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Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & NatSec newsletter

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Defense &
National Security

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The Big Story

Trump extends ‘olive branch’ to Iran with stern warning

President Trump on Tuesday offered an “olive branch” to Iran as he projected optimism about the future of the Middle East in remarks from Saudi Arabia.

Trump spoke at a U.S.-Saudi investment forum in Riyadh, where he praised leaders in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates for turning their capitals into hubs of commerce and called it his “fervent hope” that Saudi Arabia would eventually normalize relations with Israel.

The president, who has sought to portray himself as a peacemaker for global conflicts, also took a softer tone toward Iran as his administration seeks to reach a deal with Tehran over its nuclear program.

“As I have shown repeatedly, I am willing to end past conflicts and forge new partnerships for a better and more stable world, even if our differences may be very profound, which obviously they are in the case of Iran,” Trump said.

“I want to make a deal with Iran. If I can make a deal with Iran I’ll be very happy,” Trump added. “We’re going to make your region and the world a safer place. But if Iran’s leadership rejects this olive branch and continues to attack their neighbors, then we will have no choice but to inflict massive, maximum pressure.”

Trump said the olive branch to Iran “will not last forever.”

Officials from Iran and the U.S. have been engaged in talks in recent weeks around Tehran’s nuclear program. Trump during his first term withdrew the U.S. from the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal, which had offered sanctions relief in exchange for limits on its nuclear program.

The president has in recent days signaled he could be open to Iran having a civilian nuclear program but has been adamant that Tehran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

Trump also on Tuesday announced he was rolling back sanctions on Syria at the urging of allies in the Middle East in an effort to boost the new government in Damascus.

Read the full report at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.

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Essential Reads

How policy will affect defense and national security now and in
the future:

Qatar Airways to announce major purchase from Boeing during Trump’s visit

Qatar Airways is set to announce that it secured an agreement to purchase 150 aircraft from Boeing while President Trump is in Doha on Wednesday, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to NewsNation. Trump will travel from Saudi Arabia to Qatar in the early afternoon on Wednesday, local time, and participate in a state visit, followed hours later by a state dinner. The Qatari deal for Boeing wide-body jets will include …

Full Story

Pentagon flights to Guantánamo cost more than $21M

The Trump administration spent more than $21 million on military flights transporting migrants to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, within just three months, according to new figures provided to Congress by the Pentagon. The data, released by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Monday, revealed that between Jan. 20 and April 8, U.S. Transportation Command conducted 46 deportation flights on military aircraft to Naval Station Guantánamo …

Full Story

Haley on Trump’s Qatari jet: ‘If this were Biden, we would be furious’

Former GOP presidential contender Nikki Haley dinged President Trump on Tuesday over his decision to accept a palatial $400 million jet from Qatar to temporarily replace Air Force One. “Regardless of how beautiful the plane may be, it opens a door and implies the President and US can be bought,” Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations during Trump’s first term, wrote in a post on the social platform …

Full Story

Ex-Senate Democrat: Trump avoiding Israel on Middle East trip sends ‘hell of a message’

Former Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) weighed in on President Trump’s trip to the Middle East, saying Tuesday that the decision not to visit Israel sends a clear message about his stance on the war in Gaza. Trump traveled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, late Monday to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss investment. He is also slated to make stops in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar. “I think that the …

Full Story

On Our Radar

Upcoming things we’re watching on our beat:

President Trump is in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia after the first day of his Middle East trip. He will continue his visit tomorrow with a stop in Qatar.
NATO foreign ministers will meet for an informal two-day meeting at 12 p.m. tomorrow in Antalya, Turkey.
NATO’s Military Committee, the alliance’s highest military authority with 32 participating allies, will meet tomorrow in Brussels to discuss key priorities and challenges and Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons will testify before the House Appropriations Homeland Security subcommittee on his agency, at 10 a.m.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will testify on the DHS fiscal 2026 budget request before the House Homeland Security Committee at 10 a.m.

Gabbard fires top National Intelligence Council officials

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard fired two top officials at the National Intelligence Council, purging leaders amid what the office called an effort to address “weaponization” of intelligence. Gabbard removed the acting head of the council, Mike Collins, as well as his deputy, …

Full Story

On Tap Tomorrow

Events in and around the defense world:

Adm. Kevin Lunday, acting commandant of the Coast Guard, will testify before a House Appropriations subcommittee at 2 p.m.
Another House Appropriations subpanel will hear from Acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby, Navy Secretary John Phelan, and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith, at 2 p.m.
A House Armed Services subcommittee will hear from defense officials on “Energy, Installations, and Environment Update,” at 3 p.m.
Another House Armed Services subpanel will hold a hearing on “National Security Space Programs,” at 3:30 p.m.

What We’re Reading

News we’ve flagged from other outlets:

Hegseth’s plan to cut senior military jobs could hit more than 120 high-ranking officers (The Associated Press)
Meink confirmed as Air Force Secretary in Senate vote (Military.com)
Kurdish insurgent group says it is ending conflict with Turkish state (The New York Times)

Trending Today

Two key stories on The Hill right now:

DNC moves toward nullifying election of David Hogg, Malcolm Kenyatta as vice chairs

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has taken a first step toward possibly requiring a new election for two of its vice chairs, including David … Read more

GOP makes biggest bet yet pairing Trump tax rates with Medicaid cuts

Republicans on Capitol Hill are betting the farm on President Trump’s domestic agenda. The massive legislative package features the tax cuts, … Read more