U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media Wednesday that the war with Iran could soon end and oil and natural gas shipments could restart, if Iran accepts a reported agreement that he did not detail.
鈥淚f they don鈥檛 agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before,鈥� Trump’s post said.
According to reporting by Axios, the U.S. has sent for Iran’s review a one-page memorandum to end the war, with provisions including a moratorium on Iranian uranium enrichment, a lifting of U.S. sanctions and the distribution of frozen Iranian funds and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz for ships. The White House did not respond to questions about the possible agreement.
Trump wrote that it was 鈥減erhaps a big assumption鈥� that Iran would agree to the terms being offered by the United States.
Also Wednesday, Commerce Secretary is appearing before a House committee investigating convicted sex offender as lawmakers seek answers for Lutnick鈥檚 contact with him in the years after 2008. Lutnick has given about his relationship with Epstein but says he has done nothing wrong and welcomes the closed-door interview with lawmakers.
Elections in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan on Tuesday 鈥� while still dominates the Republican Party, Democrats seem to have the momentum ahead of . In Indiana, with the help of an avalanche of cash.
And Trump has of Pope Leo XIV, potentially complicating a that Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to make this week to the Vatican. In an interview, Trump said and also making the world less safe with his comments about the importance of not treating immigrants with disrespect.
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Trump鈥檚 Indiana wins show his power over GOP with more primaries and redistricting debates ahead
Five months ago, was stinging from a political defeat as Republican state senators in Indiana. Now he has proved he can still punish wayward party members after the slate of challengers he endorsed .
The heading into upcoming Republican primaries where he wants more incumbents ousted, including Sen. of Louisiana and Rep. of Kentucky.
Indiana鈥檚 primary results also ratchet up pressure on Republican lawmakers in other states to in time for the November elections.
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Shipper either loses millions or risks sanctions for paying Iranians for safe passage
Hamburg-based shipping company Hapag-Lloyd says the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is costing it around $60 million a week, in particular in costs for fuel and insurance, as it remains too risky to permit its ships to try getting through.
Insurance costs have shot up due to the risk of attack from Iranian drones and small boats. Alternate routes to safe harbors or overland are 鈥渓imited in capacity and cannot completely replace the regular maritime routes through the region,鈥� a company statement said.
The number of ships passing the strait has dwindled to a trickle. Iran has demanded that vessels go through a vetting process run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp that involves passing to the north near the Iranian cost, submitting information on crew and cargo, and in some cases paying. But paying the IRGC risks running afoul of sanctions from the US and the EU, which have designated it a terrorist organization.
Shipping industry and oil traders see no quick return to normal
Oil prices and shipping are unlikely to return to normal until it鈥檚 clear the risk of attacks in the Strait of Hormuz have receded, cautions Kaho Yu, head of energy and resources resources at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.
鈥淓ven with diplomatic engagement continuing, energy markets are unlikely to return quickly to pre-crisis assumptions,鈥� he said. 鈥淩efiners, shippers, and commodity traders will remain cautious until there is clearer evidence that Hormuz disruptions will not re-escalate.鈥�
Despite the Iran-China meeting鈥檚 emphasis on de-escalation, 鈥淗ormuz remains the real metric that will be watched,鈥� he added. 鈥淭anker traffic and energy flows over the coming weeks and months are likely to matter more than diplomatic language in assessing whether Beijing can translate influence with Tehran into practical stability.鈥�
Poll: Most believe the US is no longer a great place for immigrants
About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say the United States is no longer a great place for immigrants, according to the AP-NORC poll.
Roughly 3 in 10 say the U.S. is a great place for immigrants, while about 1 in 10 say it never was. The belief that America is no longer great for immigrants is more common among Democrats and independents.
Nick Grivas, a 40-year-old Democrat from Massachusetts, said he worries that federal immigration policies could discourage new arrivals from investing in their communities, especially if they don鈥檛 believe they will be allowed to remain.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e less willing to commit to the project if you don鈥檛 think that you鈥檙e gonna be able to stay,鈥� he said.
White House says it believes an agreement with Iran is near
The White House believes it is nearing an agreement with Iran on a one-page memorandum to end the war, according to reporting by Axios.
There is not an agreement yet, but the provisions include a moratorium on Iranian uranium enrichment, a lifting of U.S. sanctions and the distribution of frozen Iranian funds and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz for ships.
The White House did not respond to questions about the possible agreement.
Trump threatens Iran with bombing if it doesn鈥檛 reopen Strait of Hormuz
Trump posted on social media that the war with Iran could soon end and oil and natural gas shipments could restart. But that all depends on Iran accepting a reported agreement that the U.S. president did not detail.
鈥淚f they don鈥檛 agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before,鈥� Trump said.
Trump said that it was 鈥減erhaps a big assumption鈥� that Iran would agree to the terms being offered by the United States.
AP-NORC poll: For many Americans, Trump鈥檚 immigration crackdown is personal
Many U.S. adults say they or someone they know has made life changes because of immigration enforcement over the last year, according to a .
About one-third of Americans say they know someone who has started carrying proof of their immigration status or U.S. citizenship, been detained or deported, changed their travel plans, or significantly changed their routines 鈥� such as avoiding work, school or leaving the house 鈥� because of their immigration status.
This is especially true among Hispanic adults, with more than half knowing someone affected. Democrats are also more likely than Republicans to say they have a personal connection to someone impacted by immigration enforcement.
China鈥檚 top envoy calls for a 鈥榗omprehensive ceasefire鈥� in the Iran war
Wang Yi said his country was 鈥渄eeply distressed鈥� by the conflict. He spoke after meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was visiting Beijing for the first time since the war with the U.S. and Israel started Feb. 28.
China鈥檚 close economic and political ties to Tehran give it a . The Trump administration is to use that relationship to urge the Islamic Republic to open the Strait of Hormuz.
The Chinese minister鈥檚 comments followed an earlier statement by Trump that he was pausing his short-lived out of the Strait of Hormuz in hopes that a deal could be finalized. A shaky ceasefire has been largely holding, despite exchanges of fire during the U.S. push to reopen the strait on Monday.
Michigan Democrats keep their majority in the state Senate
The seat has been vacant for more than a year, since Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet resigned to take a seat in Congress.
Democrats are showing surprising strength in special elections and off-year contests across the country, winning races in unexpected places and significantly narrowing the gap, even when they fall short.
There鈥檚 no guarantee the trend will continue through the midterms, when turnout will be much higher, but it has nonetheless energized Democrats and spooked Republicans worried about keeping their congressional majorities.
Trump鈥檚 influence on the Republican Party remains strong
Trump at seven Republican state senators in Indiana who opposed his plan to to help the party gain seats in the U.S. House. His intervention mostly paid off.
Groups allied with the president spent more than $8.3 million on advertising, an extraordinary surge of money into races that are typically low-profile.
Five Trump-backed challengers won. One incumbent won. A seventh contest was too close to call on Tuesday night.
The races were a test of Trump鈥檚 enduring grip over his party as Republicans grow about the .
By winning most of them, Trump sent a signal to Republicans everywhere that they can still get thrown out of office if they distance themselves from him even as his . And they show the president that he can still credibly threaten consequences for Republicans who cross him.
The Trump-targeted state senators all represent districts he carried in 2024, mostly by 20 percentage points or more.
Takeaways from Indiana, Ohio and Michigan: Trump鈥檚 flex pays off and Democrats win special election
Elections in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan on Tuesday reinforced a picture that鈥檚 becoming increasingly clear 鈥� while President still dominates the Republican Party, Democrats seem to have the momentum ahead of .
The biggest test of Trump鈥檚 power came in Indiana, where he backed primary challenges against seven Republican state senators who rejected his redistricting plan in December. Five of the president鈥檚 candidates won with the help of an avalanche of cash.
Meanwhile in Michigan, a Democrat comfortably won a state Senate race in a bellwether district, the latest in a string of special election victories.
Over in Ohio, primaries locked in candidates for two major races with national implications.
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