President Trump has formally reset the clock on his war against Iran, resuming daily strikes and a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz less than a month after signing a deal meant to bring an end to hostilities. U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said the U.S. military carried out its “third consecutive night of strikes against Iran” Monday afternoon, just hours after Trump announced the U.S. would take control of the Strait of Hormuz and impose a 20 percent tax on cargo passing through. Trump also notified Congress on Friday that U.S. military has resumed strikes against Iran, giving the Pentagon another 60 days from that point to conduct its operations in the region without obtaining congressional approval — effectively restarting the clock on the military activity. “United States ground forces are not involved in these strikes. These strikes are limited, measured, planned and executed in a manner designed to minimize civilian casualties,” the president wrote in the letter, which was obtained Monday by The Hill.
Trump put it differently on “The Hugh Hewitt Show” shortly before Centcom announced the latest round of strikes. “We’re going to hit them very hard tonight and going to hit them hard tomorrow. And there’s not a damn thing they can do about it,” Trump said Monday Centcom said the blockade would resume at 4 p.m. EDT today. The moves end the ceasefire put into place less than a month ago by Trump’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran, which established a 60-day truce to allow for peace negotiations. Trump told Hewitt he never viewed the MOU as much more than a test, when asked whether the truce was “built to fall apart.” “It was a test. We didn’t know. Look, memorandum of understanding, when you’re dealing with sleazebags, don’t mean much. And they don’t mean much when you’re dealing with honorable people, too, because it’s a memorandum of understanding. It doesn’t mean much,” Trump told Hewitt.
“They didn’t honor the test,” Trump added. “We had this deal settled numerous times. I said, ‘Watch. I guarantee. Watch.’ And they never, they never followed it.”
The shift in U.S. posture comes after escalating attacks between the countries in recent days. Last week, the U.S. carried out four separate rounds of strikes, accusing Iran of targeting commercial vessels in the strait.
Iran’s military said it launched attacks on U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Jordan. Those countries said Tuesday morning the strikes were intercepted. The United Arab Emirates’ defense ministry said Monday two of its tankers in the Strait of Hormuz had been targeted by Iranian missiles, killing an Indian sailor aboard.
Trump’s announcement of a 20 percent fee for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz contradicts statements from his top advisors, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, that no country has the right to charge for use of the waterway.
Speaking to reporters Monday afternoon, Trump specifically called out Gulf countries as being on the hook for U.S. “protection,” including those now coming under fire during renewed hostilities.
“We’re going to keep the strait, and we’ll probably run it,” Trump said Monday during a phone interview with “Fox & Friends.”
“We’ll become the guardian of the strait. Maybe we’ll become the guardian angel of the strait, and we should be reimbursed for that,” he said. “When we do that, we’re going to be reimbursed because the other nations are very wealthy, they’re on our side, and we can’t be expected to do that for nothing.”
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded to the blockade announcement, saying, “The Strait of Hormuz is our territory, and we will not allow a rogue and child-killing army from the other side of the world to continue its illegal interference in it,” according to The Associated Press.
SISTER ACT: South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) has selected Darline Graham Nordone, the sister of late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), as the interim replacement to serve the remainder of his term.
The decision continues a historical occurrence of a spouse or family member of a deceased member of Congress being named to serve in their place for the rest of the term. Nordone will be South Carolina’s first female senator.
She will be sworn in to office this afternoon.
Trump had declared his support for Nordone being named to the seat earlier Monday, saying it would be a “fabulous tribute” to her brother. Nordone and Graham had a close relationship throughout his life, including when he took care of her after both of their parents died.
With an interim replacement named, attention now shifts to who will take the seat in the next term, which starts in January, The Hill’s Caroline Vakil and Helen Huiskes report. Graham was in the process of running for reelection when he died, and a special primary will be held next month for Republicans to choose a replacement nominee.
South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette (R), who lost a runoff in the GOP gubernatorial primary last month, has been among the top names discussed for the role. Other prominent individuals who have expressed interest in running include GOP Reps. Ralph Norman and Nancy Mace, who both also lost the governor’s primary. Republican Rep. Russell Fry’s name has also been floated.
▪ The Hill: Who is Darline Graham Nordone?
▪ The Hill: Trump loses go-to Senate power broker.
‘FULL AND IMPARTIAL INVESTIGATION’: Maine’s senators are demanding an investigation after another shooting involving a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer resulted in the death of a man.
The shooting took place early Monday morning in Biddeford, a town about 15 miles south of Portland. Immigrants’ rights organizations identified the man as a 26-year-old Colombian citizen who was authorized to work in the U.S.
“The shooting in Biddeford requires a full and impartial investigation of what happened,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said.
Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) said he spoke with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin about the incident. He said he was told the man was not the target of the operation being carried out ahead of the shooting.
“The question is, what did he do with his vehicle?” King said. “Were officers threatened? Were the threats rising to the level that justified deadly force?”
The shooting is the second such incident in the past week, following the killing of a Mexican national in Houston by federal immigration officers in another apparent case of mistaken identity.
▪ The Hill: Immigration officer was ‘fearing for public safety.’
▪ CNN: ICE faces familiar credibility test.
NO DEAL: A federal judge declared a settlement between the president and the IRS void Monday after finding the deal amounted to collusion between the parties.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams found a $10 billion lawsuit that Trump filed in January against the IRS over the leaking of his tax returns during his first term was “brought for an improper purpose” — granting legitimacy to a “‘settlement’ that had no viable basis in fact or law.”
Trump and the IRS had agreed in May to settle the case, creating an “anti-weaponization” fund to provide payouts to people who claim to have been victims of political prosecutions by the federal government, as the president has asserted. The deal also included an agreement to bar the IRS from conducting future audits of Trump’s tax returns, along with those for his businesses and family members.
Following backlash, the Department of Justice (DOJ) agreed to drop the anti-weaponization fund, but the IRS agreement remained in place.
Williams referred Trump’s attorney, Alejandro Brito, to the Florida bar for possible disciplinary action after finding sanctions were warranted.
▪ CNN: DOJ reaches another settlement with Michael Flynn.
NOT SO FAST: A dozen state attorneys general have filed a joint lawsuit seeking to block Paramount’s pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing it would harm competition and the media and entertainment business.
The lawsuit alleges the acquisition would violate antitrust law and create “a massive company with unprecedented power and influence over news and entertainment across the globe.”
The more-than-$100 billion deal announced in February would bring control of Warner Bros. Discovery under the media empire led by David Ellison, the son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, a close Trump ally.
The agreement was reached after Ellison won a bidding war with Netflix for the entertainment and media giant. Trump has voiced support for the deal and signaled he wants CNN, currently owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, to operate under new ownership.
▪ Semafor: Paramount considers leaving California over rift.
▪ Politico: Outgoing antitrust chief defends administration’s agenda.
CRACKING DOWN: The Pentagon and DOJ have created a joint task force to identify and prosecute individuals who leak information, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Monday.
Hegseth said the Pentagon’s Office of the General Counsel will be permitted to request and receive all information and records across the Defense Department for media leak investigations, with personnel putting a priority on the requests.
The announcement comes days after the DOJ issued subpoenas to four New York Times reporters trying to force their testimony before a grand jury in Manhattan. It followed the Times’s reporting on security concerns about Trump’s Qatari-donated airplane that he flew to Turkey for the NATO summit last week.
