HEATING UP: Israel retaliated against Iran on Sunday night after taking fire from the Islamic regime for the first time in two months, despite Trump saying he “called the shots” and would tell Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold fire.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that it was striking military targets in central and western Iran. A U.S. defense official told Axios that the U.S. was not involved in the Israeli strikes and called them “relatively limited” in scope.
But a top Iranian official suggested the U.S. was to blame for the attack.
“No one believes that the Israeli regime would take any action without coordination with the United States,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters at a briefing. “The United States bears responsibility for the Israeli regime’s aggression, and it will also be responsible for the consequences of any escalation in tensions.”
Iran fired missiles at Israel Sunday for the first time since the ceasefire with the U.S. went into effect in early April, apparently in response to escalations in Israel's fight against Iran-linked Hezbollah in Lebanon. The IDF said it intercepted the missiles as sirens could be heard in northern Israel.
Trump reportedly told Netanyahu not to retaliate in a call Sunday to allow for more time for diplomacy.
“I call all the shots. He doesn't call the shots,” Trump told the Financial Times about Netanyahu.
But Israel still went forward with the strikes, with explosions heard in the cities of Tehran, Isfahan and Tabriz, among others.
Trump called on Israel and Iran to stop firing at each other “immediately” in a Truth Social post early Monday morning.
Oil prices jumped overnight Sunday on news of the resumption in direct fighting between Iran and Israel.
▪ The Hill: Trump says Iran hasn’t agreed to deal because they’re ‘proud.’
▪ The Hill: Four takeaways from Trump’s ‘Meet the Press’ interview.
CRUNCH TIME: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is facing a jam-packed week that will test his ability to keep his conference in line, with two major pieces of legislation on the agenda.
The House will take up a nearly $70 billion reconciliation package funding immigration enforcement agencies through fiscal 2029 after the Senate passed the measure on Friday. The upper chamber held a marathon series of votes overnight Thursday before eventually passing the bill, and the process in the House could be just as contentious.
Johnson can only afford to lose two members of his conference in what’s expected to be a party-line vote. He will likely face opposition from at least one member — Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who is a fiscal hawk.
A few other members also could express some hesitation about lending their support.
Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) will also need to find a path forward to extend the government’s warrantless foreign surveillance powers, which expire Thursday.
The effort already faced one hurdle over privacy advocates’ concerns, but now Democrats have pledged to oppose an extension over Trump’s appointment of Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence.
Read more about what to expect in Congress this week from The Hill’s Sudiksha Kochi here.
▪ The Hill: GOP plots third reconciliation bill as midterm clock ticks.
▪ The Hill: Divisions mount between Trump, Republican lawmakers.
'GREAT IDEA’: Trump didn’t rule out the federal government making payments to those charged with attacking police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, calling his administration’s proposed “anti-weaponization” fund a “great idea.”
“I wouldn’t be inclined to say so, but I have to see it,” Trump told Welker in the “Meet the Press” interview.
“If they get it approved, that’s great,” he said, referring to the DOJ. “If they don’t get it approved, I’d be disappointed.”
The DOJ confirmed in a court filing Friday that its $1.776 billion fund it created for those who claim to be victims of political prosecutions would not be going forward. That came after acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers that the proposal would be folded in light of bipartisan backlash.
But as The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch reports, the DOJ has other pathways to providing payouts to those who say they have been wronged by the federal government, particularly from a limitless pot of money to pay settlements for claims made against it.
▪ Politico: DOJ argues Trump could tear down Statue of Liberty if he wanted.
