The US Senate has once again failed to pass a proposal aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s war powers. The measure, intended to halt military action against Iran, was put to a vote for the fifth time. It received 46 votes in favor and 51 against, falling short of the required majority. Before the vote, Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer criticized Trump for what he described as empty promises to end wars.

The vote followed recent joint airstrikes by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28. President Trump stated that positive news regarding a second round of peace talks with Iran could come by Friday. According to The New York Post, citing Islamabad-based sources, discussions may resume within 36 to 72 hours.

Earlier, Trump extended the existing ceasefire with Iran to allow more time for peace negotiations. He noted that, for the first time, the United States had not set a specific deadline for Iran’s next move and credited Pakistan’s leadership for its advisory role in this decision.

US Navy Secretary John Phelan has been removed from his position, according to CNN citing sources. The decision was made as part of an ongoing wartime restructuring within the Pentagon. The move follows Defense Secretary Hegseth’s earlier dismissal of the US Army’s top general about a week ago.

A brief Pentagon statement confirmed that the order for Phelan’s removal took immediate effect and that he has vacated his post. However, no explanation was provided regarding the reason for his dismissal or whether it was voluntary. CNN reported that Hegseth spoke with President Trump before informing Phelan that he must resign or be dismissed.

According to the report, President Trump and Secretary Hegseth agreed that new leadership was needed in the Navy. The Pentagon has not yet announced Phelan’s replacement or further details about the restructuring process.

A 15-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran, brokered by Pakistan on April 9, 2026, expired on April 22 without renewal. Despite mediation efforts by Pakistan and Egypt, no agreement was reached on extending the truce. Key disputes remain unresolved, including Iran’s nuclear program, control of the Strait of Hormuz, and Israeli attacks in Lebanon. Iran accused the US of violating the ceasefire by maintaining naval blockades, while Washington claimed Iran was attempting to blackmail it by closing the strait.

Reports indicate that the US has increased its military activity in the region, deploying additional naval and air assets, including aircraft carriers, artillery brigades, and missile defense systems. Analysts suggest the US may be using the ceasefire to rebuild its strategic strength after failing to achieve its objectives during earlier hostilities. Iran, meanwhile, is said to be rebuilding its defenses with support from Russia and China.

Observers believe the short-term truce may serve as a tactical pause for both sides to regroup, raising concerns that renewed conflict could erupt soon if diplomatic efforts fail.

The Pentagon has informed that removing sea mines from the Strait of Hormuz will take six months, according to a report by the Associated Press citing sources familiar with the matter. The information was shared during a closed-door briefing to the U.S. House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, where defense officials outlined the current situation in the strategic waterway.

The AP report noted that the briefing left lawmakers with more questions than answers, particularly regarding the cost, strategy, and objectives of the ongoing conflict with Iran. Lawmakers also raised concerns about an earlier attack on an Iranian school that reportedly killed around 165 people, most of them young schoolgirls. No responses were provided to these questions during the meeting.

The situation underscores ongoing uncertainty surrounding U.S. military operations and policy objectives in the region, as well as the humanitarian consequences of recent hostilities.

The United States Senate has once again rejected a proposal aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s authority to conduct military operations against Iran. In the fifth such attempt, 46 senators voted in favor of the measure while 51 opposed it, leaving the proposal short of the majority needed for passage.

Before the vote, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer sharply criticized Republican senators, accusing them of failing to act to end what he described as an unnecessary conflict. Schumer argued that President Trump had been offering only empty promises about ending wars in recent weeks and said this vote represented the fifth missed opportunity for the Senate to stop the war.

The vote leaves President Trump retaining his wartime powers regarding Iran, as efforts to restrict them have repeatedly failed in the Senate.

The White House stated that U.S. President Donald Trump has not set any specific timeline for the ceasefire with Iran. The clarification came on Wednesday, when White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said reports suggesting a three-to-five-day deadline were incorrect. She emphasized that the duration of the ceasefire would be determined solely by President Trump.

According to the White House, the U.S. administration is awaiting a collective response from Iranian leaders regarding the conditions proposed by Washington for a peace agreement. The statement was reported by Al Jazeera and aimed to counter claims circulating in some media outlets about a fixed ceasefire period.

The remarks highlight the uncertainty surrounding the next steps in U.S.-Iran negotiations, as the final decision on the ceasefire’s duration remains with the U.S. president.

The United States has extended the easing of sanctions on oil sales from Iranian and Russian ships for an additional 30 days. The decision was announced by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who said it followed requests from countries facing potential oil shortages due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Bessent told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that finance ministers from about ten countries made the appeal during last week’s meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The move marks a reversal from Bessent’s earlier statement last week, when he said the relaxation period would not be extended.

According to the report, the extension aims to ease supply concerns among nations dependent on oil shipments affected by the regional disruption.

Julian Casablancas, lead singer of the popular band The Strokes, made critical remarks about the role of Zionists in the United States during an appearance on comedian Kareem Rahma’s online talk show Subway Takes. The interview, recorded in the New York City subway and published on YouTube on Tuesday, featured Casablancas discussing various topics, including political issues. His comments have drawn attention and discussion across social media platforms.

Casablancas argued that American Zionists enjoy privileges similar to white beneficiaries but speak as if they are oppressed like African Americans during the era of slavery. Host Kareem Rahma agreed, calling the situation tragic and referencing the ongoing violence in Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed. Rahma described the situation as horrific and said expressing such criticism should not be considered wrong.

The exchange has fueled online debate about privilege, oppression, and the framing of identity in the context of the Israel-Gaza conflict.

U.S. President Donald Trump said a positive development could emerge by Friday regarding a second round of peace talks with Iran. According to The New York Post, citing Islamabad-based sources, the discussions might resume within 36 to 72 hours. When asked about potential progress, Trump responded via text message saying, “It’s possible! – President D.J.T.”

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency immediately rejected the claim, posting on social media that Trump was lying and that Iran had no plans to join talks on Friday. Earlier, Trump had extended the existing ceasefire with Iran to allow more time for negotiations, and the truce remained effective as no new clashes occurred.

Trump noted that the United States had not set a specific deadline for Iran’s next move and credited consultations with Pakistan’s leadership for this approach. He added that U.S. forces were instructed to maintain the blockade and uphold the ceasefire until Iran presented a unified proposal.

Meta has begun installing tracking software on computers used by its US-based employees to record mouse movements, clicks, and keystrokes for use in training artificial intelligence models. Internal memos seen by Reuters indicate that the software will operate on selected work-related applications and websites, occasionally capturing screen snapshots to provide contextual information. The initiative is part of Meta’s broader effort to develop AI agents capable of autonomously performing workplace tasks.

According to the internal memo, the data collection aims to improve Meta’s AI systems in areas where they currently face challenges, such as navigating drop-down menus and using keyboard shortcuts. The memo encouraged employees to contribute to model improvement through their regular work activities. Meta spokesperson Andy Stone stated that the collected data would not be used for employee performance evaluation and would be protected by safeguards to ensure sensitive content remains secure.

Stone added that the project is designed to help Meta’s AI models learn from real examples of human computer use, supporting the company’s goal of building more capable digital assistants.

The Trump administration is reportedly discussing sending 1,100 Afghans who assisted US forces during the Afghanistan war to the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to nonprofit group AfghanEvac cited by The Guardian. The New York Times first reported the plan, which comes after Donald Trump decided to halt opportunities for these Afghans to apply for resettlement in the United States. The group, stranded in Qatar for a year, includes interpreters, relatives of US military members, and more than 400 children.

The Afghans were evacuated to Qatar for their safety after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan following the US military withdrawal. Congo, however, is facing a severe displacement crisis, with the UN Refugee Agency reporting 8.2 million displaced people as of September 2025 and projecting the number could reach 9 million by year’s end. AfghanEvac president Shawn VanDiver said about 900 of the Afghans are eligible for US resettlement, while 200 are not.

A US State Department spokesperson told The Guardian that officials continue to work on voluntary resettlement options for Afghans living at Camp As-Sayliyah in Qatar, though there is currently no viable pathway for them to enter the United States.

U.S. President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran for two more weeks without setting a new expiration date, following a high-level meeting at the White House on Tuesday afternoon. The decision came as Washington awaited a response from Tehran regarding proposed negotiation terms, but received none. Vice President JD Vance and other officials had been preparing to travel to Pakistan for talks, yet the lack of Iranian engagement left the administration uncertain about the next steps.

Officials cited internal divisions within Iran’s leadership as a key reason for the silence, particularly disagreements over uranium enrichment and stockpile management. Reports suggested that new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s unclear directives were contributing to the deadlock. Trump stated on Truth Social that Iranian officials were “deeply divided” but reaffirmed his preference for a diplomatic resolution over renewed military action.

Pakistani intermediaries had encouraged Trump to extend the truce, and U.S. officials indicated that talks could resume quickly if Iran showed readiness. However, advisers warned that the absence of a fixed deadline might allow Tehran to prolong negotiations indefinitely.

The United States military has used a significant portion of its key missile stockpiles during the recent war with Iran, according to a CNN report citing three individuals familiar with internal Pentagon assessments. The depletion raises concerns that the US could face ammunition shortages if new conflicts arise in the coming years. A recent analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies found that at least 45 percent of precision strike missiles, half of THAAD interceptors, and about 50 percent of Patriot air defense missiles were expended during the seven-week conflict.

Sources familiar with the review said these figures align with classified Pentagon data. While the US still retains enough weapons to continue operations against Iran if the fragile ceasefire collapses, it reportedly lacks sufficient munitions to sustain a large-scale conflict with a peer power such as China. The report added that restoring stockpiles to prewar levels could take several years.

The analysis also indicated that around 30 percent of Tomahawk missiles, over 20 percent of long-range Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles, and about 20 percent of SM-3 and SM-6 missiles were used, with replenishment expected to take four to five years.

U.S. President Donald Trump has continued a series of posts targeting Iran on his social media platform, Truth Social. In his latest message, he claimed that Iran is financially collapsing and eager to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump further alleged that the country is in a severe cash crisis, losing about 500 million dollars daily, and that its military and police are complaining about unpaid salaries.

According to the report, Trump provided no independently verifiable evidence to support his claims. The Iranian government has not issued any immediate response to his statements. The posts come amid heightened tensions between the two countries, with recent reports highlighting Iran’s seizure of ships in the Strait of Hormuz and broader regional instability.

The lack of official verification or response leaves uncertainty about the accuracy of Trump’s assertions, while the rhetoric underscores the continuing strain in U.S.-Iran relations.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly searching for a way to withdraw from the ongoing Iran war, which began on February 28. The conflict has proven extremely expensive, with the United States spending between $890 million and $1 billion daily, while Israel has spent $112 billion in total. Post-war reconstruction in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states is expected to cost hundreds of billions, with Saudi Arabia alone needing over $600 billion to restore its oil and gas infrastructure.

The United Arab Emirates has suffered severe damage to civilian and energy facilities from drone and missile strikes and has begun informal discussions with the U.S. about economic assistance. According to the Wall Street Journal, the UAE’s central bank chief recently sought a currency swap with the U.S. Federal Reserve after losing significant oil revenue due to Hormuz Strait disruptions. Meanwhile, Iran has demanded $2.7 trillion in war compensation from several Arab states.

The White House confirmed that Trump remains interested in financial burden-sharing similar to the 1991 Gulf War. However, rising costs and Gulf nations’ demands for U.S. aid could strain the American economy and weaken the dollar’s global position.