UK News
Middle East crisis live: Iran’s foreign ministry condemns US seizure of Iranian-linked tankers as ‘piracy and armed robbery’ | US-Israel war on Iran
Iran condemns US seizure of Iranian-linked tankers as ‘piracy and armed robbery’
Iran’s foreign ministry has condemned the US seizure of Iran-linked tankers as the “outright legalization of piracy and armed robbery on the high seas”.
In a post on X, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said:
Welcome to the return of the pirates — only now, they operate with government-issued warrants, sail under official flags, and call their plunder ‘law enforcement.’
The United States must be held fully accountable for this brazenly lawless behavior, which strikes at the heart of international law & international free trade, and threatens the basic principles of maritime security.
Attached to his post was a screenshot of this post from US attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, detailing the US seizure of two tankers “laden with Iranian oil”.
Key events
The day so far
-
Donald Trump met with his national security team on Monday morning to discuss a new Iranian proposal for ending the war, the White House confirmed. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not offer an opinion of the proposal, in which the critical strait of Hormuz would be opened and Iran’s nuclear program discussed at a later date. But she said that Trump’s bottom line demands (that Tehran must never have nuclear weapons) “has been made very, very clear”.
-
Trump had earlier said Iran that can telephone if it wants to negotiate an end to the war and that it must agree never to have a nuclear weapon, while Pakistan’s leaders sought to revive the stalled peace talks between Washington and Tehran.
-
Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes on the country’s south killed four people including a woman and wounded 51 others, three of them children, despite the ceasefire, AFP reports. According to an AFP tally of health ministry figures, Israeli strikes have killed at least 40 people in Lebanon since the fragile truce there began on 17 April.
-
Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the US seizure of Iran-linked tankers as the “outright legalization of piracy and armed robbery on the high seas”. In a post on X, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said: “The United States must be held fully accountable for this brazenly lawless behavior, which strikes at the heart of international law & international free trade, and threatens the basic principles of maritime security.”
-
Russian president Vladimir Putin reportedly told Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, that Moscow would do everything it could to help secure peace in the Middle East, as the two met in Russia. “For our part, we will do everything that serves your interests, the interests of all the people of the region, so that peace can be achieved as soon as possible,” Russian state media quoted Putin as telling Araghchi during a meeting in Saint Petersburg on Monday.
-
The head of the UN’s maritime agency said there was “no legal basis” for imposing any fees for ships to pass through the strait of Hormuz. Shipping through the narrow strait has been strangled since the US and Israel attacked Iran in late February.
Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes on the country’s south killed four people including a woman and wounded 51 others, three of them children, despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, AFP reports.
According to an AFP tally of health ministry figures, Israeli strikes have killed at least 40 people in Lebanon since the fragile truce there began on April 17.
US treasury secretary Scott Bessent, speaking to the Wall Street Journal, said businesses working with Iranian airlines risk US sanctions.
Iran condemns US seizure of Iranian-linked tankers as ‘piracy and armed robbery’
Iran’s foreign ministry has condemned the US seizure of Iran-linked tankers as the “outright legalization of piracy and armed robbery on the high seas”.
In a post on X, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said:
Welcome to the return of the pirates — only now, they operate with government-issued warrants, sail under official flags, and call their plunder ‘law enforcement.’
The United States must be held fully accountable for this brazenly lawless behavior, which strikes at the heart of international law & international free trade, and threatens the basic principles of maritime security.
Attached to his post was a screenshot of this post from US attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, detailing the US seizure of two tankers “laden with Iranian oil”.
Earlier we brought you comments in which German chancellor Friedrich Merz said he cannot see what exit strategy the United States has in its war with Iran, and warned that “an entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards”. Here’s the clip.
After Donald Trump said last week that the US Navy was clearing Iranian mines from the strait of Hormuz, Karoline Leavitt was also asked for an update on how many mines had been cleared and for an estimate on how long the process would take.
The White House press secretary deferred twice to the Pentagon and would not be drawn to clarify whether the removal of mines was ongoing.
“Again, I would refer you to the Pentagon on anything with respect to clearing mines in the strait of Hormuz,” she said.
Trump discussed new Iran proposal with national security aides on Monday, White House says
During the White House press briefing a short while ago, Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Donald Trump met with his national security team on Monday morning to discuss a new Iranian proposal for ending the war.
Leavitt did not offer an opinion of the proposal, in which the critical strait of Hormuz would be opened and Iran’s nuclear program discussed at a later date.
But she said that Trump’s bottom line demands (that Tehran must never have nuclear weapons) remain the same.
What I will reiterate is that the president’s red lines with respect to Iran have been made very, very clear, not just to the American public, but also to them as well.
I wouldn’t say they’re considering it. I would just say that there was a discussion this morning that I don’t want to get ahead of, and you’ll hear directly from the president, I’m sure, on this topic.
Stephen Doughty, the UK minister for Europe and North America, said earlier that while the UK is not in favour of the US blockade of Iranian ports, it supports working with the United States and others to reopen the strait of Hormuz.
Speaking ahead of a UN Security Council meeting, Doughty said that Iran is holding “the rest of the world to ransom”.
Maritime traffic must flow safely and unimpeded through the strait, he said in comments reported by the Associated Press , “and that includes no tolls, no security risk and, of course, adherence to the international laws on freedom of navigation”.
He later said in a statement to the council:
This crisis is not just affecting international shipping, it is driving up costs and sending shockwaves throughout energy markets and supply chains far beyond the region with impact for all of our citizens, our communities and their cost of living.
So, we must get the strait reopened fully and unconditionally.
Freedom of navigation must be restored, in line with international law. Shipping and seafarers must not be used as leverage, and there is no place for tolls or permissions in international straits.
Freedom of navigation means navigation must be free.
Throughout this crisis, the UK has been clear: Iran must not be able to hold the global economy hostage or indeed threaten regional and international security.
The day so far
-
Donald Trump has said Iran can telephone if it wants to negotiate an end to the war and that it must agree never to have a nuclear weapon, while Pakistan’s leaders have sought to revive the stalled peace talks between Washington and Tehran.
-
Iran is offering to end its chokehold on the strait of Hormuz without addressing its nuclear program, two regional officials with knowledge of the proposal said Monday. It comes as the country’s foreign minister made a visit to Russia he said was an opportunity to consult with Moscow regarding the war against Israel and the United States.
-
The head of the UN’s maritime agency said Monday there was “no legal basis” for imposing any fees for ships to pass through the strait of Hormuz. Shipping through the narrow strait has been strangled since the US and Israel attacked Iran in late February.
-
Lebanese president Joseph Aoun said Monday that direct negotiations with Israel were aimed at ending the conflict with Hezbollah, while accusing those who drew Lebanon into war of “treason” in an implicit rebuke to the Iran-backed armed group. “My goal is to reach an end to the state of war with Israel, similar to the armistice agreement” of 1949, Aoun said in a statement, adding that “I assure you that I will not accept reaching a humiliating agreement”.
-
Russian president Vladimir Putin has reportedly told Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, that Moscow would do everything it could to help secure peace in the Middle East, as the two met in Russia. “For our part, we will do everything that serves your interests, the interests of all the people of the region, so that peace can be achieved as soon as possible,” Russian state media quoted Putin as telling Araghchi during a meeting in Saint Petersburg on Monday.
-
Iran’s foreign minister said the Islamic republic was “stable, solid” during a meeting in Russia with president Vladimir Putin, according to Russian state TV. Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said due to the war with the United States and Israel, “the world has now realised Iran’s true power” and “it has become clear that the Islamic republic of Iran is a stable, solid and powerful system”, he said in the meeting in Saint Petersburg.
-
Iran’s armed forces would be the authority responsible for the strait of Hormuz under the country’s proposed law for managing the waterway, a top official said on Monday. Ebrahim Azizi, head of the national security commission in Iran’s parliament, told state television that the armed forces were already in control of the strait and were seeking to prohibit the passage of “hostile vessels”.
-
France’s top diplomat said Iran must be ready to make “major concessions” in talks to end a crisis triggered by the attack by the United States and Israel. “There can be no lasting solution to this crisis unless the Iranian regime agrees to major concessions and a radical shift in its stance,” foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot told a UN Security Council session.
-
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz warned Monday that Hezbollah’s defiance would bring catastrophic consequences for Lebanon, after the militant group’s leader rejected proposed direct talks between Israel and Lebanon. “Naim Qassem is playing with fire, and the fire will burn Hezbollah and all of Lebanon… If the Lebanese government continues to take cover under the wing of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation – fire will break out and engulf the cedars of Lebanon,” Katz told UN envoy to Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, according to a statement issued by his office.
-
The Israeli military on Monday said it had begun hitting Hezbollah positions in Lebanon’s Bekaa region, amid a ceasefire that began earlier this month. “The IDF has begun to strike Hezbollah infrastructure sites in the Bekaa valley and in additional areas across southern Lebanon,” it said in a brief statement on social media.
-
Lebanese president Joseph Aoun said Monday that direct negotiations with Israel were aimed at ending the conflict with Hezbollah, while accusing those who drew Lebanon into war of “treason” in an implicit rebuke to the Iran-backed armed group. “My goal is to reach an end to the state of war with Israel, similar to the armistice agreement” of 1949, Aoun said in a statement, adding that “I assure you that I will not accept reaching a humiliating agreement”.
France’s top diplomat said Iran must be ready to make “major concessions” in talks to end a crisis triggered by the attack by the United States and Israel.
“There can be no lasting solution to this crisis unless the Iranian regime agrees to major concessions and a radical shift in its stance,” foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot told a UN Security Council session.
UN maritime agency rejects Hormuz tolls
The head of the UN’s maritime agency said Monday there was “no legal basis” for imposing any fees for ships to pass through the strait of Hormuz.
Shipping through the narrow strait has been strangled since the US and Israel attacked Iran in late February.
Iran has sealed off the passage, sharply cutting oil and gas flows and sending prices soaring, while the US has blockaded Iranian ports. Tehran has also said it wants to impose transit fees as part of any lasting peace deal.
“There’s no legal basis for the introduction of any tax, any customs, or any fees for on straits for international navigation,” IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez said at a press conference.
Iran’s armed forces would have authority over the key shipping lane under the country’s proposed law for managing the waterway, a top official said Monday.
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz warned Monday that Hezbollah’s defiance would bring catastrophic consequences for Lebanon, after the militant group’s leader rejected proposed direct talks between Israel and Lebanon.
“Naim Qassem is playing with fire, and the fire will burn Hezbollah and all of Lebanon… If the Lebanese government continues to take cover under the wing of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation – fire will break out and engulf the cedars of Lebanon,” Katz told UN envoy to Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, according to a statement issued by his office.
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said on Monday that Tehran was looking into US president Donald Trump’s request for negotiations, according to a post on the minister’s Telegram account.
He told reporters in Russia that Trump requested negotiations because the US has not achieved any of its objectives.
Trump scrapped a visit to Islamabad by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for talks on ending the conflict and said Iran could telephone if it wanted to negotiate.
Iran’s foreign minister said the Islamic republic was “stable, solid” during a meeting in Russia with president Vladimir Putin, according to Russian state TV.
Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said due to the war with the United States and Israel, “the world has now realised Iran’s true power” and “it has become clear that the Islamic republic of Iran is a stable, solid and powerful system”, he said in the meeting in Saint Petersburg.
He added that Russia had stood by Iran and the two countries would continue their “strategic partnership”.
We have some more comments from Vladimir Putin’s meeting in Russia with the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi (see post at 14.37 for more details).
“Last week I received a message from Iran’s supreme leader. I would like to ask you to convey my most sincere thanks for this and to confirm that Russia, like Iran, intends to continue our strategic relationship,” Putin told Araghchi, according to Russian state media.
Sitting across from Putin, Araghchi was quoted as having said: “We have proven to the whole world that Iran maintains good allies and friends like the Russian Federation.”
“We thank you for your firm and unshaken position in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Bahrain has revoked the citizenship of 69 people and their families for “expressing support for Iranian attacks”, according to the Gulf country’s interior ministry.
Iran’s foreign minister meets Vladimir Putin in Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly told Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, that Moscow would do everything it could to help secure peace in the Middle East, as the two met in Russia.
“For our part, we will do everything that serves your interests, the interests of all the people of the region, so that peace can be achieved as soon as possible,” Russian state media quoted Putin as telling Araghchi during a meeting in Saint Petersburg on Monday.
Russia and Iran, both subject to tough western sanctions, have become increasingly close in recent years. Moscow has provided diplomatic cover for Iran at the UN, as well as intelligence, according to reports.
Araghchi’s diplomatic visit to Russia follows recent stops in Pakistan and Oman, which have acted as mediators between Iran and the US. The Iranian foreign minister earlier said the US’s excessive demands caused negotiations to fail in Islamabad.
The Mehr news agency is reporting that a wave of intense Israeli attacks have hit southern and eastern Lebanon despite the ceasefire.
Israel, which claims it is striking Hezbollah operatives and sites even though it is killing many civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure, was given extremely wide scope by the wording of the agreement that permits it the “right to take all necessary measures in self-defence, at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks”.
The ceasefire deal, which took effect on 16 April and was extended by three weeks last Thursday, was agreed between Israel and the Lebanese state, not Hezbollah, the Iranian backed Lebanese militant group and political party.
In its latest update, the Lebanese health ministry said since 2 March Israeli attacks have killed at least 2,509 people, including many women and children.
The renewed Israeli war on Lebanon started when Hezbollah launched missiles at Israel on 2 March after the US-Israeli bombing of Iran, triggering an Israeli aerial assault, invasion and continuing occupation of Israeli troops in some of Lebanon’s territory.
Iran’s armed forces would be the authority responsible for the strait of Hormuz under the country’s proposed law for managing the waterway, a top official said on Monday.
Ebrahim Azizi, head of the national security commission in Iran’s parliament, told state television that the armed forces were already in control of the strait and were seeking to prohibit the passage of “hostile vessels”.
Azizi also said the proposed law states that financial gains from the strait should be paid in the local rial currency.
Key events
27 min We’re away again, SA right back on to the attack and Appollis punching a good straight pass into Rayners, on the edge. But when he spins and squares, Mbatha can’t collect, so the move breaks down.
24 min “What is salad cream? Signed, America,” emails Charles Pearson.
Something on to which it’d be difficult to melt cheese, so I can understand why it’s unfamiliar Stateside.
23 min Time for a Bovril break, the crowd booing righteously. Good, the more Fifa hear of that the better, except the relevant suits are probably watching the ads.
22 min It’s just occurred to me that, excited to even consider salad cream, I neglected to wish Bob’s wife better, so let’s do that now. Meantime, SA continue probing, Kovar thrashing forward to no one when their latest attack founders.
20 min I’m not sure if Czechia planned to sit back if they scored, if they’re doing it feart to lose what they have, or if SA are pushing them back; my sense is the second, with a bit of the third. But they looked much better when pushing the pace.
18 min Not that long ago, Anya Hindmarch sold salad cream ice cream. It wasn’t that good.
17 min “Salad cream, Daniel?” intones a disappointed Charles Antaki. “Please tell us you were teasing. If not, then well done for giving it up – the prodigal son and all that – but what were you thinking? Crown Paints Sahara Beige, with added sugar.”
I like excessive tastes – sour, spicy, tangy – and salad cream is the latter. If I’m picking one condiment to slap on a slice of toast, that’s my one.
15 min SA enjoy possession, which makes them more cultured than me – I couldn’t get on with S Byatt’s prose, at all – and move the ball right, Modiba into Adams, who spreads to Mudau. And the cross is a goodun, Rayners charging towards it and leaping, but able only to shin wide.
13 min The corner is poor and when the ball comes to Modiba, 1,623 yards out, he takes aim, and fires somewhere towards Maine.
12 min SA have realised there’s a game on, and that they’re in it. They get the ball wide down the right, Maseko moving it infield to Appollis, who shoots from 25, there’s a deflection … and the net ripples. But because the effort brushed the side and roof, not because it’s in.
11 min “An unhealthy diet of football,” reckons Bob O’Hara. “I’m sat here with my wife in hospital watching the match and she just suggested this is the mustard & ketchup match.”
Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I love mustard and ketchup, all the more so since I quit salad cream.
9 min My screen crashes, but Czechia have started well – they’re passing and moving really nicely, and now SA have a bit of the ball their defensive shape blankets the attack in no time.
7 min That was a really lovely goal, but SA only had one man back; once again, I’m not at all sure what they’re trying to accomplish.
GOAL! Czechia 1-0 South Africa (Sadilek 5)
That was coming because, once again, SA have started like they’d rather be home. Coufal takes a throw quickly, hurling low and towards the by-line for Hlozek, who sweeps back to the edge. Mudau might do better to cut it out, but the touch from Sojka, who might shoot, but instead slips a dainty pass around the defender, allowing Sadilek to power a dink over Williams’ dive.
5 min Williams comes for the corner, doesn’t get to the ball, and when the ball falls to Sadilek on the edge, he’s relieved the shot is off target.
5 min Sadilek swings over to Coufal, pulling out of the box on the far side, and his volley back in is knocked behind for a corner.
3 min Czechia, though, have started fairly well, quickly winning a corner … which comes to nothing. But they build again, Darida showing nice feet to invite the challenge and win the free-kick, 30 yards out, left of centre.
1 min Immediately, Cerv spreads wide, then Sojka spoons over a cross … and when no defender cuts it out, suddenly Schick has a free header at the back post! But it’s as though he can’t believe it’s happening, or even allowed for him to be so alone, so he nods a tame effort that’s barely an effort at all, into the ground, and Williams saves. That was a great chance, it fell to who Czechia would’ve wanted it to … and nothing.
1 min Hold tight Tori Penso, only the second woman to ref a men’s World Cup match; she gets us going.
“Czechia v South Africa, could be a dogs breakfast,” enthuses Mary Waltz. “But if one of these wins today they have a chance at the knockout round. Some complain about the expanded roster but in the old set up I would probably skip this fixture. Poor teams playing desperate football can be entertaining.”
It’s hard to grouse about the expanded field because it gives us the teams riding the phattest buzz to be involved, which can deliver amazing moments and matches. And ultimately, many of us are hopeless football addicts, delighted to guzzle our fix wherever we find it, meaning more is more.
I wonder how Sphephelo Sithole is getting on – he had the mare of mares last time out, culpable in Mexico’s first goal before getting sent off. I hope he’s managed to assimilate it into his being and move on.
Anthem time…
The Atlanta roof is closed and the aircon on. Maybe they’ll hydrate with Bovril.
Ah, our teams are tunnelled … and here they come!
I’m a little surprised Czechia have left out Soucek, whose set-piece presence has always been a big part of their attacking threat. Hlozek, who’s come in, is also a big lad, but its not just about height but attacking the ball and anticipating where it might drop – at which Soucek is a master.
On BBC, Benni McCarthy was just saying that in SA, people were mainly disappointed by the negativity. And he’s not wrong – I’m sure this wasn’t the plan, and can understand that an opening match, against the host, in the Azteca, is a daunting proposition, but it looked like they turned up hoping not to get splattered, rather than believing they’d win.
How good was this? It’s so great to get that kind of insight and honesty – then know it’s been effectively communicated because the response was so intense.
My best guess is England’s defence costs them eventually – and much as I think Thomas Tuchel is excellent, the back four he picked isn’t, for mine, the best one he could’ve picked – but in midfield, they can compete with anyone, and their attacking options are also up with everyone bar France’s.
Where is the game? Czechia will, I think, look to dominate midfield, looking to get the ball forward quickly then hit Hlozek and Schick with crosses or ball to feet for an up, back and through, one of them holding the ball before laying it off for it to go forward again.
South Africa, meanwhile, will look for quick counters, especially in behind the wingers and down the outside of the outside centre backs, with Adams and Mokoena making third-man runs beyonds Rayners and into the box.
Email! “This is a bittersweet game for me,” confesses John Brennan. “When the draw was made in December, this was the most likely game that I could get to see Ireland play. I probably couldn’t have pulled off going to Mexico but getting from NY to Atlanta would have been reasonable. The stadium would have been packed with Irish fans between Irish living here on the East Coast and people travelling. Just thinking about it makes me wistful. What if Ryan Manning didn’t give away that stupid penalty, what if Parrott had scored that chance in the second half, what if Sammy Smzodics hadn’t been taken out of it and had been able to take a penalty instead of Alan Browne. And yeah if all those things had happened and Ireland beat Czechia, it would probably be Denmark playing today.
Anyway, I have a strange feeling South Africa might show up today and make it difficult for the Czechs or maybe that is just a coping mechanism for me.”
I feel you – but the buzz of those Parrott goals to get to there will never leave you.
Who wants a bit of Mike Costello? Do I hear a hells to the yeah?!
South Africa, meanwhile, are without Sithole and Zwane, sent off against Mexico; left our are Sibisi and Foster, with Mbatha, Maseko and Rayners coming in. They move from the 5-3-2 which put them under pressure last week to a far more natural 4-3-3.
A strange change from Czechia, who add Holes to their defence – he replaces Chaloupek – while Soucek, Zeleny, Provod and Sulc also drop out. Others to come in are Sadilek, Darida, Cerv and Hlozsek; Miroslav Koubek must’ve seriously disliked what he saw. I also think there’ll be a formation change from 3-4-3 to 3-5-2.
Before we look at those teams, also going on:
Teams!
Czechia (3-5-2): Kovar; Hranac, Holes, Krejci; Coufal, Sadilek, Darida, Cerv, Sojka; Hlozek, Schick. Subs: Chaloupek, Chory, Chytil, Doudera, Hornicek, Kuchta, Provod, Sochurek, Soucek, Stanek, Visinksy, Zeleny, Zima, Sulc.
South Africa (4-3-3): Williams; Mudau, Okon, Mbokzai, Modiba; Mokoena, Mbatha, Adams; Maseko, Rayners, Appollis. Subs: Chaine, Cross, Foster, Goss, Kabini, Makgopa, Makhanya, Mataludi, Mofokeng, Moremi, Ndamane, Sebelebele, Sibisi.
Referee: Tori Penso (USA)
Preamble
Mike Costello, the legendary boxing commentator, tells a story of when he was fresh in the game, an old pro heard him getting dead excited calling a fight that wasn’t Hagler-Hearns, so issued some advice: always leave yourself somewhere to go.
For those of us involved in a similar kind of thing, this is an important lesson, but one easier grasped than lived – especially during the World Cup and even more so during this World Cup. How not to unload the suitcase – and why not unload the suitcase – when Curaçao equalise against Germany, Cape Verde force a draw with Spain and DRC equalise against then draw with Portugal? For them – and so for us, sport being the experience of living your life through others – this is their Hagler-Hearns, so it makes more sense to trust you’ll find somewhere to go than not turn up somewhere you desperately need to be.
Which is to say we’ve enjoyed a sensational first week and round of football – but Czechia and South Africa have not, enduing the respective agonies of a soul-crushing late winner conceded and a total no-show dropped. But the structure of the competition is in their favour, a defeat today terminal for neither – though with final-round matches against Mexico and South Korea upcoming, a win feels essential for both.
Kick-off: 12pm local and EDT, 5pm BST, 2am AEST
The deaths of teenagers Kyrees Sullivan and Harvey Evans sparked hours of violence and vandalism.
Source link
UK News
Supreme court sides with Texas marijuana user who wants to own a firearm in latest case expanding gun rights – live | US supreme court
Supreme court backs challenge to ban on gun ownership for drug users
The supreme court has sided with a marijuana user who wants to legally own a gun, the latest in a line of firearm cases from a court that has expanded gun rights.
In a 9-0 ruling, the justices sided with Ali Danial Hemani, a resident of Texas who was charged with felony gun possession after he acknowledged being a regular marijuana user. Hemani wasn’t charged with any other crimes or accused of using the weapon under the influence.
The 1968 Gun Control Act makes possession of a firearm illegal for anyone who “is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance”.
That gun restriction led to the 2024 conviction of Hunter Biden, who later that year received a pardon from his father, then-president Joe Biden. Prosecutors had accused him of lying about his use of narcotics in 2018 when he purchased a Colt Cobra handgun.
Hemani argued that a federal law barring gun ownership from anyone who uses drugs illegally violates the constitution’s second amendment.
The decision is a loss for the Trump administration, which had defended the 1968 law despite arguing against other gun restrictions.
Key events
Supreme court releases opinions
The supreme court has started releasing opinions, so far it has issued a ruling backing a challenge to a federal law barring drug users from owning guns.
We’ll bring you any more updates here as we get them.
Indeed, this morning’s Washington Post Early Brief (paywall) asks the question: “Are we back to where we started on Iran?”
The memorandum ends the fighting, reopens the strait of Hormuz and gives Trump a chance to claim he prevented a broader economic crisis. But many of its core terms appear to return the US and Iran to roughly where they were before the conflict: with Iran’s government still in power and its long-term nuclear commitments still unresolved.
Before the war, the strait of Hormuz saw the free flow of shipping, including roughly a fifth of the world’s oil traffic. Reopening the water way essentially restores the status quo.
Iran and the US had also already engaged in negotiations – albeit brokenly – on a framework over Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting U.S. sanctions. The negotiations were in pursuit of a deal to replace the 2015 Iran nuclear deal negotiated under President Barack Obama, which Trump vehemently criticized and left during his first term.
The terms of the MOU diverge substantially from Trump’s initial threats to obliterate Iran unless it agreed to “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” back in March. And it diverged from long-standing conservative criticisms of Obama’s deal that lifted sanctions on Iran.
After Donald Trump’s signing of the 14-point agreement with Iran yesterday at the Palace of Versailles – the home of humiliating treaties – the question of what the president’s war was actually for continues to divide some Republicans and foreign policy hawks.
GOP senator Lindsey Graham, a key Trump ally, appeared to soften his view of the memorandum of understanding yesterday (from this to this) after a “very lengthy and productive” conversation with US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
“After this discussion, it is my opinion that signing the MOU will be beneficial to the United States, in as much as the strait of Hormuz will begin to open, and the hostilities with Iran will stop,” Graham wrote on X. “Whether or not the United States can reach an acceptable, verifiable deal with Iran regarding its nuclear program and other issues is yet to be determined, but I see little downside to trying.”
But a handful of other Senate Republicans were more scathing in their views.
Outgoing Louisiana senator Bill Cassidy, who Trump failed to back in a tightly fought primary last month, said that the whole affair had Ronald Reagan “rolling over in his grave”. He wrote on X:
Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the strait of Hormuz works and will undoubtedly leverage it in the future.
Before the war, the strait was open, Iran was being crushed by sanctions, and 13 service members were still alive. Now, 13 Americans are dead, families have paid billions at the pump, sanctions will be lifted, and the bombing has stopped. This is the worst foreign policy blunder in decades.
Ted Cruz, who has backed the war, said the president was getting “very poor advice when it comes to this deal”.
Susan Rice, a former official in the Obama and Biden administrations was more blunt in her assessment, calling it “the biggest national security blunder in decades”, while Democratic senator Adam Schiff said it was “hard to imagine a more thorough capitulation”.
Iran gets sanctions relief, the release of frozen funds, the ability to export oil, and a $300 billion reconstruction fund. The US gets a reiteration of the vague promise Iran won’t develop a nuke.
In case you missed it, last night Donald Trump signed a 14-point agreement with Iran, claiming it delivered a “major win” for the United States – even as it made significant political and financial concessions to Iran to reopen the strait of Hormuz and prevent a “worldwide depression”.
In extraordinary remarks yesterday, Trump went from threatening Iran with a new wave of attacks to suggesting the country had basic rights to enrich uranium for civilian use, that he would not pressure Tehran to abandon its ballistic missiles programme and the US was “going to have to give back” billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets.
Those remarks, as well as the full text of the agreement – which was hailed by the Hezbollah chief, Naim Qassem, as a “great victory” – are likely to fuel anger in Israel and among hardliners in the Republican party who had urged Trump not to make a deal with Tehran.
Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, signed the agreement yesterday from Tehran. US vice-president JD Vance is also expected to sign the deal at a more formal ceremony in Geneva tomorrow.
Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said:
The agreement is a record of US failure. People will see it and judge.
Supreme court to release opinions with several high-stakes rulings to come including birthright citizenship
Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog.
The supreme court is expected to render at least one judgment today as the term is set to come to an end later this month. There are a series of cases yet to be decided that are relevant to Donald Trump, including his attempt to limit birthright citizenship and plan to remove legal protection from Haitian and Syrian immigrants.
Generally, terms last between October and late June – but the most significant cases are often left until the end of the term.
There are two main immigration-based decisions yet to be made. One pending ruling is on Trump’s desire to ban birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented immigrants and those whose parents are temporary residents.
“Birthright citizenship is one of America’s most consequential commitments – the idea that where you are born, not where your parents came from, determines your belonging to this nation,” said Adam Strom, executive director and co-founder of Reimagining Migration, in The74. “For the millions of immigrant-origin children in our schools, this isn’t an abstraction. It’s the ground they stand on.”
The court also has a case that will decide if the US can terminate the Temporary Protected Status that has allowed Haitian and Syrian immigrants to live and work in the country.
Other significant cases include Trump’s wish to fire a member of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors.
In other news:
-
Donald Trump has signed a 14-point agreement with Iran, claiming it delivered a “major win” for the US. The Guardian’s Andrew Roth argues that the US entered war with maximalist goals and exited it with a pragmatic decision to end conflict despite political cost.
-
A teenager has died after being thrown to the ground on Wednesday when a Central Park carriage horse bolted away from its driver, police in New York have said.
-
On Wednesday, court proceedings revealed that Luigi Mangione’s legal team plans on pursuing a psychiatric defense during his upcoming Manhattan state court trial over the killing of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson.
Czechia v South Africa: World Cup – live | World Cup 2026
35% of UK job applications miss interview threshold
Heathrow third runway likely to affect health of millions nearby, official report warns | Heathrow third runway
-
UK News4 weeks agoEx-minister Shapps quits aerospace firm over rule concerns
-
Crime & Safety4 weeks agoRyan Bridge speaks of London arrest after Oxford incident
-
UK News4 weeks agoRussian threats against Baltics ‘unacceptable’ and danger to ‘our entire union’, EU’s von der Leyen says – Europe live | Europe
-
Oxford News3 weeks agoOxfordshire families invited to free day of fun in Bicester
-
Oxford Events4 weeks agoSalon Privé 2026 unveils first concours entries led by one-off 1952 Ferrari once owned by Juan Perón
-
Business & Technology3 weeks agoNew ‘high-quality’ mushroom business launched in Oxford
-
Crime & Safety3 weeks agoPhotos as 1979 Pontiac Firebird ‘bursts in flames’ at Tesco
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoOxford: Rare watch sold for £40k after being saved from skip