Two Supreme Court justices are preparing for an unusual trip to Capitol Hill on Tuesday morning. Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett are scheduled to appear before Congress at 10 a.m. ET — a rare occurrence that comes just weeks after the conclusion of a historic court term. The justices are expected to field a broad range of questions as the court pursues millions in additional funding to strengthen security, amid a growing number of threats targeting the judiciary.
Meanwhile, just down the street from the Capitol, President Donald Trump is set to welcome Iraq’s newly installed Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi, to the White House. Trump had been a strong supporter of al-Zaidi’s rise to power, despite the prime minister’s limited political background. The visit comes as Iraq faces mounting pressure to disarm Iran-backed militia groups that have carried out attacks on American military bases and diplomatic facilities following the outbreak of war involving the U.S. and Israel against Iran.
The U.S. military launched fresh strikes against Iran in the early hours of Tuesday, just hours after Trump announced plans to reinstate a naval blockade of Iranian ports. Under the plan, ships would be charged 20% of their cargo for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by striking targets in Bahrain and Jordan, as well as attacking three tankers passing through the strait — effectively collapsing the existing ceasefire agreement and raising the specter of a full-scale war.
U.S. Central Command confirmed the strikes, stating forces targeted “coastal defense systems, missile and drone sites and maritime capabilities.” Iranian officials acknowledged the attacks but did not immediately provide details on casualties or damage.
“These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” the U.S. military said in a statement.
Shortly after the military’s announcement, Trump took to social media, calling it “another major attack” and confirming the U.S. was “putting the blockade back.”
U.S. Central Command announced on social media that enforcement of the blockade against vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas would begin Tuesday at 4 p.m. EDT. The command added it would “support traffic flow through regional waters for all vessels not violating the blockade.”
A maritime notice issued Monday by the U.S. military warned that force could be used against ships that fail to comply, while also specifying that humanitarian shipments would be permitted through.
Defending the blockade and the 20% cargo toll, Trump said the U.S. deserves compensation for its role in protecting the region. “We’re protecting a very rich portion of the world,” he said. “We’re spending money. And so, what we’ve done is, we are going to be reimbursed for protection.”
When asked whether the military would actually be collecting those tolls, U.S. Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins declined to answer directly and directed reporters to the White House for comment.
Trump also announced via social media that he plans to deliver a nationally televised address at 9 p.m. EDT on Thursday. The post, in which Trump appeared to refer to himself in the third person, offered no specific details about the speech’s content.
In a radio interview with Hugh Hewitt, Trump downplayed the significance of the address. “It’s just going to be a speech like a lot of my speeches,” he said, without elaborating further. The announcement follows his recent declarations about blocking Iranian shipping and imposing the 20% transit fee through the Strait of Hormuz.
