Welcome back to Global Overview, where we feature The Trump administration it faces a legal constraint in it Iran war, Israel interrupt a Gaza aid flotilla, and Pakistan order them up Chinese submarine.
Running the Clock
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced a second round of intense parliamentary scrutiny Thursday about the Trump administration’s handling of the Iran war. Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Hegseth defended the $25 billion the Pentagon estimates it has already spent on the conflict while refusing to say how long the war might last or how much more it might cost.
Welcome back to Global Overview, where we feature The Trump administration it faces a legal constraint in it Iran war, Israel interrupt a Gaza aid flotilla, and Pakistan order them up Chinese submarine.
Running the Clock
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced a second round of intense parliamentary scrutiny Thursday about the Trump administration’s handling of the Iran war. Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Hegseth defended the $25 billion the Pentagon estimates it has already spent on the conflict while refusing to say how long the war might last or how much more it might cost.
Specifically, Hegseth he argued on Thursday that the US-Iran ceasefire, which President Donald Trump extended last week indefinitely, has stopped the clock on 1973 60-day War Powers Authorization Act. “We are in a ceasefire now, which to our understanding means that the 60-day clock has stopped or is standing on the ceasefire,” the defense secretary said.
Under The War Powers ActThe president of the United States has 60 days from the time Congress first receives official notice of the conflict to cease offensive operations or Congress either declares war or authorizes the continued use of military force. Trump briefed congressional leadership on hostilities with Iran in a March 2 letter, meaning the 60-day counting period ends Friday.
The president can extend the time for an additional 30 days to withdraw US forces. However, this extension does not authorize the White House to continue an offensive campaign. And lawmakers on both sides of the aisle seem eager for the US to begin an exit strategy.
“The 60-day period is the perfect window for presidents to take emergency action to deal with a national threat and then submit a decision to the legitimately elected representatives of the people as to whether a state of war should be declared and continued,” Republican Senator John Curtis. he wrote in comments this month.
It is unclear whether the Trump administration is seeking to resume heavy fighting. However, Axios information On Wednesday, the US Central Command was scheduled to brief Trump on a possible plan to break the deadlock in US-Iran talks. The plan suggests launching a “short and powerful” wave of attacks against Iran.
News of a possible resumption of fighting has raised concerns that the conflict could worsen. Brent crude prices hit a senior four years of more than $126 per barrel on Thursday.
Senate Democrats have pointed to the global energy crisis as evidence of Hegseth’s mismanagement of the crisis. “I am concerned that you have been telling the president what he wants to hear instead of what he needs to hear,” said Sen. Jack ReedThe ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee. “The bold assurance of success is an insult to the commander-in-chief and the soldiers who risked their lives for their cause.”
But Hegseth on Thursday accused Democratic lawmakers of being “reckless brats” and “cheap losers” who refused to recognize the achievements of the US military.
Today’s Most Read
What we’re after
Global Sumud Flotilla. Israeli forces interrupted aid group seeking to break the country’s blockade of Gaza during an overnight operation in international waters on Thursday. According to activists in Global Sumud FlotillaIsraeli soldiers boarded 22 ships sailing near Greece, destroying the engines and detaining more than 170 people. The group’s ships were more than 620 miles from Gaza when the Israeli army intervened.
Israel’s actions “mark a dangerous and unprecedented escalation: the abduction of civilians in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, more than 600 miles from Gaza, in front of the world,” the Global Sumud Flotilla newspaper said. press release. Several foreign governments—including Germany, Italy, Spain, and Turkey—be damned Israel’s actions, with the Turkish foreign ministry calling it “an act of piracy.”
Israel has defended its decision. “When dealing with a provocative flotilla of such a large scale that aims to violate the lawful naval blockade, there is a practical necessity to act early and slowly to prevent escalation and to do so in a way that avoids confrontation and violence,” the ministry of foreign affairs. has been published on X. All detained persons will be disembarked on Greek shores in cooperation with local authorities, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. he added.
The Global Sumud Flotilla has repeatedly attempted to breach Israel’s blockade of Gaza in order to deliver humanitarian aid to the war-torn region. Last October, Israeli forces he climbed 39 ships that were part of the flotilla and stopped hundreds of activists.
Advanced submarines. Pakistan ordered China’s first batch of advanced submarines on Thursday boosted its naval capabilities despite maritime security concerns. According to the Pakistani military, Islamabad will receive eight Anchor-class submarines; four of them will be made in China, while the other four will be made in Pakistan under a technology transfer program. Each submarine will have torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, advanced sensors, and air-based propulsion.
This is “an important step to strengthen our maritime defense and modernize our ships with advanced technology,” Pakistan’s navy chief, Adm. Naveed Ashrafhe said Thursday. Pakistan has long relied on its submarine fleet as well as military equipment from China to deter neighboring India. Last year, Islamabad to be praised the performance of its J-10 and JF-17 fighter jets, which it used in its conflict against New Delhi; both aircraft are manufactured by AVIC Chengdu Aircraft of China.
Pakistan and China are long-standing partners in the military and economic sectors. In August 2025, the two nations it promised expand economic cooperation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship project of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Fossil fuel emissions. About 60 countries it promised to create “road maps” to determine how best to end the production and use of fossil fuels during a summit in Colombia this week. Although the meeting did not make any binding commitments, experts have called the simple act of meeting “historical achievement” in the fight against climate change.
During the United Nations Conference on Climate Change last November in Brazil, several major oil and gas producing economies (including India, Russia and Saudi Arabia) push against proposals for fossil fuel restrictions, forcing the meeting to end in deadlock without any fundamental agreement. Boycotting the American meeting further weakened it; Trump has long touted climate denial and defense more fuel consumption.
However, this week’s meeting in the coastal city of Santa Marta was injected new hope in the efforts of climate experts in response to global warming. “We decided that the transition from fossil fuels could no longer remain a slogan but must be a concrete, political and collective effort,” said Colombia’s Environment Minister Irene Vélez Torres. Participants of the two-day dialogue he agreed to follow continued multilateral cooperation, including the creation of working groups to address financial and labor transition issues—all in an effort to ensure the global phase-out of fossil fuels.
Odds and Ends
Singapore authorities charged a rude and annoying French student in public last Friday after the 18-year-old posted a video of himself licking a straw from an orange juice vending machine and returning it. These charges can carry up to two years in prison and fines. The young man has yet to enter his plea and will appear in court on May 29. Meanwhile, iJooz, a vending machine company, has replaced all 500 straws in the machine and vowed to upgrade its products to include individually sealed tubes that open after the transaction is complete.
