[Up First] US and Iran Trade Strikes After Brief Pause, Fauci Pleads The Fifth, New Asylum Rule

After what appeared to be a brief window for diplomacy, the U.S. and Iran returned to open military confrontation. U.S. Central Command launched a heavy wave of airstrikes against Iranian military command centers and missile facilities overnight, calling the operation a retaliation for a surprise Iranian assault on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan — the same base where three American soldiers were killed earlier this month.

Iran fired additional missiles at U.S. positions in Jordan on Thursday, though American and Jordanian forces intercepted them. Separately, Saudi Arabia joined the U.S. in striking at least seven militia bases in Iraq, killing at least 20 people. Saudi Arabia accused Iran-backed groups of attacking one of its major oil refineries, though the Iraqi government says no evidence was ever provided.

The strikes put Iraq’s new prime minister in a bind, as some militia groups are now formally integrated into government security forces. Funeral processions in Baghdad featured chants of “death to America,” and militia leaders gave the Iraqi government a deadline of the following Thursday to respond — one day after a major Shia religious commemoration drawing millions of pilgrims to Karbala.

Republican Senator Rand Paul subpoenaed Dr. Anthony Fauci to appear before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, pressing him on the origins of COVID-19 and his role in funding research at a Chinese laboratory. Paul has long argued that SARS-CoV-2 originated in a Wuhan lab and that Fauci helped conceal this. Fauci firmly denies the accusation, maintaining that scientific evidence points to natural spillover from an animal to a human — a view shared by many virologists.

In his opening statement, Fauci described Paul as having an “unhinged obsession” with him and accused him of trying to get him “behind bars.” After that, Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment to every single question — more than 100 times — including trivial ones, such as what color tie he was wearing. Paul has since threatened to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress.

Fauci’s lawyer explained that earlier appearances before Congress, in which Fauci spoke freely, were under a grant of immunity that shielded him from prosecution. That immunity has since expired, and with a new administration openly hostile to him, his legal team advised him to remain silent rather than risk any statement being used against him in a potential criminal case.

The Trump administration has introduced a new rule that allows immigration officials to send asylum cases directly to immigration court without first conducting a screening interview. Previously, applicants had to pass a credible fear screening — an initial interview used to determine whether a case has enough merit to proceed. Skipping this step means many people with legitimate claims could be deported before a judge ever hears their case.

Immigration advocates describe this as part of a concerted attack on the asylum system from multiple directions. Approval rates in immigration courts are already at their lowest levels in 20 years, and the new rule is expected to push them even lower. Critics argue that the rule effectively dismantles a decades-old legal framework that the U.S. is obligated to uphold under international law.

The rule is part of a broader series of restrictions the administration has pursued since taking office, including dramatic reductions in the number of refugees admitted each year and tightened border enforcement. Legal challenges are expected, but immigration courts — already backlogged with millions of pending cases — are unlikely to offer timely relief to those affected.