Top House Democrat pushes Congress to take up war powers resolution immediately
Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, stated that the House should vote immediately on a war powers resolution to limit the Trump administration’s military actions against Iran.
“We need a permanent end to Donald Trump’s reckless war of choice,” Jeffries told CNN shortly after the announcement of the two-week ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday. “House Democrats have demanded that Speaker Mike Johnson immediately reconvene the House back into session so we can move a war powers resolution that will end this conflict permanently.”
Democratic lawmakers had expressed concern after President Trump threatened to destroy an “entire civilization” if Iran did not agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Jeffries described the ceasefire as “insufficient,” though it remains unclear how this agreement will influence Congress’s broader view of Trump’s management of the conflict. Republican leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, have largely remained silent following Trump’s recent social media statements.
Trump indicated that in-person talks with Iran would occur “very soon,” according to the New York Post.
In an interview with the Post, Trump mentioned that Vice President JD Vance might not attend the negotiations due to security concerns.
The Heartland Institute, which hosted a recent conference on climate change, has received funding from major oil companies and Republican mega-donors. It contributed to Project 2025, a far-right policy agenda for a potential second Trump administration.
Craig Rucker, president of CFACT, a right-wing group, introduced Lee Zeldin at the conference as a “friend of sound science [and] climate realism, a real rockstar.”
“What happened for years and decades in this country is that the elite, the ruling class, the people who would run the agencies, the people who have decided that they are in charge of the science, the politicians, the biggest grifters: there would be a cabal that would decide exactly which model is the chosen model, which methodology is the higher methodology,” Zeldin said. “And if all of you in this room, if any of you in this room dare to challenge any of that, well shame on you.”
Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), delivered the keynote speech at the Heartland Institute’s climate change conference in Washington, DC, on Wednesday morning.
“No longer are we going to rely on bad, flawed assumptions instead of accurate, present-day fact without apology or regret,” he said, referring to established climate science.
The Heartland Institute rejects the scientific consensus on climate change, promoting doubt and branding climate science as alarmist. Zeldin criticized media for labeling him “controversial” due to his rejection of mainstream climate positions.
He said the EPA is “heeding the call of the American public” by implementing an anti-environment agenda and criticized previous administrations for following climate scientists’ warnings about greenhouse gas emissions.
Donald Trump is scheduled to be in Washington today. Currently, none of his meetings, including with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins at 11:30 a.m. ET or NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at 3:30 p.m. ET, are open to the press. Updates will be provided if this changes.
The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, is expected to brief reporters at 1 p.m. ET.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed determination regarding Iran relinquishing its enriched uranium and suggested the US might conduct an operation to seize it.
“We know what they have, and they will give it up, and we’ll get it, and we’ll take it if we have to,” Hegseth said. “We can do it in any means necessary.”
Hegseth says that US had 'legitimate targets' amid Trump's threats to eradicate a 'whole civilization'
When asked if Trump intended to follow through on his threat that a “whole civilization will die” if Iran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Hegseth said the US had a target “set, locked and loaded” if a deal collapsed by Tuesday evening.
He claimed the Iranian regime used “dual use” infrastructure such as bridges and power plants to fund its military and terror activities.
The administration faced criticism after Trump’s statements suggested potential violations of the Geneva Conventions.
“We had a lot of legitimate targets. They knew exactly the scope of what we were capable of,” Hegseth said, defending Trump’s plans.
Answering reporters’ questions, Hegseth said the US would maintain a presence to ensure Iran complies with the ceasefire and to encourage negotiations.
“So we’ll stay put, stay ready, stay vigilant,” Hegseth added.
The US military is prepared to resume attacks on Iran if ordered, according to top US General Dan Caine.
“Let us be clear, a ceasefire is a pause, and the joint force remains ready, if ordered or called upon,” Caine said at a press conference.
Caine noted that since the war began on 28 February, the US military has struck over 13,000 targets, destroying approximately 90% of Iran’s naval fleet and 95% of its naval mines.
Hegseth reiterated Trump’s demand that Iran cease uranium enrichment, a condition Tehran has previously rejected.
“Any material they should not have, will be removed right now,” Hegseth said. “The president has been clear from the beginning, there will be no Iranian nuclear weapons.”
Hegseth says new Iranian regime was 'out of options and out of time'
Hegseth described the two-week ceasefire as a decisive victory and listed Iranian officials killed since the conflict began.
“The new Iranian regime was out of options and out of time, so they cut a deal,” Hegseth said. “We control their fate, not the other way around. That’s why they came to the table. Iran’s defeat is America’s retribution for every American lost to Iranian terror.”
Hegseth: Iran ‘begged’ for this ceasefire
At a Pentagon press conference, Hegseth stated that Iran “begged for this ceasefire” and claimed Operation Epic Fury “decimated” Iran’s military.
He said Iran’s missile program has been “functionally destroyed” and its navy “is at the bottom of the sea,” adding that the US “own[s] their skies.”
The US conducted 800 strikes on Tuesday night, destroying Iran’s defense industrial base.
Iran must negotiate in ‘good faith’ during the two-week ceasefire, says JD Vance
The US and Iran agreed to a two-week conditional ceasefire on Tuesday evening, including a temporary reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, following a last-minute diplomatic intervention by Pakistan, which cancelled an ultimatum from Trump demanding Iran’s surrender or face widespread destruction.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is expected to meet with Donald Trump on Wednesday to address the president’s frustration with the alliance over the Iran conflict.
Trump had suggested the US might leave NATO after member countries did not respond to his call to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route, which Iran had effectively closed, causing gas prices to rise.
Donald Trump is “impatient” to make progress toward ending the Iran war and has instructed his negotiating team to engage Iran in good faith, Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday.
Speaking at an event in Budapest during his trip to Hungary, Vance said a deal was possible if Iran negotiated sincerely but cautioned that while some Iranian factions were constructive, others were not. He described the situation as a “fragile truce.”
“The president of the United States has told me – and he’s told the entire negotiating team, secretary of state, the special envoy Steve Witkoff – he said, ‘Go and work in good faith to come to an agreement,’” Vance said.
“He’s impatient. He’s impatient to make progress. He has told us to negotiate in good faith, and I think if they negotiate in good faith, we will be able to find a deal. But that’s a big if, and ultimately, it’s up to the Iranians how they negotiate. I hope they make the right decision,” the vice-president added.
Georgia special election results
Clay Fuller supports the Republican agenda, while Shawn Harris opposes it. Voters in Marjorie Taylor Greene’s former district in northwest Georgia decided that this distinction was insufficient to elect a Democrat in a conservative-leaning House seat on Tuesday night.
The Associated Press called the election as results from rural counties in the northwest corner of the state were reported.
Both candidates have significant military backgrounds. Fuller is an Air Force Reserve lieutenant colonel and military attorney. Harris is a retired brigadier general with combat experience in Afghanistan, Liberia, and other locations, with his last active-duty role as a military attaché in Israel.
On paper, Harris’s chances were slim. Georgia’s 14th congressional district voted for Trump by a two-to-one margin in 2024, similar to the margin Harris lost to Greene in 2024. Consistent with special elections since Trump’s term began, the Democratic candidate overperformed.
Early results indicated Harris improved his 2024 margin by double digits. Harris stated he will run again in November for a full congressional term.
Oil prices and market reaction to ceasefire
Oil prices plunged nearly 15%, and global stock markets rallied sharply after the US and Iran agreed to a two-week conditional ceasefire.
Investors welcomed news that Trump had refrained from his threat to bomb Iran “into the stone ages,” with Iran’s foreign minister confirming passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be allowed for the next two weeks under Iranian military management.
Oil prices dropped despite uncertainty about whether the US will accept the ceasefire terms. The management and reopening of the strait beyond the two-week period remain unresolved.
Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, fell 14.4% to $93.48 per barrel, while US crude futures declined 14.7% to $96.27 per barrel. Prices remain significantly higher than before the conflict, when Brent traded below $73 per barrel.
Reactions to Trump’s ceasefire announcement
President Trump’s ceasefire announcement has divided US lawmakers. Some view it positively, while others question the Republican president’s fitness to lead.
Trump’s earlier threat to annihilate Iranian civilization led some critics to call for invoking the 25th Amendment, which allows for transfer of power if a president is unable to govern, especially due to illness.
Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated that Trump’s ceasefire “changes nothing.”
“The President has threatened a genocide against the Iranian people, and is continuing to leverage that threat,” she wrote on X.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally and foreign policy hawk, called for congressional oversight to “kick the tires.”
“At this early stage, I am extremely cautious regarding what is fact vs. fiction or misrepresentation,” Graham wrote on X.
“That’s why a congressional review process like the one the Senate followed to test the Obama Iranian deal is a sound way forward.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described Trump as “an extremely sick person” in response to the president’s threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight.”
Liberal Chris Taylor wins Wisconsin Supreme Court election
Democratic-backed candidate Chris Taylor won election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday, giving liberals a 5-2 majority on the court.
She defeated conservative Maria Lazar, strengthening the liberal hold on the high court ahead of the next presidential election, when the swing state is expected to face challenges to election results.
“Once again, Wisconsin showed the entire nation that we believe that the people should be at the center of government and the priority of our judiciary, not the billionaires, not the most powerful and privileged, but the people,” Taylor said in her victory speech.
Taylor’s win ensures liberals will hold a majority on the court until at least 2030. Taylor is considered supportive of voting rights, while Lazar’s views aligned more closely with Republicans, advocating policies that could restrict voting access. Lazar had supported gerrymandered maps favoring Republicans, which have since been overturned.
Wisconsin Republican Party Chair Brian Schimming, following Lazar’s defeat, urged Republicans to “stay united and continue fighting for our conservative values.”
The race serves as an indicator of Democratic resilience in this year’s midterms, particularly in a key swing state, though the November ballot and voter turnout will differ significantly from a court election.
Democratic candidates have made gains across the country in traditionally Republican areas, providing momentum heading into November. Historically, voters tend to oppose the sitting president’s party in midterm elections.
Shortly before his 8 p.m. ET deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face destruction, Donald Trump announced on social media that the US had reached a temporary ceasefire agreement with Iran. Details of the agreement remain forthcoming, and military strikes continue across the region.
Iranian officials are scheduled to meet with US representatives for talks beginning Friday. Pakistan, which brokered the ceasefire, will host the negotiations in Islamabad.
The Pentagon will hold a press briefing at 8 a.m. ET today, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expected to attend.
Some Democrats criticized the ceasefire deal, suggesting its terms, if accurate, would grant Iran significant concessions, including control over the Strait of Hormuz. Others, including Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, called for invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office after his genocidal threats against the Iranian people.
Several Republicans praised the president’s decision, viewing it as a strategic move. Senator Rick Scott of Florida said, “This is a strong first step toward holding Iran accountable.”
US journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was detained in Baghdad by the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah last week, has been released, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Republican Clay Fuller won Georgia’s special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene in Congress. Consistent with special elections since Trump’s term began, his Democratic opponent, Shawn Harris, overperformed.
