Trump tells Iran to 'get smart soon' as Hegseth testifies to House Armed Services on $1.5T budget

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday that the USS Gerald R. Ford is conducting routine flight operations in the Red Sea.

This comes amid the U.S. Navy’s ongoing presence in the Middle East.

“USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) continues to conduct routine flight operations as it sails in the Red Sea,” the command said in a post shared on X. 

The U.S. military is racing to boost missile production after years of output that lagged behind current demand left key weapons in short supply, according to an analysis of Pentagon procurement data.

At current production rates, some of the Pentagon’s most critical munitions would take years — and in some cases decades — to replenish, exposing a gap between battlefield use and industrial capacity that cannot be quickly closed.

Major defense contractors have struck new agreements with the Pentagon and pledged to significantly increase production across several high-end munitions programs.

But senior military officials warn the buildup will take time.

"I think it will take one to two years for them to scale. It won't be soon enough," Indo-Pacific Command Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo told lawmakers in April.

The push comes as recent combat has drawn down U.S. stockpiles of high-end munitions, exposing a growing gap between how quickly the military can use advanced weapons and the years it takes to replace them, raising concerns about longer-term readiness.

The gap between usage and replenishment is also reportedly drawing scrutiny inside the administration.

This is an excerpt from a report by Morgan Phillips.

The White House on Wednesday highlighted a $3.5 billion investment by Skydio to expand its U.S. manufacturing footprint and accelerate development of autonomous drone systems.

“HUGE: @SkydioHQ announces a $3.5 billion investment to expand its U.S. manufacturing footprint and accelerate its R&D capabilities,” it said in a post shared on X.

“AMERICAN DRONE DOMINANCE!” it added.

The company said the investment would be used to scale production and advance the development of its autonomous drone systems.

The U.S. is urging allies to join a new maritime security coalition to protect global shipping around the strait, emphasizing “collective action,” according to a State Department cable reported by The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.

The cable, sent April 28 to U.S. embassies, directs diplomats to press foreign governments to sign onto the initiative — called the “Maritime Freedom Construct.”

The coalition would share information, coordinate diplomatically, and enforce sanctions, the report said.

“Your participation will strengthen our collective ability to restore freedom of navigation and protect the global economy,” the cable reads, according to The Wall Street Journal.

“Collective action is essential to demonstrate unified resolve and impose meaningful costs on Iranian obstruction of transit through the strait.”

The framework would be a joint effort between the State Department and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

The State Department “will serve as the diplomatic operations hub,” while U.S. Central Command “will provide real-time maritime domain awareness” for commercial shipping and coordinate information sharing among partner militaries.

An official confirmed the proposal is one of several diplomatic and policy tools available to the president, the outlet said.

The Treasury Department on Wednesday said the U.S. sanctions campaign against Iran is choking off billions in revenue, straining the country’s economy while threatening its oil exports.

In a release shared on X, the Treasury said that under the framework of "Operation Economic Wrath," it has targeted Iran's “international shadow banking infrastructure, its access to cryptocurrencies, the shadow fleet, weapons supply networks, financial resources of regional terrorist proxy groups and also Chinese independent refineries known as "teapots" that support Iran's oil trade.”

“These actions have disrupted tens of billions of dollars in revenue that could have been used to finance terrorism,” the department said.

Under the framework of the U.S. president's "maximum pressure" campaign, the inflation rate in Tehran has doubled, and the value of its currency has rapidly declined, the statement read.

“Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export terminal, will soon approach its storage capacity; a situation that will force the regime to reduce oil production, thereby creating an additional daily revenue reduction of approximately $170 million and inflicting permanent damage on Iran's oil infrastructure,” the department said.

The Treasury Department said it would “continue to apply maximum pressure, and any individual, ship, or entity that has played a role in facilitating illicit flows to Tehran will be exposed to U.S. sanctions.”

For 55 days and counting, Iran has kept 92 million people effectively offline, in what has become the longest nationwide internet shutdown ever recorded, according to reports.

The blackout began on February 28, coinciding with the onset of Operation Epic Fury, and has now stretched beyond 1,296 hours of near-total digital silence.

What started as a government-imposed restriction has evolved into a sweeping disruption affecting nearly every aspect of daily life in Iran.

Tehran’s own communications minister acknowledged the severity of the situation, estimating losses at roughly $35 million per day.

Independent monitoring group NetBlocks places the total damage closer to $2 billion.

For ordinary Iranians, around 80 percent of online sales have disappeared, cutting off a vital lifeline for businesses that depend on digital platforms, the California Post reported.

Small businesses are collapsing at an alarming pace, with many unable to operate or reach customers, the outlet said.

President Donald Trump has told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to only take “surgical” military action in Lebanon and avoid a full resumption of the war, according to reports.

Trump’s remarks came as Netanyahu shared a post on X on Wednesday with a video showing an Israeli strike.

“Lebanon — continuing,” Netanyahu captioned the post.

Speaking to Axios and Trump said he “told Netanyahu he has got to do it more surgically, not knock down buildings. He can't do it. It is too terrible and makes Israel look bad.”

So far, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has hosted two meetings with the respective ambassadors.

A 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel set on April 16 has been extended for three weeks.

Hezbollah has continued to strike Israeli forces in Lebanon and villages across the border. Israel has alsi struck in Lebanon.

This comes as Trump spoke to Netanyahu Axios said, with Trump also saying that he likes Lebanon and its leadership and thinks the country can “make a comeback.”

“Iran ruined Lebanon. Their proxy [Hezbollah] ruined Lebanon. When Iran gets taken out, Hezbollah automatically gets taken out,” Trump told the outlet.

The Israeli navy intercepted a flotilla sailing to the Gaza Strip on Wednesday near the Greek island of Crete.

The flotilla was made up of 58 vessels and with the navy also saying it found drugs and condoms on board.

“This is the ‘medical aid’ found aboard the PR stunt flotilla: condoms and drugs,” the navy said in a post shared on X.

Meanwhile, flotilla organizers shared footage of an Israeli navy officer calling on the activists to change course.

“If you wish to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, you may do so through established and recognized channels. Please change course and return to the port of origin. If you are carrying humanitarian aid, you are invited to proceed to the port of Ashdod,” the officer can be heard saying.

The USS Gerald R. Ford is set to return to the United States within days after 10 months at sea, according to reports.

Citing officials, The Washington Post reported the departure of the aircraft carrier, one of three in the Middle East region, will mark a decrease in U.S. firepower in the region.

This comes amid a fragile ceasefire with Iran, and as the U.S. maintains its blockade of Iranian ports.

The aircraft carrier is likely to arrive in Virginia around mid-May, an official told the outlet.

Iran’s Mohammad Ghalibaf slammed U.S. policymakers, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, on Wednesday over the impact of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.

The parliamentary speaker cited “junk advice” and blamed the Treasury for pushing up oil prices.

“Three days in, no well exploded,” Ghalibaf said in a post shared on X.

“We could extend to 30 days and livestream the well here. That was the kind of junk advice the U.S. administration gets from people like Bessent who also push the blockade theory and crank oil up to $120-plus,” he added.

“Next stop: 140. The issue isn’t the theory, it’s the mindset,” Ghalibaf said.

Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., argued Wednesday that Americans need to know the U.S. has air superiority over Iran, as War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine appeared before the House Armed Services Committee.

“America has air superiority over Iran,” Hamadeh said in a post shared on X.

“The people on the ground need to know they have our full support to stand up to the regime, and they need to hear it directly from our commander in chief,” he said.

“That’s why I told @SecWar we should drop leaflets with @POTUS @realDonaldTrump Truth Social posts from the skies,” Hamadeh added.

Iran’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) accused the United States of misrepresenting the country’s enriched uranium as a threat.

The remarks came as President Donald Trump issued a warning for Iran to “get smart soon” and “sign a nonnuclear deal,” amid ongoing concerns over Iran’s enrichment program.

“While all of Iran’s enriched uranium has always been under the full supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and there is no report of even one gram of Iran’s nuclear material being diverted, the U.S. exploited the NPT Review Conference and portrayed Iran’s enriched uranium as a danger in order to divert attention from its own violations and those of its allies in the field of nuclear disarmament,” the Iran Mission to the U.N., New York, said in a post shared on X.

“The UN Security Council, the IAEA Director-General and the Board of Governors not only failed to condemn these illegal attacks, but most regrettably, took actions that reversed the roles of the victim and the aggressor," it said.

Iranian state institutions are united behind the Supreme National Security Council on decisions made over the war and any US negotiations, Iran’s Justice Minister Amin Rahimi said Wednesday, according to reports.

“In matters such as war or negotiation, it is the Supreme National Security Council that makes decisions based on the interests of the country,” Rahimi said in comments carried by Tasnim News Agency and reported by Iran International.

He also said that decisions are implemented after the approval of the Supreme Leader and said all branches of the state share the same goal of protecting the rights of the Iranian people.

Vice President JD Vance pushed back on a report from The Atlantic April 27 suggesting he is concerned about U.S. weapons shortages and a potentially depleted missile stockpile.

The outlet cited two senior administration officials who said Vance has questioned the accuracy of Pentagon information about the war with Iran.

In an interview on "The Will Cain Show", Vance downplayed the report and urged skepticism.

“Of course, I'm concerned about, you know, our readiness, because that's my job to be concerned,” he said.

“But I think that Pete Hegseth, our Department of War secretary, I think General Kane, our chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, they’re doing an amazing job.

“But it's, of course, my job to ask these questions. It's, of course, my job to make sure that we're on top of every issue," he added.

“And of course, it's the president's job, too, and I think that both of us are very focused on that.

“But we've got a great military, a military that can do a lot well, so don't believe everything you read, especially in papers like The Atlantic,” Vance warned.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday he discussed the need for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz with U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.

“Met with U.K. Foreign Secretary @YvetteCooperMP on the occasion of the @RoyalFamily’s visit to the United States,” Rubio said in a post shared on X.

“We discussed the need for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” he added.

Responding to questions from Rep. Jeff Crank on Wednesday, War Secretary Pete Hegseth highlighted the professionalism of the joint U.S.-Israeli operation that began Feb. 28 with Operation Epic Fury.

He also referenced the rescue in which U.S. special operations forces recovered two crew members of a downed F-15E Strike Eagle and said the U.S. was prepared to take further military action.

“We've never seen an air campaign like what we did alongside the Israeli Air Force, not to mention the rescue of those two pilots and the professionalism of that joint force that went downtown twice, once in the day and once in the night to leave no man behind,” Hegseth said at the House Armed Services Committee hearing.

“That is a call the commander in chief makes, and he had the guts to make it,” Hegseth added, saying the ceasefire is in a “strong place” alongside the blockade.

Hegseth said the blockade “will ensure that when this is done, when a deal is said, it's a deal on the president's terms to ensure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.”

“If they had a nuclear weapon, they would use it. This president has unleashed his military to do something about it.”

“We've had historic successes, and if we need to go at it again to ensure that success, we are prepared to. But we're hopeful over time that a deal will be compelled and compelled quickly,” Hegseth added.

U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Mason is in the Middle East, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday.

This came as President Donald Trump issued a warning to Iran after discussing measures that could be taken to continue the blockade of Iranian ports on Tuesday.

“Guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) sails regional waters within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility,” the command said in a post shared on X.

“Mason, alongside other destroyers, is part of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group, one of three carrier strike groups currently operating in the Middle East,” CENTCOM said.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked about the anticipated risks of going to war with Iran on Wednesday before the House Armed Services Committee.

“The president did understand the risks and had the courage to undertake the endeavor nonetheless, which the American people voted for, that kind of courage and taking on that Iranian nuclear threat,” he stated.

Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-MD) also pushed on what it will require of U.S. service members to eradicate any Iranian nuclear threat.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine responded that there is a wide range of options under consideration, many of which are "classified."

“There's such a wide range, ma'am, of options in there, all of which are classified. It would be out of my swim lane, but we always deliver the full range of options, the associated risks, and the advice to go do the things that we would be asked to do. There's many,” Caine said.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he held a call with President Vladimir Putin which touched on Iran.

Shedding some light on the conversation, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office the two leaders covered multiple topics but centered primarily on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

“I talked about Ukraine, and I talked a little bit about Iran,” Trump said.

“I talked about a few different subjects, mostly about Ukraine. And we had a very good conversation. I think we’re going to come up with a solution relatively quickly, I hope.

“I think you’d like to see a solution, I can tell you. And that’s good,” he said.

Trump also addressed Putin’s interest in Iran.

Asked what involvement Putin wants to have in the Iran war, Trump confirmed it would include the nuclear enrichment topic.

“He told me he’d like to be involved with the enrichment,” Trump said.

“If he can help us get it. I said I’d much rather have you be involved with ending the war in Ukraine. To me, that would be more important,” Trump added.