May 22, 2026Share to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeMay 22, 2026UpdatesTop GOP senator directly calls out Trump diplomatic efforts on Iran diplomacy: ‘Deal not worth the paper’A senior Republican lawmaker has delivered a public rebuke of U.S. diplomatic efforts toward Iran, warning that the current approach risks weakening American leverage and undermining long-term security objectives.Roger Wicker, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, directly criticized the direction of policy under Donald Trump, focusing on ongoing attempts to pursue a diplomatic agreement with Tehran. In a pointed statement, Wicker said, "We are at a moment that will define President Trump's legacy." He added that Trump's "instincts have been to finish the job he started in Iran," but argued he is "being ill-advised to pursue a deal that would not be worth the paper it is written on."Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker listens to witnesses during a hearing on Capitol Hill, last Wednesday in Washington. Credit: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker listens to witnesses during a hearing on Capitol Hill, last Wednesday in Washington. Credit: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Wicker urged a more forceful approach, stating that U.S. forces should be allowed to "finish the destruction of Iran's conventional military capabilities and reopen the strait."He warned that continued negotiations with Iran's leadership risk creating "a perception of weakness," concluding, "We must finish what we started. It is past time for action."Police detain 13 Jewish youths after breach at Temple Mount entry amid reported Shavuot ritual attemptThirteen Jewish youths were arrested after allegedly breaking through a security barrier at the entrance to the Temple Mount/Al Aqsa compound in Jerusalem, according to police.Authorities said the group attempted to enter the site in order to carry out a Shavuot sacrifice before being stopped and detained at the scene.Police confirmed the arrests and said the incident took place after the individuals breached one of the entry barriers leading to the compound.U.S. Director of National Intelligence resigns from Trump cabinet, Fox News reportsTulsi Gabbard is stepping down from her role as the United States' Director of National Intelligence, after informing Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office on Friday, according to reporting by Fox News.In her resignation letter, Gabbard, according to Fox News, reportedly said she is "deeply grateful for the trust you placed in me" and the opportunity to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for the past year and a half. "Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation, effective June 30," adding that her husband, Abraham, has been diagnosed with "an extremely rare form of bone cancer."Gabbard said she made "significant progress" at ODNI, citing efforts to improve transparency and restore integrity, but acknowledged "there is still important work to be done."Report: Pakistan military says chief of army staff arrived in Tehran as part of ongoing U.S.-Iran mediation efforts Pakistan's military said Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir arrived in Tehran as part of ongoing U.S.-Iran mediation efforts, with Iran's ISNA news agency also reporting his arrival on Friday.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, left, meets with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in Islamabad, Pakistan, last month. Credit: Iranian Foreign Ministry via APIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, left, meets with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in Islamabad, Pakistan, last month. Credit: Iranian Foreign Ministry via APRead the full articleTrump says Iran 'dying to make a deal' U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran was "dying to make a deal," telling reporters at the White House, "We hit them hard and we had no choice because Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon."U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Friday. Credit: Evelyn Hockstein/REUTERSU.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Friday. Credit: Evelyn Hockstein/REUTERSU.S. Secretary Rubio meets Turkish FM Fidan at NATO talks, discuss defense spending and Hormuz StraitU.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the margins of the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, where they discussed preparations for the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara, according to a statement by Spokesperson Tommy Pigott on Friday. The two discussed the importance of increasing defense spending to enhance capabilities and expand defense production. They also spoke about the Strait of Hormuz and regional stability.Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday, in Helsingborg, Sweden.Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday, in Helsingborg, Sweden.Israeli strikes kill six Lebanese medics in past day, health ministry saysSix Lebanese paramedics were killed in two Israeli strikes on ⁠southern Lebanon in the span of 24 hours, Lebanon's health ministry said on Friday, condemning the attacks ⁠as violations of international law.According to Lebanon's health ministry, an Israeli strike overnight Thursday into Friday in the southern Lebanese town of Hanaway killed four paramedics from the Islamic Health Association. On Friday morning, an Israeli strike killed two medics from the Al-Rissala Scouts Association in Deir Qanoun En-Nahr, the ‌ministry said.There was no immediate response from the Israeli military to Reuters' questions on the strikes.Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli strike that targeted the Nabatieh village in southern Lebanon on Friday. Credit: AFP/ABBAS FAKIHSmoke rises from the site of an Israeli strike that targeted the Nabatieh village in southern Lebanon on Friday. Credit: AFP/ABBAS FAKIHThe ministry ‌distributed a video that it said was in Deir Qanoun En-Nahr, showing two men in yellow vests on the side of a road tending to someone. When an ambulance approaches the two men, a flash is seen and a loud boom goes off. The same men are then seen lying on the floor.Reuters was able to confirm the location of the video as the western edge of Deir Qanoun En-Nahr from the buildings, trees and road layout which matched archive imagery of the area. The health ministry said that in total, six people were killed in Deir Qanoun En-Nahr, including the two medics and ⁠a Syrian child. The town had been hit by an airstrike earlier this week that killed 14 people, the deadliest single strike since a tenuous ceasefire was announced last month.IDF: Two drones intercepted from Lebanon, impacts identified near border, details under reviewThe Israel Defense Forces said the Air Force intercepted two drones launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon toward Israeli territory following sirens that sounded in several areas in northern Israel over the past hour on Friday.The military added that "several impacts of suspicious aerial targets were identified in the area of the Israel-Lebanon border, within Israeli territory," and said the details are under review.RECAP: Explosive drones from Lebanon hit several sites in northern Israel, IDF saysHere are Friday's latest updates from the U.S.-Iran cease-fire and Israel's war with Hezbollah:■ Reports said Qatar has sent a negotiating team to Tehran in coordination with the United States in an effort to advance a deal aimed at ending the Iran conflict, as diplomatic efforts continue alongside military tensions.■ A Saudi report said a draft U.S.-Iran agreement under discussion includes an immediate cease-fire across all arenas and guarantees on maritime navigation, though officials caution talks remain fluid.■ NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Iran's actions at sea are threatening global maritime security, warning that "Iran's direct assault on freedom of navigation impacts us all," and stressed allied coordination to keep key shipping routes open. Iran was reported to be exploring a potential toll system in the Strait of Hormuz, drawing warnings from U.S. officials and NATO leaders over freedom of navigation and global energy security.■ The IDF said it killed three Palestinians who crossed the Gaza Yellow Line, and separately reported killing multiple Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon over the past day, while Lebanon's Health Ministry said Israeli strikes on Hezbollah-linked facilities killed at least 10 people, including paramedics and a child.■ The IDF said explosive drones launched from Lebanon by Hezbollah struck several locations in the Western Galilee, following earlier alerts triggered by suspected hostile aircraft infiltration. The military said impacts from unidentified aerial targets were identified near the Israel–Lebanon border. Sirens sounded across northern Israel multiple times due to suspected drone infiltration from Lebanon, with concerns over additional aerial threats continuing.■ European leaders from Italy, Britain, France and Germany issued a joint statement criticizing Israeli settlement policy in the West Bank, warning that continued expansion and related practices are undermining the two-state solution. They called businesses to avoid involvement in settlement construction, particularly in E1, which they said "would divide the West Bank in two and mark a serious breach of international law."■ The Netherlands announced a ban on imports from Israeli settlements, saying the move aims to prevent economic activity from contributing to what it called violations of international law, with possible expansion to services and investment restrictions under consideration.■ Israel's ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, urged Berlin to respond firmly after German federal prosecutors charged a man accused of spying on Jews and Israel supporters in Germany on behalf of Iran, including alleged preparations for murder and arson attacks.In the NewsFreed Gaza Flotilla Activists Report Sexual Abuse in Israeli CustodyA Reckless Leader May Be What Israel Needs Right NowArgentine Official Who Probed Death of AMIA Prosecutor Charged With Cover-upGaza Board of Peace Envoy: Israel to Enact Trump's Plan After Hamas DisarmsHunter Biden and Candace Owens Trade Conspiracies on Israel, the 'Epstein Class'Remembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIICC Prosecutor Seeks Warrants for Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, Other Israeli OfficialsBen-Gvir Posts Video of Police Dragging Detained Gaza Flotilla ActivistsThe Most Consequential Republican Primary for Israel Is Happening in KentuckyIsraeli Settler Filmed Abusing Palestinian-owned Dog in West BankUnmoved by Trump's Ticking Clock, Iran Forms a New Reality in the Persian Gulf`World Leaders Summon Israeli Envoys Over Ben-Gvir Gaza Flotilla Activists Video