A German-American from Nashua has been jailed for more than a month. It's still unclear why.
Protesters gather to demand freedom and due process for Fabian Schmidt — a German-born New Hampshire man being held at the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island, on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Left foreground, Zack Mezera of Working Families Party speaks to the crowd with Fr. Jarrett Kerbel of Saint Luke's in East Greenwich at bottom right. (Photo by Michael Salerno/Rhode Island Current)
Fabian Schmidt, a German-American man living in Nashua, was returning home from a visit to Luxembourg on March 7 when he was detained by immigration officials at Boston Logan International Airport in early March and taken to a detention center in Rhode Island, according to his attorney.
Schmidt's family said that, upon his detainment, Schmidt was stripped naked, placed in a cold shower, and violently interrogated, according to a press release from attorney David Keller. He was also reportedly being denied his medications for anxiety and depression, and being given little food and water as officials pressured him to relinquish his green card.
His mother, Astrid Senior, told NBC News that she doesn't know why her son was being held.
'I feel helpless, absolutely helpless,' she told the news broadcaster.
Schmidt has lived in the U.S. since he was a teenager and has legal permanent resident status, according to the family. Court records in California, where he previously lived, show that he faced misdemeanor charges for possession of a controlled substance and driving under the influence in 2015 and 2016, respectively, among other minor charges. However, his family said those issues had been resolved in the courts and are no longer ongoing.
Officials with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security — which includes Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection — have not provided a justification for Schmidt's detainment. They have, however, denied the allegations that he was violently interrogated.
'These claims are blatantly false with respect to CBP,' Hilton Beckham, assistant commissioner of public affairs for Customs and Border Protection said in a statement to the Bulletin. 'When an individual is found with drug-related charges and tries to reenter the country, officers will take proper action.'
Schmidt has a court date scheduled in June in Boston.
U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan said her office, in collaboration with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's office, has inquired within DHS and spoken with Schmidt's family. She declined to speak on the issue during an event Monday, and said she is 'honoring the wishes of the family and their legal advisers.'
'We are in touch with Homeland Security and Mr. Schmidt's family, but we are also respecting their privacy,' Hassan said. 'There's ongoing litigation about it, so we will respect the privacy but we continue to be in touch with them.'
She would not say whether she knows the justification for his detainment.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte's office did not respond to requests for comment.
Schmidt is not the only legal U.S. immigrant to be part of a high profile legal battle over their immigration status. President Donald Trump, who made cracking down on immigration and mass deportation central tenets of his campaign in 2024, and his administration have launched a public campaign of deportations and detainments that have been decried as illegal and unethical after being reported by the press.
In one of the highest profile immigration-related incidents, Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and an Algerian citizen with permanent legal resident status in the U.S., was arrested by ICE officials in his New York City apartment on March 8, one day after Schmidt was detained. Khalil, who was born to Palestinian parents in a refugee enclave in Syria before ultimately immigrating to the U.S. and marrying a citizen, was an organizer of protests on Columbia University's campus against the Israeli occupation and military action in Gaza. The State Department is currently attempting to revoke his legal status in the country and deport him as punishment for his role in the protests, a move that has generated an uproar among progressives and immigration advocates who believe Khalil has a protected right to free speech. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Khalil engaged in 'antisemitic protests and disruptive activities, which foster a hostile environment for Jewish students in the U.S.' On Friday, a judge in Louisiana ruled that the State Department can deport Khalil. A federal court in New Jersey is expected to hear further appeals in the case.
Several other university students who protested Israel's war in Gaza have also been targeted by the Trump administration.
Tufts University Ph.D. student Rümeysa Öztürk, from Turkey with a student visa, was arrested by ICE agents on March 25 in Somerville, Mass. Video of her arrest, which shows six agents in plain clothes, some of whom were obscuring their badges or wearing hoods or face coverings, went viral online and sparked furor. While federal officials have not publicly provided justification for her arrest, Öztürk was the author of a 2024 op-ed in the university's student newspaper calling for the university to 'acknowledge the Palestinian genocide' and 'disclose its investments and divest from companies with direct or indirect ties to Israel.' Hamas was not mentioned in the op-ed.
Another Columbia University student, Yunseo Chung, an undergraduate student who has lived in the U.S. since she was 7 and is a permanent legal resident, was another target of ICE after the administration attempted to deport her over her involvement in the pro-Palesintian protests. However, the administration has been so far unsuccessful in deporting the woman, who was born in South Korea, amid a legal battle. Rubio, in a press conference last month, said the Trump administration has revoked over 300 visas of students who have engaged in pro-Palestine protest activity.
The Trump administration has also moved to purge Venezuelan and other Latin American migrants from the country under the auspices that they have connections to the violent Tren de Aragua and MS-13 gangs. In March, the Trump administration flew 238 men to El Salvador with no due process. There, they are being detained in a notorious mega prison called the Terrorism Confinement Center, known for brutal conditions and under the control of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who has described himself as 'world's coolest dictator.' The administration reportedly used some of the men's tattoos and clothing as the sole evidence of their gang affiliations. However, an analysis of those deportees by CBS News found no criminal records for 179, or roughly 75%, of them.
That includes Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran citizen who's lived in Maryland for 15 years. Even after admitting in court it deported him due to 'administrative error,' the Trump administration refuses to bring Ábrego García back to the U.S., saying it is up to Salvadoran officials to decide his fate. This is despite the Supreme Court ordering the Trump administration to 'facilitate' his return to the country. In an appearance at the White House Monday, Bukele said he would not return Ábrego García, calling the idea 'preposterous' and asking, 'How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States?'
Those deported also include a makeup artist who immigrated from Venezuela to California in August named Andry Hernandez Romero. He had no criminal record, no known gang affiliation, and was undergoing the asylum process after fleeing his country over fears he would be persecuted for being gay and his political beliefs, according to his lawyers. Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act in these Salvadoran deportations. The move has been criticized for refusing to give the men due process and for its brutality. Rubio said Sunday that another 10 people have been sent to El Salvador.
On Friday, Trump authorized the military to take control of land along the southern border. His announced plan is to station military troops there to detain immigrants traveling into the country from Mexico. He has also previously declared a national emergency arguing 'America's sovereignty is under attack' and that the border is 'overrun by cartels, criminal gangs, known terrorists, human traffickers, smugglers, unvetted military-age males from foreign adversaries, and illicit narcotics that harm Americans.'
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The Hill
19 minutes ago
- The Hill
Vance: Trump wants ‘to build a long term settlement' to ensure Iran doesn't rebuild nuclear program
Vice President Vance said Monday that President Trump wants 'to build a long-term settlement' to ensure Iran does not rebuild its nuclear program. 'While we have obliterated the Iranian nuclear program, our hope and our expectation is that they're not gonna try to rebuild that program,' Vance told Fox News's Bret Baier on 'Special Report.' 'And I think that's what the president is really trying to figure out here, is to build a long-term settlement here, to where we can have peace in the region, where our regional allies, and of course, the American people, most importantly, can be secured, but where we can ensure that the destruction of the Iranian nuclear program that has already happened, is not something they try to rebuild,' he added. President Trump announced Saturday that the United States had bombed three Iranian nuclear sites, stepping into a conflict between Iran and Israel that began earlier this month. Tensions in the Middle East were already high when the recent conflict between Iran and Israel broke out, due to Israel's war in Gaza and Iran's nuclear capability. Iran said it paused attacks on Israel Monday, but also stated it had not come to a 'final decision' on a ceasefire, after Trump had said earlier in the day that Israel and Iran had 'fully agreed' on 'a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE,' on Truth Social, adding that it was going to start 'in approximately 6 hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions!'
Indianapolis Star
an hour ago
- Indianapolis Star
Trump says Israel, Iran agree to 'Complete and Total CEASEFIRE': Live updates
President Donald Trump said Monday that Israel and Iran have agreed to a "total ceasefire," hours after the Iranian military retaliated for U.S. strikes on three of the country's nuclear facilities with a response Trump said was announced ahead of time. "CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE! It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE,'' Trump proclaimed in a social media post around 6 p.m. ET, adding that the truce would take effect in about six hours after both parties completed military missions. Trump said Iran would take the first step with a 12-hour cessation of hostilities, followed in kind by Israel. After that 24-hour stretch of peace, "an Official END to THE 12 DAY WAR will be saluted by the World,'' the president said. Shortly before Trump's posting, Israel issued an evacuation warning for a densely populated district of Tehran, and Iran has also threatened new attacks. A senior White House official told USA TODAY that President Donald Trump communicated directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about a ceasefire, which Israel agreed to as long it was not struck again by Iran. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff negotiated with the Iranians, through both direct and indirect channels, the person said. Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani helped broker the agreement, and Trump called the Gulf leader to thank him, the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said. Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, said Monday night that there would be no cessation of hostilities unless Israel stopped its attacks. "As of now, there is NO 'agreement' on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations," Abbas said on X at 8:46 p.m. ET. "However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards. The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later." Earlier in the day, Trump had posted a message thanking Iran for providing advance warning of its Monday attack, and he made a peace offering to end the brief but intense war. He said Iran fired 14 missiles at a U.S. military base in Qatar and 13 of them were intercepted, while the other one was deemed nonthreatening. Trump reported there were no American or Qatari casualties and very little damage from the attack. Iran's military claimed it had carried out a 'devastating and powerful' missile assault on the Al Udeid U.S. military base in Doha, but Qatar said the missiles were intercepted. U.S. officials said the base had been emptied out, lending credence to the notion Iran was merely saving face with the missile launch. "They've gotten it all out of their 'system,' and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE,'' Trump said in his earlier post. "I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured. Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same.'' The latest developments come as Israel stepped up airstrikes on Iran on Monday, hitting several locations the Israeli defense minister described as "regime targets" in Tehran, including the notorious Evin Prison and the internal security headquarters of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. Contributing: Francesca Chambers, Zac Anderson More: Iran fires missiles at U.S. base in Qatar. Where else could it strike? Developments: ∎ The State Department said it has evacuated approximately 250 U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and their immediate family members from Israel on seven flights since June 21. ∎ Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Iran's foreign minister in Moscow and told him there was no justification for the U.S. bombing of Iran, which he described as "unprovoked aggression," according to the Kremlin. Putin added that Moscow is making efforts to assist the Iranian people. ∎ Iranian official Ebrahim Zolfaqari warned that the U.S. should expect severe consequences. "Mr. Trump, the gambler, you may start this war, but we will be the ones to end it," Zolfaqari said in English in a video shared Monday. Vice President JD Vance was about do a live, in-studio interview on Fox News when Trump posted the cease-fire message. Vance said the administration had been working on the truce when he left the White House. "So that's good news that the president was able to get that across the finish line," Vance said. He said the U.S. must now talk to Iran and Israel and about what comes next, following days of strikes on Tehran's nuclear sites. "I think that is what the president is really trying to figure out here, is to build a long-term settlement," Vance said. Vance said Trump told his team the U.S. would now work to make sure Iran doesn't rebuild its nuclear capability in the future. As for the six hours that Trump referred to, Vance said the fighting may continue for a few hours. "And tomorrow really is a new day. The end of the 12-day war, the end of the Iranian nuclear program, and I really do believe, something big for peace in the Middle East," he said. − Francesca Chambers A U.S. defense official who was not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to USA TODAY that Al Udeid Air Base was attacked by short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles originating from Iran. There were no reports of U.S. casualties, the official said. Another U.S. official said on condition of anonymity that the base had been mostly evacuated, and that it appeared the Qatari military had fended off most missiles. Majed Al Ansari, foreign affairs spokesman for Qatar, issued a statement strongly condemning the missile launch, calling it "a flagrant violation'' of the country's sovereignty. "We reassure that Qatar's air defenses successfully thwarted the attack," the statement said. The U.S. has remained on alert with its 40,000 troops in the region two days after Trump ordered the bombing of Fordow, a uranium-enrichment facility deep inside a remote mountain in Iran, and facilities at Natanz and Isfahan. Trump convened his national security team Monday afternoon in the Situation Room. Many world leaders − including those from the UK, France and Germany − called for restraint and a return to diplomatic negotiations. The extent of the damage to the Iran nuclear sites remains in question because so far there has been no independent assessment. The U.S. Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq had activated its air defense system out of concern of a potential attack, military officials told Reuters. Al Udeid is the sprawling hub of U.S. military air operations in the Middle East. There about 10,000 U.S. troops stationed there, on the outskirts of the capital of Doha. Its air operations center has overseen fighters, bombers and drones that have conducted combat missions in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. Dignitaries make stops there frequently, including Trump and secretaries of Defense. Trump warned other countries Monday not to supply nuclear weapons to Iran in response to the U.S. bombing, after a former Russian president suggested the option. 'The 'N word' should not be treated so casually,' Trump said in a social media post, referring to nuclear was alluding to a social media post by Dmitry Medvedev, the former president of Russia, but questioned its accuracy. Medvedev's post suggested 'a number of countries are ready to directly support Iran with their own nuclear warheads.'−Bart Jansen House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Monday he didn't think it was 'an appropriate time' for the House to vote on a bipartisan war powers resolution pushed by two representatives, Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie and California Democrat Ro Khanna. 'I don't think it's necessary,' Johnson said, according to Punchbowl News. 'For 80 years, presidents of both parties have acted with the same Commander in Chief authority under Article 2.'' Johnson said President Joe Biden used the authority in three Middle East operations, and added: "President Obama went on an eight-month campaign bombing Libya to take down the regime there. I never heard a Democrat balk about any of that. And suddenly now they're just up in arms. It's all politics. This is not a time for politics.' His remarks will likely earn pushback from Massie and Khanna, who were looking to bring their measure to the floor for a vote, seeking to forbid the U.S. from "unauthorized hostilities' in Iran after Trump ordered airstrikes at three nuclear sites in Iran. Lawmakers across the aisle have alleged that Trump's order violated the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of military action. Some of Trump's staunchest allies have split with him over Iran. − Sudiksha Kochi Stocks wavered but quickly moved back into positive ground after Iran said it attacked a U.S. military base Monday. The market wound up on a high note upon news the assault caused no casualties or disruptions to oil supplies. The blue-chip Dow closed up 0.89%, or 374.96 points, to 42,581.78; the broad S&P 500 added 0.96%, or 57.33 points, to 6025.17 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.94%, or 183.57 points, to 19630.98. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield slipped to 4.34%. U.S. oil prices initially rose on the news of explosions over Qatar but settled back to trade down about 7.94% to $67.98 per barrel. Qatar said it intercepted Iran's missiles. − Medora Lee The Israeli military released an urgent warning to residents in Tehran urging them to stay away from "security institutions" as they plan to continue pounding the capital city with airstrikes. "Dear citizens of Tehran, In the coming days, the Israeli army will continue its attacks against military targets in the Tehran region," read the statement posed Monday on X. "To maintain your personal safety, we ask you to stay away from weapons production centers, military bases, and security institutions affiliated with the regime." Tehran is one of the largest cities in the Middle East and is home to an estimated 9.5 million people. On Monday, Israel launched several strikes on the city, hitting near Evin Prison and several command and security operations centers. Oil prices initially rose on reports of explosions over Qatar but dropped again as analysts said oil supplies remained safe. Just after 1:30 p.m. ET, oil prices were down 4.97% at $70.17 per barrel. Analysts' primary concern is if Iran retaliates by closing the Strait of Hormuz, the main artery that carries global oil supplies. If transport through the Strait of Hormuz is significantly disrupted, oil prices could surge to $130-150 per barrel, said David Oxley, chief climate and commodities economist at Capital Economics. − Medora Lee There are no U.S. forces at the military base in Syria that reportedly had come under mortar fire, a U.S. official said Monday. The official, who could not confirm whether an attack had occurred at the base, was not authorized to speak publicly about U.S. troop movements in the region. The alleged attack at a base in western Syria was first reported by Mehr, a news agency affiliated with the Iranian government. The Pentagon has been bracing for a counterattack after the U.S. airstrikes Saturday on three nuclear facilities in Iran. The Pentagon has sent an additional aircraft carrier strike group to the region and bolstered air defenses to protect troops in recent weeks following Israel's ongoing attacks on Iran. Militia groups, funded and supplied by Iran, have regularly fired rockets, mortars and drones at bases with U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria. Those attacks typically do not cause casualties or major damage. Is it safe to travel abroad right now? Worldwide caution issued after US strikes on Iran Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has been one of Trump's most loyal supporters, but she's not holding back in slamming his decision to bomb Iran. In a second lengthy social media post since the bombing, Greene accused Trump of a 'bait and switch' with his supporters. Greene wrote in the Monday post that she campaigned with Trump on a 'MAGA agenda' that included 'NO MORE FOREIGN WARS. NO MORE REGIME CHANGE. WORLD PEACE.' Now, less than six months into Trump's second administration, Greene wrote 'we are back into foreign wars, regime change, and world war 3.' 'It feels like a complete bait and switch to please the neocons, warmongers, military industrial complex contracts, and neocon tv personalities that MAGA hates and who were NEVER TRUMPERS!' Greene added. Greene was among a vocal MAGA contingent warning against attacking Iran before Trump decided to go forward with the strike. Greene has remained outspoken, saying in an earlier social media post that 'I can also support President Trump … while disagreeing on bombing Iran and getting involved in a hot war that Israel started.' − Sudiksha Kochi, Zac Anderson Trump called for oil prices not to increase after U.S. airstrikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran. 'EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I'M WATCHING! YOU'RE PLAYING RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. DON'T DO IT!' he wrote in a Truth Social post. It wasn't clear who he was referring to in the post. In a follow-up Truth Social post, Trump urged the Department of Energy to 'DRILL, BABY, DRILL!!! And I mean NOW!!!' − Sudiksha Kochi and Savannah Kuchar When asked about Trump's recent musings on regime change in Iran, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday that the administration and the U.S. military posture has not changed from its stated goal of taking out Iran's nuclear capabilities. "The president was just simply raising a question that I think many people around the world are asking," she said, adding that if Iran's government "refuse(s) to engage in diplomacy moving forward, why shouldn't the Iranian people rise up against this brutal terrorist regime?' She also told Fox News that Trump 'believes the Iranian people can control their own destiny' — including by toppling their country's theocratic regime. Leavitt said Iran was an 'imminent threat' and that the U.S. strikes "took away Iran's ability to create a nuclear bomb." "They no longer have the capability to build this nuclear weapon and threaten the world," Leavitt said in an interview on ABC News. Her statement comes amid questions around the success of the strikes to destroy Iran's nuclear sites. While Trump and his administration remain adamant that the strikes caused "monumental damage," no independent assessment of the facilities has taken place. Misinformation and fears: Gen Z, Iran and the mass panic happening on TikTok The U.S. Embassy in Qatar issued an alert on its website warning American citizens to "shelter in place until further notice." It's unclear what exactly triggered the alert, though it comes amid high tensions in the region after the U.S. bombed several nuclear facilities in Iran. On Sunday, the State Department released an advisory urging U.S. citizens worldwide to "exercise increased caution" as the conflict between Israel and Iran continued to escalate. Qatar's foreign ministry in a statement on Monday said recent advisories issued by embassies "do not necessarily reflect the existence of specific threats." The statement added the the security situation in Qatar is "stable." Iran's parliament voted Sunday in support of closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital trade route that carries an estimated 20% of the world's oil and gas. The decision to close the strait ultimately belongs to Iran's Supreme National Security Council, which has yet to officially weigh in. Leavitt said the Iranian regime would be 'foolish' to close the strait when asked whether the Trump administration would release more oil to dampen potential price hikes. 'I can assure you the administration is actively and closely monitoring the situation in the Strait of Hormuz,' Leavitt told ABC News. 'The Iranian regime would be foolish to make that decision.' − Savannah Kuchar and Bart Jansen Trump met with his national security team as tensions in the Middle East grew after he ordered a trio of strikes at Iranian nuclear facilities Saturday. In a post on his social media platform, Trump raised the prospect of regime change while officials in his administration said they were seeking to resume negotiations talks with Iran. "It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!" Trump wrote. Following the latest round of Israeli missile strikes on Tehran, the Iranian judiciary's Mizan news agency said electricity was cut off in several city districts and that the situation at Evin Prison is "under control." The judiciary said on of the strikes in northern Tehran hit one of the main lines supplying the area, resulting in power outages. The notorious Evin Prison was built in 1971 and has housed political prisoners, Westerners and journalists used as bargaining chips by Iran. It has previously been targeted by sanctions, and human rights groups have long condemned the treatment of prisoners there. U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said he expects that U.S. bombing on Iran's Fordow nuclear enrichment site caused "very significant damage," but he added that the extent of any damage remains unclear as the International Atomic Energy Agency has not been able to carry out an inspection. "Given the explosive payload utilized and the extreme(ly) vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred," Grossi said in a statement Monday to an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation Board of Governors. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Moscow that aggression against Iran was groundless. Putin made the comments at the start of Kremlin talks and said Russia, which has condemned the U.S. strikes, was ready to help the Iranian people. Iran and its hard-line supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are almost certainly going to strike back in response to historic U.S. military strikes on three of its suspected nuclear facilities. But if history is any guide, that response could happen at any time − and anywhere, and in any form, former U.S. intelligence officials and diplomatic experts say. 'Missiles, militias and acts of hostage-taking – that's their go-to' range of options, the Biden administration coordinator for the Middle East, Brett McGurk, said on CNN June 21. 'I suspect Iran will have to do something.' Read more here. −Josh Meyer The U.S. used more than a dozen multimillion-dollar, 30,000-pound "bunker busters" to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities in the strike, known as Operation Midnight Hammer, marking the weapon's first operational use, according to the Pentagon. U.S. bomber planes dropped 14 of the massive bombs on three of Iran's nuclear facilities, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said. The bombs used in the strikes, called Massive Ordnance Penetrators, or MOPs, weigh 30,000 pounds each and cost millions to produce. MOPs, also known as the Guided Bomb Unit, or GBU-57, are GPS-guided weapons designed to burrow deep into underground targets, such as fortified tunnels or bunkers. The bombs are about 20 feet long and span 6 feet at their widest point. Read more here. − Cybele Mayes-Osterman Some lawmakers, including hard-line conservatives and key progressives, are calling the U.S. strikes a breach of the Constitution,. "The President's disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, posted on X. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, responded to Trump's social media assessment of the attack with the statement: "This is not Constitutional." The War Powers Resolution of 1973 requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of military action. The law also limits the deployment of armed forces beyond 90 days in the absence of a formal declaration of war. − Savannah Kuchar Trump ordered the strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, effectively joining a war that Israel started on June 13 when it began bombing Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure. Israel said it helped the U.S. coordinate and plan the strikes. Trump said all three sites were "totally obliterated." But an independent assessment has not yet been carried out. The International Atomic Energy Agency − the United Nation's nuclear watchdog − released a statement saying that so far it had not detected an increase in "off-site radiation levels," one of the feared consequences of the strikes. Vice President JD Vance insisted Sunday that the U.S. is not entering an open-ended conflict in the Middle East. 'We're not at war with Iran. We're at war with Iran's nuclear program.' Vance said on NBC.
Business Insider
2 hours ago
- Business Insider
Oil prices tumble, stock futures up after Trump announces Israel-Iran ceasefire
Oil prices are tumbling after President Donald Trump announced a Israel-Iran ceasefire agreement. Oil prices were already falling after Iran launched strikes on a US airbase in Qatar. Markets saw Iran's strikes as a de-escalatory move as Tehran did not target the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices are down sharply while stocks are up on Tuesday morning in Asia after President Donald Trump said Israel and Iran have agreed to a "complete and total" ceasefire. Benchmark US West Texas Intermediate oil futures were 3.6% lower at $66.04 a barrel at 8:48 p.m. ET on Monday while international Brent crude oil futures were 3.6% lower at $68.93 a barrel. The declines extended losses of 7.2% for both grades on Monday. Oil prices have now reversed gains from June 12, a day before Israel struck Iran. US stock futures were higher: Oil prices were already moving lower after Iran's retaliatory strikes on a US airbase in Qatar on Monday, following the American forces' strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday. Even though Iran targeted US military assets, markets are relieved that Iran did not target the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for the global oil and gas trade, wrote analysts at Rystad Energy, a research and intelligence firm. Tehran's strikes on US's airbase in Qatar signaled "a possible desire from Iran to de-escalate by inflicting minimal damage to US infrastructure in the region," wrote the Rystad Energy analysts. Qatar said Iranian missiles were intercepted. US officials said there were no reports of casualties. The energy markets are now focused on developments in the Strait of Hormuz, where a quarter of seaborne oil and a fifth of global liquified natural gas trade passes. If the Hormuz is impacted and closes, the markets may turn again. "The waterway handles significant volumes for global markets and its importance cannot be understated," added Janiv Shah, a vice president of oil markets analysis at Rystad Energy. In an earlier Truth Social post, Trump described Iran's retaliatory attack as a "very weak response," and thanked Tehran for giving the US early notice of the strikes. Ongoing developments in the Middle East, coupled with market swings, highlight the fluid nature of the current landscape. As Deustche Bank analysts wrote in a note on Monday, "the situation in the Middle East is live and things can change quickly."
