Early Edition: June 24, 2025

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A curated guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:

ISRAEL-IRAN WAR

Hours after President Trump announced that a ceasefire was “in effect,” Israel today accused Iran of breaching the terms of the truce and vowed to launch fresh strikes on Tehran. Trump announced the ceasefire last night and said the truce would take a phased approach, with Iran ending its attacks on Israel first, then Israel stopping its attacks on Iran 12 hours later. However, the exact proposed timing of those events was unclear. The Israeli military’s chief of staff accused Iran of the violation after rocket alert sirens blared out in northern Israel, and said the IDF will respond “with force.” Iran has denied accusations that it had violated the truce. Helen Regan, Lex Harvey, John Liu, Lauren Said-Moorhouse, and Rob Picheta report for CNN; BBC News reports.

At least four people were killed in an Iranian missile strike on a residential building in Israel, moments before the ceasefire was due to come into effect. Meanwhile, Iranian state media today reported that Israeli strikes killed another senior nuclear scientist. CNN reports.

Last year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set motions in place to attack Iran — long before Trump initiated efforts to resolve nuclear concerns through mediation — current and former Israeli officials say. Throughout the fall, the Israelis had met with their Biden administration counterparts to discuss mutual intelligence that reportedly showed Iranian nuclear scientists resuming weaponization research, sources say. Israeli government officials had decided back in March, weeks before Netanyahu met with Trump in the Oval Office, to strike Iran with or without U.S. participation by June the latest, on the reasoning that Iran would have rebuilt its air defenses by the latter half of the year, sources added. Gerry Shih, Warren P. Strobel, and Souad Mekhennet report for the Washington Post.

In the hours after Israel launched its first wave of strikes on Iran on June 13, Israeli intelligence called senior Iranian officials on their cellphones and warned that that they too would be killed unless they ended their support of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime, according to an audio recording obtained by The Washington Post. “I can advise you now, you have 12 hours to escape with your wife and child. Otherwise, you’re on our list right now … We’re closer to you than your own neck vein,” an Israeli intelligence operative told a senior Iranian general, who is a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Over 20 Iranians in positions of power were contacted, a source said, with the covert Israeli campaign reportedly aimed at dividing and destabilizing Tehran’s regime. Warren P. Stroble, Souad Mekhennet, and Yeganeh Torbati report.

ISRAEL-IRAN WAR — U.S. RESPONSE

Trump showed anger this morning and was critical of both Iran and Israel, but he reserved his harshest criticism for Israel who he said “unloaded” on Iran “as soon as we made the deal.” “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f*ck they’re doing,” Trump said of both countries, each of which he accused of violating the ceasefire he announced the night earlier. In a social media post today, Trump warned Israel not to “drop those bombs,” adding, “If you do it is a major violation.” Kevin Liptak reports for CNN; Michael D. Shear reports for the New York Times.

In a retaliatory attack aimed at sending a “clear and explicit” message to Washington, Iran yesterday launched missiles at the U.S. al-Udeid air base, near Doha, which serves as the headquarters of the U.S. Central Command’s air operations in the Middle East. No casualties or injuries were reported, with both Qatari and U.S. officials saying nearly all missiles were intercepted. Trump called the attack “very weak” and thanked Iranian officials for giving the United States “early notice” of the attack. Iranian officials confirmed that Iran gave advanced notice of the attack as a way to minimize casualties, and said that Tehran needed to strike back while also allowing both sides a possible off ramp . A spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry said the attack at the base “had nothing to do” with Qatar. Qatari officials confirmed early today that its airspace has since reopened. Madeline Halpert and Nadine Yousif report for BBC News; Farnaz Fassihi, Adam Rasgon, Eric Schmitt, and Michael Levenson report for the New York Time.

House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Greg Meeks (D-N.Y.) is introducing his own war powers resolution that would direct Trump to “remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” according to a copy obtained by Axios. The measure is reportedly sponsored by the top Democrats on the House Armed Services and Intelligence committees Reps. Adam Smith (D-Wash) and Jim Himes (D-Conn.) Andrew Solender and Kate Santaliz report for Axios.

ISRAEL-IRAN WAR — REGIONAL RESPONSE

Qatar intervened on behalf of the Trump administration and persuaded Iran to agree to the ceasefire deal with Israel, sources say.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

Israeli forces and drones opened fire toward hundreds of people waiting for aid trucks in central Gaza early today, killing at least 25 people, local witnesses and hospitals say. The Israeli military has not commented at the time of writing. Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy report for AP News.

World Central Kitchen, the charity founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, has resumed operations in Gaza almost seven weeks after halting cooking and distributing meals because of Israel’s blockade. In a statement on Saturday, the charity said it cooked almost 10,000 meals, and that it was able to deliver aid to its teams in Gaza for the first time in over 12 weeks. Rawan Sheikh Ahmad reports for the New York Times.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy yesterday visited the U.K. to press for increased military support. The meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and King Charles III came just hours after a major Russian attack on Kyiv killed at least nine people. Zelenskyy said the meetings focused on developing joint weapons production projects and sanctions on Russia. Constant Méheut reports for the New York Times.

GLOBAL AFFAIRS

World leaders are gathering in the Netherlands today for the start of a two-day NATO summit. With Trump in attendance for his first appearance since returning to the White House, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte yesterday acknowledged that leaders will likely want to talk about Iran, but added the “core issue” should remain the defense of the bloc’s 32 members. Molly Quell and Lorne Cook report for AP News; Ellen Francis reports for the Washington Post.

Over 40 people including children and healthcare workers were killed in an attack on a hospital in Sudan at the weekend, the head of the W.H.O. said today. The attack took place near the frontline between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, with WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus calling for attacks on health facilities to stop, without saying who was responsible. Reuters reports.

A wave of drones targeted several Iraqi military sites overnight, damaging two bases in what the Iraqi authorities described as a “cowardly and treacherous” attack. No casualties were reported, but “significant damage” was caused to the radar systems at both bases,a spokesperson for the Iraqi prime minister said. There were no claims of responsibility at the time of writing. Euan Ward reports for the New York Times.

Canada signed a defense partnership with the EU yesterday, the latest sign that two of the closest U.S. allies are strengthening their military cooperation as Trump pulls away and vows to reduce the U.S. role in international security. Ursula. von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, called the agreement with Canada “the most comprehensive we’ve ever concluded,” adding, “As the saying goes, hard times reveal true friends.” Jeanna Smialek and Matina Stevis-Gridneff report for the New York Times.

The British government said yesterday it would ban the Palestine Action group and deem it a terrorist organization, three days after its members damaged military planes using red paint at Britain’s largest air force base. Palestine Action, which vandalized Trump’s golf resort in Scotland back in March, called the ban “unhinged” and said its lawyers “are pursuing all avenues for legal challenge.” Lizzie Dearaden reports for the New York Times.

All three militants involved in April’s deadly attack on tourists near Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam town were Pakistani nationals from the U.N.-proscribed militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the National Investigative Agency said Sunday. A group named The Resistance Front, allied with the LeT, initially claimed responsibility for the attack which killed 26 people, but later disowned it. The attackers are yet to be caught. Neyaz Farooquee reports for BBC News.

U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS

WhatsApp is to be banned on government devices, the U.S. House chief administrative officer informed congressional staffers yesterday. “The Office of Cybersecurity has deemed WhatsApp a high-risk to users due to the lack of transparency in how it protects user data, absence of stored data encryption, and potential security risks involved with its use,” the CAO said in an email viewed by Axios. A spokesperson for Whatsapp parent company Meta responded, saying, “We know members and their staffs regularly use WhatsApp and we look forward to ensuring members of the House can join their Senate counterparts in doing so officially.” Andrew Solender reports.

Federal officials are becoming growingly concerned about the possibility of Iran or its supporters retaliating on U.S. soil following this weekend’s strikes by U.S. forces in Iran. In an internal email Sunday, the FBI said that Iran and its proxies have “historically targeted U.S. interests in response to geopolitical events, and they are likely to increase their efforts in the near term,” and urged field offices to stay in close contact with the Defense Department, including the National Guard. Meanwhile, the State Department issued an alert Sunday advising “U.S. citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution,” and although it did not reference the U.S. strikes on Iran, it noted, “There is the potential for demonstrations against U.S. citizens and interests abroad.” Adam Goldman and Devlin Barrett report for the New York Times; Hannah Sampson reports for the Washington Post.

The former White House physician who treated then-President Biden will appear for a deposition before the House Oversight Committee on July 9, a source told NBC News. Dr. Kevin O’Connor agreed to appear after being subpoenaed by the committee’s chairman Rep. James Comer (R-Ky) who is overseeing an investigation into Biden’s reported cognitive decline while in office. Former Biden White House aides are also set to be interviewed without having been subpoenaed. Ryan Nobles and Melanie Zanona report.

Democrats will today choose a new leader of the House Oversight Committee in a closed-door secret-ballot election. The steering committee, an influential panel aligned with Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), voted to recommend Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.). While the caucus typically accepts the steering recommendation, it has overruled it on rare occasions. Scott Wong reports for NBC News.

The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday allowed the challenge to Virginia’s lifetime ban on voting for all people with felony convictions to proceed . Virginia is just one of three U.S. states that imposes such a ban, with plaintiffs arguing the disenfranchisement violates a federal 1870 law. The Court declined Virginia’s request to hear the case. John Kruzel reports for Reuters.

A federal jury yesterday awarded $500,000 to the widow and estate of a police officer who took his own life nine days after he helped defend the Capitol from rioters on Jan. 6. The jury ordered the defendant, 69-year-old chiropractor David Walls-Kaufman, to pay punitive and compensatory damages for assaulting Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith, inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Michael Kunzelman reports for AP News.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS

The Trump administration said yesterday it would open up 58 million acres of national forests to road construction and development. Described as “absurd” and outdated by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, the 2001 Clinton-era “roadless rule” had preserved the wild nature of nearly all of the land of U.S. forests. Environmental groups have promised to legally challenge the plan which they say could destroy unspoiled U.S. landscapes. Lisa Friedman reports for the New York Times.

Florida is building a detention facility for migrants nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” turning an airfield in the Everglades into the newest holding center with an annual running cost of around $450 million. Hamed Aleaziz reports for the New York Times.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

The Supreme Court yesterday paved the way for the Trump administration to deport immigrants to countries where they are not citizens, temporarily blocking an April 18 decision by a lower-court judge who ruled migrants must have a “meaningful opportunity” to contest their deportation and imposed a nationwide injunction. The justices, without providing an explanation for their ruling, lifted an order from a Boston federal judge who had placed deportation restrictions to countries where immigrants have no ties. A DHS spokesperson celebrated the ruling, saying in a statement, “Fire up the deportation planes.” Following the Supreme Court’s order, the district court ruled that its May 21 order remained in effect for the individual plaintiffs in the case and noted that the Government had not appealed the May 21 order. Ann E. Marimow reports for the Washington Post; Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney report for POLITICO.

For the second time in less than a week, a federal judge in Boston yesterday rejected efforts by the Trump administration to bar international students at Harvard. In a strongly worded ruling, Judge Allison D. Burroughs yesterday blocked a presidential proclamation which bars students from abroad from coming into effect, saying that the case involved “core constitutional rights that must be safeguarded — freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and freedom of speech.” She continued: “The government’s misplaced efforts to control a reputable academic institution and squelch diverse viewpoints seemingly because they are, in some instances, opposed to this administration’s own views, threaten these rights.” Stephanie Saul reports for the New York Times.

Media Matters for America yesterday sued the Federal Trade Commission and its commissioners arguing the FTC has initiated a “campaign of retribution” in violation of the organization’s free speech protection under the First Amendment. The lawsuit comes amid a federal inquiry into Media Matters’s coverage of advertising practices, with the group receiving a civil investigative demand letter in May relating to a lawsuit filed by Elon Musk. Scott Nover reports for the Washington Post.

In a hearing yesterday to determine the future of Voice of America, District Judge Royce Lamberth chastised the Trump administration for not complying with his preliminary injunction issued in April. Judge Lamberth said there has been a “paucity” of information provided by the administration about how it is complying with the statutory obligations for running VOA and its parent, the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Following the hearing, the administration and VOA have been asked to make additional filings by next week. After plaintiffs highlighted that VOA has been unable to broadcast on television and only minimally on radio, Lamberth interjected,“What would be the point of Voice of America if there is no voice?” Scott Nover reports for the Washington Post.

A federal judge in California yesterday said that University of California researchers are likely to succeed on their claims that the Trump administration’s mass termination of research grants involving certain topics including diversity, equity, and inclusion, diversity are unconstitutional. “This is quintessential viewpoint discrimination and that likely violates the First Amendment,” District Judge Rita Lin wrote. The order temporarily blocks the administration from cancelling grants to the University. Jeremy Yurow reports for Courthouse News Service.

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