Stories

Browse major news stories and see what officials have said.

May 5, 2026

Iran Attacks UAE Amid Ceasefire as Rubio Declares Operation Epic Fury Over

On May 4-5, 2026, Iran launched missiles and drones at the UAE's Fujairah oil port — the first Iranian attack on a US Gulf ally since the April 7 ceasefire — while the US Navy sank seven small Iranian military boats in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes injured three Indian nationals and sparked international condemnation. Despite the attacks, the Trump administration insisted the ceasefire remained intact. Defense Secretary Hegseth said the ceasefire was "not over," and Trump warned Iran it would be "blown off the face of the earth" if it targeted US ships escorting commercial vessels through the strait under Operation Project Freedom. On May 5, Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that Operation Epic Fury — the 66-day US-Israel offensive bombing campaign against Iran — had officially concluded. The US was now operating in a defensive posture only. Rubio acknowledged that Project Freedom, the effort to escort commercial ships through the strait, would not "solve the whole straits problem": only two ships had successfully transited under US protection since the operation began, compared to roughly 130 per day before the war. Trump separately paused Project Freedom, citing progress toward a deal.

Trump Administration Claims Iran War "Terminated" to Dodge 60-Day War Powers Deadline

On May 1, 2026, the Trump administration declared that the Iran war has been "terminated" for the purposes of the War Powers Resolution — a legal maneuver designed to avoid the law's requirement that Congress authorize military action within 60 days of its start. A senior administration official stated that "the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28 have terminated," pointing to the US-Iran ceasefire agreed on April 7 and its subsequent extensions. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators the ceasefire effectively paused or stopped the 60-day clock entirely. Trump separately sent a letter to congressional leaders formalizing the declaration and called the War Powers Act itself "totally unconstitutional." On May 5, Secretary of State Rubio formally declared Operation Epic Fury — the offensive bombing campaign — concluded, with the US transitioning to the defensive Project Freedom mission in the Strait of Hormuz. Critics and legal experts continued to reject the administration's interpretation. Democrats noted that Senate Republicans had blocked a war powers resolution for the sixth time, while moderate Republicans including Susan Collins and Rand Paul broke with leadership to demand congressional authorization. Congress then left town for a week recess without taking action.

Hegseth Grilled by Congress on Iran War Costs; Pentagon Reveals $25 Billion Price Tag

On April 29-30, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced congressional testimony for the first time since the US went to war with Iran in late February. The hearings — first before the House Armed Services Committee, then before the Senate Armed Services Committee — were contentious, with Democrats attacking the war's legality, strategy, and cost. The Pentagon disclosed for the first time that the Iran war has cost approximately $25 billion to date. Democrats argued the figure dramatically understates the true cost, which they said includes surging oil prices, increased consumer goods prices, and long-term strategic damage. Hegseth defended the operation as necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and attacked critics as defeatist. The hearings came on the same day the 60-day War Powers Resolution deadline arrived, with the Trump administration separately claiming the ceasefire had "terminated" hostilities and thus the legal clock. Several Republican senators said they still expect a war authorization vote, while Democrats called for an immediate end to the conflict.

The Pentagon vs. the Press

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's escalating crackdown on Pentagon press access — from requiring reporters to sign restrictive pledges in 2025, to closing the Correspondents' Corridor and mandating escorts in 2026 — has drawn a federal court ruling that the policy is unconstitutional. Over 30 major outlets forfeited their press credentials rather than comply. The New York Times sued in December 2025, and on March 20, 2026, Judge Paul Friedman ruled the policy violated the First and Fifth Amendments. The Pentagon then tried to reimpose restrictions under new rules; on April 9, 2026, the judge ruled the Pentagon was violating his court order.

Hegseth's War Prayer and the Pope's Rebuke

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth led a Pentagon prayer service on March 26, 2026, praying for "overwhelming violence of action" and asking that "every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness" in the name of Jesus Christ. Pope Leo XIV responded on Palm Sunday, declaring that God "does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war." The confrontation escalated when the Pentagon excluded Catholics from Good Friday services. Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the military's top Catholic leader, declared on Face the Nation that the Iran war does not meet Catholic just war criteria.

Hegseth Pentagon Purge of Senior Military Officers

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired or forced out more than a dozen senior military officers since taking office, including Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George. The purge, framed as removing "woke" generals and restoring a "warrior ethos," has drawn bipartisan concern — particularly after the firing of Gen. George in April 2026 during the active U.S.-Iran conflict. Five former defense secretaries condemned the firings as "reckless" in a joint letter to Congress.

Trump Military Strikes on Alleged Drug Boats in Caribbean and Pacific

Beginning September 2, 2025, the Trump administration launched a sustained military campaign of lethal strikes against vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific that the administration described as drug-trafficking boats operated by designated narco-terrorist organizations, principally Venezuela's Tren de Aragua. The first strike — announced personally by President Trump — killed 11 people on a vessel that had departed Venezuela. By late March 2026, the U.S. military had conducted more than 47 strikes on at least 48 vessels, killing at least 163 people, under what the Pentagon branded "Operation Southern Spear." The campaign has triggered an escalating war powers and legality fight in Congress. The Washington Post revealed in November 2025 that on the very first strike Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had given a "kill them all" order, and that a follow-on "double tap" strike killed two survivors clinging to the burning wreckage. Both House and Senate Armed Services committees opened bipartisan probes. Sens. Tim Kaine, Adam Schiff, Rand Paul and Chuck Schumer forced repeat war powers votes, all defeated by the Republican Senate majority — most recently on January 8, 2026 (52-47 to advance, then defeated on final passage). Critics across both parties argue the strikes are extrajudicial killings without congressional authorization and may constitute war crimes; defenders, led by Secretary Rubio and Sen. Lindsey Graham, characterize the boats' operators as terrorists in an "armed conflict" with the United States.