The Trump administration enters a third week of airstrikes on Iranian military targets, with no sign of de-escalation as Sunday talk shows prepare to dissect the widening conflict. Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia on Saturday, retaliating against Saudi strikes on a Yemeni coastal city. The assaults threaten critical oil infrastructure and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, with crude prices already spiking to $101 a barrel after Houthis targeted two Saudi tankers on Thursday.
President Trump responded by warning on Truth Social that he would hold Iran directly responsible for any future Houthi attacks, calling the group a “surrogate or proxy” of Tehran. “Major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis,” he wrote, adding that he had been “very disappointed” in the Houthis’ recent behavior. The threat comes as the conflict tests Republican voter enthusiasm ahead of the midterms.
On Wednesday, the administration signed a long-awaited civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, touted as a major diplomatic win. But within 24 hours, President Trump added a new condition: the deal would only move forward if Riyadh joins the Abraham Accords. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, “If they do not join the Abraham Accords, the deal is off.” The Energy Department had unveiled the agreement without mentioning that requirement, a discrepancy Leavitt attributed to Trump being “always the final dealmaker.” Critics say the sudden condition suggests the administration may have been outmaneuvered; Trump denies being outmaneuvered, but the condition has already drawn bipartisan backlash.
On trade, Trump’s latest tariffs on imports from 60 countries took effect Friday, ranging from 10 percent to 12.5 percent. The administration justified the move as necessary to end forced labor in supply chains, but foreign trading partners—including China, Australia, and Japan—ripped the levies as “completely unjustified.” Two small businesses have filed a lawsuit challenging the surcharge, arguing the administration exceeded its authority under Section 301 of the Trade Act. “It is not a freestanding authorization to tax substantially all imports from substantially all trading partners,” the lawsuit states. The challenge comes months after the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s previous tariffs, and the same legal team is representing the plaintiffs. The tariff battle could reshape Republican midterm prospects as economic anxiety grows.
Sunday shows will also cover Trump’s appearance at the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, which was postponed after a shooting in April forced the evacuation of the president, first lady Melania Trump, and hundreds of officials and journalists. In his speech, Trump mocked former President Biden, various reporters, and even his own Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He singled out CNN’s chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins, repeating his criticism that she “never smiles” and comparing her appearance to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, whose Bud Light commercial sparked a conservative boycott. “I thought Kaitlan had really made it big with a major new sponsorship,” Trump said. “But then I informed her that it wasn’t her on the Bud Light can, it was Dylan Mulvaney.” The dinner showcased Trump’s trademark combative style despite pledges of unity.
Here are the guests scheduled for this Sunday’s talk shows: Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” features Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Fox News Sunday” hosts UN Ambassador Mike Waltz and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.). On NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday,” Neil Chilson, Head of AI Policy at the Abundance Institute, appears. ABC’s “This Week” includes Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio). CBS’s “Face the Nation” features Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Ambassador Waltz. CNN’s “State of the Union” has border czar Tom Homan, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.). NBC’s “Meet the Press” includes Ambassador Waltz and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.).
