U.S. forces are pressing ahead Tuesday with an effort to , but so far only two vessels, both of them American-flagged merchant ships, are known to have passed through. Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine said the safety corridor in the key waterway for oil and gas transport involves guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft and 15,000 service members.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the forces prefer a peaceful effort to 鈥済uide鈥� the more than 22,500 mariners stuck on more than 1,550 vessels out of the Persian Gulf, but are ready if needs change. 鈥淭his is a temporary mission for us,鈥� Hegseth said. 鈥淲e expect the world to step up.鈥�
It is unclear . The U.S. Central Command said Iran earlier launched multiple cruise missiles, drones and small boats at civilian ships under the U.S. military鈥檚 protection, and that U.S. helicopters sank six small boats involved in the attacks. It denied Iranian reports that American vessels had been struck. Caine and Hegseth said the ceasefire is not over. Shortly thereafter, the United Arab Emirates said it was defending against more Iranian strikes.
Trump Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week in a bid to ease rising tensions between , Trump has lashed out at the pope again, misrepresenting the pontiff鈥檚 laments about the Iran war and accusing him of 鈥渆ndangering a lot of Catholics.鈥�
Here is the latest:
Trump offers an optimistic take on China鈥檚 position on Iran
The president in an exchange with reporters said that China hasn鈥檛 鈥渃hallenged鈥� him as he continues to press Iran even as Beijing has repeatedly criticized the U.S. and Israel military action against Iran.
鈥淵ou know, in all fairness, he gets, like, 60% of his oil from (the Strait of) Hormuz,鈥� Trump said of President Xi Jinping.
China, in fact, imported about half of its crude oil and almost one-third of its liquefied natural gas from the Middle East, according to China鈥檚 General Administration of Customs.
Trump offered a more measured take than Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who a day earlier said the administration wants to see Beijing 鈥渟tep up鈥� and pressure Iran to open the strait. Bessent in an interview with Fox 草莓传媒 said Iran would be high on Trump鈥檚 agenda when he travels to Beijing next week for a summit with Xi.
Pakistan military urges restraint as US-Iran tensions rise
Pakistan鈥檚 top military leadership on Tuesday urged restraint to help ease rising tensions between the United States and Iran.
The call came during a Corps Commanders Conference chaired by army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Munir since last month has been in contact between the U.S. and Iranian officials as part of Pakistan鈥檚 efforts to end the conflict.
In a statement, the military said participants reviewed the evolving security environment amid Pakistan鈥檚 outreach to Washington and Tehran, adding that lasting peace depends on collective restraint, responsibility and respect for sovereignty.
French president says Trump鈥檚 tariff threats are wasting time
Europe and the United States have more important things to do, Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday, after Trump announced on European vehicles.
said on Friday that he would increase charged on cars and trucks from the European Union this week to 25%, a move that could further harm the global economy as it reels from . EU and U.S. trade officials were due to meet in Paris on Tuesday to discuss the issue.
鈥淓specially in the geopolitical period we are experiencing, allies like the United States of America and the European Union have much better things to do than to stir up threats of destabilization,鈥� Macron told reporters in Armenia, adding that he hopes 鈥渞eason will prevail soon.鈥�
JD Vance woos Republican voters, including farmers who want the war to end
heads to Iowa on Tuesday, his first visit since taking office to the state where Republicans will cast the initial votes to pick their party鈥檚 next presidential nominee.
Seen as for president in 2028, Vance stopped first in Cincinnati to vote in the primary, saying he picked Vivek Ramaswamy for governor. He鈥檚 also holding a fundraiser in Oklahoma City as finance chair of the Republican National Committee.
Higher prices for and and Trump鈥檚 tariffs have been hitting voters hard, and Vance鈥檚 political prospects are complicated by . Vance has seemed , for which Trump has struggled to find an off-ramp.
Iowa鈥檚 farmers have steadfastly supported the president, but they鈥檝e been looking for assurances that the troubles won鈥檛 last.
Rubio to brief at White House with press secretary on maternity leave
The secretary of state is putting on yet another Trump administration hat 鈥� White House spokesperson.
Rubio is scheduled to fill in Tuesday for White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on leave awaiting the birth of her second child. His briefing is scheduled for 3 p.m. EDT.
The nation鈥檚 top diplomat already doubles as Trump鈥檚 national security adviser and for a while was the acting archivist of the United States and the acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
His last formal briefing for reporters was at the State Department briefing room in December.
Scuttlebutt around the White House has been that Rubio will be among a handful of high-level administration officials leading the press briefings while Leavitt is away.
Proposed UN resolution demands Iran halt attacks on ships in Strait of Hormuz and stop `illegal tolls鈥�
The proposed Security Council resolution, co-sponsored by the United States and Gulf nations, threatens Iran with sanctions or other measures if it doesn鈥檛 restore freedom of navigation and immediately disclose where sea mines have been placed in and around the vital waterway.
The draft, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, also demands that Iran 鈥渋mmediately participate in and enable the United Nations efforts to establish a humanitarian corridor in the strait鈥� to enable vital aid, fertilizer and other goods to transit.
The proposed resolution was drafted under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which can be enforced militarily. It threatens 鈥渆ffective measures that are commensurate with the gravity of the situation, including sanctions鈥� if Iran doesn鈥檛 comply.
A previous resolution aimed at opening the Strait of Hormuz, where about 20% of the world鈥檚 crude oil had transited, was vetoed by Russia and China.
Oracle is one of 8 firms providing AI capabilities to the US military
Software behemoth Oracle really is among the tech firms providing artificial intelligence capabilities to the U.S. military over classified computer networks.
The Defense Department has been ramping up its use of AI to fight wars and to more efficiently perform other operations. The Pentagon announced Friday that it鈥檚 contracting with seven companies to use their infrastructure. Oracle was not initially on the list. The others are Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Nvidia, OpenAI, Reflection and SpaceX.
Oracle, now based in Texas, said the military鈥檚 use of its AI over classified systems will 鈥渆nhance situational awareness and strengthen warfighter decision-making in complex operations.鈥�
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to an email seeking clarity on why Oracle was left off Friday鈥檚 news release announcing the contracts. The news release was later updated to include Oracle.
Former military officers say reopening the strait remains a daunting task
Former military officers who have served on the Strait of Hormuz have said opening it would be , even with military escorts, which the U.S. isn鈥檛 providing now.
There鈥檚 little room to maneuver in the narrow waterway, and Iran can reach all of the strait and its approaches with anti-ship cruise missiles. It also can target vessels with longer-range missiles, drones, fast attack craft and naval mines.
Experts say reducing the threat would involve targeting offensive installations on the ground inside Iran and having constant surveillance and patrols.
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Insurance broker says it鈥檚 too early to know how US military effort will affect shipping through the strait
Marcus Baker, global head of marine, cargo and logistics for insurance broker and risk adviser Marsh Risk, said it would take a few days to see how the insurance market reacts.
鈥淲e just have to see what happens, whether the Iranians keep the peace, whether the Americans keep the peace, and exactly what that鈥檚 going mean for shipping,鈥� he said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 rhetoric from both sides on this, and we鈥檝e just got to be mindful of that,鈥� he added. But he said 鈥渁nything that starts to increase certainty around safety has got to be a good thing.鈥�
One of the world鈥檚 largest container shipping companies says Hormuz transits not yet possible
鈥淎t this point in time our risk assessment remains unchanged,鈥� the Hamburg, Germany-based shipping company Hapag-Lloyd AG said in a statement. 鈥淭ransits through the Strait of Hormuz are for the moment not possible for our ships.鈥�
With another boat strike, death toll in Latin American waters reaches 188
The Trump administration鈥檚 campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has .
Despite , the in recent weeks to stop what the administration calls 鈥渘arcoterrorism鈥� in the Western Hemisphere. The U.S. military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs.
In the latest attack Monday, U.S. Southern Command repeated previous statements by saying it had targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. It posted a video on X showing a boat moving along the water before a massive explosion engulfs the vessel in flames.
UAE is under Iranian attack again, defense ministry says
The United Arab Emirates is 鈥渁ctively engaging鈥� with missile and drone attack from Iran, the country鈥檚 defense ministry said on X Tuesday evening.
It said sounds heard in parts of the Gulf federation are related to the interception of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones.
US job openings were unchanged at 6.9 million in March but hiring improved
U.S. job openings were essentially unchanged at 6.9 million, another sign the American labor remained sluggish even before the full impact of the Iran war hit the economy.
The job market has been up and down so far this year after a dismal 2025. And the Iran war has clouded the outlook for the economy and hiring.
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed that layoffs rose in March. But hiring improved, and more people quit their jobs 鈥� a sign of confidence in the economy.
Trump鈥檚 drugmaker deals may save economy $529B over 10 years, White House says
White House economists estimate the to drop some U.S. prescription drug prices to what they charge in other countries could save $529 billion over the next 10 years.
The analysis obtained by The Associated Press includes the first economy-wide projections behind a policy at the core of Trump鈥檚 pitch to voters going into for control of the House and Senate. Democratic lawmakers have doubted Trump鈥檚 claims, and these new numbers are likely to trigger additional questions about the data.
and have deepened the public鈥檚 anxiety. Few of the details of the deals struck by the Trump administration and have been made public, making it hard to independently verify the projected savings.
Death toll in Lebanon reaches 2,702 since Israel-Hezbollah war began
The Health Ministry in Beirut said Tuesday that 8,311 people were wounded during the same period.
The latest Israel-Hezbollah war started on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel following the U.S. and Israel鈥檚 attacks on Iran.
A ceasefire has been in place since April 17 but both Israel and Hezbollah have been carrying out daily attacks since then.
Analyst: the situation around the Strait of Hormuz remains highly uncertain
That鈥檚 because Iran still clearly intends to attack ships that try to transit without going through the Iran-approved route near the Iranian coastline, said Torbjorn Soltvedt, principal Middle East analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.
鈥淭his initiative alone isn鈥檛 something that looks like it鈥檚 going to open the Strait of Hormuz,鈥� he said. Shipping and insurance companies 鈥渟till have to wait and see how this plays out.鈥�
Taking the northern route involves going through vetting by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and payment, in at least some cases. The U.S.-guided 鈥淧roject Freedom鈥� route goes through territorial waters of Oman to the south.
Reopening the strait 鈥渃an really only be done through either an agreement between the United States or Iran,鈥� or if the U.S. significantly diminishes Iran鈥檚 ability to attack using drones, missiles and small boats, he said.
French president says Iranian president asked to talk
鈥淚 will be speaking with the Iranian president shortly at his request,鈥� Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday.
鈥矲rance has maintained a consistent position from the start. We call for the cessation of all hostilities, the return to diplomatic negotiations, and respect for all countries in the region,鈥� Macron said. 鈥淭the only possible option is the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz … and the absence of any tolls or coercive measures.鈥�
鈥淎ny unilateral escalation against tankers, container ships, or third countries is a mistake that fuels war and leads to escalation,鈥� Macron said.
Hegseth says Iranians still had 鈥榳ill鈥� to develop nukes
After the , Hegseth says U.S. forces participated in new strikes this year alongside Israel because the Iranians鈥� 鈥渨ill was still there to seek a nuclear bomb.鈥�
The secretary was asked about intelligence reports showing that, despite the initial bombing in Operation Midnight Hammer, the timeline for Iranian nuclear weapon development remained at 9 to 12 months.
鈥淭he obliteration of those facilities set back their program,鈥� Hegseth said. 鈥淗opefully Iran chooses a deal that they give up those ambitions, give up those capabilities.鈥�
Hegseth also says ceasefire is not over
The defense secretary confirmed that the ceasefire remains in effect despite some Iran strikes and the ongoing U.S. blockade.
鈥淣o, the ceasefire is not over,鈥� Hegseth said, reaffirming Caine鈥檚 earlier statements.
Caine lays out US forces manning Strait of Hormuz
Saying that more than 100 U.S. military aircraft are patrolling the skies 鈥�24 hours a day,鈥� Gen. Dan Caine said Tuesday marked a 鈥渜uieter鈥� period in the Strait.
Caine added that there were 22,500 mariners on more than 1,550 vessels in the Persian Gulf, unable to transit.
He went on to commend the troops of the 82nd Airborne Division, who he said were using 鈥渘ext generation tactical networks鈥� to 鈥渟eamlessly synchronize鈥� efforts in support of military activity.
Joint Chiefs Chairman says Iran attacks do not necessarily mean they violated ceasefire
Dan Caine told reporters at the Pentagon on Tuesday that Iran鈥檚 recent acts of aggression are below the threshold of 鈥渕ajor combat operations.鈥�
That means Tehran, in the Trump administration鈥檚 view, has not violated the between the U.S. and Iran.
鈥淪ince the ceasefire was announced, Iran has fired at commercial vessels nine times and seized two container ships, and they鈥檝e attacked U.S. forces more than 10 times 鈥� all below the threshold of restarting major combat operations at this point,鈥� Caine said.
The administration has cited the ceasefire in does not have to give a formal update to Congress on the war under the War Powers Resolution. That law typically requires presidential updates on war activities 60 days after beginning military action.
Defense secretary says US forces remain 鈥榣ocked and loaded鈥� to safeguard Strait of Hormuz
Hegseth said in a Pentagon briefing Tuesday that U.S. military forces would prefer the new effort to 鈥済uide鈥� stranded ships through the to be peaceful 鈥� but are ready if needs change.
鈥淭his is a temporary mission for us,鈥� Hegseth said, adding that the intent remains to hand control of the strait back to countries that need the waterway 鈥渁 lot more than we do. 鈥� We expect the world to step up.鈥�
Iran has denounced the move as a ceasefire violation.
Trump says Pope Leo is 鈥榚ndangering Catholics鈥�
Trump is renewing his criticism of Pope Leo XIV even as Rubio prepares to , ostensibly to ease tensions between Washington and the Holy See.
The president misrepresented the pontiff鈥檚 laments about the Iran war in an interview with conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt, while saying Leo is aiding Tehran and making the world less safe.
鈥淭he pope would rather talk about the fact that it鈥檚 OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淎nd I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 very good. I think he鈥檚 endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people.鈥�
Leo has not said Iran should obtain nuclear weapons. He鈥檚 called for more peace talks, criticized war generally and lambasted Trump鈥檚 specific threats of mass civilian strikes.
The pope that he鈥檚 reflecting biblical and church teachings, not speaking as a political rival to Trump.
Rubio plans to visit the Vatican this week as tensions between Trump and the pope rise
Pope Leo XIV holds his weekly general audience in St. Peter鈥檚 Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Rome and Vatican City this week in a bid to ease rising tensions between over U.S. policies, particularly the Iran war.
The State Department said Monday that Rubio, a Catholic who with this trip will have visited Italy or the Vatican at least three times as the Republican president鈥檚 top diplomat, would be in Italy on Thursday and Friday. The Vatican announced that Rubio would meet with Leo, the first American pontiff, on Thursday.
鈥淪ecretary Rubio will meet with Holy See leadership to discuss the situation in the Middle East and mutual interests in the Western Hemisphere,鈥� the department said. 鈥淢eetings with Italian counterparts will be focused on shared security interests and strategic alignment.鈥�
The trip comes as for his stances on the Middle East and elsewhere and as the president has drawn pushback for posting a social media image likening himself to Jesus Christ.
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Negotiations make little progress
Iran鈥檚 latest proposal for ending the war calls for the U.S. to lift sanctions, end the blockade, withdraw forces from the region and cease all hostilities including Israel鈥檚 operations in Lebanon, according to the semiofficial Nour 草莓传媒 and Tasnim agencies, which have close ties to Iran鈥檚 security apparatus.
Iranian officials over the weekend said they were reviewing the U.S. response. Tehran has claimed its proposal does not include its nuclear program and , long a driving force in tensions with the U.S. and Israel.
Iran wants other issues resolved within 30 days and aims to end the war rather than extend the ceasefire. Trump expressed doubt over the weekend that the proposal would lead to a deal.
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