Hello and welcome to our live rolling coverage of US politics and the current conflict in the Middle East.
Donald Trump has undergone medical exams in the US, telling the public in a social media post that he passed "PERFECTLY".
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it has a "legitimate" right to respond to any "violation" of the ceasefire after the US military carried out what it called "self-defence strikes".
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Thanks for tuning in to our live coverage of the Middle East conflict.
Here are the key events from today, Wednesday, May 27:
– Iran has made multiple claims it is ready to keep on fighting if it needs to, and has warned the USA – not for the first time – it will face retaliation if it violates the ceasefire.
-This came after Iran shot down a US drone, which it claimed violated its airspace.
-Former US Marines intelligence officer Hal Kempfer claimed it wasn't clear how much authority Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has over the country. The man who replaced Ali Khamenei hasn't been seen publicly after he was wounded in the same airstrike that killed his father.
– Donald Trump claimed he was fully healthy after passing his six-month physical. The US president claimed the check went "PERFECTLY", according to a post on his Truth Social account.
Iranians have reacted with a mix of skepticism, caution, and sarcasm after internet monitors reported a partial restoration of online access following months of near-total isolation under a nationwide shutdown imposed by Iranian authorities.
"Yes, I'm connected, but I still have to use a VPN. Don't get too excited though — the internet isn't fully open, it's just no longer completely shut down," a 46-year-old man in Tehran told CNN on the condition of anonymity because of security concerns.
A VPN (virtual private network) essentially creates a private, digital tunnel that shields your online activity from hackers, advertisers and trackers.
Others voiced frustration online, casting the limited return of access as too little, too late.
An Iranian woman who previously took part in anti-government protests said in a post on X that the regime wants "to bring back the 'filternet' and they're making such a huge spectacle out of it." South Korea and Japan, "with all their internet speed, don't lecture their people this much," she wrote, adding that Iranian officials were "creating all this hype over basic internet connection.
"Some Iranians, meanwhile, appeared to use the moment as a symbolic show of resilience, posting selfies on Instagram for the first time in months.
A senior Iranian politician's visit to Doha in Qatar is in the service of pursuing more than $16 billion in frozen assets, the country's media has reported.
Semi-official news outlet Tasnim said Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf had travelled to the country to seek half of the total $33.5 billion in frozen assets reportedly to be released under the memorandum of understanding with the US.
The outlet quoted an "informed source" close to Iranian negotiators, who said according to the articles half the total amount was to be released immediately, followed by the rest within 60 says.
"The Qatar talks were generally good and contributed to progress in the overall negotiations," the unnamed source said.
"At the same time, it should not be forgotten that the United States is known as a party that does not honour its commitments, and therefore Iran approaches the issues with great caution."
The US has not given up its controversial attacks on alleged drug smugglers in international waters.
Today, US Southern Command posted a video to X of a "lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organisations".
"Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations," the post read.
"One male narco-terrorist was killed during this action, and there were two survivors. Following the engagement, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified the US Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivors. No US military forces were harmed."
Republicans are fretting that a candidate endorsed by Donald Trump may cost them in their most important state.
Ken Paxton has claimed the nomination as the Republican Senate candidate in Texas, beating long-time incumbent John Cornyn.
His comfortable win this morning over Cornyn comes after Trump threw his support behind Paxton last week after a bitter and expensive primary election.
Read the full article here.
Israel carried out a pair of airstrikes in Gaza City late Tuesday, killing at least three people and injuring 12, hospital officials said.
The strike took place on the eve of Eid al-Adha, a major Muslim holiday.
In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister, Israel Katz, said the strikes had targeted the new leader of Hamas' military wing.
They identified him as Mohammed Odeh and called him "one of the architects" of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, which triggered over two years of war.
The strike came less than two weeks after Israel killed the previous head of Hamas' military wing, Izz al-Din al-Haddad.
American strategic bombers, fighters and warships would be pulled from NATO nations in a major crisis under a plan being drawn up by the Trump administration, a report says.
The military alliance was last week briefed by a Pentagon official that the US intends to slash its commitments to the so-called NATO Force Model, according to German media outlet Der Spiegel.
Under the arrangement, troops and military hardware are made available by NATO nations in response to a major crisis or conflict.
US envoy Alexander Velez-Green reportedly said during the closed-door meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels that the pledge for American fighter jets would be cut by a third, while the US Navy would provide fewer destroyers and no submarines.
European countries would also have to deploy their own reconnaissance drones. Refuelling tanker planes, vital for long-range missions, were also said to be under review by the Pentagon.
Over recent weeks, Donald Trump has ramped up his criticism of NATO countries over their lack of support in the Iran war. The president has long claimed they've not been pulling their weight over defence spending and rely too much on American military might.
Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian says the country is ready to embrace a "dignified framework" to end the ongoing conflict.
State media reported that Pezeshkian made the remarks in a phone conversation with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
"Iran has always adhered to the principles of diplomacy and the spirit of agreements," Pezeshkian said.
"Now is the time for the other side to show its will and abide by international commitments in both action and word."
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