U.S. Central Command said Friday that its forces have disabled two more Iranian tankers that were trying to breach an American blockade on Iran鈥檚 ports 鈥� the .
Hours earlier, the U.S. said it thwarted attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and . Washington, meanwhile, from Tehran in negotiations to end the war.
Elsewhere, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday that , and vice versa, as America鈥檚 top diplomat wrapped up two days of fence-mending talks in Italy and the Vatican following weeks of tensions over the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran.
Tajani reaffirmed strong transatlantic ties and said he hoped 鈥渢ensions have been calmed鈥� with Rubio鈥檚 visit.
Here’s the latest:
Democrats had hoped to win as many as 4 additional US House seats under Virginia鈥檚 redrawn map
Don Scott, the Democratic speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, said Democrats respect the court鈥檚 opinion while noting the voters of the state had approved of the new congressional map.
鈥淲e gave this decision to the voters 鈥� exactly where it belongs 鈥� and they spoke loud and clear,鈥� he said in a statement. 鈥淭hey voted YES because they wanted to fight back against the Trump power grab.鈥�
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticizes recent US military actions against Iran
He said 鈥渆very time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure.鈥�
In a post on X, Araghchi said 鈥淚ranians never bow to pressure鈥� and questioned whether the U.S. actions were a crude pressure tactic or the result of 鈥渁 spoiler once again duping POTUS.鈥�
Araghchi also boasted that Iran鈥檚 missile inventory and launch capacity was at 鈥�120%鈥� of prewar levels, attaching a screenshot from a U.S. newspaper report that said the CIA had found Iran managed to retain more of its weaponry after the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign than previously thought.
Iran鈥檚 Foreign Ministry says the US strikes were a 鈥榗lear violation鈥� of the ceasefire
The violence came as Washington awaited a response from Tehran in negotiations to end the war. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters he expects to hear from Iran later Friday.
鈥淚 hope it鈥檚 a serious offer,鈥� Rubio told reporters. 鈥淚 really do.鈥�
US military shows smoking oil freighters in latest confrontation with Iran
The U.S. military posted video of two Iranian oil tankers as their smokestacks were struck by an American fighter jet Friday, marking the latest confrontation between the U.S. and Iran.
Both countries exchanged fire off Iran鈥檚 coast on Thursday as U.S. Navy warships passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. also disabled another Iranian ship earlier this week.
鈥淯.S. forces in the Middle East remain committed to full enforcement of the blockade of vessels entering or leaving Iran,鈥� Adm. Brad Cooper, the leader of U.S. Central Command, said in a statement.
Virginia Supreme Court strikes down Democrats鈥� redistricting plan, dimming party鈥檚 midterm hopes
The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down the voter-approved Democratic congressional redistricting plan, delivering another major setback to the party in a nationwide battle against Republicans for an edge in this year鈥檚 midterm elections.
The court ruled the state鈥檚 Democratic-led legislature violated procedural requirements when it placed the constitutional amendment on the ballot to authorize the mid-decade redistricting. Voters the amendment April 21, but the court鈥檚 ruling renders the results of that vote meaningless.
鈥淭his violation irreparably undermines the integrity of the resulting referendum vote and renders it null and void,鈥� the court said in its opinion.
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US forces disabled two more Iranian tankers that were trying to breach an American blockade
That鈥檚 according to U.S. Central Command in a social media post.
In the social media post on Friday, it says a U.S. Navy fighter jet fired into the smoke stacks of ships in the Gulf of Oman after they tried to pull into an Iranian port.
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The newly unveiled website housing documents on UFOs has a decidedly retro feel
It features black-and-white military imagery of flying objects displayed prominently on the page, with statements displayed in typewriter-like font.
The first release includes 162 files, such as old State Department cables, FBI documents and transcripts from NASA of crewed flights into space.
One document details an FBI interview with someone identified as a drone pilot who, in September 2023, reported seeing a 鈥渓inear object鈥� with a light bright enough to 鈥渟ee bands within the light鈥� in the sky.
鈥淭he object was visible for five to ten seconds and then the light went out and the object vanished,鈥� according to the FBI interview.
Another file is from the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, showing three dots in a triangular formation. The Pentagon says in an accompanying caption that 鈥渢here is no consensus about the nature of the anomaly鈥� but that a new, preliminary analysis indicated that it could be a 鈥減hysical object.鈥�
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Rubio defended Trump after weeks of his criticisms of the pope
And Rubio said the U.S. believed it could still have a 鈥減roductive and fruitful and important relationship鈥� with the Catholic Church.
Rubio spoke to reporters in Rome, a day after his meeting with Pope Leo XIV during a fence-mending visit to Italy and the Vatican.
He was asked if he would recommend that Trump stop criticizing Leo鈥檚 position on the Iran war.
鈥淭he president will always speak clearly about how he feels about the U.S. and U.S. policy,鈥� Rubio said. 鈥淭he president of the United States is always going to act in what鈥檚 in the best interest of the United States.鈥�
Rubio came to Rome after Trump repeatedly criticized Leo鈥檚 calls for peace and dialogue. The back and forth that ensued riled Italian leaders who came to Leo鈥檚 defense.
鈥淭he president鈥檚 perspective is clear. He thinks that Iran is a threat, and it needs to be addressed. And that position remains unchanged,鈥� Rubio said.
US employers added a surprising 115,000 jobs last month despite economic shock from the Iran war
Hiring was better than the 65,000 forecasters had expected, though it decelerated from the 185,000 jobs created in March. The unemployment rate remained at a low 4.3%.
The Iran war has caused the biggest disruption of global oil supplies in history and sent average surging past $4.50 a gallon this week. But the conflict hasn鈥檛 done much damage to the American job market so far.
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Pentagon begins releasing new files on UFOs and says the public can draw its own conclusions
In addition to the Pentagon, the effort is led by the White House, the director of national intelligence, the Energy Department, NASA and the FBI.
The Pentagon said Friday in a post on X that while past administrations sought to discredit or dissuade the American people, President Trump 鈥渋s focused on providing maximum transparency to the public, who can ultimately make up their own minds about the information contained in these files.鈥�
The Pentagon says additional documents will be released on a rolling basis.
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Rubio says Iran鈥檚 reported plan to create an agency to control Strait of Hormuz is 鈥榰nacceptable鈥�
And he warned that if Tehran attacks U.S. Navy ships 鈥渢hey鈥檙e going to get blown up.鈥�
Rubio fielded questions at the end of a two-day fence-mending visit to Rome and the Vatican after sharp disagreements over the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran and President Donald Trump鈥檚 criticisms of Pope Leo XIV.
He was asked about reports from a shipping data company that said Iran has created a government agency to vet and tax vessels seeking passage through the strait.
鈥淚s the world going to accept that Iran now controls an international waterway?鈥� Rubio asked. 鈥淲hat is the world prepared to do about it?鈥�
He also warned Tehran against attacking American maritime assets in the region. The U.S. said it thwarted attacks on three Navy ships in the .
鈥淭he red line is clear. They threaten Americans, they are going to be blown up,鈥� he said.
Rubio says US expecting Iran response Friday
The secretary of state, traveling in Italy, said the U.S. is anticipating a response from Iran on the ongoing diplomatic discussions sometime later Friday.
鈥淲e should know something today,鈥� Rubio, who doubles as the White House national security adviser, told reporters.
He added: 鈥淚 hope it鈥檚 a serious offer. I really do.鈥�
Judge rules Trump administration鈥檚 cancellation of humanities grants was unconstitutional
The Trump administration鈥檚 cancellation of more than $100 million in to scholars, writers, research groups and other organizations was unconstitutional, and the Department of Government Efficiency had no authority to end the funding, a federal judge in New York ruled on Thursday.
U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon in Manhattan sided with The Authors Guild, several other groups and several people who DOGE and the National Endowment for the Humanities. McMahon permanently barred the administration from terminating the grants and criticized DOGE鈥檚 use of artificial intelligence in nixing the funding.
Government lawyers had argued that the cuts of more than 1,400 grants of congressionally approved funds were legal moves to implement President Donald Trump鈥檚 directives, eliminate grants associated with and reduce discretionary spending under the administration鈥檚 priorities.
The White House and Department of Justice, which defended against the lawsuit, did not immediately return emails seeking comment Thursday evening. It was not immediately clear if an appeal was planned.
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Federal court rules against new global tariffs Trump imposed after loss at the Supreme Court
A federal court ruled Thursday against the that Trump imposed after a stinging
A split three-judge panel of the Court of International Trade in New York found the 10% global tariffs were illegal after small businesses sued.
The court ruled 2-1 that Trump overstepped the tariff power that Congress had allowed the president under the law. The tariffs are 鈥渋nvalid鈥� and 鈥渦nauthorized by law,鈥� the majority wrote.
The third judge on the panel found the law allows the president more leeway on tariffs.
If the administration appeals Thursday鈥檚 decision, as expected, it would first turn to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, based in Washington, and then, potentially, the Supreme Court.
At issue are temporary 10% worldwide tariffs the Trump administration imposed after the Supreme Court in February struck down even broader tariffs the president had imposed last year on almost every country on Earth. The new tariffs were set to expire July 24.
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Trump drives across Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to inspect new blue coating he鈥檚 putting on it
Trump on Thursday went on an unannounced trip to the Lincoln Memorial to see the after he had it coated in a color he calls 鈥淎merican flag blue.鈥�
The Republican president was driven across the new coating before he got out of his SUV to make a statement and answer questions from reporters who had been taken there to await his arrival before the sun set.
The new blue coating will hide the pool鈥檚 gray stone, a color Trump said was 鈥渘ever good.鈥� The project cost nearly $2 million, he said.
鈥淚t never had the color people wanted, but now it鈥檚 going to have the great color,鈥� he said, standing in the pool surrounded by some of his Cabinet secretaries, including Doug Burgum of Interior and Markwayne Mullin of Homeland Security.
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UAE reports drone and missile attack as Iran war ceasefire is challenged
The Iran war鈥檚 shaky ceasefire was further strained on Friday as the United Arab Emirates responded to a missile and drone strike, hours after the U.S. said it thwarted attacks on three Navy ships in the and retaliated against Iranian military facilities.
There were no immediate reports of damage in the UAE.
Iran and the U.S. are trading blows as their negotiators are seeking a deal to end the fighting, but so far they鈥檝e avoided a return to all-out fighting. It鈥檚 not clear how close the two sides are to a deal on issues like Iran鈥檚 nuclear program, which the U.S. and Israel vowed to halt when they launched the war on Feb. 28, or the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway that Iran has all but closed in a bid to pressure the global economy.
On Thursday, Tehran said it was examining the latest U.S. proposals for ending delivered to it via Pakistan, which is serving as a mediator.
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Italy tells Rubio that Europe needs America and vice versa on Day 2 of US fence-mending visit
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday that Europe needs the United States, and vice versa, as America鈥檚 top diplomat wrapped up two days of fence-mending talks in Italy and the Vatican following weeks of tensions over the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran.
Tajani reaffirmed strong transatlantic ties and said he hoped 鈥渢ensions have been calmed鈥� with Rubio鈥檚 visit. He said the two discussed the Iran war and spillover into Lebanon, as well as the situation in Venezuela and Cuba. The U.S. secretary of state was also meeting Friday with Premier Giorgia Meloni.
鈥淚 believe things can go in the right direction,鈥� Tajani said. 鈥淚 am convinced Europe needs America 鈥� Italy needs America 鈥� and the United States also needs Europe and Italy.鈥�
President Donald Trump鈥檚 tariffs, his complaints about Europe鈥檚 unwillingness to help the U.S. with the Iran war and have fueled weeks of sharp disagreements over trade and defense cooperation between the two traditionally strong allies.
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