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.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 4 July, covering the latest developments you need to know....
Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of American independence, saying Russia and th...
China said on Saturday it had launched a coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, prompting a strong protest from Taipei, which accused Beijing of illegally...
Armenia's parliament has passed a new law raising the requirements for citizens living abroad to vote in national elections, following concerns over a...
Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said, as Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy i...
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 4 July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of American independence, saying Russia and the United States share a special responsibility for maintaining global security as the world's two largest nuclear powers.
China said on Saturday it had launched a coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, prompting a strong protest from Taipei, which accused Beijing of illegally expanding its authority and undermining regional stability.
Armenia's parliament has passed a new law raising the requirements for citizens living abroad to vote in national elections, following concerns over alleged efforts to influence last month's parliamentary vote through Armenian citizens residing in Russia.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Niño, warning the climate pattern is likely to drive higher global temperatures and intensify extreme weather in the months ahead.
Iran and the U.S. have concluded indirect talks in Doha without a major breakthrough, with discussions focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and frozen Iranian funds. Both sides are expected to meet again after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Eight Buddhist monks were killed and more than 20 others injured after an 11-year-old boy driving his parents' pickup truck ploughed into a religious procession in north-eastern Thailand, police said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of American independence, saying Russia and the United States share a special responsibility for maintaining global security as the world's two largest nuclear powers.
China said on Saturday it had launched a coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, prompting a strong protest from Taipei, which accused Beijing of illegally expanding its authority and undermining regional stability.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 4 July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said, as Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure continued to add pressure to fuel supplies inside Russia.
World Athletics has reaffirmed its decision to keep Russian and Belarusian athletes excluded from international competition, saying there has been no meaningful progress towards peace in Ukraine.
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