When President Donald Trump put 2,000 National Guard troops under his control on Saturday night and ordered them into Los Angeles, it was billed as an urgent response to quell protests. But it was also a move long in the making.

In a move that is already generating national controversy, President Donald Trump has announced the restoration of several U.S. Army base names that had previously been changed as part of an effort to remove Confederate associations.

Iran was devastated by a surprise attack in the early hours of June 13, as Israeli weapons targeted nuclear facilities, military command centers, and missile sites.

Iranian state media report more explosions, with blasts heard in Tehran, as Israel says its air force is hitting military targets.

As of mid-2025, there are about 40,000 to 50,000 US troops in the Middle East, comprising personnel stationed in both large, permanent bases and smaller forward sites across the region.

Israel struck at the heart of Iran’s nuclear, missile and military complex early Friday, in an unprecedented attack that reportedly killed three of Iran’s most powerful figures and plunges the wider Middle East into dangerous new territory.