Washington Times - Politics, Breaking News, US and World News

Trump says Iran ‘badly’ wants deal as he threatens to sink ships challenging U.S. blockade

Family members pray at the grave of a relative buried alongside Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli strikes, in a cemetery in Choueifat, Lebanon, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

Iran reached out to the U.S. because it wants to make a deal “very badly,” President Trump said Monday as he implemented a blockade of Iranian ports to punish Tehran and force it to the negotiating table.

Swalwell scandal triggers plans in the House for a mass purge of misbehaving lawmakers

California gubernatorial candidate Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., listens to a question from the audience during a town hall meeting in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) **FILE**

By Susan Ferrechio - The Washington Times

Pressure is mounting on House lawmakers to expel Rep. Eric Swalwell, the California Democrat accused of sexually inappropriate behavior and assaulting a woman who worked in his congressional office.

California gubernatorial candidate Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., listens to a question from the audience during a town hall meeting in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) **FILE**

Swalwell scandal triggers plans in the House for a mass purge of misbehaving lawmakers

By Susan Ferrechio - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Sunday, April 12, 2026, after he returned from Miami. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Trump trade agenda reduces reliance on China and leads to ‘golden age,’ White House tells Congress

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

Britney Spears arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," on July 22, 2019. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

Pop star Britney Spears is back in rehab after hitting rock bottom

By Juliet La Sala - The Washington Times

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testifies before the Senate Committee on Intelligence hearings to examine worldwide threats on Capitol Hill Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Intel chief Tulsi Gabbard says Democrats’ 2019 impeachment of Trump based on ‘concocted’ evidence 20 minutes ago

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump speaks to the press outside the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, April 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump deletes image depicting himself as Jesus, says it actually showed him as a doctor

By Jeff Mordock - The Washington Times

Happening Now

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testifies before the Senate Committee on Intelligence hearings to examine worldwide threats on Capitol Hill Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Intel chief Tulsi Gabbard says Democrats’ 2019 impeachment of Trump based on ‘concocted’ evidence

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times 20 minutes ago

President Donald Trump speaks to the press outside the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, April 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump deletes image depicting himself as Jesus, says it actually showed him as a doctor

By Jeff Mordock - The Washington Times

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during a press conference at Downing Street in London, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, Pool)

Britain will not join U.S. blockade of Strait of Hormuz, PM Keir Starmer says

By Vaughn Cockayne - The Washington Times

The exterior of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building in Washington, is photographed on March 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

IRS adopts new way to calculate regulatory burdens

By Kerry Picket - The Washington Times

Commentary View all

Holocaust Remembrance Day illustration by Linas Garsys / The Washington Times

On Holocaust Remembrance Day, sadness — and resolve

By Gerard Leval

Cutting health care costs illustration by Linas Garsys / The Washington Times

The health care affordability fix hiding in plain sight

By Joel White

President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping illustration by Linas Garsys / The Washington Times

The strange case of ‘highly respected’ Xi Jinping

By Miles Yu

Increased use of F-bombs and profanity in political discourse illustration by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

F-bombs increasingly debase the political discourse

By Peter Parisi

Voters and Congress making English the official national language of the United States of America Illustration generated by ChatGPT for The Washington Times

This November, help make English the official national language

By Ellen Hamilton-Cotten

Culture View all

Miss Alaska Emma Broyles waves in confetti after being crowned Miss America, Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Miss America clarifies contestants must be ‘naturally born female’ after gender flap

By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times

Kim Kardashian arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Kim Kardashian makes her Broadway producing debut with the criminal justice play ‘The Fear of 13’

By Mark Kennedy - Associated Press

A rainbow Pride flag flies with an American flag at the Stonewall National Monument in New York, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Trump administration agrees to return rainbow Pride flag to New York’s Stonewall monument

By Jennifer Peltz and Michael R. Sisak - Associated Press

Comedian Dave Chappelle appears during an interview in Yellow Springs, Ohio on April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos)

Dave Chappelle stands firm through backlash and considers revisiting ‘Chappelle’s Show’

By Jonathan Landrum Jr. - Associated Press

View all

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters outside the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, April 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump says port blockade is designed to force Iran to the table over nuclear ambitions

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

Gen. John "Jay" Raymond, Commander U.S. Space Command, left, and Chief Master Sgt. Roger Towberman, center, hold the Space Force Flag as President Donald Trump gestures to it during the presentation of the in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on May 15, 2020. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

NASA, Space Force and defense giants gather as space becomes America’s next battlefield

By John T. Seward - The Washington Times

In this photo provided by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, an unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operation test at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on Feb. 23, 2021. (Brittany E. N. Murphy/U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command via AP, File)

LISTEN: Space-based interceptors — Golden Dome gains funding and momentum

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem, Thursday, March 19, 2026. (Ronen Zvulun, Pool Photo via AP)

Israeli committee approves army general as director of Mossad intelligence agency

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times

Trump Central View all

Sharon Simmons with DoorDash, delivers McDonald's to President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, April 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump orders lunch via DoorDash to promote his One Big Beautiful Bill

By Jeff Mordock - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump speaks to the press outside the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, April 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump deletes image depicting himself as Jesus, says it actually showed him as a doctor

By Jeff Mordock - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) **FILE**

Judge tosses Trump’s defamation lawsuit against Wall Street Journal over Epstein claims

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

Activists participate in a demonstration to end the use of fossil fuels at the COP30 U.N. Climate Summit, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in Belem, Brazil. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) ** FILE **

Losing its cool? Climate movement takes hits as Trump wages onslaught, leftists pivot

By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times

Most Popular

Swalwell scandal triggers plans in the House for a mass purge of misbehaving lawmakers

Intel chief Tulsi Gabbard says Democrats' 2019 impeachment of Trump based on 'concocted' evidence

Federal appeals court strikes down 158-year-old ban on home distilling

Trump is right: Iran has no cards

Eric Swalwell was expendable, and that's why Democrats turned on him

Politics View all

The exterior of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building in Washington, is photographed on March 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

IRS adopts new way to calculate regulatory burdens

By Kerry Picket - The Washington Times

First lady Melania Trump speaks to reporters Thursday, April 9, 2026, in the Grand Foyer of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Melania Trump expected on Capitol Hill this week to discuss foster care initiative

By Kerry Picket - The Washington Times

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testifies before the Senate Committee on Intelligence hearings to examine worldwide threats on Capitol Hill Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Intel chief Tulsi Gabbard says Democrats’ 2019 impeachment of Trump based on ‘concocted’ evidence 20 minutes ago

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

California gubernatorial candidate, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-CA appears at a town hall meeting in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

House Ethics Committee launches probe into Rep. Swalwell rape claim

By Susan Ferrechio - The Washington Times

Dive Deeper View all

Activists participate in a demonstration to end the use of fossil fuels at the COP30 U.N. Climate Summit, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in Belem, Brazil. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) ** FILE **

Losing its cool? Climate movement takes hits as Trump wages onslaught, leftists pivot

By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times

A U.S. Postal worker applies a First Day of Issue stamp on an envelope during the U.S. Postal Services event to mark their 250th anniversary, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Video
Report finds most service workers now have college degrees

By Sean Salai - The Washington Times

A banner of President Donald Trump hangs outside the U.S. Department of Justice on Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)

Justice Department repeatedly making unforced errors under Trump

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

A focused child plays with a wooden train set as an adult watches. File photo credit: ivi.photo93 via Shutterstock.

‘Benign neglect’ parenting is having a moment, but experts remain unsure

By Sean Salai - The Washington Times

National View all

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger delivers her State of the Commonwealth address before a joint session of the Virginia General Assembly at the Capitol in Richmond, Va., on Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) ** FILE **

Clock ticking until tranche of gun control bills becomes law in Virginia

By Kerry Picket - The Washington Times

Director Sara Carter sits down with Alex Swoyer to discuss how the Trump administration is dismantling the cartels, cutting off the drug supply, and putting faith and recovery back at the center of national policy.

Video
Drug czar: Cartels are looking to diversify income after being blocked at border

By Alex Swoyer - The Washington Times

Florida AG investigating ChatGPT for allegedly assisting the suspect in state university shooting

By Matt Delaney - The Washington Times

In this photo provided by NASA, from left, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Christina Koch, mission specialist; CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist; and NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, right, pose for a group photo after viewing the Orion spacecraft in the well deck of USS John P. Murtha, Saturday, April 11, 2026, in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)

Artemis II’s moon-traveling astronauts return home to cheers after a record-breaking trip

By Marcia Dunn - Associated Press

World View all

FILE - Hippos float in the lagoon at Hacienda Napoles Park, once the private estate of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar who imported three female hippos and one male decades ago in Puerto Triunfo, Colombia, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File)

Colombia approves plan to cull roaming hippos linked to Pablo Escobar

By Manuel Rueda - Associated Press

Ahmad Assi, 29, cries on the grave of his friend Hassan Ali Badawi, a paramedic of the Lebanese Red Cross killed in a Israeli strike, during his funeral in Choueifat, Lebanon, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Hezbollah urges Lebanon to cancel Israel talks as battle rages in strategic town

By Kareem Chehayeb - Associated Press

Family members pray at the grave of a relative buried alongside Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli strikes, in a cemetery in Choueifat, Lebanon, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Trump says Iran ‘badly’ wants deal as he threatens to sink ships challenging U.S. blockade

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem, Thursday, March 19, 2026. (Ronen Zvulun, Pool Photo via AP)

Israeli committee approves army general as director of Mossad intelligence agency

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times

Sports View all

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) on the ice during pregame warmups before the start of an NHL game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C., April 12, 2026. (Photo by All-Pro Reels for the Washington Times)

Not even Ovechkin, author of his own mystery, seems to know how this ends

By Thom Loverro

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz (86) catches his first touchdown pass of the season during the first quarter against the New York Giants at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, September 7, 2025. (Photo by Brian Murphy for the Washington Times)

Former Commanders tight end Zach Ertz rejects retirement, doesn’t want injury to be final play

By Liam Griffin - The Washington Times

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) looks on after he faced off with Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Capitals win in Ovechkin’s potential final home game to keep playoff hopes alive

By Liam Griffin - The Washington Times

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, celebrates after winning the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

McIlroy joins Nicklaus, Faldo and Woods as back-to-back Masters champions

By Doug Ferguson - Associated Press

Higher Ground View all

Pope Leo XIV arrives at the El Mouradia Presidential Palace in Algiers, Monday, April 13, 2026, at the start of an 11-day apostolic journey to Africa. (Luca Zennaro/Pool Photo via AP)

Video

Pope Leo XIV says he’s ‘not afraid’ of Trump as war of words escalates

By Jeff Mordock - The Washington Times

Tucker Carlson illustration by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Commentary
Stop listening to Tucker Carlson

By Everett Piper

A woman stands at a flower tribute at Bondi Beach on Dec. 16, 2025, following Sunday's shooting in Sydney, Australia. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)

Antisemitic attacks in 2025 led to highest number of fatalities in 30 years, study finds

By Melanie Lidman - Associated Press

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. makes his last public appearance at the Mason Temple in Memphis, Tenn., on April 3, 1968. (AP Photo/Charles Kelly, File)

The church where MLK gave his final speech is getting a $1.2 million renovation

By Adrian Sainz - Associated Press

Podcasts View all

Front Page Podcast

Get today’s top stories in under five minutes

Listen to the Front Page Podcast

Politically Unstable

WATCH: Virginia’s bait-and-switch

Tim Murtaugh joins Kelly Sadler on Politically Unstable

Threat Status Podcast

LISTEN: Golden Dome gains funding and momentum

Threat Status podcast

Bold & Blunt Podcast

WATCH: Faith is the key to America’s future

Tim Goeglein joins Cheryl Chumley

Sponsored Content View all

From the Special Sections Department

Pathways to American progress: The next phase of U.S. infrastructure

Pathways to American progress: The next phase of U.S. infrastructure

From the Special Sections Department

Building the health care Americans deserve

Building the health care Americans deserve

From the Special Sections Department

Revitalizing Rural America

Revitalizing Rural America

From the Special Sections Department

Unbridled Clean Energy: Innovating for the Future

Unbridled Clean Energy: Innovating for the Future

More Stories

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during a press conference at Downing Street in London, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, Pool)

Britain will not join U.S. blockade of Strait of Hormuz, PM Keir Starmer says

By Vaughn Cockayne - The Washington Times

The exterior of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building in Washington, is photographed on March 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

IRS adopts new way to calculate regulatory burdens

By Kerry Picket - The Washington Times

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger delivers her State of the Commonwealth address before a joint session of the Virginia General Assembly at the Capitol in Richmond, Va., on Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) ** FILE **

Clock ticking until tranche of gun control bills becomes law in Virginia

By Kerry Picket - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) **FILE**

Judge tosses Trump’s defamation lawsuit against Wall Street Journal over Epstein claims

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

Director Sara Carter sits down with Alex Swoyer to discuss how the Trump administration is dismantling the cartels, cutting off the drug supply, and putting faith and recovery back at the center of national policy.

Video
Drug czar: Cartels are looking to diversify income after being blocked at border

By Alex Swoyer - The Washington Times

Pope Leo XIV arrives at the El Mouradia Presidential Palace in Algiers, Monday, April 13, 2026, at the start of an 11-day apostolic journey to Africa. (Luca Zennaro/Pool Photo via AP)

Video
Pope Leo XIV says he’s ‘not afraid’ of Trump as war of words escalates

By Jeff Mordock - The Washington Times

Activists participate in a demonstration to end the use of fossil fuels at the COP30 U.N. Climate Summit, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in Belem, Brazil. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) ** FILE **

Losing its cool? Climate movement takes hits as Trump wages onslaught, leftists pivot

By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times

Vice President JD Vance, right, speaks during a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran as Jared Kushner, left, and Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy for Peace Missions listen, on Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Islamabad, Pakistan. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

Trump announces naval blockade as Iran peace talks flounder

By John T. Seward - The Washington Times

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Response Team member stands guard outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles while protesters gather outside to denounce ICE operations on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) **FILE**

Scheme to defund ICE sets a precedent that could come back to bite Democrats

By Lindsey McPherson - The Washington Times

The Iranian warship Jamaran fires a missile, reported to be a Noor, a long-range anti-ship missile manufactured by Iran and based on the Chinese C-802. (Associated Press)

Trump warns China not to supply arms to Iran

By Bill Gertz - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Sunday, April 12, 2026, after he returned from Miami. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

‘Stop catering to the Radical Left’: Trump attacks Pope Loe XIV

By Will Weissert - Associated Press

A woman takes ballots at a polling station during the Hungarian parliamentary election in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Trump ally Orban concedes defeat after ‘painful’ Hungary election result

By Justin Spike and Sam McNeil - Associated Press

The Pentagon is seen from an airplane, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Strikes on ‘drug boats’ kill 5, leave 1 survivor in eastern Pacific, U.S. military says

By Ben Finley - Associated Press

Florida AG investigating ChatGPT for allegedly assisting the suspect in state university shooting

By Matt Delaney - The Washington Times

A woman takes ballots at a polling station during the Hungarian parliamentary election in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban concedes defeat after ‘painful’ election result

By Justin Spike and Sam McNeil - Associated Press

A banner of President Donald Trump hangs outside the U.S. Department of Justice on Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)

Justice Department repeatedly making unforced errors under Trump

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

Nikki Haley, former United States Ambassador to the United Nations, speaks to media during her press conference before leaving Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Ex-U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley on 2028 presidential run: ‘I will not’

By Seth McLaughlin - The Washington Times

This image provided by U.S. Central Command shows a Navy sailor observing flight operations aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury, on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (U.S. Navy via AP)

Navy, allies begin mine-clearing operations in Strait of Hormuz as blockade takes shape

By John T. Seward - The Washington Times

Rep. Ro Khanna attends an event titled "Who Controls the Future of AI: The Oligarchs or the People" at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP) ** FILE **

Rep. Ro Khanna of California sticks with Democratic push to oust Trump

By Seth McLaughlin - The Washington Times

California gubernatorial candidate, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-CA appears at a town hall meeting in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Rep. Eric Swalwell refuses to quit California governor’s race as sexual assault allegations mount

By Seth McLaughlin and Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times