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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Okinawa lost transport links and suffered widespread power outages on Monday (1 June) as Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi brought destructive winds and he...
Turkish authorities have launched an investigation into a passenger bus crash in southwestern Türkiye that killed eight people and injured 33 others over the weekend.
Okinawa lost transport links and suffered widespread power outages on Monday (1 June) as Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi brought destructive winds and heavy rain to Japan's south-western islands.
Thai investigators seized more than 100 protected wildlife remains after raiding a souvenir and traditional medicine shop accused of selling wildlife carcasses online.
Japan has released crested ibises into the wild on Honshu for the first time, marking a major conservation milestone in the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture.
U.S. rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, performed to a crowd of 118,000 people in Istanbul on Saturday night, marking his first concert in Europe in more than a decade, despite being barred from performing in several countries over past antisemitic remarks.
Iranian-made Yassin missiles were spotted mounted on Armenian Air Force fighter aircraft during Armenia's latest military parade on Thursday (28 May), drawing attention from defence observers and regional analysts.
The Philippines remains under a "severe threat" from China despite recent efforts by Washington and Beijing to ease tensions, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on Saturday (30 May).
Russia has recalled its ambassador to Armenia for consultations, citing Yerevan's growing rapprochement with the European Union. The move is seen as the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the longtime allies ahead of Armenia's parliamentary election on 7 June.
Donald Trump said he is “in no hurry” to reach a deal with Iran, insisting the U.S. is slowly getting what it wants. He warned military action remains an option if talks fail. Meanwhile, U.S. forces said they fired a missile at a vessel trying to breach Washington’s blockade of Iran.
Okinawa lost transport links and suffered widespread power outages on Monday (1 June) as Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi brought destructive winds and heavy rain to Japan's south-western islands.
Japan has released crested ibises into the wild on Honshu for the first time, marking a major conservation milestone in the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture.
Ukrainian drones struck targets across several Russian regions overnight, including an oil pipeline pumping station, a refinery and a fuel depot, Russian and Ukrainian authorities said on Sunday.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 1 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The United States has moved to close a regulatory gap that may have allowed advanced AI chips to reach Chinese-linked firms overseas despite export restrictions.
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