US Iran

The United States and Iran have each fired barrages of missiles as the pattern of back-and-forth strikes takes hold again and hope dims for a quick end to the five-month conflict. Following a few days of respite, fears of a wider war have grown, with renewed fighting threatening to engulf even more countries. Jordan said Thursday it intercepted Iranian missiles for the second consecutive day, while Kuwait said a strike in the northern part of the country killed one person. Also this week, drones caused fires on ships at an Egyptian port, and Saudi Arabia said it came under fire from Iran-backed militias in Iraq.

President Donald Trump says he may pull Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general until Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis leave office. The Republicans have demanded written assurances about the settlement of the president’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. Back-and-forth missile strikes between the U.S. and Iran Thursday are dimming hopes for a deal to end the war as more countries are drawn in. Jordan, Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iraq have reported strikes. And a new AP-NORC poll shows Trump's approval rating has dropped, with most Americans saying the Iran war isn't worth fighting.