Good morning.
After what appeared to be a brief abandonment from the recently signed memorandum of understanding, Washington and Tehran seem to be stepping back from the brink as both sides agree to halt military strikes and resume negotiations. President Donald Trump notched another political victory in Louisiana with the defeat of one of his most prominent Republican critics, and one of the nation’s leading pro-life organizations is urging Republicans to deliver on long-promised priorities before the 2026 midterms.
Paused Military Strikes as Negotiations Resume
The United States and Iran have agreed to halt military operations for now.
According to the White House, both countries will suspend strikes while technical negotiations continue under the recently announced memorandum of understanding. Delegations from Washington and Tehran are expected to meet June 30 in Doha, Qatar, to continue working through the agreement.
The pause follows another volatile weekend. U.S. Central Command carried out additional strikes inside Iran after accusing Tehran of attacking the Panama-flagged tanker M/T Kiku near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded Sunday by launching strikes against Kuwait and Bahrain, drawing swift condemnation from both Gulf nations.
Despite those exchanges, both governments now say maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will resume. Under the current framework, Iran has agreed to ensure safe passage through the strategic waterway while the United States will lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports. The two sides are also expected to establish a direct military hotline between American forces and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to help prevent future incidents at sea.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that Tehran would assume responsibility for managing the full reopening of commercial shipping through the strait, a corridor that carries roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade.
Trump-Endorsed Julia Letlow Advances Toward Senate
President Trump picked up another victory on the campaign trail Saturday as Rep. Julia Letlow defeated former Congressman John Fleming in Louisiana’s Republican Senate runoff.
With more than 56% of the vote, Letlow now becomes the overwhelming favorite to win November’s general election in the deeply Republican state and replace outgoing Sen. Bill Cassidy.
Cassidy’s defeat marks a striking political reversal. The Louisiana senator became one of only seven Republicans to vote to convict Trump during the president’s second impeachment trial in 2021. While Trump was ultimately acquitted, Cassidy never fully recovered politically within the state’s Republican electorate, finishing third in May’s primary and failing to advance to the runoff.
Trump endorsed Letlow shortly after she entered the race, calling her “a TOTAL WINNER” and praising her record in Congress.
Before entering politics, Letlow worked in higher education and previously supported diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives while serving at the University of Louisiana Monroe, though she has since campaigned against “woke ideology” in education.
Pro-Life Leaders Push Republicans for Action
One of the country’s most influential pro-life organizations is pressing the Trump administration and congressional Republicans to move quickly on several longstanding priorities.
Speaking at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority conference, Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins called on the White House and Congress to permanently defund Planned Parenthood, enforce the Comstock Act to block abortion pills from being shipped through the mail, and direct the Food and Drug Administration to withdraw mifepristone from the market.
Hawkins warned that last year’s one-year suspension of Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid funding expires July 4, potentially allowing the organization to once again receive hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funding unless Congress acts.
She also urged lawmakers to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship for voter registration.
Turning to mifepristone, Hawkins cited a 2025 Ethics and Public Policy Center study concluding the drug poses greater health risks than previously reported and echoed recent Environmental Protection Agency concerns about possible environmental contamination.
While praising Republican electoral successes, Hawkins cautioned that the coalition that helped deliver GOP majorities remains fragile.
“We want to see a return on our investments,” she told attendees, arguing that Republican voters expect meaningful policy victories heading into November.
READ NEXT: Trump-Backed Senate Candidate Faces Questions Over Her DEI History
