The White House plans to restrict classified intelligence sharing with Congress after media leaks contradicted President Donald Trump’s claims about the success of U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, setting up a tense briefing with lawmakers.
A senior Trump official confirmed the move followed media reports, including a CNN leak, suggesting the 13 June airstrikes set back Iran’s nuclear program by months but did not destroy it entirely.
In response, top officials - Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Gen. Dan Caine - will brief senators on Thursday. Absent will be Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who previously said Iran wasn’t building a bomb. Trump called her assessment “wrong” and has sidelined her in recent strategy talks.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer slammed the decision, saying Congress “deserves information” and that the administration “has no right to stonewall” lawmakers on national security matters.
The briefings were delayed from earlier this week due to Trump’s NATO travel and ceasefire efforts. Meanwhile, the administration is working to shift the narrative. Ratcliffe said the strikes “severely damaged” Iran’s nuclear facilities - a refinement of Trump’s earlier “obliterated” claim. Gen. Caine said full damage assessments are still pending but confirmed “extremely severe” destruction.
Trump also announced a Pentagon press conference to defend U.S. pilots, reacting to negative media coverage. He exaggerated mission details, saying they flew through enemy territory for 36 hours - conflating total flight time with time over target.
Democrats have cited the War Powers Resolution, which requires prompt congressional briefings after military action. Trump sent a memo on Monday citing his constitutional authority to act in defence of U.S. interests.
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Hundreds of protesters have torn down fences surrounding a planned luxury development site in Albania, as public anger continues to mount over construction in environmentally sensitive areas.
George Russell continued Mercedes's dominant qualifying form by securing pole position for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, while Lewis Hamilton ensured an all British front row with second place for Ferrari.
Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been reconnected to the electricity grid after repairs were carried out under a localised ceasefire brokered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Kazakhstan’s ruling Amanat party has announced it will merge with a party launched only a month ago by allies of the country’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Pakistan has warned that any attempt by India to block or significantly reduce river flows under the Indus Waters Treaty could have “far-reaching consequences”, after India's water minister said New Delhi was working to ensure that “not a single drop” of water reaches Pakistan in the coming years.
SpaceX made a historic entrance into the Nasdaq on Friday, surging over 20% in its first day of trading and lifting its valuation to more than $2 trillion. Investors flocked to the world’s largest IPO, betting on Elon Musk’s sprawling empire spanning rockets, AI and beyond.
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U.S. President Donald Trump has said a peace agreement with Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday in a post on social media, despite Tehran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei saying no deal would be approved this weekend.
Japan’s birth rate and fertility levels have fallen to their lowest levels on record, highlighting the country’s worsening demographic crisis as fewer people marry and have children.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to publish the UK government's long-awaited Defence Investment Plan ahead of next month's NATO summit in Ankara, following growing pressure over the UK's military spending commitments.
Hundreds of protesters have torn down fences surrounding a planned luxury development site in Albania, as public anger continues to mount over construction in environmentally sensitive areas.
George Russell continued Mercedes's dominant qualifying form by securing pole position for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, while Lewis Hamilton ensured an all British front row with second place for Ferrari.
Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been reconnected to the electricity grid after repairs were carried out under a localised ceasefire brokered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Swiss voters decide whether to back a proposal to cap the country's population in a referendum likened to Britain's Brexit vote, which could have far-reaching consequences for the economy and Bern's relations with the European Union.
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