Early Edition: June 16, 2025

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A curated guide to major news and developments over the weekend. Here’s today’s news:

ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT

The fiercest clash between Iran and Israel in decades entered its fourth day today. A spokesperson for Israel’s military on Saturday claimed Israel has “full aerial operational control” over western Iran and the capital city of Tehran and that Israel has destroyed one-third of Iran’s surface-to-surface missile launchers. Earlier in the weekend, Israel said that it killed the intelligence chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, along with his deputy. BBC News reports; Yaroslav Trofimov reports for the Wall Street Journal; Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

Israel on Saturday widened its military campaign against Iran by targeting Iran’s gas and petrochemical refineries, according to a statement from Iran’s oil ministry. Videos verified by the New York Times showed a large fire burning at the South Pars gas refinery, one of the world’s largest gas fields. Israeli strikes also targeted Iran’s foreign ministry building, Iranian authorities said. Farnaz Fassihi reports; Jon Gambrell, Natalie Melzer, and Tia Goldberg report for AP News.

U.S. President Donald Trump over the weekend told Israel he is against Israel killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei when an opportunity for Israel to do so arose, according to two U.S. officials. An Israeli national security adviser denied that Trump had done so, calling the reports “fake news.” Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

Iran’s health ministry reported that Israeli attacks have killed at least 224 people since Friday, and Netanyahu’s office today said that the total number of people killed in Israel in the same period stands at 24. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Tehran residents would “soon pay the price” for Iran’s strikes on Tel Aviv and Haifa that killed at least eight people today, later clarifying that “there is no intention to physically harm the residents of Tehran.” BBC News reports; Alexander Cornwell, Parisa Hafezi, and Steve Holland report for Reuters; Eugenia Yosef reports for CNN.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis yesterday said that they had targeted Israel’s Jaffa with ballistic missiles in coordination with Iran in the last 24 hours, the Houthi’s spokesperson said. Reuters reports.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday said that regime change in Iran could be a result of Israel’s military attacks on the country and that Israel will do “whatever is necessary” to remove the “existential threat” posed by Tehran. Michael Martina and Katharine Jackson report for Reuters.

ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT — U.S. RESPONSE

Israel late last week asked the Trump administration to join its conflict with Iran, according to Israeli officials. While the U.S. government has so far largely distanced itself from Israel’s operations, the U.S. military has helped Israel intercept Iranian missiles, two U.S. officials confirmed on Friday. Netanyahu yesterday said that he and Trump are “fully coordinated.” Reuters reports; Barak Ravid reports for Axios; BBC News reports.

Trump on Saturday called for Israel and Iran to “make a deal” and stated that “we will have PEACE, soon” and that “many calls and meetings [are] now taking place.” Trump also said that he is open to Russian President Vladimir Putin serving as a mediator in the conflict, and that he believes Israel’s attack likely improved the chances of reaching a nuclear deal. Barak Ravid reports for Axios; Jeff Mason reports for Reuters; Avery Lotz reports for Axios.

The latest round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, scheduled to take place yesterday, was cancelled, according to Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi and a senior Trump administration official. According to a source, Iran yesterday told mediators Qatar and Oman that it is not open to negotiating a nuclear deal with the U.S. while it is under Israeli attack. Alexander Cornwell, Parisa Hafezi, and Steve aHolland report for Reuters.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday told Trump that he condemns Israel’s attack on Iran and is concerned the conflict could escalate in unpredictable ways, a Kremlin foreign policy aide said. Paul Sonne reports for the New York Times.

The State Department on Friday reactivated the Farsi-language news broadcast for Voice of America, recalling dozens of workers from administrative leave “effective immediately,” according to staff members and an email seen by the New York Times. Minho Kim and Chris Cameron report.

The U.S. Northern Command on Saturday announced that the U.S. military has stepped up security at all military installations in the United States “based on world events.” Reuters reports.

ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

Leaders of the Group of Seven nations are set to meet today to begin their annual talks, expected to focus on the Iran-Israel conflict and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. David Ljunggren, John Irish, and Andreas Rinke report for Reuters.

U.S. POLITICAL VIOLENCE

An armed man posing as a police officer on Saturday killed former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband, and injured Minnesota Sen. John Hoffmann (D) and his wife. Gov. Tim Walz (D) called the incident an “unspeakable tragedy” that appeared to be “a politically-motivated assassination.” Walz added that he was “cautiously optimistic” that Hoffmann and his wife would survive the assassination attempt. Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing reports for POLITICO; Tim Sullivan, Steve Karnowski, and Alanna Durkin Richer report for AP News.

Police yesterday arrested the man suspected of killing Hortman and her husband and injuring Hoffman and his wife, according to Minnesota State Patrol Lt. Col. Jeremy Geiger. The police added that they were trying to determine if the suspect was receiving any assistance while on the run. Bill Hutchinson and Leah Sarnoff report for ABC News.

The Texas Department of Public Safety evacuated the Texas State Capitol on Saturday “out of an abundance of caution” after receiving a “credible threat” against legislators, according to a statement from the agency. Ben Johansen reports for POLITICO.

U.S. PROTESTS RESPONSE

The U.S. Marines deployed to Los Angeles on Friday carried out the first reported detention of a civilian, the U.S. military confirmed after being presented with Reuters’ images that showed Marines apprehending a man and handing him over to Department of Homeland Security agents. Omar Younis, Arafat Barbakh, Phil Stewart, and Idrees Ali report.

Masses of protesters participated in “No Kings” demonstrations across the United States protesting Trump on Saturday. Organizers of the event said that millions of people showed up to protests across more than 2,000 cities. Annie Gowen reports for the Washington Post; Marc Levy, Claudia Lauer, and Jim Vertuno report for AP News.

Security guards at a “No Kings” protest in Salt Lake City on Saturday fired at a man who began running toward the crowd of protesters holding a weapon “in a firing position,” with the security members’ fire wounding the gunman and fatally striking a bystander, according to the Salt Lake City Police Department. Alexandra E. Petri reports for the New York Times.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

Israeli gunfire and airstrikes killed at least 41 Palestinians across Gaza yesterday, with at least 8 people killed near Israeli- and U.S.-supported aid distribution points, according to witnesses, hospital medics, and Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. Nidal Al-Mughrabi reports for Reuters; Mohammad Jahjouh and Samy Magdy report for AP News.

A France and Saudi Arabia-backed U.N. conference on the potential creation of a Palestinian state has been postponed because of the fighting between Israel and Iran, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday. Macron added that the postponement would be brief and that a new date would be set in the coming days. Roger Cohen reports for the New York Times.

Palestinians living in Gaza say they are concerned the Israel-Iran conflict will shift attention away from and slow down the response to the urgent humanitarian crisis in the territory. Adam Rasgon reports for the New York Times.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE

A recent Russian air attack badly damaged a building used by Boeing in Kyiv, in what appeared to be a deliberate strike on the U.S. aerospace company, according to sources and photographs seen by the Financial Times. According to the deputy general director of Boeing’s operation in Ukraine, the attack caused “no operational disruption.” Christopher Miller reports.

The Russian defense ministry yesterday said that Russian forces carried out an overnight strike on the Kremenchuk oil refinery that supplies fuel to Ukrainian forces in the Donbas region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack occurred “after the Americans asked [Ukraine] not to strike at Russian energy facilities.” Reuters reports.

Russia yesterday handed over the bodies of another 1,200 Ukrainian soldiers killed in the war, bringing the total of repatriated bodies to more than 4,800, Ukrainian officials said yesterday. Reuters reports.

U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The United States-China trade truce struck last week leaves the two countries’ dispute over export restrictions tied to national security and military usage unresolved, an omission that may threaten a more comprehensive deal, sources say. Laurie Chen and Fanny Potkin report for Reuters.

A former senior Syrian security official and member of former President Bashar al-Assad’s inner circle, Bassam al-Hassan, has told the FBI that Assad in 2013 ordered the killing of Austin Tice, a freelance journalist who was kidnapped in Syria. According to U.S. officials, the U.S. government is investigating Hassan’s claims, which mark the first time a senior Assad regime official has spoken to U.S. officials about Tice’s fate. Ellen Nakashima, Souad Mekhennet, Joanna Slater, and Aaron Schaffer report for the Washington Post.

U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS

An Afghan man accused of planning an Election Day attack in the U.S. on behalf of the Islamic State on Friday pleaded guilty to federal terrorism-related charges. Nadia Lathan reports for AP News.

A cyberattack that was potentially the work of a foreign government has compromised the email accounts of several Washington Post journalists, including those who report on national security and economic policy issues, sources say. In an internal memo, the Post’s Executive Editor Matt Murray yesterday said that the company discovered the issue on Thursday and that an investigation is ongoing. Dustin Volz, Isabella Simonetti, and Robert McMillan report for the Wall Street Journal.

U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS

The Trump administration has directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to largely pause immigration raids on farms, hotels, restaurants, and meatpacking plants, according to sources and an email. According to a source, Trump was not aware of the extent of White House aide Stephen Miller’s enforcement push, and “once it hit him, he pulled it back.” Hamed Aleaziz and Zolan Kanno-Youngs report for the New York Times; Ted Hesson and Marisa Taylor report for Reuters.

The State Department is considering potentially banning citizens of 36 additional countries from entering the United States, according to a cable seen by Reuters. Humeyra Pamuk reports.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last week provided the Homeland Security Department with personal data, including the immigration status, of millions of Medicaid enrollees. According to an internal memo and emails obtained by AP News, Medicaid officials unsuccessfully sought to block the transfer, citing legal and ethical concerns. Kimberly Kindy and Amanda Seitz report.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS

The White House directed the Pentagon and NASA to scrutinize SpaceX’s governmental contracts following the blowout between Trump and Elon Musk earlier this month, sources say. The review aims to prepare the agencies for possible retaliation against the businessman and his companies, the sources added. Marisa Taylor and Joey Roulette report for Reuters.

Saturday’s military parade in Washington D.C. was sponsored by at least four brands with strong financial and political ties to Trump, including Palantir and Oracle. Federal law prohibits the use of public office for the private gain of officeholders or their friends, relatives, or nongovernmental affiliates. Minho Kim reports for the New York Times.

Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet, who Trump tried to fire last month, is stepping down from her position, according to an email from the Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III seen by POLITICO and Sajet’s statement. In the email, Bunch thanks Sajet for “put[ting] the needs of the Institution above her own.” Katherine Long reports; Robin Pogrebin and Graham Bowley report for the New York Times.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

Trump likely exceeded his authority by issuing an executive order containing a number of changes to electoral procedures, including new stringent voting ID requirements, a federal judge found on Friday. The judge issued a preliminary injunction restraining the federal government from requiring proof of citizenship for new voters and blocking a directive for Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against states that continue counting ballots beyond Election Day. Zach Montague reports for the New York Times.

A federal judge on Friday blocked Trump’s attempt to fire three members of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, finding “no constitutional defect” in a statute that limits the President’s ability to terminate board members of independent agencies. Lea Skene reports for AP News.

A federal judge on Friday blocked Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s updated plans to downsize the State Department, ruling that the plan of which Rubio recently notified Congress was covered by an earlier injunction. After the ruling, a State Department representative said that the department would not issue layoff notices scheduled to be sent on Saturday. AP News reports; Daniel Wiessner reports for Reuters.

The Trump administration can continue the immigration detention of pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil over allegations of immigration violations, a federal judge ruled on Friday. The judge previously found Khalil’s arrest and initial detention were unlawful. Kyle Cheney and Erica Orden report for POLITICO.

Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions