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| Tel Aviv this week. Menahem Kahana/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images |
Trump will decide on Iran strikes within ‘two weeks’
President Trump will be ready to decide whether to bomb Iran “within the next two weeks,” the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said yesterday. It is one of the president’s favorite units of time — previously employed in reference to resolving tax plans, health care policies, the fight against ISIS and even the war in Ukraine. Here’s the latest.
In a White House statement announcing Trump’s new timeline, he said that there was “a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future.”
As the war entered its seventh day, the Israeli military launched a wave of strikes this morning against sites in northern provinces far from Tehran, suggesting a geographical expansion of its targets.
In Israel, an Iranian missile barrage hit several locations yesterday, including the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba. It was the first Israeli hospital to be hit directly since the fighting began last week, and several patients were injured. Hospital officials said much of the building had recently been evacuated.
Analysis: Trump’s revised timeline opens a host of new military and covert options, my colleagues David E. Sanger and Tyler Pager write.
Related:
| The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem is working to arrange flights and cruise ships for American citizens who want to leave Israel.U.S. intelligence officials said Iran was likely to pivot toward producing a nuclear weapon if the U.S. attacked a main uranium enrichment site, or if Israel killed the country’s supreme leader.The foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany are scheduled to hold talks today with their Iranian counterpart.Israel’s interceptors provide unmatched protection from Iran’s missiles. But how long can they last? |
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| Moscow’s annual Victory Day parade in May. Hacking groups appear to have become more interested in Russian targets since the country’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Maxim Shemetov/Reuters |
Chinese hackers are looking for Russia’s war secrets
Groups linked to the Chinese government have repeatedly hacked Russian companies and government agencies since the first months of the war in Ukraine. China probably sees the war as a chance to collect military secrets and use Russia’s battlefield experience to prepare for potential conflicts of its own, like a fight over Taiwan, experts said.
It is unclear how successful the hacking attempts have been, in part because Russian officials have never publicly acknowledged them. But they show that China sees Russia as a vulnerable target, experts say, even though the nations profess to have a close partnership and have promised for years not to hack each other’s networks.
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| A drone on display at a military exhibition in Karachi, Pakistan, in November. Akhtar Soomro/Reuters |
Pakistan’s covert drone program
Pakistan is quietly using drones within its own borders, especially in remote regions near Afghanistan, to monitor and strike at Islamist militants and separatist insurgents.
Drones are a politically sensitive issue in the country: When the U.S. government used them to target groups like Al Qaeda on Pakistani soil, a significant number of civilians were also killed. At that time, Pakistan heavily criticized the tactic it has now adopted — and once again, civilian deaths are being reported.
| MORE TOP NEWS |
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| Jorge Luis Plata/Reuters |
| Mexico: Hurricane Erick pushed inland toward the resort city of Acapulco as a Category 1 storm, prompting flash floods and evacuations in its path along the southern coast. NATO: As leaders prepare to meet at the annual forum next week, keeping Trump happy is on everybody’s mind. France: A member of the French Parliament said he had been denied a visa to enter the United States. Refugees: Trump suspended a temporary humanitarian program for Ukrainians, leaving the fate of a community in the U.S. Midwest in limbo. Britain: A Chinese student convicted of drugging and raping 10 women in London and in his home country was given a life sentence. Airlines: Air India said it would temporarily reduce the number of international flights it operates after last week’s deadly crash. Thailand: Prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is facing pressure to resign after a private chat with the de facto leader of Cambodia became public. Russia: A diminished annual economic forum in St. Petersburg reflects how the war with Ukraine has transformed the country. Florence: A long-hated crane used during the expansion of the Uffizi Galleries was taken down this week after years of protests. |
Science & Technology
| Space: A SpaceX Starship rocket exploded in a huge fireball on a test stand during preparations for its next launch. Tech: A.I. is notoriously energy-hungry. But not every chatbot produces quite so many emissions. TikTok: Executives schmoozed with influencers in Cannes this week, even as a U.S. ban loomed over the company. Health: Marijuana use is associated with a higher risk of stroke and heart attack, even among younger adults, new research shows. Astronomy: At the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, the world’s largest digital camera will zoom in on the universe’s deepest mysteries. See how it works. |
| SPORTS NEWS |
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| Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters |
| Soccer: Lionel Messi has given Inter Miami a 2-0 lead in their second Club World Cup match against Porto. Follow live. Tennis: Petra Kvitova, the two-time Wimbledon champion and former world No. 2, has announced she will retire after the U.S. Open. Formula 1: James Vowles has signed a new long-term contract extension as Williams team principal. |
| MORNING READ |
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Inflammation gets a bad rap, but when it occurs normally it’s actually positive — it helps broken bones heal and sounds the alarm when we are infected with a virus.
It’s only when inflammation sticks around too long, or appears when there’s no threat, that it can become harmful. Learn more with this illustrated guide.
| CONVERSATION STARTERS |
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| Romane Iskaria for The New York Times |
| The party never stops: A group of older retirees went clubbing in Brussels, and they went hard. Splashy celebrations: The post-championship tradition of spraying champagne has become a branding opportunity. A girl can dream: Peruse the 2025 recipients of the restaurant world’s most influential global awards, the World’s 50 Best list. ‘Fridge cigarettes’: Guess what kind of beverage has an indulgent new nickname on social media? |
| ARTS AND IDEAS |
‘Jaws’ was a blueprint for blockbusters
Steven Spielberg’s film about a giant, murderous shark was released 50 years ago. It created a narrative playbook that filmmakers have followed closely ever since.
The plot is so familiar that you’ll probably recognize it, even if you’ve never seen the film. It goes a little something like this:
First, a creature stalks a remote location and attacks the first victim.
Next, a reluctant hero challenges a local authority and enlists experts to help.
And finally, a sacrifice and a confrontation lead to the creature’s death.
Take a look at how other movies have filled in those blanks.
| RECOMMENDATIONS |
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| Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi. |
Bake: This strawberry lemonade cake is topped with fluffy pink buttercream.
