Iran war heats up again as Rubio heads to Congress: Live updates
President Donald Trump said in a podcast that Iran agreed to never have a nuclear weapon but said the regime could change its mind before the deal that's under discussion with the U.S is finished.
"They can change their mind, but that was one of the things they’ve had to agree, they’ve agreed to that. That was the big thing,” Trump said on "Pod Force One" podcast with Miranda Devine.
Trump also admitted in the podcast that he called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "f---ing crazy" during a phone call this week, confirming earlier reporting from outlets including Axios.
Netanyahu has defied pressure from Trump to cease hostilities in Lebanon, particularly Beirut’s suburbs which the Israeli leader has threatened to bomb.
The Trump interview landed hours before Secretary of State Marco Rubio was scheduled to testify in the House and Senate on Wednesday and as the fighting between U.S. and Iranian forces picked up. Rubio told senators during a Tuesday hearing, where he was grilled on Iran, that the "war is over."
US, Iran trade strikes near Strait of Hormuz
Michael Loria
U.S. military forces on Tuesday launched "self-defense strikes" at Iran’s Qeshm Island located near the Strait of Hormuz, the Pentagon said.
According to Central Command, the arm of the military overseeing operations in the region, the U.S. struck the island in response to Iranian attacks across the region on Tuesday. Military officials said Iran launched strikes on Kuwait, Bahrain and "civilian marines."
The U.S. and Iranian strikes come after the Navy struck and disabled a tanker bound for an Iranian port.
Iranian military officials said the attacks were in response to American strikes on the tanker and on an Iranian telecommunications antenna, state media reported.
"We had previously warned that in the event of aggression, the response would be different and more severe," Iranian military officials said in a statement shared by state media. "Tonight we acted on our word."
Trump says Iran war 'will resolve itself fairly quickly'
Christopher Cann
President Trump said it's "unlikely" that the blockade on the Strait of Hormuz will be in place by Labor Day and Iran has already agreed to one of Washington's most ardent demands.
"They’ve already agreed they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon," Trump said on the New York Post’s “Pod Force One” podcast, adding that the regime could still "change their mind."
When asked if the U.S. blockade on the Strait of Hormuz will be in place by the end of summer, Trump said "I think it could be, but I think it’s unlikely.”
“I think this will resolve itself fairly quickly," he said of the war.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers on Tuesday that negotiations were progressing following reports that Tehran was suspending indirect talks with the U.S. over Israel's military campaign in Lebanon. Rubio said the U.S. will lift its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz when Iran stops interfering with tankers passing through the critical trade route.
A long-term agreement involving Iran's nuclear program and enriched uranium would likely takes months to negotiate, Rubio added.
Rubio on Capitol Hill for round two
Michael Loria and Francesca Chambers
Rubio’s day in Washington, D.C., will start with House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing at 10 a.m. ET. The top Trump administration official will testify before the Senate Committee on Appropriations at 3 p.m.
The former Florida senator’s is making his second trip to Capitol Hill in two days to field questions from lawmakers on the State Department's annual budget. Iran was a focal point on lawmakers' questioning on Tuesday in a pair of House and Senate hearings, where he also faced tough questioning on the U.S. military operation in Venezuela and the administration's approach to China, Russia and Cuba.
Tensions flare between U.S. and Iran as peace talks continue
Francesca Chambers
Tensions have flared in recent days between U.S. and Iranian forces near the Strait of Hormuz. According to Central Command, the arm of the Pentagon overseeing operations in the region, American forces launched strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island in response to Iranian attacks on regional allies of the United States.
Iran says it attacked Kuwait and Bahrain in response to a U.S. Navy strike on a tanker bound for an Iranian port. American troops are stationed in the two countries on the Persian Gulf. The back and forth was the latest instance of the apparent fraying of the ceasefire announced on April 7.