Congress returns amid U.S.-Iran clashes and a thinner GOP margin
U.S.-Iran fighting continued after tensions over Hormuz, while Congress faces nominations, sanctions and the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Fighting between the United States and Iran continued into Monday after another weekend of attacks tied to tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, NPR reported. The escalation comes as Congress returns from recess with a narrower Republican margin after the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
NPR reported that the latest exchanges marked the third consecutive weekend of fighting. Iran struck U.S. allies in the region after U.S. attacks, and the U.S. strikes followed Iran’s announcement that it was closing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route, according to NPR.
U.S. and Iran trade attacks
U.S. Central Command said it hit several Iranian targets and reduced Iran’s ability to threaten international shipping in the Strait, NPR’s Hadeel Al-Shalchi reported. Iran said one person was killed in the U.S. strikes and that an agricultural water pumping station in central Iran was hit, killing a guard, according to NPR.
The state of diplomacy remained uncertain Monday, NPR reported. Iran said it was still communicating with mediators, including Oman, Qatar and Pakistan, according to Al-Shalchi.
The conflict was already affecting markets, NPR reported. Benchmark global oil prices rose more than 4% when markets opened Monday, according to the outlet.
Congress faces a compressed week
Congress returned Monday facing tighter Republican margins after Graham’s death and the absence of Sen. Mitch McConnell, NPR reported. McConnell said Sunday that he had been hospitalized after a fall, according to NPR.
The D.C. medical examiner’s preliminary findings listed aortic dissection caused by a form of heart disease as Graham’s cause of death, NPR reported. Graham was 71 and had served nearly 25 years in the Senate, where NPR said he became an important ally for President Trump’s policy agenda and staffing choices.
NPR’s Eric McDaniel described Graham as one of the remaining Senate Republicans who held to a traditional view of the United States as a global security guarantor. McDaniel reported that Graham had recently returned from a foreign trip aimed at strengthening security relationships with European allies.
Graham also maintained a close working relationship with Trump, NPR reported. McDaniel said Graham acted as an intermediary at key moments, including lobbying senators to acquit Trump after Trump tried to remain in power following his 2020 election loss.
The Senate Republican agenda includes a hearing for Trump’s attorney general nominee, Todd Blanche, NPR’s Claudia Grisales reported. Grisales said the next steps for the nomination were unclear because some members had concerns.
Lawmakers are also considering a Russia sanctions bill that Graham had supported, NPR reported. Some Republicans want to rename the measure for Graham and move it forward this week, according to the outlet.
Other reports
An investigation by NPR and The Marshall Project found that prisoners can file grievances over mistreatment, but often face retaliation. The investigation said fewer than 2% of grievances filed in federal prisons in 2023 were approved, with many rejected over procedural issues or closed for other reasons.
NPR also reported that Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a prominent Palestinian doctor, is close to death in an Israeli prison, according to his lawyer. The lawyer said Abu Safiya has been held for 18 months without charge or trial and has faced daily beatings by Israeli prison guards, NPR reported.
This story draws on original reporting from NPR.