where NGOs say the humanitarian situation is worsening.

In a statement, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sarr described the convoy as a "provocation flotilla," adding that the detained activists "will be disembarked in the coming hours on the Greek coast." He said they were all unharmed.

GSF said its vessels were "abducted," with Israeli naval forces intercepting and boarding their boats, calling the Israeli actions "piracy."

Israel's foreign ministry said that175 or so activistswere "now making their way peacefully to Israel," calling it "the condom flotilla," a reference to prophylactics having been found on a previous convoy.

The GSFwebsiteshows that while 22 boats were intercepted, 36 still appeared to be heading toward Gaza – edging along the south coast of Crete.

Last October, Israeli forces stopped GSF's previous flotilla from reaching the Gaza Strip, arresting and deporting more than 470 people, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.

U.K. prime minister accuses Iran of wanting "to harm British Jews"

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Thursday accused Iran of wanting "to harm British Jews," in the wake of the latest attack targeting the country's Jewish community.

"We need stronger powers to tackle the malign threat posed by states like Iran, because we know for a fact that they want to harm British Jews," he said in a statement delivered from Downing Street.

It came the day aftertwo Jewish men were stabbedin north London in an assault that police characterized as antisemitic, the latest in a string of attacks on Jewish communities in London.

Starmer and other officials have repeatedly warned that hostile states were intent on using proxies to conduct attacks in the UK.

Hearing with Hegseth, Caine begins

A Senate Armed Services Committeehearingbegan shortly after 11 a.m. ET on Thursday, with Pentagon officials set to give testimony on the Defense Department's budget request.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is appearing alongside chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, and acting comptroller Jules Hurst.

Head of U.N. warns of "specter of global recession" if war doesn't end soon

The head of the United Nations warned Thursday of the "specter of global recession" if the U.S.-Iran war doesn't end soon, imploring both sides to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and "let the global economy breathe again."

Speaking to journalists in New York, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that despite the "fragile ceasefire" between the U.S. and Iran, the consequences of their ongoing standoff in the Strait of Hormuz "grow dramatically worse with each passing hour."

"As with every conflict, the whole of humanity is paying the price," he said. "The pain will be felt for a long time to come."

Since the U.S. and Iran signed a ceasefire, which President Trump later said he was extending indefinitely to leave room for diplomacy, the Strait of Hormuz – a waterway vital for the transit of global energy supplies – has become the focal point of tension between the two countries.

Iran has impeded access to the strait, while the U.S. is blockading Iranian ports and vessels, and both sides have seized ships accused of violating their respective restrictions. The gridlock has sent global energy prices skyrocketing, pushing up inflation.

Guterres set out three scenarios in his speech. He said if the strait were opened immediately -- the "best-case scenario" -- the world would still see economic growth decline, inflation rise, and "further economic distress."

If the constraint on shipping through the strait "drags on through midyear," he said 32 million people would fall into poverty and 45 million "into extreme hunger," he said.

If the war grinds on through 2026, Guterres said it would cause "immense suffering," and the world would "confront the specter of a global recession."

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"The consequences are not cumulative. They are exponential," he said, calling on both the U.S. and Iran to "let all ships pass," and "let the global economy breathe again."

Iran's president says previous attacks during negotiations have led to "complete distrust of the United States"

U.S.-Israeli attacks launched previously during negotiations with Iran have led to a complete loss of trust in the United States, Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian said Thursday, according to thecountry's government.

In a phone call with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russia's Vladimir Putin, Pezeshkian "stressed that resolving disputes through dialogue and diplomacy has always been Iran's approach," according to a statement.

"However, during negotiations, the U.S. and the Zionist regime attacked Iran twice, and such actions may be repeated, which has led to Iran's complete distrust of the United States."

Both the U.S.-Israeli attacks launched on Feb. 28, and the joint strikes carried out in June 2025, when the Trump administration said it had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear program, came amid active negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

Pezeshkian also said U.S. officials should halt "provocative statements and actions in order to build trust" and "demonstrate seriousness in pursuing negotiations to end the war definitively."

A U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance had been widely expected to fly to Islamabad for a second round of direct talks with Iranian officials last weekend, but President Trump canceled the trip abruptly, saying he didn't want to waste time and that Iranian officials could call if they wanted to talk.

Mr. Trump has voiced optimism that an ongoing U.S. military blockade of Iranian ports and vessels will bring enough pressure on Iran to force it to accept a peace deal on his terms.

Trump takes another jab at Germany's leader, telling him to fix "his broken Country"

In his latest jab at Germany's leader, who earlier in the week accused the White House of lacking a clear strategy for the Iran war and being "humiliated" by Tehran's negotiators, President Trump on Thursday urged Chancellor Friedrich Merz to "spend more time ending" the Russia-Ukraine war and to fix "his broken country."

"The Chancellor of Germany should spend more time on ending the war with Russia/Ukraine (Where he has been totally ineffective!), and fixing his broken Country, especially Immigration and Energy, and less time on interfering with those that are getting rid of the Iran Nuclear threat, thereby making the World, including Germany, a safer place!"said Mr. Trumpon his Truth Social platform.

President Trump has recently defended his decision to launch the joint U.S.-Israeli war with Iran by saying it was necessary to end a nuclear weapons threat posed by the regime in Tehran, though he haspreviously stated other objectives, too.

Lebanese authorities says 2,586 people killed by Israeli military operations since fighting with Hezbollah escalated

Lebanon's public health ministry said Thursday that the death toll from almost two months of Israeli military attacks in the country had risen to 2,586 people, with at least 8,020 others wounded.

Israel has fought with the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah in Lebanon off and on for years, but it dramatically ramped up airstrikes across the country — and later launched a ground invasion — in response to Hezbollah firing rockets and drones at northern Israel in response to the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on Feb. 28.

At least 40 people have been killed in Israel by Iranian and Hezbollah attacks since the Iran war began.

The Israeli military has issued regular evacuation orders to Lebanese civilians, forcing more than 1 million people to flee from their homes, largely in the south of the country. Israeli military commanders and political leaders say the country will keep forces in a buffer zone across southern Lebanon indefinitely, and that residents cannot return to their homes, until the safety of northern Israeli residents can be guaranteed.

Israel warns residents in 15 more Lebanon villages to evacuate as it announces new strike against Hezbollah

Israel warned residents of 15 villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate and head north ahead of new attacks on the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah Thursday, saying if they didn't leave, they would be "putting their life at risk."

Israel Defense Forces spokesman Avichay Adraee said in his latest "urgent warning" to civilians onXthat "the terrorist activities of Hezbollah are forcing the Israel Defense Forces to act against it." The statement told civilians in the towns to move to "open areas" at least 1,000 meters (yards) away.

The IDF published avideoThursday of what it said were strikes on "military structures" used by Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel and Lebanon signed a ceasefire agreement in mid-April, which was later extended, but Hezbollah and the IDF have continued trading fire since it came into effect, each accusing the other of violating the deal.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah said Thursday that it struck two Israeli tanks "in response to the Israeli enemy's violation of the ceasefire."

Hezbollah politicians in Lebanon have decried the country's government for negotiating with and signing the ceasefire agreement with Israel, calling it "appeasement."

Lebanese authorities say Israel's ongoing military operations have killed more than 2,530 people and displaced more than 1 million since the Iran war started at the beginning of March.

Hezbollah started launching drones and rockets at Israel just two days after Israel and the U.S. began striking Iran on Feb. 28. At least40 people have been killed in Israelamid Iranian and Hezbollah attacks since the war started, according to the independent National Institute for Security Studies in Israel.

Hegseth to be questioned by senators for first time since start of war

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will face a second day of grilling from Democrats on Capitol Hill, with senators getting their first opportunity on Thursday to question the Pentagon chief over his handling of the war.

Hegseth and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, are expected to stress the need for more drones, missile defense systems and warships. They are appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, which will hear a presentation on the Trump administration's 2027 military budget proposal, which would boost defense spending to a historic $1.5 trillion.

Hegseth battled with Democrats — and some Republicans — during a nearly six-hour House Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday. He faced sharp questioning over the war's costs in dollars, lives anddiminishing stockpiles of critical weapons.

Democrat Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking member of the committee, said President Trump's remarks earlier this month that Iran had agreed to give up everything, including its nuclear program and its hold on the Strait of Hormuz, have not borne out.

"So wish fulfillment is not really a strategy," Smith said. "What we need to hear today is what is going to work."

Israel intercepts Gaza flotilla off Greek coast and detains 175 activists

Israeli forces have intercepted 22 vessels taking part in a pro-Palestinian flotilla trying to carry aid to the Gaza Strip.

The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) said its vessels were "abducted" near the Greek island of Crete by Israeli naval forces who intercepted and boarded their boats.

"After smashing engines and destroying navigation arrays, the military retreated — intentionally leaving hundreds of civilians stranded on powerless, broken vessels directly in the path of a massive approaching storm," the group posted onX.

"This is piracy," the group said in a separate statement. "This is the unlawful seizure of human beings on the open sea near Crete, an assertion that Israel can operate with total impunity, far beyond its own borders, with no consequences."

Israel's foreign ministry said that around175 activists from more than 20 boatswere "now making their way peacefully to Israel," calling it "the condom flotilla," a reference to prophylactics having been found on a previous convoy.

It described the flotilla as "another PR stunt… professional provocateurs on pleasure cruises."

The GSFwebsiteshows that while 22 boats were intercepted, 36 still appeared to be heading toward Gaza, which is under an Israeli naval blockade. Tracking showed the flotilla boats edging along the south coast of Crete.

Last October, Israeli forces stopped GSF's previous flotilla from reaching Gaza, arresting and deporting more than 470 people, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.

Trump yet to receive options for U.S. force drawdown in Germany as Iran war strains ties

A senior U.S. official told CBS News on Thursday that President Trump has not yet been given any options for a reduction of American military forces in Germany.

Senior military leaders can indeed provide such options if requested, but none have been provided at this point, the official said, adding that Germany continues to provide quiet support to U.S. forces in the Middle East, which is a consideration.

So far the only NATO member to flatly refuse any role in support of the ongoing U.S. military operations in the Middle East is Spain, but President Trump and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz have exchanged barbs this week.

In a brief post on his Truth Social platform Wednesday evening, Mr. Trump said the "United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time."

Merz said Wednesday that his relationship with Mr. Trump remained "as good as ever," but that he had "had doubts from the very beginning about what was started there with the war in Iran."

"We are suffering considerably in Germany and in Europe from the consequences of, for example, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz," Merz said.

Mr. Trump bashed Merz on Tuesday,sayingon Truth Social: "The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. He doesn't know what he's talking about!"

Mr. Trump was responding to Merz saying the previous day that the U.S. was being "humiliated" by Iran's leadership and criticizing what he called Washington's lack of strategy in the war.

Brent crude oil briefly tops $126 a barrel as report says Trump to hear new plans for resumption of strikes on Iran

The price of global benchmark Brent crude oil briefly surged past $126 a barrel early Thursday as stalled U.S.-Iran talks raised doubts over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a permanent end to the Iran war. The $126 mark for a barrel of Brent crude is a four-year high. The last time it was priced so high was soon afterRussia launched its ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukrainein early 2022.

Brent crude to be delivered in June jumped 3.3% to $121.90 after briefly soaring past $126 per barrel. Brent to be delivered in July rose 1.4% to $112.02. Benchmark U.S. crude climbed 1.3% to $108.28 per barrel.

Before the war began in late February, Brent crude was trading around $70 per barrel.

The U.S. has continued its blockade of Iranian ports and vessels, prompting Iran to reinstate severe restrictions on commercial ships using the Strait of Hormuz, and the ensuing gridlock of tankers is pushing oil prices higher.

According to a Thursdayreport by Axios, citing two anonymous sources with knowledge of the planning, President Trump is expected to receive a briefing later in the day on new plans for a potential resumption of military action in Iran from Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command. Axios said the options given to the president would include a wave of "short and powerful" strikes on Iran, including against infrastructure.

"The breakdown of talks between the U.S. and Iran, along with President Trump reportedly rejecting Iran's proposal for a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, has the market losing hope for any quick resumption in oil flows," ING Bank strategists Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey wrote in a research note.

Oil prices vary depending on the type of crude oil, where it is being traded and under what terms, for futures contracts. By some measures, Brent has hit its highest level since its peak of $147.50 per barrel in 2008 during the global financial crisis.

Read more here.

Iran's president says U.S. blockade "doomed to fail"

Iran's president said Thursday that the ongoing U.S. naval blockade of his country's ports and Iranian-linked vessels was "doomed to fail," challenging President Trump's repeated assertions that the economic pressure of the blockade will force Tehran to accept a deal to end the war on his terms.

"Any attempt to impose a maritime blockade or restrictions is contrary to international law ... and is doomed to fail," President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a statement, warning that the blockade initiated on April 13 would be "a disruption to lasting stability in the Persian Gulf."

Iranian naval commander says country poised to rebuild lost warships in the "very near future"

Iran is already working to build new warships to replace those destroyed by U.S. and Israeli strikes, according to Iranian Navy Commander Admiral Shahram Irani.

His announcement, carried by Iranian state TV, came about seven weeks after a U.S.submarine blew up the Iranian frigate IRIS Denain the Indian Ocean, killing as many as 80 Iranian soldiers, according to state media.

The new ships will be seen in the "very near future," Irani claimed, challenging assertions by the Israeli and U.S. militaries to have severely degraded Iran's ship and weapons building capacities.

Multiple U.S. officials with knowledge of intelligence on the matter told CBS News last week that Iran has maintained more military capabilities than U.S. officials have admitted. Roughly 60% of the naval arm of Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps remains intact, despite statements from the White House and Pentagon suggesting otherwise, the sources said.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell had previously said that 92% of the Iranian navy's largest vessels had been destroyed.

By Audrey Ellis

Iran's new supreme leader pledges to protect "nuclear and missile capabilities"

A statement attributed to Iran's new supreme leader, who has not been seen or heard from directly since he rose to the position to replace his father, said Thursday that the Islamic Republic would protect its "nuclear and missile capabilities" as a national asset, as President Trump tries to force the country to abandon its nuclear material and program as part of a deal to end the war.

The statement attributed to Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei was read aloud by a presenter on Iranian state TV. He has not appeared in public since he took over after a U.S. or Israeli airstrike on Feb. 28 killed his 86-year-old predecessor and father, Ali Khamenei. U.S. officials say Mojtaba Khamenei was badly wounded, and possibly incapacitated in the same strike.

"Honorable Iranians inside and outside the country regard all of Iran's identity-based, spiritual, human, scientific, industrial and technological capacities — from nanotechnology and biotechnology to nuclear and missile capabilities — as national assets, and will protect them just as they protect the country's waters, land and airspace," the statement said.

Mr. Trump has expressed optimism that economic pressure on Iran from the ongoing U.S. blockade of the country's ports will force Tehran to accept a peace deal that includes largely abandoning its nuclear program and handing over enriched uranium stockpiles, something Iran has publicly rejected doing.

Hegseth doesn't answer question about how much longer war will last, as Pentagon official estimates cost so far at $25 billion

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked by Democratic Rep. Chrissy Houlahan Wednesday how many more months he expected might be needed to "conclude operations successfully" against Iran.

"And how many more billions of dollars do you think you're going to ask this body for?" Houlahan added.

Hegseth said the U.S. military would never tip its hand to an adversary about how long it would be committed to a mission.

Hegseth was also questioned over the costs of the war for Americans, with Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, asking: "Do you know how much it will cost Americans in terms of their increased cost in gas and food over the next year because of the Iran war?"

"I would simply ask you what the cost is of an Iranian nuclear bomb," Hegseth said.

Khanna accused Hegseth and the Trump administration of failing to live up to the president's campaign promises of lowering the cost of living for Americans. He argued that Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would cause American households to pay thousands more dollars for gas and food.

"I'm sad for all the people who voted for Trump. I'm sad for them because you betrayed them," Khanna said.

The Iran war hascost an estimated $25 billion so far, a Pentagon official told Congress during the hearing attended by Hegseth.

"We will formulate a supplemental through the White House that will come to Congress once we have a full assessment of the cost of the conflict," Jules Hurst III, the acting undersecretary of war for finances, said in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee.

Trump says U.S. may cut the number of American troops in Germany

President Trumpsaid Wednesdayhe is considering reducing the number of U.S. forces in Germany, amid a spat with Germany's chancellor and the NATO alliance over Iran.

"The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time," he wrote on Truth Social.

The president has grown increasingly frustrated with the U.S.'s allies in Europe, which have sought to keep their distance from the U.S.-Iran war. He has threatened to leave NATO, calling the alliance a "paper tiger" for notentering the war. A 2023 lawprevents the presidentfrom withdrawing the U.S. from NATO without approval from Congress.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz appeared to draw Mr. Trump's ire after hecriticized the U.S.'s handling of the warearlier this week, saying "the Americans clearly have no strategy" on Iran and suggesting the U.S. is being "humiliated" by Iranian negotiators.

On Tuesday, Mr. Trumpwrote on social mediathat Merz "thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon" and "doesn't know what he's talking about."

Read more here.

Vance pushes back on report he questioned if Pentagon is misrepresenting U.S. missile stockpiles

In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance pushed back on a report inThe Atlanticthat he questioned if the Pentagon was misrepresenting the U.S.'s missile stockpiles.

Vance said the story "ascribed the views to me and things that I had allegedly said that I am just 100% certain that I have never said."

He added: "Nobody who actually knows what I think, nobody who's close to me was speaking to that reporter, because if they did, then it would have been a totally different story."

Vance acknowledged that "of course, I'm concerned about, you know, our readiness," but said it's his job to be concerned about such things.

"It's, of course, my job to ask these questions," he said. "It's, of course, my job to make sure that we're on top of every issue."