Trump says 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' is 'dead,' but says he still wants payouts

President Donald Trump acknowledged for the first time Friday that the $1.8 billion so-called "Anti-Weaponization Fund" is "dead," but made clear that he wishes it still existed. He also did not spell out why the end of the fund isn't being put in writing.

On Saturday, Trump doubled down on his support for the anti-weaponization fund, saying he wanted to revive the fund and suggesting he would seek congressional action if Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis continue to block Blanche's confirmation.

The fund and Trump's settlement with the IRS, which provided him and his family immunity from any existing audits of tax returns, has thrown a wrench in the nomination of Todd Blanche to be attorney general.

Cornyn, a key holdout on Blanche's nomination, is demanding the Department of Justice formally put on paper that the fund is not moving forward -- as Blanche testified under oath during his confirmation hearing.

Do you agree with the acting attorney general that the Anti-Weaponization Fund is dead, and why not just put that in writing?" ABC News chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce asked Trump at a Cabinet meeting at Camp David.

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"Well, it is dead, but you know I wish it weren't, to be honest with you," Trump responded. "I think people were horribly treated, horribly abused ... and I'd like to see them compensated for the pain."

Trump then argued that Blanche, despite his role as acting attorney general, "shouldn't be in the middle of this."

The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed voting Thursday on Blanche's nomination amid resistance from Cornyn as well as Tillis, whose terms end in January.

Trump has floated the possibility of temporarily withdrawing Blanche's nomination until Cornyn and Tillis are out of office.

Cornyn, in addition to wanting written confirmation that the fund is dead, said he wants to see the scope of Trump's immunity deal with the IRS narrowed.

The president was asked if he was willing to accept limits on the scope of that deal in order to get Blanche approved to the post permanently.

"He should be approved forthwith," Trump said. "I mean, you're not going to get a person like that."

Late Friday, Blanche's Senate Judiciary Committee vote was put back on the schedule for Tuesday, Aug. 4, according to a notice from committee Chairman Chuck Grassley. But the rescheduled hearing is not necessarily a sign that a deal has been struck.

Sources familiar with the matter said negotiations between the parties involved — the DOJ, the senators and the White House — are expected to continue over the weekend. 

A spokesperson for the committee said in a statement that notice of the rescheduled committee vote was sent late Friday in order to give the White House more time to secure the necessary support for Blanche. 

Chairman Grassley wants Todd Blanche’s nomination to be successful. Noticing the markup gives more time for the White House to secure the votes for the President’s nominee. Grassley would like to see Blanche confirmed before the August recess as he has an excellent record restoring law and order and keeping Americans safe," a committee spokesperson said in a statement.

Friday's developments came as lawyers for Trump challenged a ruling from earlier this month that sought to discipline them for using the judicial system to broker the creation of the fund.

In a court filing Friday, attorneys for the president in his personal capacity said they planned to appeal a ruling from U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams that criticized the lawyers for using the court to attempt to legitimize a "settlement" that she says would never have survived judicial review.

It is unclear what appealing the order would achieve. Judge Williams, in her ruling, referred the lawyers for disciplinary action and said Trump and the federal government are "prohibited from referring to the purported 'settlement agreement'" or using it "in any judicial, administrative, regulatory, arbitration, or any other official proceeding."

ABC News' Katherine Faulders, Alexander Mallin, Peter Charalambous and Allison Pecorin contributed to this report.

In reversal, Trump says he hasn't 'agreed to' grant Ukraine licenses to produce Patriot missiles

 

President Donald Trump on Friday reversed course on his offer earlier this month to give Ukraine a license to produce Patriot air defense systems, saying during a Cabinet meeting that "we have not agreed to that."

"We have to be very careful about letting somebody build them," Trump said as he gathered his top officials at Camp David. "You have to be very judicious, but you have to be very careful. Now, we have not agreed to that. We're talking about it. But it's a hard thing to give away that kind of technology."

The president's remarks contradict Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's readout of their Tuesday meeting at the White House, in which Zelenskyy said Trump agreed to provide the license. Zelenskyy, while in Washington, met with executives at Lockheed Martin, the U.S. defense giant behind the Patriot missiles.

Trump's Friday comments are also a departure from his own public message to Zelenskyy at the NATO summit in Turkey in early July.

"We're going to give a license to you to make Patriots. That's pretty cool, right?" Trump said to the Ukrainian president the time, adding: "This way he can't complain that we're not giving him enough. I said, 'Make them yourself.'"

Zelenskyy has long raised alarm bells about the rapid depletion of U.S. Patriot missiles, which are widely considered to be the most effective tool to counter Russian missiles and drones.

Just as Trump's Cabinet meeting was getting underway, Zelenskyy posted on X that he received a "good phone call" from Vice President JD Vance and reiterated that the Patriot missiles remain a "top priority."

"He'd like to have some Patriots," Trump said of Zelenskyy on Friday. "He'd like to have some Tomahawks, which are, you know, lethal. One offensive, one defensive."

Trump called it a "big step" to provide such a license, and then suggested that Ukraine or any other nation given the sensitive technology could one day turn and use such weapons against the U.S. 

"And I don't think this would ever happen, but, you know, those people that you give that technology, they can someday turn on you. You know, that is possible," Trump said. 

Trump said he spoke to Zelenskyy, presumably during his visit to the White House earlier this week, about the weapons systems.

"I also spoke to him about let's get this war over with," Trump said.

Trump said both Ukraine and Russia will have to make concessions in order to end the yearslong war, which started when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

"I said, 'You got to get this war over.' I think he wants to make a deal, and I think Putin wants to make a deal. But there's a lot of dislike, as you probably notice," Trump said. "Well, nobody wants concessions, but they're both going to have to make some concessions. I mean, you got to make a deal." 

Iran live updates: Trump weighs strikes on Iranian energy sites, US officials say

 

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.

Delegations from the U.S. and Iran entered negotiations in June aimed at a war-ending deal based on a memorandum of understanding signed by both countries.

The U.S. and Iran have nonetheless continued to exchange strikes, with the strategic Strait of Hormuz the primary flashpoint.

Iranian drones intercepted inside Kuwait's airspace

Air defenses intercepted Iranian drones inside Kuwait's airspace Saturday, a spokesman for the country's ministry of defense said in statement.

No injuries were reported but falling shrapnel from the interceptions resulted in material damage, the statement from Major General Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi said.

"The heinous Iranian aggression targeted a number of vital facilities, including a government facility in the north of the country, as well as civilian vehicles belonging to one of the civil companies on Bubiyan Island," the statement said.

Officials did not disclose the number of drones involved in Saturday's incident.

-ABC News' Othon Leyva

2 incidents reported in the Strait of Hormuz

The British Maritime Safety Agency, UKMTO, is reporting two incidents have taken place in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.

One incident took place 21 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, when the Master of a tanker reported seeing a large splash and explosion in close proximity to the vessel. No damage to the vessel has been reported at this time.

The other more serious incident happened 11 nautical miles northeast off Lima, Oman, when a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile and damaged the engine room. There are currently no reported causalities or environmental impact.

“The tanker is not under command and the regional Coast Guard have been informed,” UKMTO said. “Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO.”

-ABC News' Rashid Haddou

Trump weighs strikes on Iranian energy sites: US officials

President Donald Trump is weighing a round of intense strikes on energy targets in Iran that could begin as soon as this weekend, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

Both officials said planning for the potential attacks was well underway, but that those plans could still change.

U.S. Central Command previously prepared plans for a two-week air campaign against Iran, but some officials within the administration believe that a shorter, more severe salvo could be more conducive to moving negotiations forward, according to one of the sources.

Another source said the potential strikes had been discussed with Israeli officials. However, it’s not clear whether Israel would be directly involved in the operation.

Iran has already threatened to retaliate against strikes on its energy sites by hitting Israeli targets and U.S. energy infrastructure in the Middle East, according to Iranian state media.

When asked about the potential U.S. attack, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in part that “Iran will continue to pay until they come to the table in, what President Trump deems, a meaningful way.”

-ABC News' Shannon Kingston

Trump says US 'not stopping' strikes on Iran but still wants a deal

President Donald Trump said the U.S. is "not stopping" strikes on Iran and continued to express frustrations over negotiations, though said "we want" to secure a deal.

In a phone interview with Real America Voice, Trump insisted that the U.S. is in a "strong position" and that Iran’s military is "destroyed."

"We hit them very hard. They ask us not to do it, and they want to negotiate. We start negotiating. In the midst of a negotiation, they fire five rockets at us. We knock all of them down, and then we beat the hell out of them, like last night," Trump said. "We beat the hell out of them. And we're not stopping, either."

The interview aired Friday afternoon, but it appears to have been pre-taped at some point on Thursday.

Regarding the number of U.S. servicemember deaths, Trump said there the death toll could vary "depending on definitions." This comes after the Pentagon revised its Iran war casualty figures database last week and reduced the number of U.S. troops listed as killed.

“With Iran, we're at 16 [American deaths], depending on definitions. We're at 16, 18 people, which is far too many, because one is too many,” Trump said, before pivoting to compare the Iran war’s duration with previous military conflicts.

-ABC News' Emily Chang and Michelle Stoddart

Jul 31, 2026, 1:54 PM CST

More US troops wounded in Iran

The U.S. Department of Defense's casualty database was updated Friday to reflect 32 additional U.S. troops wounded in the war with Iran, bringing the total number of wounded to 685.

It's unclear how long casualty reports take to appear in the system; the additional wounded service members were not necessarily injured within the past day.

Eighteen troops have been killed in action.

-ABC News' Steve Beynon

Jul 31, 2026, 11:35 AM CST

US Central Command says it is looking into attack that killed Iranian 2-year-old, parents

U.S. Central Command said it is aware and looking into reports of the death of an Iranian 2-year-old and their parents.

"The U.S. military never targets civilians, unlike Iranian forces that have launched thousands of missiles and drones targeting innocent people across the Middle East and killed over 50,000 of their own citizens earlier this year," Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, told ABC News in a statement Friday.

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the U.S. of targeting civilian residences, causing the death of parents and their 2-year-old child earlier this week.

"The United States soils its hands with a new crime every day; the terrorist attack on the residential homes of civilians on Qeshm Island is a continuation of the atrocities in Minab and Lamerd," Ghalibaf said in a statement.

"Americans have grown accustomed to making up for the slaps they receive on the battlefield by spilling the blood of the innocent. They will pay the price," Ghalibaf said.

Trump says he is 'losing faith' with Iran, but does not entirely rule out possibility of a peace deal

President Donald Trump said that he is "losing faith" with Iran's negotiating team, though did not completely rule out the possibility of a deal that could end the war with Iran, during a cabinet meeting at Camp David on Friday.

Asked by a reporter whether reaching a deal with Iran is still possible, Trump said, "Yes, you can. I mean, I'm losing faith in them because they do lie and they do misrepresent."

Trump also continued to defend the ongoing U.S. war with Iran, waving off fears over the U.S.’s stockpile of munitions and saying that defense companies are working to ramp up production.

"Iran is doing very poorly, just in case you read incorrect stories, they're doing very, very poorly. They're having a hard time. They've been very dishonest. They've been very dishonorable to deal with," Trump said.

Jul 30, 2026, 3:06 PM CST

More US troops wounded

The U.S. Department of Defense's casualty database was updated Thursday to reflect 11 additional troops wounded in the war with Iran since Tuesday, bringing the total number of wounded to 653.

It's unclear how long casualty reports take to appear in the system; the additional 11 wounded service members were not necessarily injured within the past two days.

Eighteen troops have been killed in action.

-ABC News' Steven Beynon

Jul 30, 2026, 3:06 PM CST

Iranian foreign minister denies involvement in Egypt incident

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied any involvement in the incident in Egypt on Wednesday, urging vigilance against what he called "false flag" attacks.

"Egypt is considered a friend and important partner in the region, and its security constitutes an utmost priority for us. We must all remain vigilant toward Israeli schemes and "false flag" operations that aim to undermine regional peace. The threat is clear, shared, and fears Muslim solidarity," Araghchi said Thursday.

Jul 30, 2026, 12:29 PM CST

US issues new sanctions targeting supporters of Iran's Mahan Air

The Departments of State and Treasury announced new sanctions targeting several Chinese and Russian entities & others accused of supporting Mahan Air, an Iranian airline sometimes used by the IRGC to transport personnel and arms.

"The United States calls on the international community, particularly companies and individuals doing business with Mahan Air or any other sanctioned Iranian carrier, to recognize the serious risks raised by continuing such engagement,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.

Thursday's move comes amid reports that China will soon send hundreds of anti-aircraft missiles to Iran -- claims Beijing has denied -- and as scrutiny of assistance provided to Iran’s war effort by China and Russia has intensified, despite repeated assertions from administration officials that the countries have not made significant contributions.

The sanctions also target an Iranian company said to support Tehran’s military by gathering intelligence on locations of American and Israeli equipment in the Middle East.

-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston

Jul 30, 2026, 12:28 PM CST

Iran says parents, 2-year-old were killed in overnight strike

A man, woman and their two-year-old child were killed in an airstrike that struck a residential house on Qeshm Island, Iran, early Thursday morning, local officials said.

The deputy governor of the province of Hormozgan, where Qeshm is located, told Iranian state media around 4:30 a.m. local time that rescuers were searching for people trapped in the rubble of a residential house that was hit by an "enemy projectile."

The Iranian Red Crescent Society posted an update later Thursday morning, saying that the parents of a family and their two-year-old child were killed and found in the rubble. Two children ages 7 and 9 were injured and taken from the residence to hospital.

ABC News has reached out to CENTCOM for comment.

Jul 30, 2026, 12:28 PM CST

Saudi Arabia announces formation of multinational maritime defense alliance

Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries agreed on Thursday to establish a multinational maritime defense alliance aimed at "enhancing maritime security, protecting freedom of navigation, securing international trade and energy supply routes, and safeguarding shared maritime interests" in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the Saudi defense ministry said.

The announcement came after Saudi Arabia hosted a meeting on Thursday with representatives of 43 countries and the European Union to discuss its proposal to establish the coalition.

Saudi Arabia is set to be the founding and leading country and will host the coalition’s headquarters, the Saudi ministry said.

The 13 countries joining the coalition are Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia.

-ABC News' Ayat Altawy

Jul 30, 2026, 2:17 AM CST

Jordan intercepts 5 Iranian missiles

The Jordanian Armed Forces said in a statement that its air defenses shot down five missiles launched from Iran early on Thursday morning.

-ABC News' Ayat Al-Tawy, Ghazi Balkiz and Clark Bentson

Jul 30, 2026, 2:01 AM CST

Egypt confirms drone caused fire at Damietta Port

The Egyptian cabinet confirmed in a statement posted to social media on Thursday that Wednesday's fire at the Damietta Port in the north east of the country was caused by a drone, though did not say who was responsible.

"The preliminary investigations into the incident" indicated that the fire was caused by a drone, the statement said. "No party has announced its responsibility for the incident," it added.

The fire at the port, which sits along the Mediterranean coast, affected two ships -- a storage tanker and a vessel used to turn liquid fuel into gas -- Egyptian authorities said.

"The relevant authorities continue to conduct investigations to determine the circumstances of the incident and take the necessary measures to protect Egypt's interests and national security," the cabinet statement said.