Today in One Sentence. Trump called off planned U.S. strikes on Iran and claimed a peace deal was close hours after threatening to hit Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT,” and saying the U.S. would take Kharg Island and “assume total control” of Iran’s oil and gas markets; the House rejected a short-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, all but ensuring the government’s foreign surveillance authority expires at midnight on Friday; Trump said he would nominate Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan and former SEC chair, as permanent director of national intelligence; and the Interior Department is investigating brown grass patches on the National Mall that appeared from above to form “8647.”.

1/ Trump called off planned U.S. strikes on Iran and claimed a peace deal was close hours after threatening to hit Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT,” and saying the U.S. would take Kharg Island and “assume total control” of Iran’s oil and gas markets. The reversal followed two days of U.S. strikes on Iranian air defenses, radar, and military sites after Trump accused Iran of downing a U.S. Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by targeting U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. “Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved,” Trump said he had “cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening,” adding: “We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran.” The deal is still “subject to finalization of documents.” Trump suggested that a signing could happen “over the next few days” and said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen once the deal is signed. The U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports would remain “in full force and effect” until the “Transaction is finalized.” Iran, however, hasn’t publicly confirmed an agreement. (New York Times / CNBC / Wall Street Journal / Reuters / Associated Press / Bloomberg / Axios / Washington Post / Politico / CNN)

2/ The House rejected a short-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, all but ensuring the government’s foreign surveillance authority expires at midnight on Friday after Democrats and 19 Republicans voted against a three-week patch. Democrats said they wouldn’t extend the warrantless surveillance program while Trump still plans to install Bill Pulte, a housing official with no national security experience, as acting director of national intelligence. Hours later, Trump said he would nominate Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan and former SEC chair, as permanent DNI, but he didn’t withdraw Pulte. Clayton also has no intelligence community experience. (Axios / CNBC / Politico / New York Times / Washington Post / Associated Press / CNN / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)

3/ The Interior Department is investigating brown grass patches on the National Mall that appeared from above to form “8647.” The numbers have been used by Trump’s opponents as a sort of protest slogan, while Trump allies and federal prosecutors have argued it’s a threat because “86” can mean to remove or get rid of something and Trump is the 47th president. Park Police said the cause of the “discoloration” hasn’t been determined and collected grass samples for testing, while the Interior called it “deranged vandalism” and said “any threat against the President is taken very seriously.” (CNN / Reuters / Washington Post)

The 2026 midterms are in 145 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 880 days.