Trump faces first big loss on Iran war
Votes in the House and Senate this week to halt the military campaign would prove a stunning embarrassment for the president.

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Votes in the House and Senate this week to halt the military campaign would prove a stunning embarrassment for the president.
Proposed direct contact between the U.S. and Taiwanese president overturns decades of diplomatic practice governing ties between the two countries.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, who lost his primary this weekend, became the latest GOP defector as critics took advantage of Republican absences to advance a war powers resolution.
The Defense secretary’s remarks are highly unusual for a civilian military leader.
“Everyone is safe and I think that’s the most important thing,” a spokespersons said.
The warship and two destroyers docked in Norfolk, Virginia, with about 5,000 sailors waiting to see their families for the first time since June.
Army leaders also appeared taken aback by the administration’s abrupt action.
The allowance for Iran to enrich uranium at any point in the future — even decades out — marks a shift for the president.
It wasn’t clear why the Defense secretary issued the order not to send troops on a routine mission to a country the administration refers to as a “model ally.”
Tehran’s ability to scare off commercial ships continues to give it leverage in any peace negotiation with the U.S.
The once vocal GOP wing that warned against making deals with Beijing has largely left the conversation ahead of Trump’s China summit.
The latest increase comes even as the U.S. says the fighting has largely stopped.
German lawmaker Roderich Kiesewetter acknowledged tense relations between Berlin and Washington but argued German leaders could have done a better job of calibrating their criticisms of the Iran war.
The Michigan Democrat and prominent national security voice said the country is ready for a “new generation” of candidates.
The Senate Armed Services member and former Pentagon official warned the president could easily fall into a trap due to his eagerness to strike a deal with China.
As the war's future seems uncertain, there are signs GOP patience is starting to fray.
Current and former U.S. defense officials worry headwinds from the conflict with Tehran leave Beijing with the upper hand.
The saga has turned the Democratic senator into a high-profile opponent of the administration and elevated his national standing ahead of a possible presidential run.
The Defense secretary distanced Project Freedom, the latest effort to reopen the strait, from the rest of the Iran war.
The exchange occurred a day after President Donald Trump announced the Navy would help commercial vessels transit the Strait of Hormuz.
“If we are to remain transatlantic, we must strengthen the European pillar within NATO,” German defense minister said in response to planned withdrawal of American troops from his country.
The drawdown, which comes after the country’s leader sparred with President Donald Trump over the Iran war, leaves about 33,000 troops there.
The letter to lawmakers attempts to justify why the president is not seeking congressional authorization after the conflict reaches a 60-day threshold.
The Pentagon chief told senators a ceasefire in the Middle East pauses a 60-day war powers clock.
The Defense Department "was not expecting it," a congressional aide said.
There are 38,000 U.S. troops and personnel stationed in Germany, and cutting forces there would face opposition on Capitol Hill.
His decision to label critics as short-sighted and unpatriotic pulls a page from the Donald Trump playbook: when threatened, attack.
The figure is the most specific price tag the administration has provided on the U.S. military conflict.