NO BOOTS: Trump said Thursday he wouldn't send troops to assist in the war against Iran as speculation has risen of a possible escalation with boots on the ground.
The president's focus has been on securing the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed to most traffic since the U.S.-Israeli strikes began. About a fifth of the world's oil transports pass through the waterway, making it crucial to global commerce.
The administration has floated sending ground forces to take Iran's Kharg Island, which is located in the Persian Gulf and houses an oil depot that handles 90 percent of Tehran's oil exports. The administration has also weighed deploying U.S. forces to secure Iran's stocks of highly enriched uranium, with Trump repeatedly vowing to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
But Trump seemed to rule that out in comments to reporters Thursday.
"No, I'm not putting troops anywhere," he said.
But he added that "If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you" and that he would do "whatever's necessary" to bring oil costs down.
Sources told Reuters they don't believe a deployment of ground forces anywhere in Iran is imminent. But the outlet reported the administration is considering deploying thousands of troops to reinforce its operation in the region.
And officials have been considering a mission to secure safe passage for oil tankers through the strait with support from naval and air forces.
In a positive development for the administration, Japan and some of the U.S.'s European allies signaled a "readiness to contribute" to efforts to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands condemned Iran's attacks on Persian Gulf states and effective closure of the strait in a joint statement Thursday.
"We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait," the countries said. "We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning."
The statement came after Trump's calls for other countries to send war ships to the strait to protect passing oil tankers were largely rebuffed by the international community. The countries that make up the International Energy Agency agreed last week to release 400 million barrels of oil from stockpiles to mitigate rising costs but have so far shown hesitancy toward getting directly involved in the conflict.
The six countries agreed to take additional steps to stabilize global energy markets and provide support for the countries most affected by the strait's closure.
▪ The Hill: U.S. may lift sanctions on Iranian oil already in transit.
▪ The Hill: Trump doesn't plan to restrict oil or gas exports, officials say.
FIRST IN THE HILL: The Congressional Progressive Caucus formally came out against an extension of the government's warrantless surveillance authority, potentially adding more difficulty to efforts to reauthorize the law.
The Hill's Rebecca Beitsch reports this is the first time the caucus has formally agreed to vote against renewing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows the country to spy on foreigners located abroad.
Lawmakers who have expressed concerns about an invasion of privacy have argued the intelligence community should obtain a warrant before reviewing information on Americans that could get swept up if they communicate with those under surveillance, Beitsch notes.
Read more from Beitsch's reporting here.
HURDLE CLEARED: The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee signed off Thursday on Sen. Markwayne Mullin's (R-Okla.) nomination to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following a contentious confirmation hearing the day before.
The committee narrowly voted to send Mullin's nomination to the full Senate by a vote of 8-7. Chair Rand Paul (R-Ky.) voted against the nomination after having pressed Mullin on comments calling Paul a "snake" and questioning whether he had the temperament to lead DHS.
But Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) broke party lines to vote in favor, saving Mullin's nomination.
The nomination will now go to the Senate floor and appears on track for confirmation. Paul is the only Senate Republican who has come out against Mullin's nomination to succeed outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem.
The Senate is expected to vote Sunday on a motion to advance Mullin's nomination, setting up a final vote Monday.
▪ The Hill: White House negotiating with Dem moderates on DHS shutdown.
▪ The Hill: Top senators backing Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) for Mullin's seat.
WEEKEND VOTES COMING: The Senate plans to continue to debate and vote on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act throughout the weekend as conservatives try to pressure their fellow Republicans as well as Democrats on the voting requirements bill.
The upper chamber has been debating the bill, which Trump has declared his top legislative priority, throughout the week. The legislation would require people who are registering to vote to provide proof of citizenship and require voters to show an ID before casting a ballot.
Most Senate Republicans support the bill, but they don't have enough support to overcome a Democratic filibuster to prevent it from advancing to final passage. And Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has rebuffed calls to force Democrats to speak continuously in a "talking filibuster" to hold up the bill.
Instead, conservatives are hoping to keep the bill on the floor for weeks to try to build momentum and force Democrats to defend their position.
But they're also warning of potential issues for Republicans if the legislation continues to be blocked, saying it could lead GOP voters to sit out the midterm elections in November if it doesn't make progress, The Hill's Alexander Bolton reports.
MERGER APPROVED: The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) and Department of Justice have approved Nexstar Media Group's acquisition of fellow local broadcaster Tegna, signing off on the landmark merger.
The FCC said it was granting a waiver to Nexstar, the largest provider of local news in the U.S., of the rule limiting the percentage of households that a single broadcaster can reach nationwide.
With the deal approved, Nexstar will have control of local newscasts in more than 70 percent of households across the country, The Hill's Dominick Mastrangelo reports.
Nexstar also owns The Hill and the cable channel NewsNation.
The merger's approval came less than a day after eight attorneys general filed a lawsuit attempting to block the deal, arguing the merger would violate a law protecting against those that substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly.
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