The U.S. carried out on Iran late Wednesday, hours after President Donald Trump said that recent Iranian attacks on ships in Strait of Hormuz signaled the end of .
The strikes come a day after the U.S. military hit a variety of military sites and port facilities following Iran鈥檚 targeting of several merchant vessels off the coast of Oman. Iranian state media reported explosions including in the port city of Bandar Abbas on the strait and in Sirik, another southern coastal city.
Earlier at the in Ankara, Turkey, Trump renewed past threats to strike Iran鈥檚 civilian infrastructure including electric plants and desalination plants and to seize the oil-production hub of .
The U.S. will also, Trump announced, that have barred its access to F-35 jets and lift Syria鈥檚 terrorism designation.
Here is the latest:
Trump says this won鈥檛 be his last trip to a NATO summit
Amid speculation he only attended this week鈥檚 gathering as a favor to his ally Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo臒an, the president was asked if this was his last time at a NATO summit.
鈥淣o,鈥� he responded, before adding that NATO had made a lot of concessions.
鈥淭he meeting today settled a lot of things,鈥� Trump said.
The president also praised Spain after long criticizing that country for not committing to spend 5% of its gross domestic product on its military to be consistent with other NATO members.
Trump said Spain 鈥渃ame back all the way today. Spain was very generous.鈥� He said the country 鈥渉onored a request of lots of payment,鈥� but without giving further details.
Trump suggests decision on US troop levels in Europe depends on Greenland
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 made that final determination,鈥� the president said when asked about oscillating on how many troops the U.S. plans to keep in Europe.
鈥淎 lot鈥檚 gonna depend on Greenland,鈥� Trump added, and on making what he called 鈥渁 very good deal on Greenland.鈥� He didn鈥檛 elaborate.
The Pentagon is still waiting for clarity after Trump recently suggested that he would send 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland 鈥� weeks after ordering the same number pulled from Europe following a dispute with German officials over the Iran war.
Trump has long caused consternation among U.S. allies by suggesting that Washington should control Greenland, which is part of the kingdom of Denmark.
Trump did not suggest before or during the NATO summit that wrapped up Wednesday that Greenland might help determine troop levels in Europe.
Trump says security concerns involving Iran weren鈥檛 a factor in flying 2 planes home
Asked if he was aware of any credible threats by Iran against Air Force One, the president brushed off the question.
鈥淚 have a threat all the time. I鈥檓 No. 1 on their list,鈥� he said, repeating earlier comments that he鈥檚 one of Iran鈥檚 top assassination targets. He said to a military base in the United Kingdom so service members there could see it.
Reporters traveling with Trump told him they were asked to keep their window blinds closed during the flight from Turkey to the U.K. aboard the older Air Force One.
Trump replied that it was probably due to the 鈥渟leazebags over here鈥� in an apparent reference to Iran, which borders Turkey. He said he was not asked to close the blinds in his compartment.
Trump spoke to reporters aboard the Qatari-gifted Air Force One after it left the U.K. for the United States.
Oil prices rise, and stocks drop worldwide after Trump says ceasefire with Iran is 鈥榦ver鈥�
Trading was shaky worldwide after .
The S&P 500 fell as much as 1.1% after was 鈥渙ver,鈥� but the index then trimmed its loss to 0.3% after he said recent fighting did not mean a return to full-scale war. They鈥檙e his latest mixed messages on what will happen with the war, which threatens to worsen inflation for the world.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 576 points, or 1.1%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.2% after erasing an early loss.
The action was stronger in the oil market, where the price for a barrel of Brent crude climbed 5.2% to $78.02 and briefly topped $80.
That鈥檚 still below its peak from earlier in the war, when the price for the most actively traded contract reached nearly $120. But the jump is unsettling because oil prices had just dropped back to prewar levels.
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New attacks raise questions about what comes next in the Iran war
Trump says he believes the is over. He says he鈥檚 not sure he wants a deal anymore and the U.S. should 鈥渇inish the job.鈥� But he also insists that do not mean a return to war or long-term action.
The confusion and uncertainty in his and his leave major questions about what comes next in the conflict, just weeks after difficult diplomacy to reach even an initial deal between the longtime adversaries.
The whipsawing rhetoric could be a strategy to increase the pressure on Tehran to stop attacking ships transporting oil and natural gas in the and bend to U.S. demands on its 鈥� something Trump has tried before.
Whether it is a negotiation tactic or a signal of an escalation in fighting, mediators are scrambling to save the interim deal and the actions risk further inflaming tensions 鈥� which could spell problems for Republicans in November鈥檚 if gas prices stay high.
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Trump shares images of apparent explosions in Iran
After landing at a military base in the U.K. following the NATO summit in Turkey, the president posted several videos on his social media site showing what he said were explosions in Iran.
He also issued another warning to Tehran: 鈥淭his is in retribution for yesterday鈥檚 bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!鈥�
More reports of explosions in Iran
Iranian state media reported that explosions also were heard in Bushehr, home to Iran鈥檚 nuclear power plant complex.
A day earlier state television said eight members of the army鈥檚 air and naval forces were killed in Bandar Abbas and Bushehr.
Explosions heard in southern Iran
Iranian state media are reporting explosions, including in the port city of Bandar Abbas on the Strait of Hormuz, and in Sirik, another southern coastal city.
US says it鈥檚 carrying out more strikes against Iran
The U.S. military has announced that they have launched another round of strikes against Iran 鈥渢o further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz鈥� in a post on social media.
The strikes come just a day after the U.S. military hit a variety of military sites and port facilities following Iran鈥檚 targeting of several merchant vessels off the coast of Oman and just hours after Trump threatened to unleash more military action.
The social media post said that 鈥渢he United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway.鈥�
Trump told reporters at a NATO meeting on Wednesday that the U.S. would 鈥減robably hit them hard again tonight鈥� but later added that the latest back-and-forth fighting would not result in 鈥渓ong-term鈥� military action.
鈥淎nything that happens is going to happen very fast,鈥� Trump said, though he also suggested the U.S. military might 鈥渏ust finish the job.鈥�
US lawmakers meet with Zelenskyy
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers is encouraging Trump to follow through on additional security assistance for Ukraine and the tightening of sanctions on Russia.
The lawmakers issued a joint statement after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit.
The group said that some 35,000 Russian soldiers are being killed or wounded each month for no territorial gain and the Russian economy is slowing.
鈥淚t is abundantly clear that Russia is not winning this war,鈥� the lawmakers said.
The U.S. lawmakers say Russian President Vladimir Putin is negotiating for time, not peace.
鈥淧utin is at his weakest position in years and real sustained pressure can finally bring this war to a close,鈥� the lawmakers said in their joint statement.
Three Democratic and three Republican lawmakers issued the joint statement.
Trump administration informs Congress of plans to rescind Syria鈥檚 terrorism designation
In a statement Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Trump has told lawmakers that the U.S. will soon remove Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism as part of a yearlong normalization process with the country鈥檚 new government.
鈥淟ifting sanctions on Syria will unlock international trade and investment, give Syria a chance to rebuild, and open up a new chapter for the Syrian people,鈥� Rubio said. 鈥淎 stable, unified Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors benefits not only the region, but the entire world.鈥�
In June 2025, Trump signed an executive order ending several economic sanctions before revoking the terrorism designation a few weeks later for President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who took over after the ouster of former leader Bashar Assad in December 2024.
Trump and Erdogan discussed naval defense cooperation
Trump and Erdogan have discussed possible cooperation in the defense industry, the Turkish president said, pointing specifically to the shipbuilding sector.
Erdogan said the two talked about projects including building frigates and submarines, adding that the vessels could be built in Turkish shipyards.
Starmer says Erdogan gave NATO leaders guns as gifts
Prime Minister Keir Starmer says Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave NATO leaders pistols as gifts at their summit in Ankara.
Starmer told reporters that each weapon was engraved with the recipient鈥檚 name and came with a box of ammunition.
The guns came with a note from Erdogan waiving export controls. But the British prime minister left his in Turkey to be decommissioned, because it would be illegal to import it into the U.K.
Erdogan says Trump is 鈥榩ositive鈥� on F-35s
Erdogan insisted that Trump has a 鈥減ositive approach鈥� toward the sale of F-35 jets to Turkey.
In his news conference at the end of the two-day summit, the Turkish leader said: 鈥淗opefully, when the F-35s are delivered to Turkey, the whole world will say America kept its promise.鈥�
Erdogan rebuffs Israeli and Greek objections to sale of F-35s
Erdogan dismissed objections from Israel and Greece concerning the possible sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.
Speaking at a closing news conference at the end of the two鈥慸ay summit he hosted, the Turkish president said opposition raised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Greece鈥檚 Kyriakos Mitsotakis 鈥渉ave no place in my world.鈥�
Trump had announced during a meeting with Erdogan on Tuesday that the U.S. will lift sanctions on Turkey that were issued after Ankara purchased Russian missile defense systems in 2019. The move led to the country being kicked out of the F-35 fighter jet program.
On Wednesday, however, Trump suggested he hadn鈥檛 made up his mind concerning the F-35s.
Erdogan, meanwhile, also renewed Turkey鈥檚 long-standing offer to mediate between Ukraine and Russia for an end to the war.
Top UN official warns return to full-scale US-Iran war would have 鈥榗atastrophic consequences鈥�
The secretary-general is alarmed by the renewed military confrontations in the gulf,鈥� Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for Ant贸nio Guterres, told reporters Wednesday. 鈥淭hese incidents risk derailing the diplomatic progress achieved between Iran and the United States.鈥�
He reiterated 鈥渢he obligation of all parties to fully comply with international law, including the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure,鈥� shortly after Trump repeated his previous threats to target Iran鈥檚 electric and desalination plants.
Judge orders E. Jean Carroll be paid $5M after jury found Trump sexually abused and defamed her
can be paid the $5 million that was set aside after a jury found three years ago that President sexually abused her in 1996 before he became president and defamed her after she publicly revealed the attack, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.
Judge Lewis A. Kaplan issued an order that says , along with interest that has grown since the verdict.
Carroll鈥檚 lawyers had requested the disbursement after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of the 2023 civil verdict.
Trump had resumed defamatory attacks against Carroll as his lawyers considered asking the high court to reconsider its decision.
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Iran strikes conducted with jets, but a large Navy fleet is off the waters of Iran
The retaliatory strikes against Iran were conducted by Air Force and Navy fighter jets in the region and lasted about four hours, a U.S. official confirmed Wednesday.
The strikes Tuesday evening hit around eight times more targets than the previous round of retaliatory strikes that were conducted at the end of June 鈥� an escalation that was prompted by Iran鈥檚 ongoing strikes on merchant shipping in the region.
The official also noted that the Navy鈥檚 massive flotilla of warships was not involved in last night鈥檚 strikes. The force of 19 ships stationed around the waters of Iran is massive. It includes two aircraft carriers 鈥� the USS Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush 鈥� as well as an amphibious assault ship carrying over 1,000 Marines, 14 destroyers, a cruiser, and an expeditionary sea base vessel.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing sensitive military operation.
鈥� Konstantin Toropin
Trump gives confusing answer on why he鈥檚 changing planes on the way home
Trump flew to Turkey on his new Air Force One plane gifted by Qatar.
But he announced in a social media post earlier Wednesday that the plane he had proudly shown off would instead visit Mildenhall Air Force Base in the United Kingdom so military members could 鈥渢our the Aircraft.鈥�
Trump said he would be flying home in an older plane used as Air Force One 鈥渇or old time鈥檚 sake.鈥�
When asked Wednesday if security concerns played a role in the switch, Trump didn鈥檛 directly answer but said he was 鈥淣o. 1 on the list for killing鈥� by Iran.
The U.S. Air Force referred inquiries to the White House.
Images of the jet it is not equipped with some of the same missile-detection and countermeasure systems as the older jets.
Trump promises quick resolution in Iran even as he says ceasefire is over
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 going to start again; I think it鈥檚 going to go very quickly,鈥� Trump said when asked whether the war was restarting.
He repeated an earlier threat, saying the U.S. 鈥渕ight鈥� strike Iran again tonight, but he insisted it wouldn鈥檛 lengthen the war significantly.
鈥淎nything that happens is going to happen very fast,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not looking for long-term.鈥�
Trump says there is an 鈥榦il glut right now鈥�
The president played down the risks that an intensifying war with Iran could drive up oil prices, claiming that the world has an 鈥渙il glut.鈥�
鈥淭his will end very quickly,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淲e have an oil glut right now, because we got all those boats out of the strait, and it鈥檚 going to drop, and I predicted everything.鈥�
Trump spoke as U.S. oil futures topped $75 a barrel in Wednesday afternoon trading, a daily increase of more than 6%.
The International Energy Agency said this week that oil supplies could exceed demand if there is a durable ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran that keeps the Strait of Hormuz open. It said any surplus would be driven by a 1.1 million-barrel-a-day drop in global oil demand this year.
Trump says of Iran that US military might 鈥榡ust finish the job鈥�
鈥淲e can play games, but I鈥檓 not sure I want to make a deal,鈥� the president said. 鈥淛ust finish the job.鈥�
Trump has said that the tentative ceasefire with Iran may now be off and is threatening a new round of attacks.
His comments about finishing the job came in response to a question about Trump having previously said that Iran鈥檚 leaders were rational and acceptable to deal with, only to now suggest they are 鈥渃razy.鈥�
The president said he had a change of heart over Iranian leaders because 鈥淚 got to know them.鈥� He also suggested that leaders who have emerged in Iran after the war began are no longer looking out for the Iranian people.
Trump describes Iran as weakened but alludes to ongoing security concerns
Trump said that all of Iran鈥檚 anti-aircraft weapons are 鈥済one鈥� but suggested Tehran still can down aircraft, adding immediately: 鈥淭hat doesn鈥檛 mean they鈥檙e not going to get a plane at some point.鈥�
He then said, 鈥淓verything鈥檚 gone,鈥� and remarked on how many of Iran鈥檚 leaders were taken out.
鈥淵ou know what? I may be gone too, because I鈥檓 their No. 1 target,鈥� Trump said.
Even before the Iran war, federal authorities have been tracking Iranian threats against Trump for years. The Justice Department in 2024 announced that an Iranian plot to kill Trump before the presidential election had been thwarted.
Trump exaggerates his TikTok popularity
Trump claimed that he鈥檚 鈥淣o. 1 on TikTok.鈥� He did not specify which metric he used to make that determination, but it鈥檚 not true based on follower counts.
As of Wednesday, the Senegalese-Italian influencer Khabane Lame, known for his silent comedy videos, was the most followed user on the platform with 162.3 million followers.
Trump has 16.7 million followers 鈥� that doesn鈥檛 even put him in the .
Trump suggests that communist candidates are ugly
During his news conference, Trump said that 鈥渁ll I do is talk about communism鈥� on TikTok and in recent public comments.
The president has spent weeks criticizing progressive Democratic primary winners as communists. But he added a new insult this time, implying that none of those candidates are attractive.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 see any looker,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 see anyone with the look.鈥�
By way of elaboration, he added, 鈥淚 guess you need something. They don鈥檛 have it and I think they鈥檒l fade fast.鈥�
In reference to more moderate politicians in Europe, Trump said, 鈥淭hese are not social democrats鈥� but instead, 鈥淭hese are communists that are running and they don鈥檛 want God.鈥�
Trump says there was a lot of 鈥榣ove鈥� in the NATO working session
The president said 鈥渢here was tremendous love in that room鈥� that the press didn鈥檛 get to witness, including what he said was respect and love for the country.
He told reporters that he didn鈥檛 want to say it was for him 鈥渂ecause you鈥檒l say, 鈥極h, he鈥檚 so conceited. He鈥檚 such a conceited person.鈥欌��
But he then said that the other leaders like the job he鈥檚 doing and 鈥済rown people鈥� in the room said, 鈥淪ir, we love you.鈥�
Trump then mused on whether what he heard was just flattery, saying: 鈥淢aybe they鈥檙e trying to get to me. And in a way they did.鈥�
Trump has high praise for summit and its 鈥榯remendous unity鈥�
Despite repeated criticism that NATO has done too little to help the United States, Trump was effusive about the warmth he felt as leaders met on Wednesday.
Trump said there was 鈥渢remendous love in that room鈥� along with 鈥渢remendous unity.鈥�
He described his allies as 鈥渧ery smart people 鈥� they have a lot of good in their heart, not evil, good.鈥�
It was a remarkable turn after Trump had renewed his criticisms against European allies.
Trump begins his NATO remarks
The president has arrived to give remarks on stage, capping his appearance at the two-day summit. It comes about three hours after his address was initially scheduled.
Merz defends US strikes on Iran
The German chancellor said it was clearly Iran that violated the ceasefire agreement. He said the U.S. military had struck back on Trump鈥檚 orders and 鈥渢hat is justified.鈥�
But he added that 鈥渋n the end, there must be an agreement with Iran that ends the nuclear program permanently and reopens the Strait of Hormuz permanently.鈥�
Trump appears to have cooled on the idea of getting Syria to fight Hezbollah
Sitting across from al-Sharaa, Trump gave a cautious response when asked about his earlier suggestion that Syria should lead the fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
鈥淭hey could help, we鈥檒l find out,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e making a lot of progress.鈥�
Al-Sharaa wasn鈥檛 asked about it at their one-on-one meeting.
Trump raised the idea at the G7 summit last month, saying he thought Syria would do a better job than Israel. Days later, he again criticized Israel鈥檚 handling of the situation and said he was 鈥渃lose to giving it to Syria.鈥�
Al-Sharaa has previously said he has no interest in taking on that role.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa thanks Trump for lifting sanctions
Al-Sharaa thanked Trump for 鈥渢he historic decision to lift the sanctions,鈥� saying 鈥渢he entire Syrian people thank President Trump.鈥�
Trump met al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in May 2025 months after the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad. Since then, his administration has steadily eased U.S. sanctions on Syria.
Ahead of meeting Trump Wednesday, al-Sharaa met with a U.S. congressional delegation that was also in Ankara for the NATO summit, according to Syrian state media.
German leader says the summit contributed to keeping NATO together
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said his expectations of the summit were more than fulfilled.
He said he鈥檚 鈥渞eturning to Germany with the feeling that we made a big contribution to NATO staying together, to it becoming stronger, to it becoming more European.鈥�
Merz said there was 鈥渁 new feeling of European responsibility in the room.鈥�
Trump says oil prices rise when the US attacks Iran
The U.S. president said oil prices were rising Wednesday after military attacks intensified with Iran in a troubling sign for peace talks.
鈥淎ny time we hit them, it goes up a little bit 鈥� $2,鈥� Trump told reporters. 鈥淎s oil goes, so goes everything else.鈥�
The president has taken conflicting stances on the energy price bump caused by the Iran war, saying it wasn鈥檛 a consideration for ending the war and then touting price declines after an interim deal was announced in June.
But Trump鈥檚 math was somewhat off. U.S. oil futures were trading Wednesday morning at roughly $75 a barrel, an increase of about $5.
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