In an interview with his daughter-in-law, Laura Trump, that aired on Fox News on Saturday, Trump insisted he is “in no hurry” to get a deal. “If you’re going to be in a hurry, you’re not going to make a good deal,” he said and grumbled that no deal would satisfy his critics. “There’s no deal that’s good enough because the media will cover it.”

Trump said the negotiations are going slowly because the Iranians are “very good negotiators. They’re crafty.”

TRUMP URGES ‘DUMOCRATS’ TO ‘JUST SIT BACK AND RELAX’ WHILE HE NEGOTIATES WITH IRAN

THE LOW-LEVEL WAR CONTINUES: Meanwhile, over the weekend, the U.S. military struck Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps positions near the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran shot down a U.S drone, according to a release from the U.S. Central Command.

The U.S. targeted “Iranian radar and command and control sites for drones in Goruk, Iran, and Qeshm Island,” CENTCOM said, stressing that the action was taken in self-defense. “The measured and deliberate strikes occurred on Saturday and Sunday in response to aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a U.S. MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters. U.S. fighter aircraft swiftly responded by eliminating Iranian air defenses, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters.”

That resulted in Iran launching another attack on U.S. bases in Kuwait. In a post on X, the Kuwaiti army says its air defenses were engaging missiles and drones. In a separate statement, the Kuwaiti foreign ministry condemned the “heinous and repeated Iranian attacks … in the strongest terms,” calling them “a dangerous escalation and a direct assault on the security and stability of the State of Kuwait.”

Last week, Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait that was successfully intercepted by Kuwaiti forces,” according to the U.S. Central Command, which called the action an “egregious ceasefire violation.” Iran also launched five one-way attack drones near the Strait of Hormuz, which were successfully intercepted by U.S. forces.

NO ‘FINAL DETERMINATION’: On Friday, Trump said he was holding a meeting to make a final determination of whether to accept the terms of a 60-day ceasefire extension that would open the Strait, phase out the U.S. blockade, and provide a framework for future negotiations on eliminating Iran’s nuclear program. But instead, he reportedly sent Iran a counterproposal with stronger language on the nuclear question.

“I’m playing it out, and we’re going to see. And that’s what I do. I negotiate. They negotiate,” Trump said in his Fox News interview. “We’re getting what we want slowly, very tough negotiators. It takes a long time.”

In the interview, Trump bristled over what he saw as the failure of the news media to give him credit for securing a pledge from Iran to give up on making any nuclear weapons.

“The one guarantee that I have to have is that there will be no nuclear weapons. They’ve agreed to that,” Trump said. “And it was very interesting. They originally said, ‘We will not develop a nuclear weapon’. I said, ‘Well, what happens if you buy a nuclear weapon?’ So now it says we will not develop or in any way purchase a military weapon. That’s a big difference.”

Actually, that is a promise Iran has repeatedly made, including in the negotiations that immediately preceded the Feb. 28 beginning of Operation Epic Fury, and was a key part of the 2015 nuclear agreement that Trump tore up in 2018, in which Iran affirmed “that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop, or acquire any nuclear weapons.”

US AND IRAN TAKE WIDELY DIFFERENT APPROACHES IN MESSAGING BATTLE AROUND PEACE

Good Monday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. 

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HAPPENING TODAY: CONGRESS RETURNS: Members of Congress are back after their Memorial Day break, and already, there is a hot-button issue that has drawn bipartisan criticism. The flashpoint is a provision in the proposed House version of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2027.

Section 224 of the NDAA, called the “United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative,” sounds innocuous enough, requiring the Secretary of Defense “to designate an executive agent responsible for synchronizing cooperative efforts between the United States and Israel, including bilateral defense technology research, development, testing, evaluation, integration, and industrial cooperation.”

But it has drawn fire from critics who argue the provision would essentially merge the U.S. and Israeli militaries in an unprecedented way that goes beyond a simple alliance.

“If the provision in the NDAA to integrate/synchronize the U.S. and Israeli militaries (section 224) makes it out of committee, I’ll offer an amendment to strip it from the bill on the floor,” Rep. Thomas Massie (KY) posted on X. “We are a sovereign country.”

Massie immediately drew support from liberal Democrat Ro Khanna (D-CA). “And I will be offering an amendment in the committee itself to strip section 224 out,” he posted on X. “Trump can’t kill the Massie/Khanna partnership no matter how much he posts on Truth Social.”

HEGSETH HECTORS PACIFIC ALLIES: War Secretary Pete Hegseth was in full lecture mode in his Saturday speech at the annual Shangri-La defense dialogue in Singapore, where he unabashedly warned America’s Indo-Pacific partners that the U.S. would be acting in its best interests, unencumbered by “drama or moralizing.”

“The bedrock of a durable partnership is not based on idealistic values, but on the concrete alignment of national interests,” Hegseth said. “When our interests align, we act together with focused resolve. When our interests diverge, we adjust pragmatically without the drama or the moralizing.”

Hegseth said the U.S. strategy in countering China “is moving away from a model of dependency and toward one of true partnership… We need partners, not protectorates. We seek alliances built on shared responsibility, not dependency.”

“For too long, the security of this region has rested disproportionately on American military power. While many of our allies and partners allowed their own defense capabilities to atrophy, that’s a bad deal for the American taxpayer, and it is an unsustainable crutch for our allies and partners.” 

“The era of performative outrage is over, where Washington issues loud diplomatic protests that signal virtue but do not project capabilities,” he said. “Going forward, we will be intentional about how and when we communicate, and we will lead first and foremost with actions. As I said, strong but quiet, big stick, speak softly.”

Hegseth called U.S. relations with China “better than they’ve been in many years,” and said  President Trump seeks “a stable peace, fair trade, and respectful relations with China.”

“Alliances only work when they are true partnerships. It is a two-way street. You don’t have a strong alliance unless everyone has skin in the game. No freeloading. History is not over,” Hegseth said. “Alliances are not judged by the number of flags, but by the number of formations. We don’t need more conferences. We need more combat power. I’m sorry to say this here: less Shangri-La, more ships, more subs.

READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

THE RUNDOWN: 

Washington Examiner: US and Iran take widely different approaches in messaging battle around peace

Washington Examiner: Lithuania warns Russian economy is ‘built on war’ and Baltic states are likely next target

Washington Examiner: Former Russian president warns Europe’s ‘peaceful sleep is over’ after Romania drone hit

Washington Examiner: Troops who meet height and weight standards eligible for tickets to White House UFC event

Washington Examiner: The Trump administration’s complicated search for its new Border Patrol chief, Pete Vasquez

Washington Examiner: These FIFA host cities could see chaos if Trump shuts down customs at airports

Washington Examiner: Pro-Trump candidate proceeds to runoff in Colombian presidential election

Washington Examiner: Over 10,000 lawyers have left the federal government since the end of 2024: Report

Washington Examiner: Opinion: Will the EU finally get tough on China’s ‘existential’ trade threat? Doubtful

AP: US Strike on Alleged Drug Boat Kills 3 in the Eastern Pacific Ocean in Fourth Attack This Week

CBS News: Nearly 500,000 Russian Soldiers Have Died in Ukraine War, British Intelligence Agency Says

Politico: Romania Asks for NATO Support After Russian Drone Crash

Wall Street Journal: The US Has Found a Way to Down a Drone Without Spending $1 Million

Washington Post: Pentagon recruiting troops to watch White House UFC fights, memos show

New York Times: U.S. Military Is Quietly Guiding Ships Through the Strait of Hormuz

Task & Purpose: Out of the 22 Navy officers just promoted to admiral, none were women

Wall Street Journal: Taiwan’s Opposition Leader Comes to U.S. With a Message Straight Out of Beijing

Breaking Defense: Hegseth Praises Indo-Pacific Nations for Improving Defense Capabilities, Pragmatism

Reuters: AUKUS to Develop Unmanned Undersea Vehicles, Delivery Set for 2027

Defense One: Q&A with SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Frank Donovan

Washington Post: Ukraine turns real-life kills into video game thrills for drone pilots

Defense One: Cyber Force? Senator Pushes to Create Service Branch Under the Army

DefenseScoop: Operation Jailbreak: the Army’s Massive Push to Hack Its Own Systems and Make Them Talk to Each Other

Breaking Defense: SPACECOM Exploring Tech for Future Offensive Cislunar Ops: Chief Scientist

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Cape Canaveral ‘Mission Capable’ After Blue Origin Rocket Explosion

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Lifts Pause on T-38 Flights, Jets to Fly After Inspections

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Force Gives SpaceX $4.2B for Satellites to Track Airborne Targets

Air & Space Forces Magazine: F-35 Airmen Decorated for Combat Ops in Midnight Hammer and Rough Rider

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Lawmakers Want USAF to Move Faster in Arming Tankers with Active Defenses

Washington Post: Blue states want to tax payouts from Trump’s $1.8 billion fund — at 100%

Forbes: Opinion: A Baltic Pressure Campaign for President Trump to End Russia’s War

The Atlantic: Opinion: The War Trump Can’t End

THE CALENDAR: 

MONDAY | JUNE 1 

2:30 p.m. 1400 L St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion: “How the U.S. and Allies Can Win the AI Era,” with Sen. Todd Young (R-IN); Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO); David Appel, vice president of global government, national security, and defense at Amazon Web Services; Erwin Gianchandani, assistant director for technology, innovation and partnerships at the National Science Foundation; Ron Ash, CEO of Accenture Federal Services; Kemba Walden, president, Paladin Global Institute; and Nabiha Syed, executive director, Mozilla Foundation https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/how-the-us-and-allies-can-win-the-ai-era/

7 p.m. 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW — Politics and Prose book discussion: Stolen Revolution: Betrayal and Hope in Modern Iran, with co-author Yeganeh Torbati, New York Times Iran correspondent; co-author Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, head of digital at Iran International; and David Sanger, New York Times national security correspondent https://politics-prose.com/yeganeh-torbati-and-bozorgmehr-sharafedin

TUESDAY | JUNE 2 

10 a.m. 419 Dirksen — Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing: “Review of the FY2027 State Department Budget Request,” with testimony from Secretary of State Marco Rubio http://foreign.senate.gov

12 p.m. — Middle East Institute virtual discussion: “Assessing the Irregular Warfare Aspects of the Iran War,” with Mick Crnkovich, former Defense Department director for irregular warfare; Andrew Whiskeyman, CEO of Quo Vadis; and Jason Campbell, MEI senior fellow https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register

12 p.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: “Congress and the defense budget,” with Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) https://afa-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/

2 p.m. 2359 Rayburn — House Appropriations National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Subcommittee hearing: “Budget Hearing – Department of State and Related Programs,” with testimony from Secretary of State Marco Rubio http://appropriations.house.gov

2 p.m. 138 Dirksen — Senate Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing: “A Review of the President’s FY2027 Budget Request for the Department of Homeland Security,” with testimony from Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin http://appropriations.senate.gov

2 p.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution book discussion: War at arm’s length: How America can build effective partners through military assistance, with co-author Richard Benet, senior research associate for the University of Maryland’s Center for International and Security Studies; co-author Alexander Noyes, fellow of the Brookings Foreign Policy Program; Mara Karlin, visiting fellow of the Brookings Foreign Policy Program; and Michael O’Hanlon, director of research for the Brookings Foreign Policy Program and director, Brookings Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy and Technology https://www.brookings.edu/events/war-at-arms-length

WEDNESDAY | JUNE 3 

8 a.m. 300 First St. SE — National Institute for Deterrence Studies seminar with Lt. Gen. Michael Lutton, deputy commander, Global Strike Command. https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/lt-gen-michael-lutton

9 a.m. — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace virtual discussion: “Israeli Security Doctrine: Challenges for the Region,” with Mairav Zonszein, senior Israel analyst at the International Crisis Group; Nathan Brown, professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University; Amr Hamzawy, director, CEIP Middle East Program; Marwan Muasher, CEIP vice president for studies; and Sarah Yerkes, senior fellow at the CEIP Middle East Program https://carnegieendowment.org/events/2026/05/israeli-security-doctrine

10 a.m. 2360 Rayburn — House Small Business Committee hearing: “Restoring America’s Industrial Base: The Role of Small Businesses in National Security” http://smallbusiness.house.gov

3 p.m. 138 Dirksen — Senate Appropriations State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Subcommittee hearing: “A Review of the President’s FY2027 Budget Request for the http://appropriations.senate.gov

4 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “Building America’s Cyber Force: Findings from the Commission on Cyber Force Generation,” with Lauryn Williams, deputy director and senior fellow of the CSIS Strategic Technologies Program https://www.csis.org/events/building-americas-cyber-force-findings

THURSDAY | JUNE 4

10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee markup of H.R.8800, the “National Defense Authorization Act for FY2027.” http://www.armedservices.house.gov

10 a.m. 1400 L St. NW — Atlantic Council Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense meeting on “Pandora’s Prompt: AI and the Biological Threat,” with former HHS Secretary Donna Shalala; and former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/from-the-ground-up-federated-biodefense/

 10:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Data Centers, AI, and the Future of U.S. Strategic Competitiveness,” with Matt Pearl, director, CSIS Strategic Technologies Program; Aalok Mehta, director, CSIS Wadhwani AI Center; Joseph Majkut, director, CSIS Energy Security and Climate Program; and Philip Luck, director, CSIS economics program and CSIS chair in international business https://www.csis.org/events/data-centers-ai-and-future-us-strategic-competitiveness

2:30 p.m. —  Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: “Air Force priorities,” with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Lamontagne https://afa-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/

FRIDAY | JUNE 5

8 a.m. H-140, U.S. Capitol — House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee markup of the FY2027 Homeland Security bill http://appropriations.house.gov

10 a.m. — National Institute for Deterrence Studies virtual seminar: “Missile Defense: Assessing the Effectiveness and Looking to the Future,” with former National Nuclear Security Administration Deputy Administrator Frank Rose, president of Chevalier Strategic Advisers https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/missile-defense-assessing-the-effectiveness

10 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution discussion: “Russia and Ukraine: Societies transformed by war,” with Anna Colin Lebedev, senior lecturer and researcher for Paris Nanterre University’s Institute of Social Sciences of Politics

10 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “Russia’s Illicit Exploitation of Foreign Nationals for its War Against Ukraine,” with Ilya Nuzov, head of the International Federation for Human Rights’ Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk; Rosemary Tollo, co-founder and program director of Journalists for Justice; Maria Tomak, associate researcher at Truth Hounds; and Brig. Gen. Dmytro Usov, secretary of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War at the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/russias-illicit-exploitation-of-foreign-nationals