U. S. , Allies Ready New Weapons as Iran Moves Up the Threat Scale

The United States has begun using different kinds of aircraft to counter Iranian drones. Instead of long‑range missiles, the U. S. is now deploying Apache helicopters and A‑10 jets in a new plan announced by top military leaders. This change shows the U. S. is advancing its tactics, but officials said they would not reveal how long it will take to finish the mission. In Washington, lawmakers in the Senate rejected a plan that would have limited President Trump’s military power over Iran. Senator Cory Booker tried to force the president and top officials to testify about his actions in Iran, but Republicans voted against it. Only one Democrat broke with the majority to stop the proposal. The Trump administration has promised that no refugees will come to the United States because of a war with Iran. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said the U. S. would not accept any refugees flown in from that conflict. He compared his plan to the earlier Biden policy, which allowed many Afghan refugees and was criticized for not checking them carefully.U. S. intelligence chiefs are speaking to Congress about global dangers, especially from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. They will discuss how the U. S. should handle threats to Taiwan and ongoing wars in Ukraine and Iran. One speaker said Iran’s government is still strong but weakened. The Pentagon has asked Congress for a huge increase in money to fight Iran. War Secretary Pete Hegseth said the request could be more than $200 billion. He explained that funding is needed to keep weapons ready and to plan future operations. Israel’s military said it has killed more than 20 enemies in Lebanon over the last day. The Israeli Defense Forces also destroyed several Hezbollah weapons and buildings. They claim they will keep fighting the group that is supported by Iran. U. S. Central Command posted a video showing attacks on Iranian naval ships near the Strait of Hormuz. The videos say U. S. forces are protecting international shipping lanes that have been slow because of the war.