They aim to end the season playing in Super Bowl LXI on their home turf at SoFi Stadium.
The Sept. 10 opener — a Thursday night in the United States and the morning of Sept. 11 in Melbourne — is the first of 17 games on a schedule announced Thursday by the NFL.
With reigning NFL most valuable player Matthew Stafford and a roster fortified by the addition of All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, the Rams are regarded as a Super Bowl favorite. And their marquee status is reflected in a schedule that includes the maximum seven prime-time appearances, an increase of two over last season when the Rams finished 12-5 and advanced to the NFC championship game before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
Fans will have to wait nearly the entire season to see the Rams play the Seahawks. The first game between the NFC West rivals is Week 16 on Christmas night in Seattle. Two games later, on a date to be determined, they will play in the regular-season finale at SoFi Stadium.
In addition to the Friday night game against the Seahawks on Christmas, they play on “Sunday Night Football” against the Denver Broncos and “Monday Night Football” against the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills. The Rams play the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving eve — Wednesday night — and on “Thursday Night Football” against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Rams play six division games in the NFC West, which is matched this season with the NFC East and the AFC West. The Rams also have games against teams in the NFC North, NFC South and AFC East.
The Rams play a preseason road game against the Chiefs and will play at SoFi Stadium against the New Orleans Saints and the Chargers.
Here is a game-by-game look at the regular-season schedule (all times Pacific):
Sept. 10, SAN FRANCISCO at Melbourne Cricket Ground, 5:35 p.m. (Netflix): Coach Sean McVay starts the season by matching up against mentor Kyle Shanahan and former Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris in a huge NFC West game.
Sept. 21, NEW YORK GIANTS, 5:15 p.m. (ESPN): New coach John Harbaugh aims to build a winning culture in the tradition of the one he established in 18 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.
Sept. 27, at Denver, 5:20 p.m., (NBC): The Broncos aim to reach the Super Bowl that eluded them last season after Bo Nix’s injury. Bonus: There’s history between McVay and Sean Payton.
Oct. 4, at Philadelphia, 10 a.m. (Fox): The Rams opted to draft quarterback Ty Simpson — not former USC receiver Makai Lemon — with the 13th pick. Lemon was selected by the Eagles.
Oct. 12, BUFFALO, 5:15 p.m. (ESPN): The last time the Bills visited SoFi Stadium, the Rams won a 44-42 shootout. First-year coach Joe Brady will try to guide Josh Allen to his first Super Bowl appearance.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen signals against the Denver Broncos in an AFC divisional playoff game in January.
(Bart Young / Associated Press)
Oct. 18, ARIZONA, 1:05 p.m., (Fox): Former Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur parlayed his time with McVay into a head coach opportunity with the Cardinals. Now he has to face Matthew Stafford & Co.
Oct. 25, at Las Vegas, 1:25 p.m. (Fox): The Raiders drafted quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the top pick in the draft. Will he play against the Rams or sit behind Kirk Cousins?
Nov. 1, CHARGERS, 1:05 p.m. (Fox): Quarterback Justin Herbert is expected to benefit from the arrival of new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
Nov. 8, at Washington, 10 a.m. (Fox): The Rams travel to play the Commanders for the first time since 2020. Quarterback Jayden Daniels looks to remain healthy and recapture rookie form.
Nov. 15, at Arizona, 1:05 p.m. (CBS): The Cardinals selected running back Jeremiyah Love with the fourth pick in the draft. Will it be Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew or rookie Carson Beck at quarterback?
Nov. 22, off week
Nov. 25, GREEN BAY, 5 p.m. (Netflix): Jordan Love leads the Packers offense, Micah Parson the defense. Coach Matt LaFleur is 5-0 against McVay, who hired LaFleur as offensive coordinator in 2017.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes during a playoff win over the Carolina Panthers in January.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Dec. 3, KANSAS CITY, 5:15 p.m. (Amazon Prime): Chiefs have not played the Rams in L.A. since 2018, when the Rams won, 54-51, at the Coliseum. Will Taylor Swift return to SoFi for the end of the Travis Kelce era?
Dec. 13, at San Francisco, 1:25 p.m. (Fox): Quarterback Brock Purdy and running back Christian McCaffrey are mainstays for a team that always challenges McVay.
Dec. 20, DALLAS, 1:25 p.m. (CBS): Dak Prescott comes to town with receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens presumably as top targets. The Cowboys gave up a league-worst 30.1 points per game last season.
Dec. 25, at Seattle, 5:15 p.m. (Fox): Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold elevated his performance for the Super Bowl champions in regular-season and playoff victories over the Rams last season.
Week 17, at Tampa Bay, TBD: Baker Mayfield reignited his career after a crash course in the Rams offense in 2022 under Zac Robinson. Now Robinson is the Buccaneers offensive coordinator.
Week 18: SEATTLE, TBD: Last season, the Rams donned their Midnight Mode alternate uniforms against the Seahawks and escaped with a narrow victory. Will this game decide the NFC West?
Bad Bunny’s halftime show at this year’s Super Bowl was largely embraced as a milestone for Latin music and Puerto Rican culture on America’s most prominent pop-cultural stage.
The Federal Communications Commission has released a massive trove of viewer complaints against the musician, the show’s broadcast partner NBC, and the NFL.
Many of them expressed outrage at the supposed bawdiness of Bad Bunny’s Spanish-language lyrics and dancing on a broadcast watched by children.
“That was the most disgusting inappropriate show. I had to make all of my children go into the next room!” wrote one traumatized Las Vegas viewer. “The none use [sic] of inappropriate language should stand no matter what language it’s in. This is the most disturbing thing I’ve witnessed on live TV in a long time.”
“NFL halftime show showed 2 men in act of intercourse while behind a pickup truck door,” wrote one aghast Ohioan. “The ratings for NFL [sic] made it safe for my children to watch but they witnessed this and became disturbed.”
Another viewer from Charlotte, NC who, to their credit, seemed familiar with Bad Bunny’s catalog, wrote that they “take issue with the vocal performances of ‘Safaera,’ which is a track widely known for explicit sexual references and graphic lyrical content, and ‘Yo Perreo Sola,’ which had choreography featuring overtly sexualized movements, including widespread twerking, grinding, pelvic thrusts and other sexually suggestive conduct.”
Those viewers were likely not sated by the FCC’s February review of the performance, which found that the songs’ lyrics had been appropriately altered for the broadcast.
Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) had called for the FCC to investigate the broadcast.”What Americans witnessed during the Super Bowl halftime show with Bad Bunny was despicable and never should be allowed to be shown on television again,” Fine told the New York Post.
Many of the viewer complaints mirror President Trump’s post-show social media criticism, calling the performance “one of the worst EVER!”
“Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World,” the president wrote at the time.
Just before the Super Bowl, Bad Bunny had won the Grammy for album with “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” and joined a wave of artists speaking out against violent ICE raids in speeches at the ceremony. The superstar demurred on performing in the continental U.S. for similar fears, instead performing a lengthy Puerto Rican residency.
Netball Super League leaders Loughborough Lightning returned to winning ways with a hard-fought 76-60 victory over Birmingham Panthers on Friday.
Lightning, whose 100% record was ended by defending champions London Pulse last weekend, are now four points clear of second-placed Pulse at the top of the NSL table.
Pulse take on Manchester Thunder, who are six points behind Lightning in third place, on Saturday.
Bottom side Panthers made a quick start to Friday’s game, leading at the end of the first two quarters to take a two-point advantage into half-time.
But Lightning hit back after the break and were four goals ahead at the start of the fourth quarter, before sealing victory with a dominant display in the final 15 minutes of the round 11 match.
U.S. forces “disabled M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda, May 8, prior to both vessels entering an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman in violation of the ongoing U.S. blockade, CENTCOM stated. “A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) disabled both tankers after firing precision munitions into their smokestacks, preventing the non-compliant ships from entering Iran.”
This was the third time that the U.S. has fired on Iranian ships running the blockade. The Navy has used a destroyer’s five-inch gun firing inert rounds to blast the engineering section of one ship to disable it and a Super Hornet’s 20mm Vulcan cannon to disable the rudder on another. So, the use of bombs dropped down a ship’s smokestack to disable but not destroy a ship is new. You can read about these prior instances here.
The weapons used in this latest wave of attacks on blockade runners wasn’t disclosed. 500lb laser-guided bombs are likely what was employed here based on the Super Hornet’s stores options, precision required, and the effects seen. These can utilize high-explosive bomb bodies or inert ones for desired effects, with the latter being most probable in this case.
Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin was the first to report this news.
NEW: US military carried out more airstrikes today hitting several empty tankers trying to break the blockade.
According to a senior US official: “these were Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC) …. massive, empty ships trying to make it back to Iran … attempted to run the…
The blockade on Iranian ports was enforced April 13 to strangle Iran’s economy as part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. On Friday, CENTCOM reported that U.S. forces have prevented more than 70 tankers from entering or leaving Iranian ports.
“These commercial ships have the capacity to transport over 166 million barrels of Iranian oil worth an estimated $13 billion-plus,” the command stated on X.
There are currently more than 70 tankers that U.S. forces are preventing from entering or leaving Iranian ports. These commercial ships have the capacity to transport over 166 million barrels of Iranian oil worth an estimated $13 billion-plus. pic.twitter.com/VBKfDwMwqJ
However, “a confidentialCIA analysis delivered to administration policymakers this week concludes that Iran can survive the U.S. naval blockade for at least three to four months before facing more severe economic hardship,” The Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing four people familiar with the document.
Washington Post (This got a lot of attention overnight)
A confidential CIA analysis delivered to administration policymakers this week concludes that Iran can survive the U.S. naval blockade for at least three to four months before facing more severe economic hardship.
PLUS:…
— Joumanna Nasr Bercetche (@JoumannaTV) May 8, 2026
“The Ministry of Defense announced that on May 8, 2026, the UAE air defense systems engaged 2 ballistic missiles and 3 UAV’s launched from Iran, resulting in 3 moderate injuries,” the UAE Defense Ministry (MoD) announced on X Friday morning EDT. “Since the beginning of the blatant Iranian attacks on the United Arab Emirates, the air defenses have engaged a total of 551 ballistic missiles, 29 cruise missiles, and 2,263 UAV’s.”
The UAE, located about 60 miles south of Iran across the Strait, claims these attacks have killed 13 and injured 230.
The MoD “affirmed that it remains fully prepared and ready to deal with any threats and will firmly confront anything that aims to undermine the security of the country, in a manner that ensures the protection of its sovereignty, security and stability and safeguards its interests and national capabilities.”
Tehran did not immediately respond to the claim, which TWZ cannot independently verify.
These incidents follow an exchange of fire last night between the U.S. and Iran. As we reported yesterday, U.S. Central Command said it attacked several locations in Iran after “Iranian forces launched multiple missiles, drones and small boats as USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87) transited the international sea passage. No U.S. assets were struck.”
Iran said it launched the attacks in retaliation for “violation of the ceasefire and the aggression by the terrorist US military against an Iranian oil tanker near the port of Jask.”
IRGC Navy:
Following the violation of the ceasefire and the aggression by the terrorist US military against an Iranian oil tanker near the port of Jask, and the approach of warships belonging to the terrorist US military toward the Strait of Hormuz, a very large-scale and… pic.twitter.com/pmg4IiD15M
The extent of the damage to Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island and the Bandar Kargan naval checkpoint in Minab, targets struck by the U.S. on Thursday in response to the attacks on U.S. Navy ships, remains unclear. No images have emerged and neither Iran nor the U.S. have commented.
Last night, Trump called the exchange a “love tap” and said the ceasefire still held.
President Trump tells me in a phone call the retaliatory strikes against Iranian targets are just a “love tap.”
Amid the kinetic activity, diplomacy continues as Trump insists that Iran never develop a nuclear weapon. The status of its ballistic missile arsenal, control of the Strait of Hormuz and support for proxies like Hezbollah and the Houthis are also major sticking points.
The U.S. is awaiting to hear back from Iran about its peace proposal, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
“We’re expecting a response from them today at some point. We have not received that yet,” he said.
The secretary added that he remained concerned that Iran is still trying to maintain control over the Strait.
“We’ve seen the reporting overnight that Iran is trying to establish some agency that’s going to control traffic in the Strait,” Rubio explained. “That would actually be unacceptable.”
“We’ve seen the reporting overnight that Iran is trying to establish some agency that’s going to control traffic in the Straits… That would actually be unacceptable,” says @SecRubio.
“We’re expecting a response from them today at some point. We have not received that yet.” pic.twitter.com/Wo8IEEWDnI
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 8, 2026
Iran, meanwhile, is accusing the U.S. of moving the goal posts in the negotiating process by using force.
“Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on X. “Is it a crude pressure tactic? Or the result of a spoiler once again duping POTUS into another quagmire? Whatever the causes, [the] outcome is the same: Iranians never bow to pressure.”
Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure. Is it a crude pressure tactic? Or the result of a spoiler once again duping POTUS into another quagmire?
Iran claims that its “naval commandos carried out a special operation to detain” an oil tanker, “which was attempting to disrupt Iran’s oil exports and national interests.”
“Implementing the decision of the Supreme National Security Council and with a judicial ruling, the Army Navy seized the oil tanker Ocean Koi, which was carrying Iranian oil and tried to take advantage of the situation in the region to harm and disrupt the oil exports and the interests of the Iranian nation,” said Iran’s Army Public Relations Office in a statement on Friday.
“The commandos of the Army Navy “directed the violating oil tanker to the southern coast of Iran and handed it over to the judicial authorities,” according to the statement. “The Navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran will “vigorously defend the interests and assets of the Iranian nation in the territorial waters of the country and will not tolerate any violator or aggressor.”
Though Iranian officials identified this ship as the Ocean Koi, it is also known as the Jin Li. It is part of Iran’s so-called dark fleet and was sanctioned by the U.S. in February for transporting millions of barrels of Iranian oil. It is unclear why Iran made a show of this event, though it could have been for domestic consumption in the wake of yesterday’s attacks on several targets.
You can see video of the claimed boarding below.
According to IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) News, the Iranian Navy had conducted a special operation to seize an “offending tanker” named “OCEAN KOI” for attempting to export Iranian oil.
Her new name is actually JIN LI (9255933), and has been so since 2025-11-30.… pic.twitter.com/3Wv8jJNEAr
— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) May 8, 2026
UPDATE: 12:16 PM EDT –
The CIA recruited sources inside Iran, but flawed covert communications reportedly helped Iranian counterintelligence identify and arrest informants, a new report from Reuters stated.
“In interviews with six Iranian former CIA informants, Reuters found that the agency was careless…amid its intense drive to gather intelligence in Iran, putting in peril those risking their lives to help the United States,” the outlet explained.
“Such aggressive steps by the CIA sometimes put average Iranians in danger with little prospect of gaining critical intelligence,” Reuters added. “When these men were caught, the agency provided no assistance to the informants or their families, even years later, the six Iranians said.”
UPDATE: 12:25 PM EDT –
Iranian officials continue to dismiss the notion that the country will cede control of the Strait.
Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, said on Friday Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz is an asset “on the scale of an atomic bomb”, adding that Tehran would not give up the capability it gained through war.”
Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, said on Friday Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz is an asset “on the scale of an atomic bomb”, adding that Tehran would not give up the capability it gained through war. pic.twitter.com/07vbiRwVPR
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) May 8, 2026
12:43 PM EDT –
Hours after launching another attack on the UAE, an Iranian official says that country will remain a target for supporting the U.S. and Israel.
Iran will not leave the Emirates alone, and they are well aware of that, which is why they are trying to maintain tension between Iran, America, and the Zionist entity,” Ali Khodarian, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Commission, stated on X. “The Americans have realized that their naval blockade parade will henceforth face a military response from the Islamic Republic. No one can now carry out a military operation against our ships without a response.”
عضو لجنة الأمن القومي في البرلمان الإيراني علي خضريان:
⭕إيران لن تترك الإمارات وشأنها وهم يدركون ذلك لذا فهم يحاولون الحفاظ على التوتر بين إيران وأميركا والكيان الصهيوني
⭕ الأميركيون أدركوا أن استعراض حصارهم البحري سيواجه من الآن فصاعدا ردا عسكريا من قبل الجمهورية الإسلامية… pic.twitter.com/qHPE4ZeRsv
The United States will facilitate two days of intensive talks between the governments of Israel and Lebanon on May 14 and 15, State Department spokesman Tommy Piggott announced on Friday.
State Department
UPDATE: 1:48 PM EDT-
CENTCOM released imagery of the Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyers USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87) operating in the Middle East. “The three destroyers are currently sailing in the Arabian Sea supporting the blockade against Iran,” the command stated on X. “As of today, CENTCOM forces have redirected 57 commercial vessels and disabled 4 to prevent the ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports.”
Photos of USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87) operating in the Middle East. The three destroyers are currently sailing in the Arabian Sea supporting the blockade against Iran. As of today, CENTCOM forces have redirected 57 commercial… pic.twitter.com/iFHp1HHMac
The U.S. is denying the latest Iranian claim that it successfully carried out an attack on U.S. military assets.
On Friday, the Iranian Army claimed “while the US Navy was attempting to remove three of its destroyers from the Strait of Hormuz towards the Sea of Oman with air support, we carried out a combined missile and drone operation, during which we targeted this naval group with 8 cruise missiles and 24 suicide drones. As a result of this operation, and despite the extensive attempts by the US Navy to repel the attack, one cruise missile and three suicide drones successfully hit the American destroyers, causing fires to break out on them.”
Asked if any U.S. ships were struck today, a U.S. official offered a one-word response.
“No,” the official stated.
BREAKING: IRAN SAYS IT DIRECTLY HIT US DESTROYERS IN THE HORMUZ
The Iranian Army Statement:
On Friday morning, while the US Navy was attempting to remove three of its destroyers from the Strait of Hormuz towards the Sea of Oman with air support, we carried out a combined… pic.twitter.com/FusP0ihHxt
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
U.S. forces operating in the Gulf of Oman disabled an Iranian-flagged ship trying to run the ongoing blockade of Iranian ports by blasting its rudder with several rounds from the 20mm cannon of an F/A-18 Super Hornet , U.S. Central Command stated on X. The jet was launched from aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
The incident occurred at 9 a.m. EDT, according to the command. It came as a new peace initiative between the U.S. and Iran is being floated and a day after President Trump paused the short-lived Project Freedom operation to protect commercial shipping trying to escape the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM forces “observed M/T Hasna as it transited international waters enroute to an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman,” the command added. “American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel it was in violation of the U.S. blockade.”
When it ignored the warnings, the Super Hornet opened fire. After being fired upon, the ship is no longer traveling to Iran, CENTCOM explained.
Sailors assigned to the Tophatters of Strike Fighter Squadron 14 remove a M-61A2 Vulcan 20mm Gattling gun from an F/A-18E Super Hornet aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. (MC3 EDUARDO ZARAGOZA, USN) MC3 EDUARDO ZARAGOZA, USN
“The U.S. blockade against ships attempting to enter or depart Iranian ports remains in full effect,” the command continued. “CENTCOM forces continue to act deliberately and professionally to ensure compliance.”
The Iranian-flagged oil tanker M/T Hasna had its rudder fired upon by an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. (CENTCOM)
The Hasna incident is the second known time the U.S. has fired on an Iranian-linked large commercial ship running the blockade. The Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer USS Spruancestruck the Iranian cargo shipTouska on April 19th with its 5-inch MK 45 gun. The destroyer fired nine inert rounds into the cargo ship’s engine room after the vessel failed to comply with warnings while transiting the north Arabian Sea, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said last month. The Super Hornet used its own method to disable but not sink the ship via taking out its rudder control.
You can see him explain the incident in the following video.
.@thejointstaff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine: As of this morning, 34 ships have met the U.S. blockade and made the wise choice to turn around. One ship did not. Over several hours this past Sunday, the U.S. conducted maritime interdiction operations against the Touska, whose crew… pic.twitter.com/GG5UxxDACa
Meanwhile, a French-owned ship is “currently drifting without power” after being “struck by an Iranian drone” yesterday, a maritime security official told TWZ.
The container vessel, CMA CGM San Antonio, was damaged and eight people were injured in the attack, the U.N.’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) told us. The attack was reported about two hours before Trump paused Project Freedom, pending further negotiations with Iran.
A U.S. military official told us that it is “aware of the reports” about the attack on the San Antonio, but had no further details about how it happened.
“The transit in question was not coordinated” through Project Freedom, said the official, adding that the crew did not seek U.S. assistance.
Since the war began on Feb. 28, UKMTO “has received 46 reports of incidents affecting vessels operating in and around the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz (SOH), and Gulf of Oman,” the organization states. There were 26 reported ship attacks, including the San Antonio, 18 suspicious activity reports and two ships hijacked.
Vessel Attacked In Strait Of Hormuz As US Pauses Operation To Guide Ships | US Iran Update
In the wake of Trump’s decision to pause Project Freedom, the IMO and shipping companies say the short-lived effort did not changed the level of danger for ships trapped in the Persian Gulf.
“The situation remains the same,” IMO told us Wednesday morning. “IMO has been consistent in its messaging that the Strait of Hormuz is not safe at present for ships to transit, and ships should exercise maximum caution. Things have not materially changed over the past few weeks.”
“Our risk assessment goes on continuously and it is still valid, that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed for Hapag-Lloyd transits until further notice,” a spokesperson for the German shipping giant told us
“We don’t have a comment specifically addressing the decision to pause,” a spokesperson for Maersk told us. ”We are following the guidance of our security partners in the region, and it is currently recommended to avoid transiting the strait.”
A U.S. official declined comment on how the pause is affecting CENTCOM operations. However, “U.S. forces are currently focused on enforcing the U.S. naval blockade against Iran,” the official told us.
As we reported yesterday, Trump paused Project Freedom after little more than a day, pending negotiations with Iran.
The move came after Iran fired on U.S. warships and commercial vessels being protected under Project Freedom. Trump said he made that decision at the behest of Pakistan, which has been mediating peace talks. The president claimed the goal was to give Iran time to respond to U.S. proposals.
Given the circumstances, it seems probable that tactical considerations also drove this decision.
UPDATE: 6:57 PM EDT –
NBC News is reporting that Trump’s abrupt pause on Project Freedom “came after a key Gulf ally suspended the U.S. military’s ability to use its bases and airspace to carry out the operation. The network cited two U.S. officials.
“Trump surprised Gulf allies by announcing ‘Project Freedom’ on social media Sunday afternoon, the officials said, angering leadership in Saudi Arabia,” NBC added. “In response, the Kingdom informed the U.S. it would not allow the U.S. military to fly aircraft from Prince Sultan Airbase southeast of Riyadh or fly through Saudi airspace to support the effort, the officials said.”
A call between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “did not resolve the issue, the two U.S. officials said, forcing the president to pause Project Freedom in order to restore U.S. military access to the critical airspace,” NBC continued.
Other close Gulf allies were also caught off guard, the outlet noted, pointing out that “the president spoke with leaders in Qatar after the effort had already begun.”
UPDATE: 5:56 PM EDT –
Israel carried out its first strike in Beirut since before the ceasefire in Lebanon entered into effect on April 16, the Times of Israel reported. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said it targeted the commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force.
Netanyahu and Katz say Radwan Force operatives “were responsible for firing [rockets] at Israeli communities and harming IDF soldiers.”
Israel carries out its first strike in Beirut since before the ceasefire in Lebanon entered into effect on April 16, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz saying it targeted the commander of #Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force Malek Balut.
As we have previously reported, Trump is mulling over sending a ground force into Iran to capture its highly enriched uranium. Now, Spencer Faragasso, a senior fellow Institute for Science and International Security, says new satellite imagery shows Iran is preparing for such an event.
“We just observed new developments at the Pickaxe Mountain complex, just south of the Natanz Nuclear Complex,” he stated on X. “The two eastern tunnel portals have been partially blocked with dirt/rock material that would prevent ground vehicle access from entering those tunnel portals. This is not the result of a landslide, but a deliberate effort to prevent ground vehicle access into the portals. Dirt could have been easily taken from the nearby large spoil piles. No changes to the western tunnel portals can be seen. The Natanz nuclear complex hasn’t seen any new activity either.”
We just observed new developments at the Pickaxe Mountain complex, just south of the Natanz Nuclear Complex. The two eastern tunnel portals have been partially blocked with dirt/rock material that would prevent ground vehicle access from entering those tunnel portals. This is not… pic.twitter.com/P81ZOxIwSM
During an afternoon press conference, Trump was about facing “an opponent in Iran that has refused to submit. “Why do you say they refuse to submit?” the president responded. “You don’t know that.”
“They fired at U.S. ships a few days ago, the reporter retorted.
“A few days ago is a long time ago,” Trump proffered. “They want to make a deal badly.”
Reporter: You are facing an opponent in Iran that has refused to submit.
Trump: Why do you say they refuse to submit? You don’t know that.
Reporter: They fired at U.S. ships a few days ago.
Speaking to reporters in China, Araghchi claimed Iran has “attained an elevated international standing” during the war with the US and Israel.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran has ‘attained an elevated international standing’ during the war with the US and Israel. Araghchi was speaking in Beijing where he met China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, who urged Iran and the US to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. pic.twitter.com/NpLqXAuJys
ran issued a message to commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz saying its ports were fully prepared to provide general maritime services and support to those ships, the official Iranian IRNA news agency reported. Reuters’ Phil Stewart noted that the announcement came just hours after CENTCOM said it disabled the Hansa.
Iran’s message come just hours after CENTCOM said it disabled an Iranian-flagged unladen oil tanker attempting to sail toward an Iranian port https://t.co/5gJfozCxfH
“Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran,” Trump proclaimed on Truth Social. “If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before.”
There are swirling claims about the state of peace negotiations with Iran, which have been moving ahead despite recent incidents. As we reported yesterday, officials in the UAE and Oman say Iran has attacked their countries with missiles and drones in addition to the Iranian attacks on shipping we mentioned earlier in this story.
Wednesday morning, Axios claimed that the White House “believes it’s getting close to an agreement with Iran on a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations.”
The U.S. expects Iranian responses on several key points “in the next 48 hours,” the outlet stated, adding that “[n]othing has been agreed yet, but the sources said this was the closest the parties had been to an agreement since the war began.”
The deal would involve Iran committing to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, the U.S. agreeing to lift its sanctions and release billions in frozen Iranian funds, and both sides lifting restrictions around transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Many of the terms laid out in the memo would be contingent on a final agreement being reached, leaving the possibility of renewed war or an extended limbo in which the hot war has stopped but nothing is truly resolved,” Axios noted.
We reached out to the White House for additional information.
SCOOP: The White House believes it’s getting close to an agreement with Iran on a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations. My story on @axioshttps://t.co/Tyse6wWTSj
Trump expressed optimism about striking a deal with Iran, which could include Iran exporting its highly enriched uranium to the United States, in a phone call Wednesday morning with PBS News.
Trump told the network he feels the U.S. is closing in on a deal, “but I felt that way before with them, so we’ll see what happens.”
He added that sending special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, to talks is “unlikely.”
The president suggested it’s possible a deal could be struck to end the war before his trip to China next week.
“I think it’s got a very good chance of ending, and if it doesn’t end, we have to go back to bombing the hell out of them,” Trump told PBS White House correspondent Liz Landers.
“Do you think that– Some of the reporting says that Iran– part of the deal would include that #Iran would export its highly enriched uranium, perhaps, to the United States? Is that part of the deal?
President Donald Trump: No, not perhaps. It goes to the United States.”
In addition to sticking points remaining over Iran’s nuclear program, its closure of the Strait and ballistic missile arsenal, finding officials in Tehran who can respond remains a challenge. As we have noted before, there are fractures in the government between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and more moderate elements, making it hard for the U.S. to gain a consensus on its offers. Difficulty reaching Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who is reportedly injured and in hiding, is also slowing down negotiations.
In response to Trump’s latest message, one element of the Iranian government expressed skepticism.
“The concept of ‘negotiations’ requires, at the very least, a genuine attempt to engage in discussions with a view to resolving the dispute,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stated on X. “It needs ‘good faith’, then, meaning that ‘negotiations’ is not ‘disputation’; nor is it ‘dictation’, ‘deception’, ‘extortion’ or ‘coercion.’”
Iran has reportedly not yet responded to the latest U.S. proposal aimed at ending the more than two-month war, Iran’s Tasnim news agency said on Wednesday, citing an unnamed source who added that the draft contained some unacceptable provisions.
May 6 (Reuters) – Iran has not yet responded to the latest U.S. proposal aimed at ending the more than two-month war, Iran’s Tasnim news agency said on Wednesday, citing an unnamed source who added that the draft contained some unacceptable provisions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that he was not surprised by the recent developments in the negotiations between the US and Iran and that there is “full coordination” between the US and Israel, according to the Jerusalem Post.
“We are maintaining continuous contact with our friends in the US. I speak with President Trump on an almost daily basis. My people and his people speak daily, including today. And I will speak again with President Trump later tonight,” Netanyahu said.
“We share common goals, and the most important objective is the removal of all enriched material from Iran and the dismantling of Iran’s enrichment capabilities,” he added. “However, we are prepared for any scenario, and this is the directive I have given to the IDF and our security agencies. Israel is stronger than ever; Iran and its proxies are weaker than ever.”
In recent hours, the Prime Minister Netanyahu has been holding consultations following developments on the Iranian front and is in contact with senior government officials.
Israeli official to @Jerusalem_Post: We were not surprised by the latest developments.
“I held constructive talks in Beijing with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi,” Araghchi claimed on X. “Both sides reaffirmed Iran’s right to safeguard national sovereignty and national dignity.”
Iran “appreciates the four-point proposal put forward by the Chinese side on upholding and promoting regional peace and stability,” he added. “The Iranian side trusts the Chinese side and expects the Chinese side to continue playing a positive role in promoting peace and stopping war, and supports the establishment of a new post-war regional architecture that can coordinate development and security.”
For its part, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Beijing “will continue to work for deescalation in the Strait of Hormuz, and keep Chinese vessels and crew members there safe. Hope parties will avoid further escalation, resolve disputes through dialogue and restore peace to the Strait soon.”
China will continue to work for deescalation in the Strait of Hormuz, and keep Chinese vessels and crew members there safe. Hope parties will avoid further escalation, resolve disputes through dialogue and restore peace to the Strait soon. pic.twitter.com/AAlNkXjTBv
— CHINA MFA Spokesperson 中国外交部发言人 (@MFA_China) May 6, 2026
Iranian airstrikes “have damaged or destroyed at least 228 structures or pieces of equipment at U.S. military sites across the Middle East since the war began, hitting hangars, barracks,fuel depots, aircraft and key radar, communications and air defense equipment,” according to a Washington Post analysis of satellite imagery. “The amount of destruction is far larger than what has been publicly acknowledged by the U.S. government or previously reported.”
We have previously noted that Iran has destroyed a E-3 Sentry. KC-135 Stratotankers and Black Hawk helicopters on the ground, as well as radar sights across the region, have also been damaged.
Exclusive: Iranian airstrikes have damaged or destroyed at least 228 structures or pieces of equipment at U.S. military sites since the war began, according to a Post analysis.
The amount of destruction is far larger than what was previously reported. https://t.co/qcDG06Dwa8
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 6, 2026
A Chinese truck-mounted anti-drone laser system was reportedly spotted at an airport in the UAE, which has been repeatedly attacked by Iran over the course of the war and ensuing ceasefire.
We cannot independently confirm the location or date of the following video, which appears to have been taken by a passenger on a plane.
A Chinese combat laser system (most likely the Guangjian-21A / 光箭-21A) designed for counter-UAV operations has been spotted at an airport in the UAE. pic.twitter.com/7pLNcp7vyk
— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝕯𝔢𝔞𝔡 𝕯𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔦𝔠𝔱△ 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇺🇲🇬🇷 (@TheDeadDistrict) May 6, 2026
The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle entered the Red Sea on Wednesday.
“The reason why we must make a renewed effort today is simply that the blockade of Hormuz continues, the damage to the world’s economy is therefore becoming more and more pronounced, and the risk of a prolongation of hostilities is too serious for us to accept it,” a French presidency official told reporters in a briefing after the army announced the strike group’s deployment.
The Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier has transited southbound through the Suez Canal to deploy to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in preparation for the previously announced UK-France Strait of Hormuz mission, per the French Defense Ministry. pic.twitter.com/fwFeZ7fMLg
Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford was spotted transiting west through the Strait of Gibraltar, heading back toward America after taking part in Epic Fury during its record breaking deployment.
USS Gerald R. Ford heads west through the Strait of Gibraltar today. Finally on her way home after an epic deployment – currently 316 days since she left the US.
A video emerging online purports to show the remains of a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone reportedly shot down over Iran last night. The video shows what appears to be the fuel tank of the drone peppered with shrapnel.
We cannot independently verify the provenance of the video or when or where it was taken. We have reached out to CENTCOM for more details.
This was a meeting of the competition’s top scorers – Leeds had scored 102 points in their previous two games – and meanest defence, with Wakefield conceding fewer points than anyone else in the opening nine rounds.
That record was quickly under threat as Connor’s early penalty set the tone and after Trinity’s Cam Scott had been stretchered off and taken to hospital after a head clash, Sivo benefited from astonishingly quick hands from Handley to score the first try.
The Rhinos were brimming with confidence and flair, and Connor’s no-look pass sent Watkins slicing through the defensive cover to make it 14-0.
Oliver Pratt finally got Wakefield in the game with his 11th Super League try of the season, but Leeds were irrepressible in the first half and Lachie Miller sent Sivo away for his second try to restore the 14-point lead.
The momentum shifted just before the break as Sivo received his yellow card for a high tackle on Josh Rourke, and big Kiwi front rower Lolesio powered over the line for his first Wakefield try to bring fresh hope to the travelling fans.
Connor added a penalty early in the second half to give Leeds breathing space, but just before Sivo returned to the field Leeds lost another man as Handley was adjudged to have pushed Rourke as the two men raced after a kick into in-goal.
Again Trinity made use of the extra man as 23-year-old winger Myers finished brilliantly in the corner and Mason Lino’s conversion slashed the lead to four.
Super League’s leading points scorer Connor eventually kicked eight out of nine, a big contribution, but he showed the other side to his game with an interception and break that set up Croft for a try at a big moment in the game.
Still Trinity plugged away and Myers added another after catching Rourke’s kick over the top, but Leeds were not to be denied as Sivo came up with another strong finish in the corner, and Connor added a penalty.
Even the sin-binning of Jack Bird, Leeds’ third yellow card of the night, failed to interrupt the flow of the game as Croft continued his pursuit of team-mate Sivo at the top of the scoring charts with his second of the night and 13th in all.
Saints had won the previous five meetings between these sides, but Wakefield have continued to improve after taking sixth in their first season back in Super League last year.
They were distinctly second-best in the first half, however, and were soon undone as Owen Dagnall’s pace took them deep into Trinity territory and the power of Jake Davies did the rest, forcing his way over despite having two tacklers hanging on.
A looping pass from Jonny Lomax sent Feldt in for a sharp finish in the corner and then, after Harry Robertson had scattered the defence with a strong break, Hastings brilliantly threw a long pass out for Sailor, who accelerated through a gap to seemingly put the home side out of sight.
Paul Rowley’s side were in uncompromising mood, typified by prop Alex Walmsley charging 50 metres to chase down Oliver Pratt as the wing threatened to break away, getting a huge cheer from the home support.
The momentum of the game swung eight minutes into the second half as Saints had a try disallowed, and Wakefield went down the other end and Smoothy brushed Sailor aside to power over and get them on the scoresheet.
Saints’ sudden uncertainty showed as Jackson Hastings opted for two points from a penalty deep in opposition territory, and it looked a good decision as Corey Hall was centimetres short of another Wakefield try.
Saints began to wllt and Wakefield pressed hard, with Faatili going through a gap in the defence to close to within one converted try, but Saints held out to take the points.
A legendary NFL coach found linebacker Rod Martin not by scouting him at USC, but almost by accident.
The Oakland Raiders had a throwaway 12th-round pick in the 1977 draft, and then-coach John Madden grew frustrated hearing his personnel executives contemplate using it on a basketball player or track guy. Finally, Madden blurted out that he could find a random kid walking around the USC campus in sandals who could make more of an impact than that.
“Ron Wolf says, ‘All right, smart guy,’” recalled Madden’s son, Mike. “So they were a couple picks away and dad goes, ‘Let me call [USC coach] John Robinson.’”
Robinson had one question: Has Rod Martin been drafted?
Raiders linebacker Rod Martin stands on the field during a game against the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 6, 1987, at the Coliseum.
(Mike Powell / Getty Images)
“Dad goes, ‘What position does he play?’” the younger Madden said. “Robinson tells him Martin is a linebacker, and dad goes, ‘Good. Tough guy we can knock around in training camp. Have him run down on kicks.’ And Robinson says, ‘No, John. Rod Martin will make your team.’”
Martin did a lot more than make the team. He would go on to set a Super Bowl record with three interceptions in one of the most dominant defensive performances in championship history.
Martin, who would play his entire 12-year career with the Oakland then Los Angeles Raiders, is dead at age 72. The Raiders announced his death Monday but did not specify a cause of death.
“The Raiders family is deeply saddened by the passing of Rod Martin, a standout linebacker and key player on two Super Bowl championship teams,” read a team statement.
The franchise called Martin, “a beloved member of the Raiders Family and a favorite of Raiders fans everywhere.”
A two-time Super Bowl winner and a two-time Pro Bowl selection, Martin saved his best game for the biggest stage. In Super Bowl XV at the Louisiana Superdome, he intercepted Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski three times in a 27-10 Raiders victory.
“What I remember about Rod was his ability to diagnose and react,” Jaworski said by phone Monday. “In the Super Bowl, he makes two phenomenal plays. He has three interceptions, but interceptions one and two — I’d like to say they were bad decisions on my part. They weren’t. I tried to squeeze throws in. He just made a great play. He was a great athlete.”
Three years later, Martin was still a key component to the Raiders’ defense in a Super Bowl victory over Washington. He had a sack of quarterback Joe Theismann, a fumble recovery, and a fourth-and-one stop of John Riggins late in the third quarter of a 38-9 blowout.
Born in Welch, W. Va., the son of a coal miner grew up in Los Angeles and attended Hamilton High before going on to play at Los Angeles City College and USC. The NFL saw him as a tweener, too small for linebacker at 210 pounds and too slow to play safety. Clearly, that was a faulty assessment.
Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon was two years behind Martin at Hamilton, and the two remained friends throughout the decades that followed.
“We met when I was a sophomore,” Moon said. “He was a senior — middle linebacker, fullback and center on the basketball team. He was the ultimate athlete. At the time I was there, I looked up to him quite a lot.
“He wasn’t the biggest guy in the world, but he was big enough. He had the strongest hands and the strongest forearms. He could just take a tight end or whoever came to block him, grab his pads, shove him off and go make the play. He was just a real solid player.”
It was those hands that grabbed an opportunity with the Raiders and didn’t let go.
“So dad goes marching into the draft room,” Madden said, “looks at Ron and everybody else and says, ‘We’re going to take Rod Martin, linebacker, USC.’ And they did.”
The result was Wigan’s third successive Super League defeat and despite a promising showing with Sambou and Eckersley’s scores, it was Castleford who dominated much of the 80 minutes.
Wigan, without Harry Smith and Sam Walters through suspension as well as front rower Ethan Havard because of injury, were stunned when Castleford led early on following a flowing set, with Mapapalangi exchanging passes with Jason Qareqare before running in.
The hosts almost responded through Jai Field soon after but Mikaele Ravalawa showed incredible strength to wrestle him out of bounds before he could get the ball down.
Sambou’s sensational score was the pick of the first half, as he worked onto Eckersley’s offload, absorbed Qareqare’s tackle and outstretched his arm to ground the ball in mid-air before he went into touch.
Sambou and Eckersley linked up again shortly after, this time as Sambou beat Qareqare in an aerial battle. He tipped Jack Farrimond’s kick to the corner into the path of Eckersley, who touched down for his fourth try in as many meetings with the Tigers.
Castleford’s response after the break came via a clever pass from Tom Weaver as he sent Ashworth through to spin to the line under pressure from the hosts’ defence.
The visitors were not done there and Mapapalangi raced down the wing as Castleford kept up the pressure, eventually receiving the ball again and chasing his own kick to ground his second try of the afternoon.
Cas asserted themselves further when Lawler powered over the line and could have put the gloss on a thumping win when Weaver went in, but his score was chalked off for obstruction in the build-up.
