☕ The historic strikes on Iran

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President Trump will meet with his security team this morning to discuss the ‘what happens next’ stage of ‘Operation Midnight Hammer’, including continuing to anticipate an Iranian response and evaluate the true damage of the weekend’s historic strikes on three nuclear facilities.

Need a recap on all the moving parts? We break it down here.

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Some headlines from this morning:

NATO members agreed Thursday to raise defense spending targets from 2% to 5% of GDP following pressure from President Trump and growing Russian threats. Secretary General Mark Rutte's proposal splits the increase between 3.5% for core defense and 1.5% for supporting infrastructure like cybersecurity and military logistics. Spain immediately rejected the new targets, with Prime Minister Sánchez citing economic constraints despite Trump calling Spain "notorious" for spending just 1.3%. The agreement requires parliamentary approval in all 32 member states, with several European nations warning the increases could strain domestic budgets amid ongoing economic challenges.

Over the weekend, Tesla launched its self-driving "robotaxi" service in Austin, Texas, charging passengers a flat fee of $4.20 for autonomous rides within designated zones. The Elon Musk-owned company invited content creators to test the driverless vehicles, although Tesla employees occupied passenger seats during some initial rides, despite promises of fully autonomous operation. Musk called the launch "successful" and the "culmination of a decade of hard work" in a post on X, the social media platform he owns. The service includes safety restrictions that limit rides to specific driving zones and prohibit passengers under 18, joining competitors like Waymo in the growing autonomous vehicle market.

FedEx founder Frederick Smith died Saturday at age 80, CEO Raj Subramaniam announced to staff. Smith was serving as executive chairman of the delivery giant he started in 1973 with 14 planes and 400 employees, growing it into today's global operation with 705 aircraft and 500,000 workers across 5,000 facilities. He revolutionized shipping by pioneering the "hub and spoke" system that routes packages through central distribution centers for next-day delivery. Subramaniam called Smith a "visionary leader and mentor".

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 to win their first NBA championship since relocating from Seattle in 2008. The Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named the Finals MVP. He’s the first player in 25 years to win the regular season MVP award, lead the league in scoring, and be named Finals MVP all in the same season. The Pacers lost star guard Tyrese Haliburton to an Achilles injury in the first quarter but held a one-point halftime lead before the Thunder outscored them 34-20 in the third quarter. The championship marks the NBA's seventh different title winner in seven years and ends Oklahoma City's 16-year wait for a Championship.

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Syrian authorities say a man detonated a bomb vest at a Greek Orthodox church in the country’s capital, killing at least 22 people, including himself. Dozens of others were injured in the explosion.

Officials have blamed the suicide bomb attack on the Islamic State. The group has not claimed responsibility. It’s one of the most violent attacks in Syria since former leader Bashar al-Assad’s regime was toppled in December. Here’s what we know so far.

What happened?

Authorities said a man entered the St. Elias church in the capital, Damascus, on Sunday (local time). The man “opened fire” on the congregation before he “detonated himself with an explosive vest”. Photos from the church show bombed-out pews and a demolished altar.

At least 22 people were killed in the attack and more than 60 others were wounded, according to the latest update from Syria’s Health Ministry.

Islamic State

Syria’s interior ministry blamed the attack on the Islamic State, labelling it a “terrorist attack” in remarks published by state-run media outlet SANA.

The Islamic State has not commented on the attack. It had previously controlled parts of Syria, but lost its territory in 2019. The U.S. lists the Islamic State as a terrorist group.

Syria

The bombing inside the Greek Orthodox church is one of the most violent attacks since Assad’s regime fell. A group of rebel forces ousted Assad in December, ending his family’s 54-year rule.

The country still faces instability. In March, hundreds of people from the Alawite ethnoreligious group, believed to be Assad loyalists, were reportedly killed as part of a broader crackdown aligned with the new government.

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The U.S. has carried out its largest-ever attack on Iran, striking three nuclear sites on Sunday in what officials called action to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The strikes have divided Congress and sparked international debate about America's right to use military force. Here's what you need to know.

What happened?

President Donald Trump ordered strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities using B-2 Spirit bombers early Sunday morning. The stealth aircraft dropped massive ordnance penetrators - known as "bunker busters" - on underground nuclear sites without being detected by Iranian air defenses.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed it was the first time these weapons had been used in combat. "The goal was to neutralize the threats to our national interests posed by the Iranian nuclear program and the collective self-defense of our troops and our ally Israel," Hegseth said.

Why did the U.S. strike now?

The attack followed a UN nuclear watchdog report earlier this month warning that Iran was producing highly enriched uranium material needed for nuclear weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iran was the only non-nuclear nation producing such material and had failed to explain its activities at specific sites.

The strikes also came after escalating violence between Israel and Iran. Israel had launched attacks on Iranian military infrastructure, including generals' residences in Tehran. Iran responded by hitting Israeli cities Tel Aviv and Haifa. Iranian authorities report 430 deaths, mainly civilians. Israeli authorities report 25 civilian deaths.

Following the strikes, President Trump said: "This cannot continue. Iran's nuclear ambitions pose an existential threat not just to Israel, but to the entire free world”.

Congress divided

The strikes have exposed deep divisions in Congress over presidential war powers. Under the Constitution, only Congress can declare war, but presidents can order military action under certain circumstances.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R) defended the strikes: "Leaders in Congress were aware of the urgency of this situation and the Commander-in-Chief evaluated that the imminent danger outweighed the time it would take for Congress to act."

Senator John Fetterman (D) called it "the correct move," while Representative Marsha Blackburn (R) described it as "a victory for the United States."

However, Representative Warren Davidson (R) said that while the strikes may be "just," he didn't believe they were constitutional. Senator Tim Kaine (D) called them "idiotic" and "horrible judgment."

Iran’s response

Iran immediately called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting, where its representative accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "hijacking U.S. foreign policy, dragging the United States into yet another costly, baseless war."

Iran called the strikes "aggression and unlawful action" and denied allegations of nuclear weapons development. Iranian officials said their response would be "proportionate" and claimed the right to self-defense.

Iran's Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah, has previously stated that nuclear weapons are haram (forbidden) under Islam. The country maintains its nuclear program is entirely peaceful.

Self-defense

The U.S. cited the UN Charter's right to "individual or collective self-defense" to justify the strikes. This provision allows countries to defend themselves "if an armed attack occurs" until the Security Council takes action.

At the UN, the U.S. representative argued the strikes were necessary to "eliminate a long-standing but rapidly escalating source of global insecurity and to aid our ally Israel in our inherent right of collective self-defense."

Israel's representative called the attack a "last line of defense," saying "the cost of inaction would have been catastrophic. A nuclear Iran would have been a death sentence."

What happens next?

Trump warned that additional strikes could follow "in a matter of minutes" if Iran continues its nuclear program. The president is required by a 1973 law to inform Congress within two days about military actions and must withdraw troops after 60 days unless Congress authorizes further action.

The State Department has begun evacuating Americans from the region. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee said two flights carrying Americans flew from Tel Aviv to Athens hours before the strikes.

With airspace closed, evacuations are happening by road - to Jordan from Israel and to Azerbaijan from Iran.

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