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Middle East crisis live: Trump says he does not want to extend ceasefire with Iran | US-Israel war on Iran

Published

3 hours ago

April 21, 2026

info@oxinfo.co.uk

Trump says he does not want to extend ceasefire with Iran

President Donald Trump told CNBC in an interview on Tuesday that he did not want to extend a ceasefire with Iran, adding the US was in a strong negotiating position and would end up with what he called a great deal.

“I don’t want to do that. We don’t have that much time,” Trump said when asked about the possibility of extending the ceasefire.

Trump also said that the US was in a strong negotiating position with Iran and would end up with a “great deal”.

Key events

Lebanon’s prime minister and French president Emmanuel Macron will discuss on Tuesday how to strengthen the country’s hand in possible direct negotiations with Israel in the United States later this week, as Beirut turns to a trusted European ally.

The US will host ambassador-level talks with Israel and Lebanon on Thursday, although it remains unclear whether the objective is to extend a fragile 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah or pave the way for deeper negotiations.

Israeli troops occupy territory deep in the south, aiming to create a buffer zone to shield northern Israel from Hezbollah attack, while the group says it maintains the “right to resist” Israeli occupation.

“France’s role is not to insert itself between the parties in discussions that are, by nature, bilateral and direct,” a French presidency official said ahead of prime minister Nawaf Salam’s meeting with Macron.

“France is one of the countries capable of playing a very concrete role in strengthening the Lebanese government’s hand and supporting its action in practical terms.“

Well, it looks like there was some miscommunication with our video service and there is in fact no Pete Hegseth press conference today.

We will all have to wait a little while longer to hear his latest pearls of wisdom and unique take on the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, is due to give a war briefing at the Pentagon alongside Gen Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, in about five minutes.

Stay with us as we will be covering it live and will attach a feed of the briefing at the top of the blog.

The Pentagon says US forces boarded the sanctioned M/T Tifani tanker overnight “without incident” in the Asia Pacific region.

“As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran – anywhere they operate,” the US Department of Defense wrote in a post on X.

US and Iran signal they will return to Pakistan for ceasefire talks – report

The Associated Press is reporting that two regional officials have said the US and Iran have indicated they will hold a new round of the ceasefire talks in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital.

Officials told the news agency that “Pakistan-led mediators” received confirmation that the US vice-president JD Vance and Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will arrive in Islamabad tomorrow morning to lead their teams in the talks.

We have not been able to independently verify this report. Iran, which has sent mixed messages about the talks, has said speculation about them sending a delegation to Pakistan should not be believed.

Iran’s state broadcaster earlier dismissed “rumours” about the departure or arrival (times) of the delegation being spread by unnamed “international outlets and regional sources”.

Yesterday evening, Ghalibaf said in a social media post that his country would not attend negotiations while under threat – and warned they were “prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield”.

Trump claims Iran has ‘violated’ ceasefire agreement ‘numerous times’

In an extremely brief Truth Social post, the US president, Donald Trump, has said that “Iran has violated the ceasefire numerous times”, without specifying what these breaches were.

His comments come amid continuing uncertainty over whether a second round of peace talks between Iran and the US will take place in Pakistan today.

On Sunday, Trump accused Iran of firing on ships passing through the strait of Hormuz in what he claimed was in violation of the ceasefire agreement due to expire tomorrow.

A spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, however, said it was Washington’s blockade of the waterway that was a violation of the agreement. Trump said on Friday that the naval blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a deal was reached.

At least 26 Iranian ‘shadow fleet’ vessels have slipped through US blockade of strait of Hormuz

At least 26 Iranian “shadow fleet” vessels have bypassed the US naval blockade of the strait of Hormuz, according to Lloyd’s List.

Since the US blockade took effect on 13 April, as many as 26 vessels have continued moving in and out of Iranian ports and have exported Iranian-origin cargo, maritime data shows. Lloyd’s List said 11 tankers laden with Iranian cargo have left the Gulf of Oman or the Middle East Gulf since 13 April.

Iran officially closed the strait – to “hostile” countries – on 4 March in response to US-Israeli airstrikes on the country, and briefly declared it back open on Friday after a 10-day ceasefire deal was agreed between Israel and Lebanon.

But Iranian officials said over the weekend they were effectively closing the vital waterway again after the US said it would not end its blockade of Iranian ports.

Since the blockade began, the US has directed 27 vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port, according to a social media post published by Centcom yesterday.

Strait of Hormuz locator.

China’s ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, has expressed his “full support” of Pakistan’s mediation efforts between the US and Iran.

In a post on X, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said talks between the country’s deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar, who also serves as foreign minister, and Zaidong focused on the “latest regional developments”.

“Amb Zaidong conveyed China’s full support for and appreciation of Pakistan’s continued efforts to facilitate engagement between US and Iran for sustained peace and stability in the region and beyond,” the ministry said.

During a phone call with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that “normal traffic” through the strait of Hormuz “should be maintained” and, according to state media, said China “advocates for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire”.

China is widely seen to have benefited from the US-Israel war on Iran as it has enabled Beijing to boost its diplomatic power and the country’s fossil fuel stockpiles and diversified energy mix insulated it from the worst of the oil shock, as my colleague notes in this analysis piece.

The Chinese yuan has also been used by ships that have paid tolls to Iran for safe transit across the strait of Hormuz, according to reports.

The internet blackout in Iran has entered its 53rd day, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks. It said in a post on its website:

The Iran internet blackout is now in its 53rd day after 1248 hours of disconnection from global networks.

As authorities work to develop tiered access for select users and businesses, the human impacts and economic harms of this digital censorship measure continue to spiral.

A select number of officials are still able to use the internet and post regularly on social media about the war. There was an earlier internet shutdown in January during nationwide protests, which helped obscure extreme violence against Iran’s population.

Belgium’s foreign minister Maxime Prevot has described Israel’s military actions in Lebanon as “totally unacceptable”.

“Israel’s conduct is completely unacceptable. Of course, we must firmly condemn Hezbollah’s initial attacks, which, in seeking to show solidarity with Iran, dragged Lebanon into a war it did not want, as well as Israel’s disproportionate and indiscriminate response,” Prevot said ahead of a meeting with EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

He also said Belgium is calling for at least a partial suspension of the EU’s Association’s Agreement with Israel, adding that Belgium is “aware that a full suspension is probably out of reach given the positions of the various European countries” ( see post at 09.19 for more details).

Israel started a war on Lebanon on 2 March when Hezbollah, the Iranian backed Lebanese militant group and political party, launched rocket fire at Israel after US-Israeli airstrikes killed former Iranian supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, in Tehran.

The aftermath of Israeli warplanes launching intense airstrikes on a residential neighbourhood in Tyre, southern Lebanon, before a ceasefire took effect. Photograph: Abdul Kader Al Bay/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

The IDF responded with a wave of intense strikes across Lebanon, targeting what it claimed was Hezbollah infrastructure, though many civilians were killed (over 2,290, according to the health ministry), homes destroyed and over 1.2 million people displaced across the country.

During the war, Israel also launched a ground invasion several kilometres into Lebanese territory, with a stated goal to push Hezbollah back from the border in order to stop the ability of the group to fire rockets into communities in northern Israel. Israeli officials now say Israel will stay in control of dozens of towns and villages as part of what it describes as a security buffer zone – but from the ground this looks like a prelude to long term occupation.

The US state department will host new talks on Thursday between Israel and Lebanon, an American official told the AFP news agency, after a previous meeting saw the start of a 10-day ceasefire that took effect on 16 April.

Hezbollah is of the view that direct peace talks are a form of national humiliation and are about trying to pressure the group into laying down its weapons. The Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, who wants to end the Israeli occupation of southern areas of his country and stop future Israeli attacks, is in favour of engaging in the talks.

No Iranian delegation has departed for Pakistan yet – state TV

Iranian state TV is reporting that no Iranian delegation has yet departed for Pakistan to attend peace talks with the US. It is not clear yet if they will attend the talks today despite pressure from mediators to do so.

The country’s state broadcaster wrote in a post on Telegram that “no delegation from Iran has travelled to Islamabad, neither a primary nor a secondary, neither initial nor follow-up.”

Axios, meanwhile, is reporting that the US vice-president JD Vance is due to leave for Islamabad by Tuesday morning for talks with Iran, a day before the ceasefire expires.

Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s special envoy who often acts like a de facto secretary of state, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and adviser, are also expected to travel to the Pakistani capital for the talks.

Iran has been stalling because of possible pressure from the Revolutionary Guards on the negotiators to adopt a firmer line and insist there cannot be diplomacy while the US is blockading the strait of Hormuz, according to the Axios report.

Iran holds a deep mistrust of the US as it has been attacked before during previous negotiations.

Security forces take extensive measures ahead of a possible second round of talks between US and Iranian delegations in Islamabad, Pakistan, on 21 April, 2026. Photograph: Muhammed Semih Ugurlu/Anadolu/Getty Images

You can keep up with the latest developments on the EU and from around the continent in our Europe live blog:

Jakub Krupa

Spain’s foreign minister José Manuel Albares has just confirmed that Spain, Slovenia and Ireland have requested a discussion on suspending the EU’s association treaty with Israel at today’s meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers.

He said the process was about the EU’s “credibility” on all other issues, as the bloc is expected to stand “for the same principles” everywhere.

He said that if the EU is “not capable to say today to Israel” that it is expected to respect human rights and international law, and not make war a foreign policy tool, “we are going to lose that credibility.”

“We have to say the same thing that we say to Russia concerning Ukraine, and that we say in other scenarios, and since the last time we brought this same position, things have worsened,” he said.

European Union has to say today very clearly to Israel that that change is needed. That’s not the right path, and that while Israel continues in that path of a permanent perpetual war, we will not be able to [run our relations] in the same way.

He said that if suspending the association treaty in full is unacceptable for some members, the bloc should consider suspending at least the trade element of the deal.

José Manuel Albares said Spain, Slovenia and Ireland have requested a discussion on suspending the EU’s association treaty with Israel. Photograph: Virginia Mayo/AP

Israel is continuing its attacks on Gaza, where the humanitarian situation remains dire despite a ceasefire.

At least four Palestinian people have been killed by Israeli attacks in the southern and northern parts of the Gaza Strip so far today, Palestinian news agency Wafa is reporting.

In its latest update, Gaza’s health ministry said at least 72,560 Palestinian people have been killed and 172,317 others injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October 2023.

At least 784 Palestinian people have been killed in Israeli attacks since a ceasefire came into effect in October 2025, according to the ministry, whose figures the UN generally find reliable.

Most of the people killed have been civilians and the true death toll is likely much higher given the number of people still buried under rubble across the territory.

People walk past homes destroyed by Israeli airstrikes on 20 April 2026 in Gaza City. Photograph: Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images

Aid groups say broken infrastructure and inconsistent electricity have turned untreated sewage into a growing public health risk, and there is a view that the US and Israeli war on Iran has resulted in even higher prices for food and other essentials.

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Kevin Warsh tells Congress he will maintain Fed independence despite Trump pressure – US politics live | US politics

Published

31 minutes ago

April 21, 2026

info@oxinfo.co.uk

Warsh insists that he will maintain Fed independence, regardless of pressure from administration

During his opening statement today, Kevin Warsh told lawmakers on the banking committee that the independence of the Federal Reserve is paramount. Senator Elizabeth Warren has said that she is concerned Warsh would simply be a “sock puppet” for Donald Trump. Today, Warsh said that he does not believe that “independence of monetary policy is threatened when elected officials speak their views on rates fed. Independence is up to the Fed”.

Key events

Warren engaged in a particularly heated exchange Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Reserve.

One of her main causes of concern is that Warsh holds assets worth well over $100m. According to the financial disclosures Warsh was required to submit for the role of Fed chair, he holds two investments worth more than $50m each in the Juggernaut Fund LP and $10.2m in consulting fees from the investment office of billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller.

However, the Juggernaut Fund investments, for example, come with confidentiality agreements that don’t require Warsh to disclose details of the assets.

Warren asked Warsh whether any of these stakes are in companies affiliated with Trump or his family, companies that have facilitated money laundering Chinese control companies, or financing vehicles set up by Jeffrey Epstein.

In response, Warsh simply insisted that he would sell these assets if confirmed, but did not directly answer Warren’s line of questions.

“You just won’t tell us,” Warren said. “Will you disclose how you [will] divest those assets, or will you just collect the check for $100m?”

Warsh insists that he will maintain Fed independence, regardless of pressure from administration

Warren: ‘We should not be having this hearing today’

Elizabeth Warren, the ranking member of the Senate banking committee, said that “we should not be having this hearing today” while addressing Kevin Warsh and her colleagues on the panel.

Warren said that Donald Trump’s “chaotic tariffs”, the One Big, Beautiful Bill and his war with Iran are all “driving up the cost of nearly everything here at home”.

The Democratic senator also noted that Trump has “repeatedly and illegally attempted to take over the Fed”, with his “bogus attacks” on Governor Lisa cook and chair Jerome Powell.

Warren said these attempts were designed to “threaten all the members of the Fed to do the president’s “bidding “and open more spots for “Trump flunkies”.

Kevin Warsh’s confirmation hearing has started, and we’ll bring you the latest lines as it gets under way.

The Senate banking committee’s chair, Republican Tim Scott, kicked off his opening remarks by underscoring the importance of the central bank, and the role of its chair.

“Monetary policy choices made at the Federal Reserve can affect the Americans ability to buy groceries, whether or not they can afford a home, how far their paycheck goes, especially at the end of the month,” Scott said.

He noted that, under the Biden administration, the Federal Reserve “appeared to move with the political winds, raising real concerns about politics and weaponizing on the most powerful weapons we have for good”.

However, since Donald Trump returned to office, he’s instigated a feud with the current chair, Jerome Powell. The president has routinely slammed Powell for refusing to cut interest rates at his insistence. He’s also pushed a criminal investigation into Powell for alleged mismanagement of Federal Reserve renovations.

Hegseth says that Pentagon is ending flu vaccine requirement for service members

In a video posted to social media, Pete Hegseth signed an new policy ending the flu vaccine requirement for US service members.

The defense secretary said he was using this opportunity to “discard any overreaching mandates that only weaken our war-fighting capability”.

Medical experts note that the flu vaccine protects against three or four virus strains that cause influenza each year, and most severe cases of the virus are in unvaccinated individuals.

“The notion that a flu vaccine must be mandatory for every service member, everywhere, in every circumstance at all times, is just overly broad and not rational,” Hegseth said in the video posted to X today.

“If you, an American warrior, entrusted to defend this nation, believe that the flu vaccine is in your best interest, then you are free to take it,” he added. “But we will not force you, because your body, your faith and your convictions are not negotiable.”

Chris Stein

Nearly three months to the day after his term as Virginia’s governor ended, Republican Glenn Youngkin stood in an unshaded corner of an office parking lot to warn dozens of conservative activists that they were in the midst of “the most important election” in the commonwealth’s 237-year history.

The question before the voters casting ballots at an early voting precinct a few yards away in the city of Leesburg, ahead of Tuesday’s special election, was whether to temporarily set aside Virginia’s congressional maps intended to advantage neither party and replace them with a new version that could allow Democrats to win all but one seat in the 11-member delegation in the November midterm elections.

“They want to override the voice of Virginia and push us into what is now being called the most partisan, most gerrymandered map in America, worse than Illinois, worse than California,” Youngkin warned.

Left unmentioned by the former governor was the role of Donald Trump, who instigated the nationwide redistricting war last year in an effort to preserve Republican control of Congress for the entirety of his second term, sparking a tit-for-tat between red and blue states that will see its latest skirmish decided on Tuesday, when polls close in Virginia’s redistricting referendum.

Trump says he would be disappointed if Warsh did not cut rates as Fed chair

Also in his interview with CNBC, Donald Trump said that he “would be” disappointed if Kevin Warsh, his nominee to lead the Federal Reserve, did not cut interest rates as soon as he took office after being confirmed by the Senate.

A reminder that Warsh is facing lawmakers today in a hearing, where he’ll face questions about his loyalty to the president and whether this would impact the central bank’s independence. Warsh is also facing pushback from one of the critical Republican votes on the Senate banking committee – Thom Tillis – who has refused to confirm any of Trump pick to lead the Fed as long as the criminal probe into Jerome Powell continues.

The president has remained resolute that “we have to find out” about the renovations of the new Federal Reserve building, which he has accused Powell of mismanaging, leading the justice department to investigate.

Trump says he does not want to extend ceasefire with Iran

Donald Trump said that he does not want to extend the two-week ceasefire with Iran, in an interview with CNBC. “I dont’ want to do that. We don’t have that much time,” the president said. The pause is set to expire tomorrow, and vice-president JD Vance will lead last-ditch talks in Islamabad today, in the hopes of striking a deal with Tehran.

However, speaking to Joe Kernen, Trump said that he plans to resume strikes if negotiations collapse. “I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with,” the president added. “But we’re ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go.”

Trump, regardless, remained convinced that “we’re going to end up with a great deal”.

Donald Trump is in Washington today. He’s set to take part in an interview with CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box’ at 8:30am ET.

The president will spend the rest of the day in meetings until 4pm ET, when he welcomes the NCAA Collegiate National Champions to the White House.

We’ll bring you the latest lines from both opportunities to hear from Trump.

Trump heaps praise on outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook

The president is awake and has used his first social media post of the day to heap praise on Apple’s outgoing CEO Tim Cook.

Donald Trump said he has “always been a fan” of Cook, adding that if Steve Jobs had not died aged 56, he would not have run the company anywhere “near as well as [well]” as under Cook.

He wrote:

For me it began with a phone call from Tim at the beginning of my First Term. He had a fairly large problem that only I, as President, could fix. Most people would have paid millions of dollars to a consultant, who I probably would not have known, but who would say that he knew me well. The fees would be paid but the job would not have gotten done. When I got the call I said, wow, it’s Tim Apple (Cook!) calling, how big is that? I was very impressed with myself to have the head of Apple calling to “kiss my ass.”

Anyway, he explained his problem, a tough one it was, I felt he was right and got it taken care of, quickly and effectively. That was the beginning of a long and very nice relationship. During my five years as President, Tim would call me, but never too much, and I would help him where I could. Years latter, after 3 or 4 BIG HELPS, I started to say to people, anyone who would listen, that this guy is an amazing manager and leader.

Trump added:

Anyway, Tim Cook had an AMAZING career, almost incomparable, and will go on and continue to do great work for Apple, and whatever else he chooses to work on. Quite simply, Tim Cook is an incredible guy!!!

Two regional officials said on Tuesday that the United States and Iran have signaled they will hold a new round of the ceasefire talks in Islamabad.

The officials’ comments come as neither the US nor Iran have publicly confirmed the timing of the talks, with Iranian state television denying any official was already in Pakistan’s capital.

Pakistan-led mediators received confirmation that top negotiators, US vice-president JD Vance and Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, will arrive in Islamabad early Wednesday to lead their teams in the talks, the officials told the Associated Press.

President Donald Trump and many of his leading Christian supporters and top Republicans are taking part this week in a marathon reading of the Bible in an America 250-themed event billed as encouraging a “return to the spiritual foundation that has shaped our country.”

The America Reads the Bible event – with each participant reading a passage aloud – is being live-streamed this week from the Museum of the Bible in Washington and other locations, AP reported.

It is slated to feature a video of Trump on Tuesday evening reading a passage that called for national repentance in ancient Israel – words that have been used prominently for decades by those promoting the belief that America has been and should be a Christian nation.

The Bible is “indelibly woven into our national identity and way of life,” Trump said in a statement commemorating the event.

The statement cited historical figures such as the Puritan leader John Winthrop as “imploring his fellow Christian settlers to stand as a beacon of faith for all the world to see.”

President Donald Trump holding a Bible during a visit outside St. John’s Church across Lafayette Park from the White House in Washington. Photograph: Patrick Semansky/AP

Lauren Aratani

On the face of it, Kevin Warsh looks like an ideal candidate to chair the Federal Reserve, the world’s most important central bank.

The 56-year-old Ivy League economist, former Wall Street banker and presidential adviser ticks all the boxes. Unfortunately for Warsh, as he faces what could be a fraught nomination hearing, his biggest backer is also his biggest liability.

In his second term, Donald Trump has attacked the Fed in a manner both unprecedented and unseemly. He has called current chair Jerome Powell – whom he also appointed – a “jerk”, “a stubborn MORON”, and repeatedly threatened to fire him.

The tension comes from Trump’s desire for lower interest rates. The problem: the president can’t set interest rates.

But Trump thinks he’s found a saving grace in Warsh. Warsh is set to appear in front of the Senate’s banking committee for his nomination hearing on Tuesday morning, where he is expected to be grilled by Democrats and Republicans alike.

President Donald Trump’s approval rating held at the lowest of his term in recent days as many Americans questioned his temperament amid the Iran war and a feud with Pope Leo, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

The six-day public opinion poll, concluded on Monday, showed only 36% of Americans approve of Trump’s job performance, unchanged from a month earlier.

Trump enjoyed the highest approval rating of his current term, 47%, shortly after he was sworn in to office in January 2025.

Trump has been under pressure since his administration and Israel launched a war against Iran in February that has pushed gasoline prices sharply higher.

Some 36% of Americans approve of US military strikes against Iran, compared with 35% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted 10-12 April.

The latest poll of 4,557 adults nationwide, conducted online, had a margin of error of two percentage points.

Jerome Powell’s term as chair ends on 15 May. He said last month that he would remain as chair until a successor is named.

Powell also is serving a separate term as a member of the Fed’s governing board that lasts until January 2028.

Fed chairs typically leave the board when their terms as chairs ends, but Powell also said last month he would remain on the board, even if a new chair is approved, until the investigation is dropped.

When asked about Powell’s comments, Trump said he would fire Powell if he tried to stay at the Fed.

Yet Trump’s previous attempt to remove a Fed governor, Lisa Cook, has been tied up in courts.

During oral arguments in January, a majority of justices on the Supreme Court appeared to lean towards letting Cook keep her job.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell leaves after the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) meeting during the World Bank/IMF spring meetings at the IMF headquarters in Washington, Friday, April 17, 2026. Photograph: José Luis Magaña/AP

While the long-delayed hearing is a necessary step for Kevin Warsh, it’s not clear when the committee may even be able to vote on his nomination.

The Justice Department is investigating Powell and the Fed over a building renovation, and senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, has said he would effectively block Warsh until the probe is dropped, AP reported.

“Clearly there’s a majority of the committee that’s not going to move this nomination forward, especially while this sham of a criminal investigation is going on,” senator Tina Smith, a Democrat from Minnesota, told reporters on a conference call Monday.

“It feels a bit like we’re going through the motions when we really have not addressed the fundamental challenges that this nomination has.”

The turmoil could make a potential transition from Powell to Warsh an unusually turbulent one for the world’s most important central bank, which has typically seen smooth transfers of power.

Should the change in leadership prove difficult, it could unnerve markets and lift longer-term interest rates.

Trump’s Federal Reserve chair pick to face lawmakers at key confirmation hearing

Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog.

President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Federal Reserve will commit to protecting central bank independence on interest rates at a crucial confirmation hearing later today.

“I am committed to ensuring that the conduct of monetary policy remains strictly independent,” Kevin Warsh is to say in an opening statement to the Senate Banking Committee. He is also expected to express commitment to fighting inflation, according to remarks seen by the AFP news agency.

The hearing, scheduled for 10am ET, will be closely watched as it marks a key hurdle Warsh must overcome in order to succeed Fed chair Jerome Powell when his term ends on 15 May.

But the session will be tense, with all 11 Democrats on the Banking Committee last week urging for a delay in the nomination’s proceedings until separate investigations into Powell and Fed governor Lisa Cook are closed.

Republican senator Thom Tillis, who sits on the panel led by his party, has also vowed to block all Fed nominees – including Warsh – until the Justice Department probe involving Powell is resolved. With 13 Republican members on the committee, Tillis’ vote against Warsh’s confirmation could be enough to set up an impasse.

Warsh is due to face questioning from lawmakers on issues ranging from his wealth to past connections with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, alongside his views on economic issues.

In other developments:

Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Donald Trump’s labor secretary, resigned from her role with the administration. She said it was “an honor and a privilege to serve” to serve and that she would take on a job in the private sector. The departure came after she became entangled in a string of political and personal controversies. Democrats celebrated, writing “this administration is imploding”.
Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, called for Kash Patel’s immediate resignation following a report from the Atlantic detailing the FBI director’s alleged excessive drinking and absences. Patel has sued the magazine for defamation with his attorneys calling the article a “sweeping, malicious, and defamatory hit piece”.
Donald Trump signed memorandums related to coal supply chains, natural gas and grid infrastructure on Monday. The president invoked the Defense Production Act in the energy-related memos, writing that increasing energy production is “essential to United States national defense”.
The crowded field of Democratic candidates in the California’s governor’s race appears to be narrowing as Betty Yee — a former state controller— announced Monday she planned to end her campaign. Meanwhile, the California Democratic party chair Rusty Hicks continued to urge candidates trailing in the polls to exit the race.