Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared before Congress for the first time since the U.S.-Iran conflict began, putting the war's cost at $25 billion and pushing back hard against lawmakers from both parties who have raised doubts about the conflict. The appearance marks a rare public accounting of the war's price tag, though the source and breakdown of that figure were not detailed in available reporting. Hegseth's combative tone toward skeptical legislators signals the administration is not inclined to open the conflict to broad congressional debate. The $25 billion figure is significant: it sets a baseline for future supplemental spending requests and could pressure Congress to authorize more funds or push for oversight. Lawmakers questioning the war from both sides of the aisle suggests the political coalition behind the conflict is fragile. Watch whether Congress moves to attach conditions to war funding or calls for a formal authorization vote in the weeks ahead.
Iranian armed forces attacked a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, briefly halting traffic through the waterway. The strike threatens a fragile US-Iran arrangement and could push shipping insurance costs and oil prices higher.
The US has struck Iran, with President Trump citing an Iranian attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz as justification. The action raises immediate risks for global oil flows through one of the world's most critical shipping chokepoints.
The US struck ten Iranian targets on the second consecutive day of military action, putting a fragile ceasefire under serious pressure. The escalation raises immediate risks for Gulf shipping, global oil supply, and regional stability.
Venezuela's twin earthquakes, magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, have killed at least 164 people and injured 971, interim president Delcy Rodriguez confirmed Thursday. The quakes are the country's strongest since 1900, collapsing buildings across Caracas and prompting a state of emergency, with the death toll expected to rise as
