The United States and Iran , overshadowing diplomatic efforts in Pakistan to salvage an interim ceasefire deal that has collapsed.
President Donald Trump is attending of four more in action. Republicans are pushing a $95 billion package to fund the military, pay farmers and restrict voting after Defense Secretary faced over his management of the , which he estimated which has cost $37.5 billion so far. Democrats and Republicans alike questioned whether Hegseth has an exit strategy.
And has reportedly approved a deal that could potentially provide Saudi Arabia with . The agreement would be reviewed by Congress, where it among lawmakers who fear it would open new rounds of nuclear proliferation and competition.
The Latest:
Trump pays respects to four service members killed in Middle East
The president saluted as four cases draped with American flags were escorted off an airplane during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
He was joined by administration officials including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Trump was scheduled to meet privately with grieving family members.
The White House said one of the families will be joining on Air Force One later on Wednesday when Trump flies to an event in Georgia, where the family lives.
Senate committee moves nomination forward for FEMA administrator
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs voted 8-4 Wednesday morning to advance 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 pick to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency, .
Hamilton is a former Navy SEAL who briefly led FEMA in a temporary role last year before the agency鈥檚 existence. His potential return marks a shift in the Trump administration鈥檚 stance toward the disaster agency, after Trump said early in his second term that he was .
If approved by the Senate, Hamilton would be the first permanent FEMA administrator in 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 second term. The agency has seen four temporary leaders and been , including the departure of thousands of staff.
Journalists urge correspondents鈥� association to stand up to Trump at rescheduled press dinner
Hundreds of former or retired journalists and eight press freedom groups are asking the White House Correspondents鈥� Association to stand up to the Trump administration鈥檚 recent attacks on the media at its 鈥� a dinner President Donald Trump says he鈥檒l attend.
The first dinner when a gunman, who prosecutors say was trying to assassinate Trump, opened fire at the Washington Hilton. The much smaller rescheduled dinner will take place Friday, with enhanced security precautions, at the capital鈥檚 Waldorf Astoria Hotel, formerly the Trump International Hotel.
The letter expands on a similar one issued in April, before the first dinner. It notes that since then, 鈥渢he administration鈥檚 attacks on journalists and press freedom have become even more egregious.鈥�
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Iran war energy shock hits Southeast Asia hard
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong raised her country鈥檚 concern over renewed attacks by the U.S. and Iran in the Middle East, warning that 鈥渢he situation could deteriorate further without much warning.鈥�
鈥淲e want to see an end to this war. We want to see a ceasefire. We want to see negotiations and we want the strait to be opened,鈥� Wong told reporters at the ASEAN summit. The war鈥檚 impact on global energy markets has had a direct and personal impact on people, she said.
Southeast Asia鈥檚 reliance on fossil fuel imports from the Mideast has made the region particularly vulnerable, according to the International Energy Agency. Asian markets imported about 80% of the crude oil and almost 90% of the liquefied natural gas, or LNG, transiting through the Strait of Hormuz in 2025, the IEA said.
Rubio says US willing to be 鈥榩atient鈥� with pace of change in Cuba
Asked whether the Trump administration鈥檚 goal is regime change in Cuba, Rubio told reporters that the U.S. is prepared to be 鈥渧ery realistic鈥� and 鈥減atient鈥� about a process of ensuring that the Cuban people 鈥渃an experience prosperity, safety, security and a better life moving forward.鈥�
Rubio insisted the country鈥檚 socialist economic model doesn鈥檛 work and that the Cuban government is most interested in holding on to power, not making reforms.
But he said that 鈥渨e鈥檒l keep talking to them about the kind of changes they can make鈥� because it affects U.S. national security.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a failed state. But I鈥檝e never laid out any timeline as to what change would look like or when it would happen,鈥� Rubio said.
A plane was carrying food and hygiene kits to Cuba on Tuesday, part of U.S. efforts to directly aid residents.
Oil prices rise another 3%
A barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, was trading at $93.83 at midday Wednesday after briefly topping $95 to touch its highest price in six weeks as continues.
Rising oil prices threaten to reaccelerate , which could push and other central banks to raise interest rates, which would for stocks and other investments.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.65%, helping to bring long-term U.S. mortgage rates to their . The yield was 3.97% before the war.
The auto club AAA said Wednesday that the average price for a gallon of regular gas in the U.S. jumped again overnight to $4.06. It had been below $3 before the United States and Israel attacked Iran.
The soldiers whose remains are being returned to their families
The four were :
Since the war began on Feb. 28, 18 U.S. service members have been killed.
Trump to tell families of service members fallen in the Middle East, 鈥榳e love your child鈥�
Trump is at Dover Air Force Base, participating in the return of the remains of four U.S. service members killed in the Middle East.
Asked for his message to their families before he departed Joint Base Andrews, Trump said, 鈥淎ll I鈥檓 going to say is, 鈥榳e love you. We love your child.鈥欌��
鈥淎ll you can do is throw out your heart,鈥� he said.
Canada cancels joint US bridge-opening event after another Trump tariff threat
The Friday ceremony celebrating the opening of the connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, is no longer expected to take place after Trump on most Canadian goods.
鈥淚n light of trade action threatened by the United States earlier this week, it would be inappropriate to proceed,鈥� emailed Jenna Ghassabeh, a spokesperson for Canadian Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson.
U.S. and Canadian officials had to open the $4.4 billion bridge, which Canada financed under an agreement allowing it to recover the cost through toll revenue. Canada now plans its own ceremony Friday.
Two U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations said they still expect the bridge to open to traffic July 27 but are less certain than they were before.
鈥� By Joey Capelletti
Rubio says any nuclear agreement the US signs will not lead to nuclear proliferation
Rubio was asked about the risk of the U.S. signing an agreement with a Middle Eastern country that does not include the 鈥済old standard鈥� promise to refrain from enriching or reprocessing uranium.
Rubio said he would not 鈥渙pine directly on that agreement鈥� with Saudi Arabia, but then said 鈥渢he U.S. is not going to reach any agreement with any country in the world that leads to the risk of proliferation.鈥�
Rubio is pressed on 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 reported nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia
When asked by reporters on Wednesday in the Philippines about the nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, the secretary of state didn鈥檛 deny the approval was coming and instead said, 鈥淚鈥檒l let the White House officials sort of put out an official statement about anything in regards to that.鈥�
Stumbling a bit in his response, Rubio also said: 鈥淚鈥檇 prefer it be, you know, put out when there is something to say that we will say through official channels.鈥�
Rubio points to Iran鈥檚 remaining capabilities even though 鈥榙iminished鈥�
Rubio said Iran鈥檚 missiles and drones being used in strikes now are 鈥渆xactly the conventional shield that they were going to hide behind to pursue a nuclear program.鈥�
He said that capacity is 鈥済reatly diminished鈥� but that a year from now, Iran would have had so many missiles and drones serving as a shield that it 鈥渨ould have given them immunity to do whatever they wanted.鈥�
He kept some hope alive for renewed talks, saying the U.S. remains open to negotiations, 鈥渂ut right now they don鈥檛 seem to be serious about that鈥� so instead the focus is on protecting shipping.
鈥淲e think other countries should join us in that endeavor. We don鈥檛 need them to, but they should because they鈥檙e more impacted by it than we are.鈥�
Rubio is asked whether China and Russia are helping Iran find targets
Rubio, who doubles as 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 national security advisor, was asked Wednesday whether China and Russia are giving targeting information to Iran.
鈥淎ll I would say is that, you know, anytime you鈥檙e in a combat zone like that, there鈥檚 danger associated with it,鈥� Rubio said. 鈥淎t the end, this actually proves the point that this is what Iran has been investing its money in.鈥�
When pressed again by a reporter, Rubio said, 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to discuss that, other than to say that nothing that鈥檚 happened, nothing that China has done has in any way changed the trajectory of the outcome, of what you鈥檙e seeing in terms of the conflict that we鈥檙e having with Iran.鈥�
Rubio said China has been quite cooperative in some ways, such as publicly opposing what Iran is trying to do in the Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio says Iran controlling Strait of Hormuz would set dangerous precedent
Marco Rubio warned Asian leaders Wednesday that Iran鈥檚 demand to control and collect tolls in would threaten the world鈥檚 economy.
鈥淚f we create a precedent in the Middle East where a nation state can decide that they are going to control an international waterway, charge a toll and if you don鈥檛 pay them, blow up your ships, we have created a very dangerous precedent which will repeat itself in other parts of the world, including in this region,鈥� the U.S. Secretary of State said.
Rubio鈥檚 counterparts at the annual meeting of the have that has battered their economies. Despite Washington鈥檚 preoccupation with the war, Rubio said 鈥渨e鈥檙e with ASEAN 100%.鈥�
Trump approves nuclear agreement that may allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium, two AP sources say
The deal approved by could potentially provide the kingdom with for its civilian nuclear program, according to two people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to comment publicly ahead of a formal announcement expected to be made as early as Wednesday.
The deal, expected to last 30 years and involve U.S. firms, would be reviewed by Congress, where it among lawmakers who fear that helping the Saudis fulfill their long-standing desire to enrich their own uranium would open new rounds of nuclear proliferation and competition.
Saudi Arabia is a member state of the which promotes peaceful nuclear work and inspects nations to ensure they don鈥檛 have clandestine atomic weapons programs. But the agreement is not expected to include the IAEA鈥檚 Additional Protocol, which would allow for more monitoring, inspections and verification, according to one of the people.
鈥� By Aamer Madhani, Michelle L. Price, Jon Gambrell
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Trump says US will destroy a bridge or power plant for each Iranian attack in the Strait of Hormuz
The president鈥檚 warning about targeting civilian infrastructure came after the U.S. carried out another wave of , including its capital, Tehran. Iran launched a missile attack on a Jordanian city on Israel鈥檚 doorstep, and alerts were issued in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
鈥淔rom this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT,鈥� Trump wrote on social media.
The 11th night of American airstrikes on Iran came as have shown little public sign of progress. Officials on both sides have dug in on their dispute over the , a crucial waterway for global energy that remains largely closed because of Iranian attacks.
As the president touts Trump Accounts, some families are still waiting for their baby鈥檚 $1,000
Trump says could hoist children out of poverty and give more Americans the chance to benefit from investments in the stock market. But some parents say they鈥檙e still waiting for the money to arrive.
Trump on Wednesday plans to speak at a Georgia high school to promote the investment accounts, which offer $1,000 in seed money to every child born during his second term. The accounts went live July 4, two days before Trump rang the opening bells for both the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ from the Oval Office.
The tax-advantaged accounts, created last year through 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 signature One Big Beautiful Bill, can be opened for any child under the age of 18. The Treasury Department boasts 6.5 million sign-ups for Trump Accounts, with 1.5 million of those eligible for the $1,000 seed funding for babies born from 2025 through 2028.
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Iran鈥檚 demands over the Strait of Hormuz would set a dangerous precedent, Rubio warns Asian leaders
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Asian leaders Wednesday that Iran鈥檚 demand to control and collect tolls in would threaten the world鈥檚 economy and set a precedent that could be repeated elsewhere in the world.
Rubio spoke at the start of in the Philippine capital, Manila, with counterparts from the who have in the Middle East that has battered their region. Despite Washington鈥檚 preoccupation with the war, Rubio said 鈥渨e鈥檙e with ASEAN 100%.鈥�
Washington鈥檚 top diplomat also renewed allegations that Iran has reneged on commitments under a failed peace deal. Rubio said Iran 鈥渉as been reaching out to the United States, both directly and indirectly, to engage in talks about settling the differences,鈥� but gave no indication that the U.S. was considering returning to peace talks with Iran.
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US and Iran attacks rage as officials question whether diplomacy can stop march toward war resuming
The United States and Iran exchanged fire across the Middle East on Wednesday, as officials in both nations called into question diplomatic efforts to stop the war as it threatens to again spin out of control.
The U.S. launched an 11th night of airstrikes on the Islamic Republic, hitting targets across the nation as air defense systems opened fire over the capital, Tehran. It wasn鈥檛 immediately clear what specific targets the Americans went after in these nighttime strikes.
Iran retaliated with missile and drone fire targeting Jordan鈥檚 port city of Aqaba, once again attacking just on the doorstep of Israel. The U.S. has been using Israel鈥檚 main Ben-Gurion International Airport to host its refueler aircraft and has put fighter jets at bases in the country, but Iran has been hesitant to strike for fear of bringing the Israeli military back into the conflict.
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Hegseth estimates Iran war has cost $37.5 billion as he defends funding request at fiery hearing
Defense Secretary faced fiery questions and protests Tuesday over the , which he estimated has cost $37.5 billion so far, as Republicans prepare a to fund the military, along with other White House priorities.
Hegseth provided the new estimate, up from earlier assessments, during a combative Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, which came days after the Pentagon announced that three more have died in the conflict, bringing the , and that more than 100 have been injured since early July. Several times protesters interrupted his opening remarks.
Hegseth said the supplemental war funding is an 鈥渦rgent, necessary鈥� injection of money, and called proposed a generational investment in the military.
鈥淲ithout these funds, we face critical shortfalls,鈥� Hegseth testified.
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Trump will attend the dignified transfer of 4 US service members killed in the Middle East
Trump on Wednesday plans to attend the dignified transfer of four in the Middle East.
Trump will be at Dover Air Force Base when the remains of the troops killed in action are returned to their families, the White House said. The ritual is one of the most somber duties of a commander-in-chief. It will be the third that Trump has attended since he launched the in February.
Two U.S. Army soldiers killed in Iranian missile and drone attacks in Jordan will be returned during the dignified transfer, according to an administration official who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The remains of a third service member who is believed to be the soldier missing after the Jordan attacks will also be returned, the official said, as well as the remains of a soldier killed in Iraq during a detonation of an Iranian drone.
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