Defense &
National Security
|
Defense &
National Security
|
|
|
|
Sen. Wicker tells Trump to ‘finish the job’ on Iran |
Sen. Roger Wicker, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called for renewed airstrikes against Iran, pressing President Trump to “finish the job he started” and warning him of an “ill advised” agreement with Tehran.
|
“We are at a moment that will define President Trump’s legacy. His instincts have been to finish the job he started in Iran, but he is being ill advised to pursue a deal that would not be worth the paper it is written on,” Wicker said in a statement on Friday.
“Our commander-in-chief needs to allow America’s skilled armed forces to finish the destruction of Iran’s conventional military capabilities and reopen the strait,” Wicker said. “Further pursuit of an agreement with Iran’s Islamist regime risks a perception of weakness. We must finish what we started. It is past time for action.”
The president has repeatedly threatened to resort to kinetic action against Iran since the ceasefire went into effect in April, but he has repeatedly called them off, as both sides have traded proposals through intermediaries.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday morning that the administration was waiting for a response from Iran on a peace deal to potentially end the conflict in the Middle East.
“We await word on those conversations that are ongoing. There’s been some slight progress. I don’t want to exaggerate it, but there’s been a little bit of movement, and that’s good,” Rubio, who also serves as Trump’s national security adviser, told reporters.
On Friday morning, the president convened a meeting with his top national security officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Axios reported. Vice President Vance and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles were also present.
|
Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Filip Timotija — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.
|
|
|
|
How policy will affect defense and national security now and in
the future:
|
|
|
|
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that “slight progress” was made during talks with Iran as Pakistan’s army chief traveled to Tehran in a renewed effort to mediate a peace deal and uncertainty loomed over whether the war would resume. Rubio spoke days after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was holding off on a military strike against the Islamic Republic because “serious negotiations” …
|
|
|
|
|
(NewsNation) — The Pentagon on Friday released another batch of UFO files following an initial drop that included never-before-seen documents related to incidents already public. The second drop includes over 40 videos requested by lawmakers, along with a few files and some audio from NASA missions. The files are being released on a rolling basis at war.gov/UFO following President Trump’s promise to declassify certain …
|
|
|
|
|
Taiwan’s authorities haven’t been notified of a hold on a planned $14 billion U.S. arms sale to Taipei, a government official said Friday, even as acting U.S. Navy Secretary Hung Cao a day prior said some foreign military sales were being paused because of the Iran war. Speaking to reporters in Taipei on Friday, Taiwanese presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo said officials had seen reports of the pause, “but currently …
|
|
|
|
|
Former national security adviser John Bolton said Thursday he is concerned the Trump administration may try to “kidnap or snatch” former Cuban President RaĂşl Castro amid speculation that his indictment could be used as a pretext for U.S. military intervention. Bolton demonstrated support for political change in Cuba during an appearance on NewsNation’s “On Balance” but warned that hasty escalation could undermine that goal. …
|
|
|
|
|
Upcoming things we’re watching on our beat:
|
- The International Institute for Strategic Studies is holding a discussion on Tuesday at 7 a.m. ET on “Strained deterrence: Iran, the changing character of war, and the future of the U.S.-ROK alliance.”
- The Atlantic Council’s Africa Center and the Policy Center for the New South is holding a discussion on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. ET on “Security challenges and paths to stability in the Sahel.”
- The Center for Strategic and International Studies is holding a discussion on Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET “Warfighting and War Winning in Space.”
|
|
|
|
Branch out with a different read from The Hill:
|
|
|
|
Trump directs legal migrants to return to home country to apply for green cards
|
The Trump administration on Friday announced prospective immigrants would need to return to their home country to apply for green cards, a move that would stifle the most common pathway used for legal immigration. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) portrayed the new policy memo as …
|
|
|
|
News we’ve flagged from other outlets:
|
|
|
|
Two key stories on The Hill right now:
|
|
|
|
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R), who is serving as President Trump’s special envoy to Greenland, said Friday morning that the Danish territory … Read more
|
|
|
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) says that about half the Senate Republican Conference blasted acting Attorney General Todd Blanche at an explosive meeting … Read more
|
|
|
|
Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill:
|
|
|
|
|
You’re all caught up. See you next week!
|
400 N. Capitol St. NW Suite 950, Washington, DC 20001
|
Copyright © 1998 - 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.
|
|
|
|
|
If you believe this has been sent to you in error, please safely unsubscribe.
