First Thing: Tensions rise over Hormuz as Trump threatens to blow Iran ‘off the face of the earth’ ...Middle East

Good morning.

Donald Trump has again raised the stakes in the Gulf region with the Monday launch of “Project Freedom” to open a route through the strait of Hormuz. More than 800 ships and roughly 20,000 crew members remain stranded in the region.

Just hours after the operation began, the US military said it destroyed six small Iranian boats and interceptedIranian cruise missiles and drones – a claim that was denied by Iran – and Iran attacked the United Arab Emirates with drones and missiles, setting the oil port of Fujairah on fire.

Trump then threatened that Iran would be “blown off the face of the earth” if it attacked any of the US vessels in Hormuz.

Have any vessels made it out of the strait? US Central Command (Centcom) said two US-flagged merchant vessels had “successfully transited” the strait, but Iran has denied this claim. Late on Monday, the container shipping company Maersk said the Alliance Fairfax – a US-flagged vehicle carrier – exited the Gulf. Shipping industry experts remain skeptical about whether vessels will be able to travel safely to and from the Gulf under Trump’s plan.

This is a developing story. Follow the liveblog here.

US supreme court expedites Voting Rights Act ruling, allowing Louisiana Republicans to redraw maps for midterms

The US supreme court on Monday allowed a recent ruling that gutted a key part of the Voting Rights Act to take effect ahead of schedule – a procedural move that helps Louisiana Republicans redraw their congressional maps before this year’s midterm elections.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson strongly criticised the court for departing from its usual procedure of waiting 32 days to formally issue its judgment to the lower court. “The Court’s decision to buck our usual practice under Rule 45.3 and issue the judgment forthwith is tantamount to an approval of Louisiana’s rush to pause the ongoing election in order to pass a new map,” she wrote.

How will this play into the overall battle for Congress? Red states, including Alabama and Tennessee, are rushing to revise their congressional maps after the original supreme court decision. On Monday, Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, signed a gerrymandered congressional district map into law that gives Republicans an electoral advantage in four additional races in November’s midterm elections.

How are Democrats fighting back? Eight candidates have been added to their slate of top contenders vying to reclaim a Democratic House majority in November’s midterm elections.

When do voters head to the polls? Ohio voters will today select candidates before November’s midterm elections, including the candidates for Ohio’s Senate special election. Indiana voters also go to the polls today, with seven Republican state senators battling for re-election against candidates backed by Trump.

In other news …

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have settled their legal dispute from the production of their 2024 film It Ends With Us, putting an end to a highly anticipated trial before it began.

Zohran Mamdani and other local officials condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after federal officers dragged a man out of a hospital building, prompting a crowd of protesters to gather outside and clash with police.

A US judge on Monday apologized for the “legally deficient” treatment of the man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump at the White House correspondents’ dinner.

The rapper Kid Cudi has fired MIA from his tour after the British artist went on a rant about being a Republican on stage in Dallas.

Stat of the day: 70% of voters believe climate action can lower the cost of living

An influential group of progressives has put forward a “working-class climate agenda” seeking to counter claims that climate policy is politically toxic amid a cost of living crisis. A recent survey found that 70% of voters – including 65% of Republicans – believe climate action can lower the cost of living, a finding that suggests working people may be receptive to green policies, they say.

Culture pick: Ex-Vampire Weekender Rostam on what it means to be Iranian-American

Rostam Batmanglij explores his relationship with American culture and his American citizenship as an Iranian American in his third solo album, American Stories, fusing together Americana with sounds of the Middle East.

Don’t miss this: The man who blew up a nuclear power station and disappeared

In December 1982, Rodney Wilkinson set off four bombs in the Koeberg nuclear power station in South Africa, in an act of defiance against the apartheid state that made him the most wanted saboteur in South African history. Then he got on his bicycle and rode away, disappearing for more than 40 years. How did he do it?

… or this: The battle to flip Ohio

Ohio lies at the center of Democrats’ hopes of retaking control of Congress in the midterm elections and hobbling Trump’s legislative agenda. They’re hoping that voters, frustrated with rising gas prices and the war in Iran, will vote against the Republicans who supported Trump’s policies.

Climate check: The ‘point of no return’ for New Orleans

New Orleans may be surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico before the end of this century, a study has concluded, with rising sea levels and the rampant erosion of wetlands threatening to swallow up the city within decades. The study’s authors are recommending that the process of relocating residents out of city begin immediately.

Last Thing: The Met Gala red carpet

“Fashion is art” at the 2026 Met Gala, with stars such as Hailey Bieber and Kim Kardashian wearing sculpted numbers while others such as Gigi Hadid choosing to turn their bodies into a canvas. This year’s event was funded by honorary chairs Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, prompting protests.

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First Thing: Tensions rise over Hormuz as Trump threatens to blow Iran ‘off the face of the earth’ NYT News Today.

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