Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters on Capitol Hill this afternoon that Trump is “perfectly within his authority” in the steps he has taken to deal with Iran.

Asked by NBC News whether he’d allow a war powers resolution to come to the floor for a vote, Thune said that if the conflict between Iran and Israel extends “for some period of time, there could be a more fulsome discussion about what the role of Congress should be and whether or not we need to take action.”

“But I think, right now, let’s hope and pray for the best outcome, the best solution,” he said. “And in my view, that would be Iran coming to the negotiating table and agreeing to end their nuclear program.”

From 10h ago 17.31 BST Trump demands Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender’ and says US won’t kill supreme leader ‘for now’ Donald Trump has posted on social media that the United States knows the location of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He added that the US would not kill Khamenei but called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender”. “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social. He followed up with a second post a few minutes later, writing: “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” In a post published about thirty minutes earlier, Trump said, “We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran.” Share Updated at 17.34 BST

3m ago 03.23 BST Interim summary Thank you for following our live coverage of the conflict between Israel and Iran. We are pausing this blog for now, but will return as soon as there are any new developments. Here is a quick recap of where things stand: Israel’s defence forces said they launched a fresh wave of strikes on Tehran in the early hours of Wednesday morning , warning residents in parts of the city to urgently evacuate. “Dear citizens, for your safety and well-being, we urgently request that you immediately evacuate the designated area in Tehran’s Area 18. Your presence in this area puts your life at risk,” the IDF posted on social media.

Residents in Tehran are fleeing the capital, with witnesses citing strong explosions hitting buildings in western and eastern parts of Tehran on Tuesday evening , the Associated Press reported. On the roads out of Tehran to the west, traffic stood bumper to bumper, and long lines also could be seen at gas stations. However, the impact and extent of any damage from the latest round of Israeli strikes remains unclear.

In Israel, the IDF said that families across the country had sought shelter due to missile launches from Iran . Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said Wednesday that hypersonic missiles were used during the latest attack on Israel. The extent to which they caused any damage also remains unclear.

Responding to the ongoing conflict , Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei vowed on X that Iran would retaliate. “We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy,” he said.

Those messages were posted after Donald Trump wrote on social media that the United States knows the location of the Iranian Ayatollah Khamenei, adding that the US would not kill him “for now” but called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender”.

In an apparent response to the president’s post, senator Bernie Sanders said the president “must not take illegal military action against Iran”. Yesterday, Democratic senator Tim Kaine a lso introduced a war powers resolution that would prohibit US armed forces from taking direct action against Iran without explicit authorisation from Congress or a declaration of war.

Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said that Iran’s supreme leader could face the same fate as Iraqi president Saddam Hussein , who was toppled in a US-led invasion and was eventually hanged after a trial.

Following a Situation Room briefing with members of his national security team, Trump is evaluating whether to lend his support to Israel by targeting Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility is located beneath a mountain that will be difficult for Israeli forces to penetrate without the assistance of the United States, which is the only country that possesses bombs that can break through the underground bunker. Share

45m ago 02.42 BST As Donald Trump considers direct intervention in Israel’s conflict with Iran, another war has broken out in Washington between conservative hawks, calling for immediate US strikes on uranium enrichment facilities, and Maga isolationists, who are demanding Trump stick to his campaign pledge not to involve the US in new overseas wars, writes the Guardian’s global affairs correspondent, Andrew Roth. Amid that tension, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson has interviewed Republican senator Ted Cruz about his views on Iran, a preview of which shows Cruz caught embarrassingly unaware about some basic facts about Iran. Watch the excoriating clip below: Ted Cruz on Iran. Full interview tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/hJNwAHAnxZ — Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 18, 2025 Republicans are not the only politicians weighing in on the debate, with Democratic senator Tim Kaine earlier delivering an urgent speech imploring Congress to exercise its “Constitutional responsibility” and debate military engagement with Iran before it is too late. Share

1h ago 02.26 BST The United States said it will close its embassy in Jerusalem until Friday amid the growing military conflict between Israel and Iran, as speculation mounts about possible American intervention. “Given the security situation and in compliance with Israel Home Front Command guidance, the US Embassy in Jerusalem will be closed tomorrow (Wednesday, June 18) through Friday (June 20),” the embassy said in a statement posted Tuesday to its website. On the fifth day of conflict between the Middle Eastern foes, officials also “directed that all US government employees and their family members continue to shelter in place in and near their residences until further notice.” Share

1h ago 02.07 BST As the conflict between Israel and Iran threatened to draw the US into war, Senator Tim Kaine delivered an urgent speech imploring Congress to exercise its “Constitutional responsibility” and debate military engagement with Iran before it is too late. We should not allow a war of the magnitude of this to begin with Congress hiding from the responsibility that was put on Congress’s shoulders in 1787,” the Virginia Democrat said in lengthy remarks on Tuesday evening. On Monday Kaine introduced a war powers resolution that would prohibit US armed forces from taking direct action against Iran without explicit authorization from Congress or a declaration of war. View image in fullscreen US Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia attends a rally supporting the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), near the US Capitol, Washington, DC, USA, 05 February 2025. Photograph: Will Oliver/EPA The resolution would not prevent the US from defending itself against imminent threats but would require congressional approval for offensive action. The bill likely faces an uphill climb in the Republican-controlled chamber, with the majority loath to challenge Trump’s powers. But it will get a vote, a week from Thursday, by Kaine’s count. Under Senate rules, war powers resolutions are considered “privileged”, guaranteeing a floor debate and vote. As the conflict intensified, Kaine told his colleagues they would hear from him frequently over the next 10 days,. “I will be asking my colleagues to support it and uphold the oath we’ve all taken to support the Constitution that established that most unusual principle, most unique principle that is part of what makes this nation special,” he said. Share Updated at 02.43 BST

2h ago 01.52 BST Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said Wednesday that hypersonic missiles were used during the latest attack on Israel, reports Agence France Presse. “The 11th wave of the proud Operation Honest Promise 3 using Fattah-1 missiles” was carried out, the Guards said in a statement carried by state television, claiming that Iranian forces “have gained complete control over the skies of the occupied territories”. There was no indication this was true at the time of posting. View image in fullscreen Missiles fired from Iran are seen streaking across the skies over the city of Hebron in the West Bank. Photograph: Wisam Hashlamoun/Anadolu/via Getty Images Share Updated at 02.09 BST

2h ago 01.47 BST As questions abound about whether the US may intervene in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, president Trump has posted this update on his Truth Social platform. It is my Great Honor to announce that I will be putting up two beautiful Flag Poles on both sides of the White House, North and South Lawns. It is a GIFT from me of something which was always missing from this magnificent place. The digging and placement of the poles will begin at 7:30 A.M. EST, tomorrow morning. Flags will be raised at approximately 11 A.M. EST. These are the most magnificent poles made – They are tall, tapered, rust proof, rope inside the pole, and of the highest quality. Hopefully, they will proudly stand at both sides of the White House for many years to come!” View image in fullscreen US President Donald Trump cut his G7 trip short and returned to the White House, as the Israel-Iran air war raged for a sixth day

Photograph: Kevin Mohatt/Reuters Share Updated at 02.44 BST

2h ago 01.42 BST US national intelligence officer, Tulsi Gabbard, left no doubt when she testified to Congress about Iran’s nuclear program earlier this year, telling lawmakers that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon, and its supreme leader had not reauthorised the dormant program even though it had enriched uranium to higher levels. View image in fullscreen National intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard (C) arrives for a closed door hearing with senators in Washington, DC, USA, 17 June 2025. Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA But, as the Associated Press reports, President Trump dismissed the assessment of US spy agencies during an overnight flight back to Washington as he cut short his trip to the G7 summit in Canada to focus on the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.

“I don’t care what she said,” Trump told reporters. In his view, Iran was “very close” to having a nuclear bomb.

Trump’s statement aligned him more closely with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has described a nuclear-armed Iran as an imminent threat, than with his own top intelligence adviser.

Administration officials have downplayed the apparent inconsistency, saying that enriching uranium can put Iran on track to having a nuclear weapon. Share

2h ago 01.36 BST Residents of Iran’s capital were seen leaving the city as shops and the historic Grand Bazaar in Tehran were closed on Tuesday, the fifth day of the intensifying conflict started by Israel, reports the Associated Press.

Witnesses said strong explosions rocked buildings in western and eastern parts of Tehran on Tuesday evening. An Associated Press reporter could hear sounds of explosions and anti-aircraft batteries firing from all directions. On the roads out of Tehran to the west, traffic stood bumper to bumper, and long lines also could be seen at gas stations.

“It looks like no one is living in this city,” one resident told the AP by phone. View image in fullscreen A view of banner of Iranian State TV presenter Sahar Emami, who was targeted live on air during the Israeli attack, in Veliasr Square in Tehran, Iran on 17 June, 2025. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images Share

2h ago 01.16 BST The Israel-Iran conflict, in pictures. Smoke rises from a fire in Tehran, Iran, on 17 June. View image in fullscreen Smoke rises from a fire, as the Israel-Iran air war continues, in Tehran, Iran, in this still image obtained from social media video released 17 June, 2025. Photograph: Social Media/Reuters People take shelter in an underground metro station near Tel Aviv, Israel, on 17 June. View image in fullscreen People take shelter in an underground metro station as a precaution against possible Iran missile attacks, in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, 17 June, 2025. Photograph: Oded Balilty/AP People run along a street amid smoke following the Israeli strikes in Tehran on 15 June. View image in fullscreen People run along a street amid smoke following the Israeli strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, 15 June, 2025. Photograph: Hamid Amlashi/Reuters People evacuate after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv on 16 June. View image in fullscreen People evacuate after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday 16 June, 2025. Photograph: Baz Ratner/AP Share

✕ Close ‘I have to be back’: Trump on early G7 summit exit

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Donald Trump has claimed he knows where Iran’s Supreme Leader is hiding and called for “unconditional surrender”, as a bloody conflict between Tehran and Israel continues for a fifth day.

In a social media post on Tuesday, the US president warned “our patience is wearing thin”, adding: “We know exactly where the so-called “Supreme Leader” is hiding.

“He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.”

At least 224 people have been killed in Iran and 24 in Israel, their respective authorities have reported, after a major escalation began when Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear sites and capital of Tehran on Friday morning.

Each day since, both countries have continued to trade blows, attacking major cities and military targets. Thousands have been injured in Iran and hundreds injured in Israel, as residents from both countries evacuate to seek safety abroad.

Earlier on Tuesday, Donald Trump warned that the “gloves are off” if Iran were to attack US soldiers in the Middle East.

Iran has denied allegations that it is secretly developing nuclear weapons, the pretext upon which Israel began striking Iran on Friday morning.

Oil prices continued to rise on Wednesday as the Iran-Israel conflict entered its sixth day, raising fears of potential disruptions to global energy supplies.

Brent crude futures rose by 19 cents, or 0.25 per cent, to $76.64 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude climbed 23 cents, or 0.31 per cent, to $75.07 a barrel in early trading. This follows a more than 4 per cent surge in the previous session.

Tensions escalated further after US President Donald Trump called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” and the Pentagon began deploying additional fighter jets to the region.

Analysts pointed to growing concerns over the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial oil transit route that handles about 20 per cent of the world’s seaborne crude — especially after two tankers collided and caught fire near the strait on Tuesday. The UK Maritime Trade Operations also warned of electronic interference affecting ship navigation in the area.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in series of posts on early Wednesday warned the “terrorist Zionist regime” and said “the battle begins” amid escalating tensions with Israel.

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Khamenei’s post came following escalating threats from US President Donald Trump, who had just hours before called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender.”

Moments later, Khamenei posted on X: “We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy.” The statement came shortly after Iran launched two rounds of ballistic missiles at Israel early Wednesday.

Khamenei’s posts appeared to frame the attacks as part of a broader ideological struggle.

In Farsi, he posted “the battle begins”, alongside an image of a man with a sword entering a castle gate, alluding to the historic battle of Khaybar, as per the Times of Israel.

In a series of posts on his platform Truth Social Trump had claimed the United States had full control of Iranian airspace and warned that the country’s top leader was within reach. “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,” Trump had wrote.

“But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” He later followed up with a post calling for Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”

Iran fired the latest barrage of missiles around 12.40 am which triggered sirens across of Israel and included around 15 projectiles. A second wave of about 10 rockets followed roughly 40 minutes later, prompting alerts in central parts of the country and the West Bank.

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Although there were no reported casualties, a fire broke out in a central Israeli parking lot, damaging several cars.

Warning sirens were also activated around the Dead Sea due to what officials described as a suspected drone infiltration.

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Meanwhile, Israel continued its offensive inside Iranian territory. Early Wednesday morning, the Israel defense forces (IDF) called for residents of Tehran’s District 18 to evacuate, citing upcoming military action targeting strategic infrastructure.

Soon after, Israeli forces confirmed a new wave of airstrikes in Tehran. Reports also emerged of explosions in the city of Karaj, previously the site of a nuclear centrifuge facility targeted by Israeli strikes.

Israel launched its military campaign six days ago, calling the assault necessary to dismantle what it described as an “existential threat” posed by Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes. According to Israeli officials, the ongoing operation aims to eliminate top Iranian military officials, nuclear scientists, missile launch sites and uranium enrichment centres.

The conflict has already caused significant casualties. Iranian authorities report at least 224 people killed in Israeli strikes, while Israel says over 370 missiles and hundreds of drones have been launched by Iran. So far, 24 people have been killed in Israel and more than 500 wounded.

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