ABCNEWS - WATCH: Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman says president, supreme leader 'safe and sound'
Esmail Baghaei joins ABC News following US and Israeli strikes on Iran early Saturday morning
AXIOS (Barak Ravid) - ISRAEL SAYS IRAN SUPREME LEADER KHAMENEI IS DEAD
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli strike Saturday as part of a massive joint military operation between the U.S. and Israel , Israel's ambassador to Washington told U.S. officials. - An Israeli official confirmed to Axios that Khamenei is dead, according to Israeli intelligence. Why it matters: The 86-year-old Khamenei led Iran for 35 years, making him one of the world's longest-serving authoritarian rulers. His death is a massive blow to the regime and could accelerate its collapse, which U.S. and Israeli officials have stated as a goal of their operation. The big picture: Khamenei's killing sets off an immediate succession crisis with no clear answer. - Under Iran's constitution, a council of clerics is…
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli strike Saturday as part of a massive joint military operation between the U.S. and Israel , Israel's ambassador to Washington told U.S. officials. - An Israeli official confirmed to Axios that Khamenei is dead, according to Israeli intelligence. Why it matters: The 86-year-old Khamenei led Iran for 35 years, making him one of the world's longest-serving authoritarian rulers. His death is a massive blow to the regime and could accelerate its collapse, which U.S. and Israeli officials have stated as a goal of their operation. The big picture: Khamenei's killing sets off an immediate succession crisis with no clear answer. - Under Iran's constitution, a council of clerics is…Open
NYTIMES (Elian Peltier) - No Clear Endgame in the Conflict Between Afghanistan and Pakistan
Pakistan’s airstrikes in Afghanistan showed its overwhelming superiority in conventional warfare, but the Taliban have refined a lethal repertoire of guerrilla tactics.
NYTIMES (Abdi Latif Dahir and Aaron Boxerman) - Israel Targeted Top Iranian Leaders in Attack’s Opening Strikes
At least one gathering of senior officials and military leaders was hit, but it was not immediately clear whether the effort to kill them had succeeded.
NYTIMES (Lazaro Gamio, Samuel Granados, Josh Holder, Blacki Migliozzi, Pablo Robles, Helmuth Rosales, Elena Shao and Daniel Wood) - Mapping the U.S.-Led Attacks on Iran
Maps show where U.S. and Israel have struck Iran, and where Iran has retaliated.
NPR (Will Stone) - "One year of failure." The Lancet slams RFK Jr.'s first year as health chief
In a scathing review, the top US medical journal's editorial board warned that the "destruction that Kennedy has wrought in 1 in office might take generations to repair."
AXIOS (Barak Ravid) - Exclusive: Trump floats "off ramps" after attacking Iran
President Trump told Axios on Saturday that he has several "off ramps" from Operation Epic Fury , the extraordinary U.S. military campaign against Iran that he launched early Saturday morning. What they're saying: "I can go long and take over the whole thing, or end it in two or three days and tell the Iranians: 'See you again in a few years if you start rebuilding [your nuclear and missile programs]," Trump said in a five-minute phone interview from Mar-a-Lago. - "In any case, it will take them several years to recover from this attack," he predicted. Why it matters: The comments offer the first real window into Trump's thinking about how this ends — and suggest he's still open to a diplomatic solution, even after U.S.-Iran nuclear…
President Trump told Axios on Saturday that he has several "off ramps" from Operation Epic Fury , the extraordinary U.S. military campaign against Iran that he launched early Saturday morning. What they're saying: "I can go long and take over the whole thing, or end it in two or three days and tell the Iranians: 'See you again in a few years if you start rebuilding [your nuclear and missile programs]," Trump said in a five-minute phone interview from Mar-a-Lago. - "In any case, it will take them several years to recover from this attack," he predicted. Why it matters: The comments offer the first real window into Trump's thinking about how this ends — and suggest he's still open to a diplomatic solution, even after U.S.-Iran nuclear…Open
AXIOS (Avery Lotz) - Reluctant MAGA demands swift results from Trump in Iran
The America First wing of the MAGA coalition wants swift results from Saturday's Iran strikes , often invoking the late Charlie Kirk's opposition to foreign wars. The big picture: President Trump's invasion of Venezuela to capture Nicolás Maduro exposed a rift with some in his base, and a prolonged skirmish in the Middle East could exacerbate those tensions ahead of a difficult midterm election for Republicans. - Many in the MAGA sphere said Trump had campaigned on no new wars . but they signaled a swift and victorious resolution in Iran could ease their concerns. - Trump repeatedly said he preferred a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear weapons ambitious but never ruled out using force. - The White House did not immediately…
The America First wing of the MAGA coalition wants swift results from Saturday's Iran strikes , often invoking the late Charlie Kirk's opposition to foreign wars. The big picture: President Trump's invasion of Venezuela to capture Nicolás Maduro exposed a rift with some in his base, and a prolonged skirmish in the Middle East could exacerbate those tensions ahead of a difficult midterm election for Republicans. - Many in the MAGA sphere said Trump had campaigned on no new wars . but they signaled a swift and victorious resolution in Iran could ease their concerns. - Trump repeatedly said he preferred a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear weapons ambitious but never ruled out using force. - The White House did not immediately…Open
NYTIMES (Nick Corasaniti, Ashley Wu and Elena Shao) - Could the Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Act Decision Affect the Midterms?
The court is set to decide a major case that could scramble the country’s congressional maps. One crucial factor for this year’s elections is when the ruling lands.
NYTIMES (Anna Griffin) - In the Northwest, Polyamory Finds Something New: Legal Protection
From big cities like Seattle and Portland, Ore., to small ones like Astoria, Ore., proponents of “nontraditional” romantic relationships are making headway in getting legal recognition.