‘ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS … SIGN THAT PAPER’: In an encore performance, the U.S. military conducted bomb and Tomahawk missile strikes against a range of targets along the coast of Iran, as well Iranian surveillance capabilities, communication systems, and air defense sites across Iran. In response, Iran targeted U.S. bases in Kuwait, Jordan, and the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. No U.S. casualties were reported.
In a statement, the U.S. Central Command called the second day attacks “self-defense strikes,” conducted in response to “Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression,” while at the White House, President Donald Trump fumed that Iran won’t sign a memorandum of understanding that he claims has been “fully negotiated.” In an early morning post yesterday on Truth Social, Trump said Iran has “taken too long to negotiate,” and that “Now they will have to pay the price!!!”
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“Based on the helicopter, I guess we have the right to do that,” he said, while making clear his real motivation was his growing frustration with Iran’s refusal to sign an interim deal aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and restarting nuclear negotiations. “It was just tap, tap, tap. I don’t know what they’re doing.”
“All they have to do is, they have to start signing a paper. It’s fully negotiated. We have a fully negotiated, but they’re tapping and tapping,” Trump said. “They’re tapping. Because it’s a meaningful paper. They know when they sign that paper, it’s meaningful.”
TRUMP HALTS IRAN STRIKES BUT VOWS TO ‘BOMB THE S*** OUT OF THEM’ IF NO DEAL REACHED
WHO CONTROLS THE STRAIT? In response to the latest U.S. attacks Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz would now be fully closed. But Trump claimed that the U.S. has been secretly escorting ships through the Strait without Iran’s knowledge.
“We took out, the other night, 22 ships, late at night with no lights, because they don’t have any radar, because we blasted the crap out of it,” Trump said at the White House, “That’s why oil is $85 a barrel.”
On Truth Social, Trump expanded on the account, “Last month, I directed our Great U.S. Military to execute a secret mission to support Oil Tankers and other Commercial Ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Today, I am pleased to announce that this effort has resulted in more than 100 MILLION Barrels of Oil making its way through the Strait, and into the Open Market. More than 200 Commercial Ships have safely traveled through the Strait,” he posted. “This wildly successful effort is because the UNITED STATES of AMERICA CONTROLS the Strait of Hormuz — NOT Iran.”
Speaking to reporters during a visit to the U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Florida, War Secretary Pete Hegseth said the covert escort mission was a continuation of the short-lived “Project Freedom,” which ostensibly ended after U.S. allies in the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia, objected that it was putting them in the crosshairs.
“Project Freedom — the idea of running ships through the Strait of Hormuz — it never stopped, it just went underground,” Hegseth said. “And so, there’s some things the public knows, and some things the public doesn’t know, but ultimately, we’ve been protecting commercial shipping going through the Strait of Hormuz.”
IRAN SAYS IT IS FULLY CLOSING STRAIT OF HORMUZ AFTER LATEST US STRIKES
Good Thursday 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: The House will take a stab at reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a key provision that allows the government to monitor foreign threats. It’s set to expire tomorrow, and Democrats have dug in to refuse to move forward with a bipartisan compromise on the legislation because of their objection to President Trump’s appointment of Housing official Bill Pulte as acting director of national security.
“We were in the process of trying to renew one of the most important intelligence tools we have. It’s called Section 702 of the FISA bill. And we had bipartisan agreements. This is always controversial,” Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on CNN. “And then Donald Trump throws a live grenade by appointing somebody who’s got no intelligence experience, whose only record in public life has been willing to disclose private mortgage information.”
“This guy is currently the head of the mortgage regulatory agencies. He’s going to make him also head of the intelligence community, 18 different agencies,” Warner said. “What could go wrong if you give the guy the keys to these 18 agencies?”
“Just like they did on Border Funding, the Radical Left Dumocrats are trying to take our National Security hostage because of unrelated issues. They should stop playing politics with the safety of our Great Country,” President Trump posted on Truth Social yesterday. “I am asking Congress to send me a short-term extension of FISA to provide time for the selection and confirmation of a permanent Head of the Agency.”
But even as some Republicans opposed the extension of 702 authority, Democrats believed they had enough cards to force Trump to withdraw Pulte’s appointment. “I think he’s making a bad calculation,” Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said on CNN. “This is not a case where they need one or two Democrats to be able to extend this authorization. This is a case where they need dozens of Democrats in the House and more than a dozen in the Senate to do this. This is a case where there are many Republicans who have never voted to extend FISA.”
HOUSE TAKES THE REINS IN FISA FIGHT AS SENATE DEMOCRATS HOLD FIRM AGAINST PULTE
A HAIR-RAISING RESCUE: ‘THEY GOT VERY LUCKY’: As the Iran War enters day 104, the U.S. military has been very circumspect with the details it releases about losses of aircraft and damage to U.S. bases in the region. But President Trump has no reservations about sharing details that have been briefed to him in private, the latest example being the downing of the U.S. Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz.
Initially reported as a strike by an Iranian drone, Trump revealed yesterday that the helicopter was actually hit by a projectile that he referred to as a bomb, and which he said failed to explode.
“We actually have the bomb,” Trump said. “That bomb was lodged in the helicopter. It didn’t explode. It was on fire, but it didn’t explode.”
“Those two guys, they knew how to fly,” Trump said, referring to the ability of the pilots to land the helicopter in the water, and get out of the cockpit to await rescue. “They’re very lucky that bomb didn’t explode,” Trump said. “They got very lucky.”
It was two hours before a state-of-the-art U.S. Navy drone boat arrived to ferry them to safer waters, where they picked up a rescue helicopter. “Then we had the unmanned boat going very, very fast at speeds that you wouldn’t want to go,” Trump said. “That’s why it’s unmanned, I guess.”
“But, an amazing rescue, if you ever get a clip, you won’t believe the rescue, how cool it was — the equipment we have. Look, we have the strongest military in the world,” Trump said.
Saronic Technologies built the remotely controlled Corsair rescue boat. “Corsair is a 24-foot Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV) capable of carrying up to 1,000 pounds over 1,000 nautical miles, with a top speed of 35 knots,” the Texas-based company said on its website.
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: US launches wave of strikes against Iran for second consecutive night
Washington Examiner: Trump halts Iran strikes but vows to ‘bomb the s*** out of them’ if no deal reached
Washington Examiner: Trump says US moved 100M barrels of oil through Hormuz
Washington Examiner: Chris Wright says nearly 100 ships have used Jones Act waiver to move oil
Washington Examiner: US Navy disables oil tanker attempting to circumvent blockade shortly after American retaliatory strikes
Washington Examiner: Iran says it is fully closing Strait of Hormuz after latest US strikes
Washington Examiner: House takes the reins in FISA fight as Senate Democrats hold firm against Pulte
Washington Examiner: ICE Delaney Hall detention facility arrests top 30, including from Colorado, Washington
Washington Examiner: UK’s terrorism watchdog admits Trump administration may be right about migration being a national security issue
Washington Examiner: Republican Rep. Don Bacon says Russia hacked his Signal app
Washington Examiner: Hegseth says Pentagon ‘prepared and postured’ for ‘any possible contingency’ in Cuba
Washington Examiner: Iran trying to ‘drag out’ a deal: Mike Brest
Washington Examiner: ‘It’s only a matter of national security.’ America Workforce Academy’s mission to fill the workforce gap
Washington Examiner: Opinion: We started this war. Now, we must finish it
Defense News: ‘They Got Very Lucky,’ Trump Says of Downed Apache Helicopter’s Crew
Wall Street Journal: What to Know About Drone-Boat Maker Behind Iran Helicopter Crew Rescue
Task & Purpose: Pentagon Creates ‘Joint Warfighting Evaluation’ for General and Admiral Promotions
Air & Space Forces Magazine: U-2 Would Avoid Chopping Block Under Draft Spending Bill
Air & Space Forces Magazine: GAO: Tanker Fleet Struggling with Readiness due to Parts Shortage, KC-46 Delays
Aviation Week: GA-ASI Offers SeaGuardian For US Air Force Reaper Shortage
DefenseScoop: Wilsbach: FAMM Low-Cost Cruise Missile to Begin Production This Fall
The War Zone: Boeing’s New Larger Ghost Bat Can Carry AIM-120 AMRAAMs Internally
Breaking Defense: Drone Wingmen Face Off at Berlin Air Show in Race for German CCA
Breaking Defense: LeoLab’s New, Mobile Space-Watch Radar to Participate in Valiant Shield Exercise
Air & Space Forces Magazine: What the Space Force Is Eyeing for Its Future GPS Enterprise
SpaceNews: House Appropriators Back $55.5 Billion Space Force Budget, Omit Reconciliation Funds
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Soldier Turned Guardian to Lead Space Force Component in Korea
THE CALENDAR:
THURSDAY | JUNE 11
9 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual CNAS National Security Conference, with Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA); Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE); and Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO); Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA); Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ); Swedish Ambassador to the U.S. Urban Ahlin; Danish Ambassador to the U.S. Jesper Meller Serensen; European Union Ambassador to the U.S. Jovita Neliupsiene; and former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. https://events.cnas.org/cnas2026conferencevirtual
9 a.m. 232-A Russell — Senate Armed Services Committee CLOSED markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2027. http://www.armed-services.senate.gov
9 a.m. H-140, U.S. Capitol — House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee CLOSED markup of the FY2027 Defense bill. http://appropriations.house.gov
9 a.m. 1001 16th St. NW — Center for a New American Security 2026 National Security Conference: “New Rules” https://events.cnas.org/cnasconference2026newrules
2:25 p.m.— Georgetown University Center for Intercultural Education and Development virtual discussion: “On Character: Choices That Define a Life,” with former U.S. and International Security Assistant Forces Afghanistan Commander retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, former commander, Joint Special Operations Command; and Sam Potolicchio, G.U.professor of government, leadership and political communications https://events.georgetown.edu/event
9:30 a.m. 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW — Henry L. Stimson Center discussion: “The Future of American Airpower,” with Dan Grazier, director, Stimson National Security Reform Program; and Kelly Grieco, senior fellow, Stimson Reimagining U.S. Grand Strategy Program https://www.stimson.org/event/the-future-of-american-airpower
10 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Growing the Defense Industrial Base,” with James Mismash, deputy assistant secretary of defense for industrial base growth; and Nadia Schadlow, Hudson Institute senior fellow https://www.hudson.org/events/growing-dib-conversation
11 a.m.1763 N St. NW — Middle East Institute discussion: “Lebanon: Between War and Diplomacy,” with Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs Haneen Sayed https://middleeastinstitute.my.site.com/Registration
3 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Saving Ukrainian Children,” with Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Olga Stefanishyna; and Maksym Maksymov, head of Bring Kids Back UA https://www.hudson.org/events/saving-ukrainian-children
FRIDAY | JUNE 12
12 p.m. —Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion of a new report:”Solid Rocket Motors for Missile Defense: Challenges and Opportunities for Expanding the Industrial Base,” with Tom Karako, director, CSIS Missile Defense Project; Christine Michienzi, nonresident senior associate, CSIS Missile Defense Project; and Wes Rumbaugh, fellow, CSIS Missile Defense Project https://www.csis.org/events/report-rollout-solid-rocket-motors-missile-defense
4:30 p.m. 1400 L St. NW — Atlantic Council book discussion: “Privileged but Powerless: How North Korean Elite Grievances Reveal the Regime’s Greatest Weakness,” with author Jieun Baek, nonresident senior fellow, Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Indo-Pacific Security Initiative; and Kelley Currie, nonresident senior fellow, Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Indo-Pacific Security Initiative and the Atlantic Council’s Freedom and Prosperity Center https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/privileged-but-powerless
TUESDAY | JUNE 23
6:30 a.m. 2425 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, Va. — Association of the U.S. Army “Coffee Series,” with Gen. Ron Clark, commanding general, U.S. Army Pacific https://www.ausa.org/events/coffee-series/gen-clark
