Trump Threatens Iran as US Moves to Free 800+ Stranded Ships; Aid, Courts and Politics Dominate Headlines

Donald Trump warned that Iran would be "blown off the face of the earth" if it attacked US vessels attempting to reopen passage through the Strait of Hormuz, as Washington launched an operation to free hundreds of ships and crews trapped in the Gulf.

The US military said it destroyed six small Iranian boats and intercepted Iranian cruise missiles and drones during the operation; Tehran denied those claims. The confrontation has returned the region to the brink of wider conflict.

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital artery for global trade, typically carrying about one-fifth of the world's oil shipments. A Pakistan-brokered ceasefire last month halted direct fighting but did not restore safe passage. More than 800 ships and roughly 20,000 crew members remain stranded as efforts continue to reopen the route.

Mr. Trump’s latest rhetoric echoes an April warning in which he said a "whole civilization will die" if Tehran did not meet his demands over Hormuz, remarks that drew widespread domestic and international backlash.

Domestic And Diplomatic Flashpoints

The administration is pressing the United Nations and international aid organizations to adopt more trade-focused policies that would favor US firms, while signaling possible funding cuts if those changes are not accepted. At home, USAID has seen major restructuring and layoffs as some functions are being absorbed into the State Department — a move critics warn could weaken global humanitarian programs.

Separately, senior administration official Brooke Rollins alleged that about 14,000 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients own luxury vehicles such as Ferraris, Bentleys and Teslas — a claim that has intensified debate over proposed changes to the food-aid program.

In other US news, reports say Senator Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet Pope Francis privately at the Vatican. In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new congressional map that reshapes districts around Miami, Orlando and Tampa Bay and is expected to strongly influence upcoming congressional contests.

The US Supreme Court has temporarily reinstated nationwide access to the abortion pill mifepristone, blocking a lower-court ruling that threatened availability of a medication used in a large share of terminations.

A new study warns that New Orleans has reached a "point of no return" and calls for immediate relocation planning as climate-driven sea-level rise and subsidence threaten to surround the city with water within decades.

At least 13 people were injured in a mass shooting at a campground in Oklahoma on Sunday night. A US judge also apologized to a man accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump for what the judge described as "legally deficient" treatment while detained in Washington, DC, including placement on suicide watch and other restrictions.

Former central banker and public figure Mark Carney urged European leaders not to accept a more hostile global order and suggested the continent could help rebuild international institutions. In New York City, Council Member Zohran Mamdani and other local officials condemned an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation that removed a man from a hospital, an action that sparked protests and clashes with police.

Developments are ongoing. This roundup highlights the main stories shaping US policy, domestic politics and international tensions today.