Trump holds out reported Israel-Iran ceasefire deal as validation for his gamble of US airstrikes
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday said the '12 day war' between Israel and Iran was set to end in a ceasefire, holding out the reported deal as validation for his strategic gamble of ordering U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
'It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE,' Trump posted on social media.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
32 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
New York votes in mayoral primary as Cuomo tries a comeback. Zohran Mamdani stands in his way
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Democrats will decide Tuesday whether to reboot Andrew Cuomo's political career, elevate liberal upstart Zohran Mamdani, or turn to a crowded field of lesser-known but maybe less-polarizing candidates in the party's mayoral primary. Their choice could say something about what kind of leader Democrats are looking for during President Donald Trump's second term.
Winnipeg Free Press
38 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Intelligence leaders are set to brief Congress on Trump's Iran strikes
WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of Congress will hear directly from President Donald Trump's intelligence leaders Tuesday, receiving classified briefings just three days after Trump directed strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and a day after Iran struck a U.S. base in Qatar. The briefings also come the day after Trump proclaimed on social media that Israel and Iran had agreed that there will be an 'Official END' of their conflict. Democrats in Congress, along with some Republicans, have questions about Trump's unilateral decision to launch military action, arguing he should have come to Congress for approval — or at least provided more justification for the attacks. 'We expect them to explain to the American people what were the results in terms of actually thwarting Iran's capacity to become a nuclear power and what are the Trump administration's plans to avoid another potentially disastrous war in the Middle East, where thousands of American lives are potentially at risk,' said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The separate briefings for the House and Senate will be led by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, along with Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and deputy secretaries of state Christopher Landau and Steve Feinberg. The meetings could turn contentious as many lawmakers feel they have been left in the dark on what led to the strikes and amid escalating tensions between the White House and Congress over the role of the United States internationally — disagreements that don't always fall along party lines. Democrats have been generally suspicious of Trump's strategy, and his motives abroad, but some believe the U.S. could have a role in supporting Israel against Iran. Others strongly believe the U.S. should stay out of it. Some of Trump's strongest Republican supporters agree with the Democrats, echoing his earlier arguments against 'forever wars.' But many others in the party enthusiastically backed the strikes, saying he should have the power to act on his own. 'President Trump deserves all the credit,' said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., after Trump said there would be a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. 'This is what peace through strength looks like.' Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, suggested in a post on X that Trump should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., posted: 'Historic! The President of Peace!' Democrats said they would be looking for more information about the ceasefire that Trump claimed on social media. Israel and Iran did not immediately acknowledge any ceasefire. After Iran's retaliation on the U.S. base in Qatar on Monday, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he wanted an additional classified briefing 'laying out the full threat picture, the intelligence behind Iran's retaliation, and the details, scope, and timeline of any U.S. response.' Senate Democrats are also forcing a vote as soon as this week on a resolution by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., requiring congressional approval for specific military action in Iran. 'You have a debate like this so that the entire American public, whose sons and daughters are in the military and whose lives will be at risk in war, get to see the debate and reach their own conclusion together with the elected officials about whether the mission is worth it or not,' Kaine said Monday. Communication between the White House and Congress about Iran has been limited for most members. Trump sent congressional leaders a short letter Monday serving as his official notice of the strikes, two days after the bombs fell. Trump said the attacks were 'limited in scope and purpose' and 'designed to minimize casualties, deter future attacks and limit the risk of escalation.' Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, said he wants to ask the intelligence officials what they know about the damage done by the bombings, and how successful they were. 'There's a reason why the Constitution requires the Congress to be informed and the president to seek approval in beginning a war, which is the founders thought that the people should have a say, that the president shouldn't act alone,' Blumenthal said. ___ Associated Press writers Matt Brown, Joey Cappelletti and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
Winnipeg Free Press
38 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
South Dakota eager for Trump's statue garden near Mount Rushmore despite local opposition
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Officials in South Dakota are pushing hard to build President Donald Trump 's proposed National Garden of American Heroes in the Black Hills near Mount Rushmore, but the effort has sparked a backlash from Indigenous groups who see the area as sacred. A mining company has offered to donate 40 acres (16 hectares) less than a mile from Mount Rushmore, where massive sculptures of four of the nation's most prominent presidents are carved out of granite. 'The Black Hills mark the perfect location to achieve your vision for the National Garden of American Heroes,' Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden wrote in a letter to Trump. 'Together, we will make this project happen in a way that honors America's heroes, takes advantage of South Dakota's natural beauty, and incorporates the most iconic monument to our greatest leaders: Mount Rushmore National Memorial.' But the Black Hills have long been the subject of disputes between South Dakota and its tribes. The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie recognized that the Black Hills belong to the Sioux people, but the U.S. government seized the land less than a decade later to mine for gold. A 1980 Supreme Court decision found that the U.S. violated the treaty, but the tribes refused the $1.3 billion in compensation they were offered and maintained their rights to the land. Indigenous groups also oppose drilling project The mining company, Pete Lien & Sons, also has had conflicts with Indigenous groups in the area, most recently because of an exploratory drilling project for graphite near the sacred Lakota site of Pe' Sla. The company also is working with theme park designer Storyland Studios to build an attraction in the Black Hills opposed by some Indigenous groups. 'It's absurd for Storyland Studios and Gov. Rhoden to claim they care about preserving history while they watch Lien & Sons attempt to destroy Pe' Sla, and do nothing,' said Taylor Gunhammer, an organizer with the Indigenous advocacy group NDN Collective. 'They are the ones erasing and paving over history, not preserving it,' Gunhammer said. Rhoden's press secretary, Josie Harms, wrote in a statement that the garden 'will have no disruption to either state or tribal land' because the tract of land is owned by Chuck Lien, owner of Lien & Sons, and his family. Pete Lien & Sons did not respond to multiple requests from The Associated Press for comment. Trump's garden to feature 250 statues of historical figures Trump signed an executive order earlier this year to build the garden, to feature 250 life-size statues of historical figures in honor of the country's 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. Applications for sculptors are due in early July, though the administration no longer seeks to have it completed by next summer. The U.S. House has approved $40 million for the project, which is being overseen by the Department of Interior and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Senate hasn't yet approved the funding. Trump first announced the project in his first term in a July 3, 2020, speech at Mount Rushmore at a time during the Black Lives Matter movement when some protesters were tearing down statues depicting Confederate generals and others. 'Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our Founders, deface our most sacred memorials, and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities,' Trump said in that speech. 'But no, the American people are strong and proud, and they will not allow our country, and all of its values, history, and culture, to be taken from them.' In a 2021 executive order, Trump called for statues depicting a range of prominent figures, from the likes of Amelia Earhart, Muhammad Ali and Steve Jobs to more controversial ones like Christopher Columbus and President Andrew Jackson. No site was selected, however, and the garden was never funded by Congress. The Department of Interior said the revived garden project is still in the 'planning and discussion phase' and declined to say which sites it is considering. It's unclear if any other states are seeking to host the statue garden. As governor, Noem offered land for the garden When Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was the state's governor, she offered the mining company's 40 acres of land in the Black Hills. Her successor, Rhoden, doubled down on that offer in his letter, emphasizing the site would be 'in sight of Mount Rushmore.' South Dakota Republican U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson also wrote a letter to Trump, and said he will 'keep advocating for this iconic landmark to make its home in the Black Hills' in a social media post. Darren Thompson, director of media relations for the Indigenous nonprofit Sacred Defense Fund, called for more discussions with Indigenous groups in the Black Hills. 'It's a very touchy and sensitive subject that I think requires input by the local Indigenous people who have claim to the land and cultural ties to the land,' Thompson said.
