WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The Pentagon has successfully tested a long-range radar in Alaska that can detect missile threats from Russia or China, and could someday serve as a sensor in the Golden Dome missile defense shield. The Long Range Discrimination Radar successfully acquired, tracked, and reported missile target data, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. These are key tasks for Golden Dome, a $175 billion program aimed at protecting the U.S. and possibly allies from ballistic missiles. The U.S. Defense Department’s long-range radar in Central Alaska was built by Lockheed Martin as part of the existing Ground-Based Midcourse Defense missile defense system. The system is designed to increase the effectiveness of interceptors based in Alaska and California that are currently on standby to knock down incoming missiles launched by Iran or North Korea. The U.S. Missile Defense Agency, alongside the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Northern Command, conducted the flight test at Clear Space Force Station, Alaska, on Monday. During this test, a target developed by MDA was air-launched over the Northern Pacific Ocean and flew over 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles) off the southern coast of Alaska where it was tracked by LRDR. The Golden Dome missile defense shield aims to create a network of satellites to detect, track, and intercept incoming missiles. Inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome, the Golden Dome program faces political scrutiny and funding uncertainty due to its projected cost. The shield is expected to be operational by January 2029, though experts question the timeline and budget feasibility. The Golden Dome project was announced by President Donald Trump in May and is included in the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill.” Trump said the Golden Dome is a continuation of former President Ronald Reagan’s “Strategic Defense Initiative” that was launched in 1983 and sought to build a space-based missile defense system. “Our enemies, our adversaries are going to pay a lot of attention to this,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last month. (Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

Israel’s audacious strikes on Iran’s nuclear and military sites, swiftly followed by U.S. precision attacks on the same infrastructure, have decisively targeted the heart of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, exposing the grave threat they pose. Yet, astonishingly, many on America’s left are waving Iranian flags in the streets, while misinformed citizens and members of Congress flood social media, decrying the U.S. strikes as unnecessary and escalatory.  Allow me to explain why they’re wrong and why Iran’s relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons left Israel and the United States with no choice but to act … and act decisively. A state of hostility has existed between Israel and Iran for almost 45 years, ever since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. As a result, “Death to Israel” has been not merely a slogan, but the goal of the Islamic Republic of Iran. On June 13, 2025, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a massive wave of attacks within Iran, carried out by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel’s Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations (Mossad). The target: Iran’s nuclear and military installations. Why did Israel take such bold preemptive action? Why were Israel’s leaders convinced that Iran’s nuclear program threatened the very existence of the Jewish State? Few Westerners understand how the tensions between Iran and Israel have largely been driven by the fanatical theological beliefs of Iran’s ruling elite. We need to understand why Shiite Islam — the dominant belief system of Iran — makes Cold War models of nuclear deterrence obsolete. Islam is not a monolithic faith, neither is Christianity. Much of Christianity is divided into Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox branches, while Islam is also deeply divided — most significantly between Sunnis and Shiites. The divisions within Islam, however, are far more violent than any disagreements within present-day Christianity, and have produced centuries of war and death. The schisms within Islam date back to the death of Muhammad in AD 632, when a dispute arose over who should lead the Muslim community. Sunnis supported Abu Bakr, a companion of Muhammad. Shiites backed Muhammad’s son-in-law, Ali. This dispute produced a violent split that has raged for nearly fourteen centuries. The defining moment in Shiite history was the martyrdom of Hussein, the grandson of Muhammad, at the Battle of Karbala in AD 680. Hussein was killed by forces loyal to the Sunni-dominated Umayyad Caliphate. To Shiites, Karbala still symbolizes righteous resistance against oppression and false doctrine. Some Shia movements consider themselves divinely appointed minorities struggling against corrupt Sunni majorities. Shiites comprise only 10 to 15% of the Muslim world. Iran, however, has been a Shiite stronghold since 1501, when the Safavid dynasty declared Twelver Shiism the state religion of Persia. Twelver Shiism is centered on the belief in the Twelfth Imam (the Mahdi). According to Twelver belief, there were twelve Imams (rightful successors to Muhammad, all from Ali’s lineage). The twelfth was Muhammad al-Mahdi, who supposedly went into occultation (miraculous hiddenness) as a child in the 9th century. Twelvers believe the Twelfth Imam is still alive and will one day come forth to impose Islamic rule over the world. Here’s where Iran’s present-day nuclear doctrines meet Iran’s ancient theological doctrines: Some factions within Iran’s clerical leadership believe that the Mahdi’s return will be hastened by global destruction and war. These radical scholars teach that apocalyptic war is a necessary requirement for the Mahdi to be revealed. In this view, Iran’s struggle against Israel and Western civilization is part of a divine plan for return of the Mahdi. This theological doctrine makes a nuclear-armed Iran unthinkably dangerous. During the Cold War, the logic of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) kept nuclear superpowers from attacking each other, because any nuclear attack would invite annihilation. But if Iran’s leaders believe that nuclear war would hasten the return of a long-prophesied messiah-figure, they would actually be highly motivated to start a nuclear war, regardless of the consequences. Iran’s apocalyptic clerics have a powerful incentive to pull the nuclear trigger — the fulfillment of ancient prophecies and the establishment of a global caliphate. Do Iran’s leaders really dream of launching a nuclear war? In October 2003, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a fatwa (religious ruling) declaring nuclear weapons un-Islamic and forbidden. The Iranian government has repeatedly cited this fatwa and claimed that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. Western analysts, however, are skeptical of Iran’s claims. Peaceful nuclear technologies (for power plants or nuclear medicine) require low-enriched uranium containing no more than 20% of isotope uranium-235. Most commercial nuclear power plants use only 2 to 4% uranium-235. But Iran is enriching uranium to levels above 60%, far beyond any “peaceful” use of nuclear energy. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has amassed enough highly enriched uranium to assemble nine nuclear warheads. This troubling development has prompted Israel to eliminate the threat of Iran’s nuclear program. While not all Iranian leaders believe they can hasten the Mahdi’s return through war, the prevalence of such views within Tehran threatens to transform the Middle East into a nuclear hellscape. That is why Western and Israeli policymakers must take theology into account as they assess the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. In these uncertain days, Christians around the world must unite in prayer. We easily forget that there are many Christian believers in Iran right now, suffering intense persecution. We must pray for their strength and safety and for God to give the Iranian and the Israeli people wisdom for the days ahead. Pray also that, in this time of war, God will turn many hearts back to Him. * * * Michael A. Youssef, Ph.D., born in Egypt, is senior pastor of Church of The Apostles in Atlanta and founder of the radio broadcast “Leading The Way,” reaching 190 countries. With degrees from Moore College, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Emory University, he’s authored over 50 books, including “The Third Jihad.” He’s appeared on Fox News, CBN, and in The Wall Street Journal. His new book, “God’s Final Call: How the Book of Revelation Pulls Back the Veil on Current Events and Our Ultimate Future” (Tyndale, March 2025), recently released. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

WASHINGTON—After an intense few weeks focused on brokering peace in the Middle East, the White House is switching gears for a different kind of battle: getting the “Big, Beautiful Bill” to President Donald Trump’s desk before July 4. As Trump boarded Marine One ahead of his departure for a NATO summit on Tuesday morning, he condemned both Israel and Iran for firing missiles at one another following the ceasefire declared Monday evening. But by the time he was departing for the Netherlands, the president had put out a statement noting that “ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran” and that “all planes will turn around and head home.” And then he quickly redirected his attention to the “Big, Beautiful Bill.” “Just like Soleimani,” a senior White House official told The Daily Wire, in reference to Trump taking out the head of Iran’s Quds Force in 2020. “We achieve massive victory and move on.” The president called on his “friends in the Senate” to get the deal done this week, even suggesting they lock themselves in a room if they must as they work with the House of Representatives to reach a deal. His direction was clear: “Don’t go home.” “It will be a Historic Present for THE GREAT PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, as we begin the Celebration of our Country’s 250th Birthday,” the president wrote in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. “We are finally entering our Golden Age, which will bring unprecedented Safety, Security, and Prosperity for ALL of our Citizens.” “NO ONE GOES ON VACATION UNTIL IT’S DONE,” the president warned. Trump departs the White House (Photo by Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images) By noon, the White House had sent out its latest version of “Big, Beautiful Bill” talking points — notes on how the bill will deliver for the American worker, provide historic relief for working families, drive economic growth through “America First tax policies,” put “Main Street over Wall Street,” and prevent the largest tax hike in history. Another senior White House official told The Daily Wire that the president has been meeting with senators as part of his efforts to get the bill on his desk by July 4. “After achieving peace in the Middle East the president will continue his efforts to get [the Big Beautiful Bill] passed on [Capitol Hill] and on his desk for signature,” the official shared. In an appearance on Fox News on Tuesday morning, Senate Majority Leader John Thune was hopeful that lawmakers can work together to accomplish the president’s directive. “I’m hopeful that we will succeed by the end of the week here in the Senate,” he said. “Then we’ll see what the House can do and if we can get it on the president’s desk soon.” “This is the fulfillment and implementation, this bill, of the president’s agenda,” Thune said. “It’s securing the border. It’s modernizing our military. It’s making America energy dominant. It’s tax relief for working families. It’s reducing the size and scale and cost of government by getting rid of waste, fraud, and abuse.” “This is what the American people voted for, and that’s what we intend to deliver,” he added. “So, failure is not an option.”

President Donald Trump heaped praise on the pilots of the B-2 Stealth Bombers that carried out successful strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities on Saturday, telling reporters that “they had a magnificent hit in the dark of night with no moon.” Trump made the comments during a brief exchange on Air Force One on Tuesday, as he prepared to travel to The Hague for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit — and he took the opportunity to slip in a jab at cable news giant CNN as well. WATCH: .@POTUS: “Our B-2 pilots made this all possible. They had a magnificent hit in the dark of night with no moon, no light, no nothing. They hit the target perfectly … I saw CNN Fake News going, ‘Well, maybe it wasn’t a perfect hit…’ It’s very disrespectful to those great… pic.twitter.com/xRryvaV8Vn — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 24, 2025 “I will tell you, the last thing on their minds is nuclear weapons,” Trump said of Iran after the precision strikes. “They don’t even want to think about nuclear — and our B-2 pilots made this all possible. They had a magnificent hit in the dark of night with no moon, no light, no nothing. They hit the target perfectly, wiped it out.” “And the press is very disrespectful,” he continued. “I saw CNN Fake News going, ‘Well, maybe it wasn’t a perfect hit…’ It was perfect. They said, ‘Maybe it did destroy it — it did destroy it, we agree, it did destroy it, but maybe it could have destroyed it more.’ No, no … every one hit, and it’s very disrespectful to those great geniuses and patriots that flew those planes through tremendous danger. So CNN and MSDNC are a disgrace.” Trump also took questions on other topics — including the next steps with regard to Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia. When asked whether he planned to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky while in the Netherlands, Trump seemed to think the scenario likely. WATCH: “Do you think you’ll meet with Zelensky [at NATO]?”@POTUS: “Yeah, probably I’ll see him.” “What would you say to him?”@POTUS: “I’ll say, ‘How ya doing?'” ?? pic.twitter.com/zio42p5rAX — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 24, 2025 “What would you say to him?” one reporter asked. Trump made it clear he was not interested in previewing the discussion: “I’ll say, ‘How ya doing?'”

WASHINGTON—Three years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, authorities have not determined who leaked the draft opinion. The failure to track down the Supreme Court leaker has baffled the public and angered many on the Right, who consider the leak a politically-motivated attempt to stop the Court from overturning Roe. The Court conducted an investigation into the leak, but said in January 2023 that they could not identify the leaker — and possibly never will. “In time, continued investigation and analysis may produce additional leads that could identify the source of the disclosure,” the Supreme Court’s 2023 statement said. “Whether or not any individual is ever identified as the source of the disclosure, the Court should take action to create and implement better policies to govern the handling of Court-sensitive information and determine the best IT systems for security and collaboration.” FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino revealed in May that the FBI is giving increased scrutiny to the “leak of the Supreme Court Dobbs case,” among a few other high-profile cases that have not been properly investigated. “I receive requested briefings on these cases weekly and we are making progress,” Bongino said in late May. “If you have any investigative tips on these matters that may assist us then please contact the FBI.” The leak of the draft opinion prompted protests outside the Maryland and Virginia homes of the conservative Supreme Court justices — illegal protests in violation of 18 USC 1507, which prohibits picketing or parading near the home of a judge “with the intent of interfering with, obstructing, or impeding the administration of justice.” In addition to the protests, the Dobbs leak prompted attacks on pregnancy centers and churches all across the United States. According to CatholicVote trackers, at least 96 pregnancy centers and 343 churches have been attacked, vandalized, firebombed, or otherwise terrorized since the leak. In many cases, vandals spray-painted the messages “if abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either” and autographed the destruction, “Jane’s Revenge,” a reference to “Jane Roe,” the pseudonymous plaintiff in the landmark abortion case. Radical leftist groups published Supreme Court justices’ addresses online and urged protestors to make the justices uncomfortable in efforts to save Roe. Justice Samuel Alito has said that the leak made the justices “targets for assassination.” Though both Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) and then-Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) begged the Justice Department to to enforce that law as far-left activists continued their protesting, President Joe Biden’s Justice Department did not respond to these requests until June 8, 2022, the very same day that authorities arrested Nicholas Roske and charged him with attempting to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Protesters march past Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home on June 8, 2022, in Chevy Chase, Maryland. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images) “We thought there would be more urgency,” Michael Ricci, who served as Hogan’s spokesman, told The Daily Signal in January 2023. “In this climate, there are any number of threats, both specific and vague, against public officials. And we thought there would be more urgency about protecting the perimeter of the justices’ homes, and by extension, their neighborhoods.” Far left protestors with @OurRightsDC march by Justice Kavanaugh’s home in the rain. Police stand guard. pic.twitter.com/4lHnEOvpsK — Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) January 22, 2023 Authorities arrested 26-year-old Nicholas Roske in 2022 in Kavanaugh’s Maryland neighborhood, carrying a bag full of weapons and burglary tools, after he called the police on himself. Court filings show that Roske described himself as “actively suicidal” and said he wanted to “do something positive before I die” by taking out Kavanaugh before the justice could vote to overturn Roe. He found Kavanaugh’s neighborhood online, according to court documents, after he saw an article with a “picture of the family’s house,” including the house number. “I was thinking about — I was thinking about killing Brett Kavanaugh and then killing myself,” he said to the officers who arrived on the scene, according to January court filings. “And then I texted my sister that I loved her. And then she called me and she told me not to do it. And then I called 9-1-1-.” “I saw the news and it was upsetting, and I was already suicidal,” he told detectives later, as he described how he tracked down Kavanaugh’s home and planned the assassination.  “And I don’t know. It was something to — it was like a project I guess…” Law enforcement officers stand guard as abortion rights activists with Our Rights DC march in front of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s house on June 29, 2022, in Chevy Chase, Maryland. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) “When I saw the leaked draft, it made me upset and then it made me want to — I don’t know,” he shared. “I was under the delusion that I could make the world a better place by killing him.” Roske allegedly flew from California to Dulles International Airport after he found Kavanaugh’s home using media photographs of protests outside the justice’s home, protests which began after POLITICO’s May 2022 publication of a leaked draft Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe. POLITICO itself acknowledged that its publication of the unprecedented leak would stir up controversy. They were named as a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize for the story, though the story did not win the prize. “No draft decision in the modern history of the court has been disclosed publicly while a case was still pending,” wrote journalists Josh Gerstein and Alexander Ward. “The unprecedented revelation is bound to intensify the debate over what was already the most controversial case on the docket this term.”

'A crime that's so heinous'

'We’ve got them all signed onto 5 percent!'

'CNN ought to apologize'

'voted against tabling a motion to impeach'

The hand sanitizer allegedly exploded