Operation Project Freedom

Hegseth asks Congress for $1.5 trillion defense budget as Iran war costs conitnue to climb

"Not funding this department at $1.5 trillion, I believe, is the greatest threat that our nation faces," Hegseth told the Senate Appropriations Committee.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth looks on as he testifies during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on US President Donald Trump's supplemental funding request for the Department of Defense, in Washington.
US Air Force Rockwell B-1B Lancer dropping JDAM bombs photographed from the canopy of an escort fighter jet.

US CENTCOM strikes Iran, marking the eleventh consecutive night of bombardment

US Marines carry out a verification boarding of the tanker Wen Yao in the Gulf of Oman, in this screengrab obtained from a handout video released July 16, 2026.

Mediators propose 10-day ceasefire to de-escalate US-Iran war

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (2nd-R) and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (R) attend a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Prime Minister of Iraq Ali al-Zaidi in the Oval Office of the White House on July 14, 2026 in Washington, DC.

US sanctions network accused of procuring weapons for IRGC as Iran ramps up strikes in Hormuz


US-Iran deal agreed upon after Iran vows IDF strikes on Beirut will ‘not go unanswered’

US to cut NATO support • Qatar made a secret deal with Iran, report claims • US-Iran agreement to be signed in Switzerland on Friday

Iranian missiles are displayed at the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps(IRGC) Aerospace Force Museum in Tehran, Iran.

US sanctions 13 individuals, entities linked with Iran IRGC's missile procurement network

The sanctioned persons and organizations, who reportedly sought to source weapons that included man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS).

A MANPADS (Man-Portable Air Defiance Systems) missile is detonated along the shore facing the Firing Range, east of the Libyan capital Tripoli, on December 11, 2011. A top U.S. official said that a team of U.S. and Libyan bomb-disposal specialists has secured about 5,000 surface-to-air missiles.

Maritime leaders say US-Iran peace deal must provide clear framework for Strait of Hormuz transit

Shipowners and maritime industry officials met at a Capital Link conference and other events ahead of Posidonia, a week-long biennial shipping exhibition, where they commented on the matter.

A drone view shows vessels anchored at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, May 30, 2026.

Islamic regime fires at four ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz

The broadcaster alleged the ships attempted the journey to enter the Persian Gulf “without coordination with the security forces” at 12:35 am local time.

Iranian missiles are displayed at the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps(IRGC) Aerospace Force Museum in Tehran, Iran.

Pakistan mediates US-Iran talks as uranium and Hormuz remain major obstacles

Two days after presenting the Iranians with the latest US message in the negotiations, Syed Mohsin Naqvi held another round of talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Tehran.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf meets with Pakistan army chief Asim Munir, in Tehran, Iran, April 16, 2026.

Khamenei reportedly says enriched uranium must stay in Iran, Israel deports all flotilla activists

Twenty Iranian sailors returned home after capture by US • Two wounded soldiers see improvement after surgeries • US says removal of UN expert Albanese from sanctions list is not a policy change

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf meets with Pakistan army chief Asim Munir, in Tehran, Iran, April 16, 2026.

Israeli Navy boards Turkish flotilla for Gaza, Trump says Iran 'dying to sign' ceasefire deal

Israelis cross border into Syria • IDF faces looming manpower gap • Source: Drone attack on nuclear plant was message for UAE • Trump admin. reoprtedly urging UAE to seize Iran's Lavan Island

Activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla, aiming to reach Gaza and break Israel’s naval blockade, gather at a port before their departure in the southern Turkish resort of Marmaris, Turkey, May 14, 2026.

US op. in Iran would expand beyond escorting vessels in Strait of Hormuz, Trump says

The ceasefire between the US and Iran is on "life support," Trump said on Monday.

US President Donald Trump listens to reporters at the White House in Washington, DC, US, May 8, 2026.

Are there any winners in unfinished Iran war? - analysis

Explosions, US self-defense strikes, and renewed clashes near the Strait of Hormuz show how unresolved maritime leverage, Gulf vulnerability, and political deadlock could push the conflict further.

 An illustrative image of the silhouettes of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set to a backdrop of their respective countries' flags.

Trump says US will start 'Project Freedom Plus' if Iran talks fail

Earlier on Saturday, a reporter asked Trump if he thought Iran was "slow-rolling" talks, to which the President replied, "We'll find out soon enough."

US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media prior to a Marine One departure from the South Lawn of the White House on May 8, 2026 in Washington, DC.