Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back on reporters who wondered why there appeared to be less “cease” than “fire” in the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, saying that “only stupid countries” would allow an enemy to attack with impunity. Rubio fielded questions from the press on Friday, saying that the United States was not engaging in any acts of aggression, but also was not going to let attacks from Iran go unanswered. WATCH: SECRETARY RUBIO: Only stupid countries don’t shoot back when you’re shot at. And we’re not a stupid county. The redline is clear – if Iranian boats threaten Americans, they’re going to get blown up.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump heads to China this week for a highly anticipated visit with President Xi Jinping, on a mission to rebalance the United States relationship with China while prioritizing “reciprocity and fairness,” a White House official shared on a call with reporters on Sunday afternoon. The president will arrive in China on Wednesday evening, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly shared Sunday, and on Thursday morning, he will participate in a welcome ceremony and a bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping. That afternoon, Trump will tour the Temple of Heavens with President Xi, and that evening, he will participate in a state banquet. On Friday morning, Trump will participate in a bilateral tea and working lunch with President Xi before Trump and his delegation return home. The White House expects to host President Xi and his wife, Madam Peng Liyuan, for a reciprocal visit in D.C. later this year. During the Sunday afternoon call with reporters, Kelly stressed that Trump’s meeting with Xi would advance American safety, security, and prosperity with “a clear eyed view of the economic and security realities of today.” “During this visit, President Trump will continue doing what he has done over the past year,” Kelly said, “rebalancing the relationship with China and prioritizing reciprocity and fairness to restore American economic independence.” Air Force One, with US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on board, arrives at Beijing airport on November 8, 2017. (Photo by THOMAS PETER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) While the visit will hold “tremendous symbolic significance,” Trump never travels for symbolism alone, the White House deputy press secretary stressed. Trump will be focused on securing deals for Americans, agreements that will “further rebalance trade with China while putting American workers, farmers, and families 1st and safeguarding US economic strength in national security.” “Topics are expected to include continued work on a U.S. China Board of Trade and U.S. China Board of Investments,” Kelly said. “The board of trade will allow the United States and China to manage trade between the government of the United States and government of China across non-sensitive goods. The Board of Investment will provide a government to government forum for discussing investment related issues.” “The two sides will also discuss additional agreements on industry spanning aerospace agriculture and energy,” she added. The president will also potentially touch on artificial intelligence in his conversations with Xi, as well as China’s nuclear program, the war with Iran, and more, Trump officials shared Sunday afternoon. Trump has already promised that he will talk to Xi about the plight of Jimmy Lai, a Catholic media tycoon unjustly imprisoned by the Chinese government, and Pastor Ezra Jin, also unjustly imprisoned. The Daily Wire first reported Friday that the White House is monitoring Chinese persecution of Christians and religious minority groups in China, according to a letter sent to senators from the State Department.

President Donald Trump warned on Sunday that the Iranian regime needed to stop “playing games” with the United States, blaming former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden for the fact that they’d done so in the past. Trump laid out his thoughts in a Sunday afternoon post on his Truth Social platform, declaring that Iran would soon be “laughing no longer” if things did not change. “Iran has been playing games with the United States, and the rest of the World, for 47 years (DELAY, DELAY, DELAY!), and then finally hit ‘pay dirt’ when Barack Hussein Obama became President,” Trump began, noting that the regime would always call for negotiations but then would never come to the table in good faith — and he argued that Obama had fallen right into their trap. “He was not only good to them, he was great, actually going to their side, jettisoning Israel, and all other Allies, and giving Iran a major and very powerful new lease on life,” Trump continued, referencing Obama’s part in sealing the Iran Nuclear Deal and in freeing up billions of dollars that were then delivered to the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. “Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and 1.7 Billion Dollars in green cash, flown into Tehran, was handed to them on a silver platter. Every Bank in D.C., Virginia, and Maryland was emptied out — It was so much money that when it arrived, the Iranian Thugs had no idea what to do with it,” he said. “They had never seen money like this, and never will again. It was taken off the plane in suitcases and satchels, and the Iranians couldn’t believe their luck.” Trump went on to argue that Biden had been even worse for the United States — and better for Iran — saying, “They finally found the greatest SUCKER of them all, in the form of a weak and stupid American President. He was a disaster as our ‘Leader,’ but not as bad as Sleepy Joe Biden!” In summation, Trump declared that his administration would not tolerate an Iranian regime that stalled negotiations to wait out American presidents and continued to kill their own people simply for protesting. “For 47 years the Iranians have been ‘tapping’ us along, keeping us waiting, killing our people with their roadside bombs, destroying protests, and recently wiping out 42,000 innocent, unarmed protestors, and laughing at our now GREAT AGAIN Country,” he said. “They will be laughing no longer!”

WASHINGTON — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and General Dan Caine both laughed off The Daily Wire’s questions about “kamikaze dolphins” last week, joking that while Iran does not have such capabilities, the United States wouldn’t reveal if it did. While the phrase “kamikaze dolphin” certainly sounds fictional, a Navy spokesman clarified to The Daily Wire that there is a long history of the military using sea life in warfare through the U.S. Navy’s Marine Mammal Program. Some drone programs are mimicking the appearance and aesthetics of dolphins and sharks in modern-day weaponry. Iranian officials told the Wall Street Journal this month that Iran might use “mine-carrying dolphins” to attack U.S. warships, in addition to other measures like submarines or mines themselves. On Tuesday morning, during a press briefing at the Department of War, The Daily Wire pressed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine about this claim. “I haven’t heard the kamikaze dolphins thing — it’s like sharks with laser beams, right?” joked Caine, referencing the film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. “I can’t confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins,” Hegseth said with a smile, “but I can confirm they don’t.” Meanwhile, Iran-affiliated accounts, which closely follow American news cycles, have responded to the kamikaze dolphins news cycle with AI-generated images of dolphins equipped with explosives. Say hello to these cute dolphins who’ll be giving love bites to … You know whom

Passengers aboard the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius have officially begun disembarking in Spain’s Canary Islands, marking a major development in the international health scare that has already left three people dead and prompted quarantine operations across multiple countries. Spanish health officials confirmed Sunday that evacuation efforts were “proceeding normally” as passengers were escorted off the Dutch-flagged vessel in small groups under strict biosecurity measures. Travelers wore face masks and protective coverings while hazmat-suited crews transported them directly to quarantine flights waiting at Tenerife Airport. The operation comes after days of uncertainty aboard the ship, which had effectively been stranded at sea while governments and health agencies coordinated where passengers could safely disembark and quarantine. The outbreak has drawn global attention because the Andes strain of hantavirus — believed to be responsible for the infections aboard the Hondius — is one of the only known hantavirus variants capable of human-to-human transmission. While officials continue emphasizing that the public risk remains low, the scale of the response reflects fears of potential wider spread if the outbreak is mishandled. The World Health Organization, CDC, and multiple national governments have all deployed personnel to oversee the evacuation and repatriation process. As previously reported by The Daily Wire, several Americans who may have been exposed to the virus had already returned to the United States before the outbreak was fully understood. Those passengers, located in Texas, Georgia, Virginia, Arizona, and California, are being monitored by state health officials after disembarking earlier during a stop on Saint Helena, the island famous for Napoleon Bonaparte’s second exile and death. Oceanwide Expeditions, the company operating the Hondius, previously confirmed it was attempting to track all passengers and crew who boarded or left the vessel since March 20. At least nine confirmed or suspected cases have now been linked to the outbreak, including three fatalities. Officials believe the outbreak likely began after an elderly Dutch couple contracted the virus during travel in Argentina before boarding the cruise ship. The husband later died aboard the vessel, while his wife became seriously ill after leaving the ship and later died in South Africa. Another passenger, a German national, also died after developing symptoms. Several additional suspected cases have since emerged across Europe and elsewhere, while dozens of former passengers scattered across multiple countries are now being monitored during the virus’ lengthy incubation period, which can last up to eight weeks. The first evacuees Sunday included Spanish passengers, who were transported to Madrid for quarantine at a military hospital. Americans are expected to be flown to Nebraska for monitoring and isolation at a specialized biocontainment unit. British, French, Australian, Dutch, Canadian, and other foreign nationals are also being repatriated under varying quarantine protocols. Despite the dramatic scenes unfolding in Tenerife, including security perimeters around the vessel, hazmat suits, respirators, and decontamination procedures, health officials insist the outbreak does not resemble another COVID-style pandemic threat. Hantavirus is typically spread through prolonged contact with infected rodent droppings or saliva and is far less contagious than airborne viruses such as COVID-19. However, the Andes strain can spread through prolonged close human contact, making health authorities especially cautious. The virus primarily attacks the lungs and respiratory system, often causing severe breathing complications. Some strains carry mortality rates approaching 40% to 50%. Officials say no passengers currently remaining aboard the Hondius are showing symptoms, though authorities caution that infections could still emerge in the coming weeks as quarantines continue worldwide.