Tracking the retirement announcements of members of Congress

A number of member of Congress from both major parties have announced they are heading for the exits, either because they are seeking higher office, are not running again or are leaving early before the 2026 elections.

Midterms are historically tough on the party of the sitting president. With Republicans holding a razor-thin margin in the House, tracking Republicans who are set to leave, including some of President Donald Trump's top Capitol Hill allies, can provide a window into what work the party has ahead of it in angling to maintain control.

For Democrats, retirement announcements by Republicans are a window of opportunity.

Congressional retirements can be a key barometer before the midterm elections, an indicator of how much churn could be coming to Capitol Hill in the coming cycle.

Here's where things stand in the House ahead of 2026, with the members who have announced they're not planning to return:

Date of announcement: Dec. 23

Reason: Running for Senate

Wyoming’s lone U.S. representative, Hageman became the first to announce to launch her Senate campaign after Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis announced her retirement. Hageman — who within hours had Trump's endorsement — is best known for beating Republican Rep. Liz Cheney by a wide margin in 2022.

Date of announcement: Dec. 17.

Reason: Retiring

Among 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, Newhouse withstood a challenge from a Trump-backed opponent last year en route to his sixth term. His departure now only leaves one House GOP backer of impeachment who could be returning after the 2026 midterms: Rep. David Valadao of California, who is running for reelection.

Date of announcement: Dec. 8.

Reason: Running for judicial seat

He was first elected to the House in 2012. His district is among those redrawn as more friendly to Republicans in a rare mid-decade effort recently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court for use in the 2026 midterm elections. Veasey said he would pursue a judicial position in Tarrant County; he has since dropped out of that race.

Date of announcement: Dec. 8.

Reason: Running for Senate

Crockett, one of Congress’ most outspoken Democrats, a frequent target of GOP attacks and a Trump target, jumped into the race on the final day of qualifying in Texas, hours after former Rep. Colin Allred ended his own campaign for the Democratic nomination in favor of attempting a House comeback bid. Crockett is seeking the Senate seat held by Republican John Cornyn, who is running for reelection in the GOP-dominated state.

Date of announcement: Dec. 5.

Reason: Retiring

Doggett, who has represented an Austin-based district for more than three decades, said that he would be departing the House after the end of his current term, citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision upholding the state’s new district map merging two Austin-area districts favorable to Democrats. In 2024, Doggett was the first sitting lawmaker in the party to publicly call for President Joe Biden to step down as the party’s nominee for president, citing Biden’s debate performance against Trump failing to “effectively defend his many accomplishments.”

Date of announcement: Nov. 29.

Reason: Retiring

In his announcement, Nehls shared he would be retiring from Congress after three terms and endorsed his twin brother Trever to succeed him. Nehls was first elected to represent the district southwest of Houston in 2020, and was a staunch ally of Trump’s. He was tapped by then-House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy to sit on a select committee probing the Capitol riot, though McCarthy later pulled all his picks when Democrats refused to seat some of his choices.

Date of announcement: Nov. 21.

Reason: Resigning

Greene’s transformation from Trump loyalist to one of his harshest critics culminated in her surprise announcement that she would end her congressional career in January 2026. Greene’s resignation followed a public falling-out with Trump in recent months, as the congresswoman criticized him for his stance on files related to Jeffrey Epstein, along with foreign policy and health care. First elected to represent a deeply conservative seat in northwest Georgia in 2020, she spent her first few terms closely tied to the “Make America Great Again” movement.

Date of announcement: Nov. 21.

Reason: Running for governor

A former presidential candidate, Swalwell joined a crowded race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Swalwell, who also served as a House manager in Trump’s second impeachment trial, has represented a northern district that falls east of San Francisco since 2013. His current district’s boundary lines will change slightly due to mid cycle redistricting approved by voters last month, but remains heavily Democratic.

Date of announcement: Nov. 20.

Reason: Retiring

Velázquez is the second-longest serving member of the New York U.S. House delegation (and only by a technicality; fellow retiring representative Jerry Nadler was also first elected in 1992 but took his seat a few months early due to his predecessor’s death). The first Puerto Rican woman to serve in Congress, Velázquez has represented a heavily Democratic district that includes northeast Brooklyn and western Queens. She has a reputation for mentoring progressive lawmakers, and most recently was among the early backers of New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist. She cited the need for generational change in her announcement.

Date of announcement: Nov. 11.

Reason: Retiring

Despite already receiving Trump’s endorsement for his reelection campaign, Arrington announced shortly after the 2025 general election that he would be retiring from Congress. Arrington, a fiscal hawk, is the chair of the House Budget Committee and played a key role in passing Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a large-scale tax and spending bill. He was first elected to a sprawling conservative Texas district that contains Lubbock and Abilene in 2016.

Date of announcement: Nov. 10.

Reason: Retiring

A fixture in New Jersey politics, Watson Coleman announced her sixth term would be her last. The first Black woman elected to represent New Jersey in the U.S. House, Watson Coleman has served the district around the state capital of Trenton and the tony college town of Princeton sine 2014, after spending almost two decades representing part of the region in the state legislature. Her seat votes reliably Democratic.

Dates of announcement: Nov. 7 and Dec. 19

Reason: Running for governor, then retiring

Stefanik made her challenge to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul official shortly after the 2025 general election but ultimately announced that she would neither run for governor nor return to the House, bowing out of what was expected to be a bruising Republican gubernatorial primary. Elected to represent a conservative upstate New York district in 2014, Stefanik rose to be the third-ranking House Republican, shedding her earlier reputation as a moderate as she embraced Trump. Nominated to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in 2025, her nomination was withdrawn over concerns about Republicans’ narrow House majority. Since then, she has more openly discussed her displeasure with the Republican conference, and specifically House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Date of announcement: Nov. 6.

Reason: Running for governor

Garcia turned in nominating petitions for the 2026 primary in October but confirmed right when the filing period ended that he would not seek a fifth term in his western Chicago seat. His late announcement left only one other candidate who had submitted the necessary paperwork: his chief of staff. The eyebrow-raising maneuver led the House to reprimand Garcia last month. Garcia cited the health of himself and his wife, who has multiple sclerosis, as among the reasons for why he would not seek reelection.

Date of announcement: Nov. 6.

Reason: Retiring

The first female House speaker said her career in Congress would come to an end after nearly 40 years in office. Pelosi represented San Francisco but made her mark on the national stage, ushering through impactful legislation like the Affordable Care Act and keeping an unruly Democratic caucus in line throughout the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations. She played key roles in both impeaching Trump and encouraging Biden to end his 2024 reelection campaign.

Date of announcement: Nov. 5.

Reason: Retiring

After a half-decade of narrow reelections, Golden announced he would be stepping down from one of the most competitive districts in the country. He cited incivility in Congress and threats against his family in a story in the Bangor Daily News announcing his retirement. Golden, first elected in 2018, is one of the most moderate Democrats in Congress and has shown his willingness to break with his party on issues ranging from impeaching Trump to reopening the government during this fall’s shutdown.

Date of announcement: Oct. 28.

Reason: Running for governor

Iowa’s congressional delegation is reshuffling in light of surprise announcements from Gov. Kim Reynolds and Sen. Joni Ernst that neither was seeking reelection in 2026. Between Reynolds’ April announcement and Feenstra’s official announcement, the representative announced millions of dollars in fundraising. Feenstra has represented the state’s northwest quadrant since 2021, after he toppled controversial incumbent Rep. Steve King in the primary. Feenstra’s district is among the most conservative in the state, though Democrats have a few other races they’re eying.

Date of announcement: Oct. 15.

Reason: Running for Senate

The six-term representative cited the need for generational change in announcing his challenge to Sen. Ed Markey. Moulton currently represents the northeastern corner of Massachusetts, and has drawn nominal opposition in his heavily Democratic district. Markey beat back a similar challenge from Rep. Joe Kennedy in 2020.

Date of announcement: Oct. 6.

Reason: Running for Senate

Hunt drew ire from Senate Republican leadership for taking on Cornyn in what party leaders fear will become an expensive, messy primary. Cornyn’s cool relationship with Trump has drawn another candidate beyond the two-term Houston-area congressman, controversial Texas attorney general Ken Paxton. Both are running on their relationship to Trump. Hunt’s runs deep: He was the first Republican to endorse him after the former president’s 2022 comeback campaign announcement, and he gave a prime-time speech on opening night of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. He also campaigned 17 times for Trump in 2024, more than any other Republican surrogate.

Date of announcement: Sept. 30.

Reason: Running for governor

Schweikert cited the dysfunction in the Congress as motivation for seeking the governorship. First elected to the House in 2010, Schweikert has in recent years won incredibly narrow reelection campaigns in his suburban Phoenix district. Democrats are again targeting his seat in 2026. A budget hawk, Schweikert has consistently backed Trump’s agenda. Still, according to his campaign consultant, he hopped into a Republican field against the White House’s wishes that already included two Trump-backed candidates, housing developer Karrin Taylor Robson and House Freedom Caucus member U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs. The winner will take on Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.

Date of announcement: Sept. 23.

Reason: Running for governor

Tiffany announced he would join one of the most competitive governor’s races in the country after serving three terms in Congress. The office held by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has been hotly contested in the last few cycles. The Trump loyalist received the president’s endorsement in all of his previous campaigns for the House, but Trump has not yet made an endorsement in the Republican primary. Tiffany’s district, which includes a large swath of the state’s rural north, consistently supports Republicans.

Date of announcement: Sept. 14.

Reason: Retiring

McCaul offered an ominous warning about Russian aggression when he announced his retirement in an interview earlier this year. A former anti-terrorism prosecutor and past chairman of the House Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs committees, McCaul, is part of an older generation of foreign policy hawks who’ve tried to counter a younger crop of Republicans who are more skeptical about U.S. intervention elsewhere in the world. McCaul was first elected in 2004. His district, which stretches from Houston to Austin, consistently backs Republican candidates.

Date of announcement: Sept. 11.

Reason: Retiring

The Houston-area congressman announced his second term would be his last, marking yet another departure for the Texas GOP congressional delegation. Luttrell cited a desire to spend more time in Texas, describing this summer’s deadly central Texas flooding as a “moment of clarity.” His current district’s boundary lines will change slightly due to mid cycle redistricting but remains heavily Republican.

Date of announcement: Sept. 3.

Reason: Running for Senate

Hinson is vacating a seat in Iowa’s northeastern corner to seek the seat held by Sen. Joni Ernst. Ernst’s surprise retirement came after she drew heavy criticism for her hesitation on one of Trump’s cabinet picks; in a radio interview that served as her official campaign announcement, Hinson said she was running to be “President Trump’s top ally in the United States Senate.” Hinson flipped her district in 2020 and won her relatively split district by larger margins in 2022 and 2024. Democrats had already indicated they put her district on its list of potential pickups.

Date of announcement: Sept. 1.

Reason: Retiring

After more than two decades in Congress, the dean of New York’s House delegation is hanging it up. Nadler announced his retirement in early September, describing how watching Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign underscored the need for generational change. He had been a fixture in Manhattan for decades, representing multiple versions of a wealthy uptown district that is heavily Democratic. Nadler was chairman of the House Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2023, then served as ranking member on the panel after Republicans won House leadership. He stepped down from that role late last year.

Date of announcement: Aug. 21.

Reason: Running for Texas attorney general

After four terms in the House, and years of challenging party leadership as a prominent member of the House Freedom Caucus, Roy announced he would run to succeed Paxton. Roy has represented a district just north of San Antonio since 2019. While he’s known as a fiscal conservative, his relationship with Trump has been complicated at times as one of the few Republicans who initially pushed back against Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

Date of announcement: Aug. 12.

Reason: Running for Senate

Moore joined the small House Freedom Caucus exodus of retirements when he announced he would not seek a fourth term in the House and instead run to succeed Sen. Tommy Tuberville. Tuberville is running for governor of Alabama. Moore’s campaign launch underscored his ties to Trump. In it, he promised to “defend the MAGA agenda in the Senate.”

Date of announcement: Aug. 4.

Reason: Running for governor

Mace represents South Carolina's 1st District, and with the exception of a single term, it's been in GOP hands for decades. And thanks to redistricting following the 2020 census, it's considered to be more friendly to Republicans. Mace, who worked for Trump's 2016 campaign, was first elected to the House in 2020. She has largely supported him, although her criticism against him following the Capitol riot spurred Trump to back a GOP challenger in her 2022 race. Mace defeated that opponent, won reelection and was endorsed by Trump in her 2024 campaign.

Date of announcement: July 31.

Reason: Retiring

After 15 terms, Davis became the second longtime Illinois representative to announce his retirement from office. At the time of his announcement, two others had also said they would seek an open Senate seat. Davis’s district, a solidly Democratic piece of Chicago, includes large sections of the city’s south and west sides. In recent years, he had fended off concerns over his age and closer primaries than in years prior.

Date of announcement: July 28.

Reason: Running for Senate

Collins joined fellow Georgia House delegation member Buddy Carter in seeking to challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in what will become one of the most closely watched Senate contests of 2026. Collins will leave Congress after two terms representing a district east of Atlanta. He won his 2022 race in part by portraying himself as an everyman trucker and hard-core Donald Trump acolyte.

Date of announcement: July 25.

Reason: Running for governor

Norman announced he would join an already crowded race to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Henry McMaster. Known as one of the most conservative members of the House, and a member of the House Freedom Caucus, Norman has nevertheless had a strained relationship with Trump over the years as he endorsed longtime colleague and primary opponent Nikki Haley in 2024. Norman was elected to the House in 2017 in a special election to replace Trump’s head of the Office of Management and Budget.

Date of announcement: June 30.

Reason: Retiring

Evans announced in June he was vacating the district representing the heart of Philadelphia. He was first elected in 2016 after defeating then-incumbent Rep. Chaka Fattah, who was indicted on federal racketeering charges. He also spent more than three decades in the state legislature. His densely populated district consistently elects Democrats, by wide margins.

Date of announcement: June 30.

Reason: Running for governor

South Dakota's lone House representative will leave Congress after eight years to seek the governorship. Johnson succeeded current Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in the House. Noem was the most recently elected governor of South Dakota, but after she was tapped for the Cabinet earlier this year, her lieutenant governor was elevated to the job. Johnson could face the incumbent, as well as other Republican hopefuls, in the gubernatorial primary. Johnson has a largely conservative voting record, but has sometimes joined a minority of Republicans in voting against Trump, including when he voted to override Trump’s veto of a measure that revoked his declaration of an emergency at the southern border. He was later one of 35 House Republicans who voted to establish a commission to investigate the Capitol riot.

Date of announcement: June 30.

Reason: Retiring

Forced to navigate an ever-thinning line between staying in his party’s and Trump’s good graces without alienating his increasingly Democratic district, Bacon has said he is proud of his bipartisan approach in the face of bitter partisanship in Washington. First elected in 2016, Bacon has said he believes Republicans will have a good shot at keeping the seat in 2026, because he believes Democrats in the race so far appeal mainly to the hard left.

Date of announcement: May 8.

Reason: Running for Senate

Among Georgia's House Republicans vying to challenge Ossoff, Carter has been returned to office by voters by double-digit margins since he was first elected to the chamber in 2014. More circumspect when Trump first entered the White House in 2017, Carter has grown to cast himself as a “MAGA Warrior,” supporting Trump's false claims that he had won the 2020 presidential election and now among those vying for his endorsement in the Senate primary.

Date of announcement: May 7.

Reason: Running for Senate

Krishnamoorthi is one of many Illinois Democrats seeking to succeed retiring Sen. Dick Durbin. His Chicago-area district is considered heavily Democratic, and Krishnamoorthi has been reelected by double digits since winning his first House race in 2016.

Date of announcement: May 6.

Reason: Running for Senate

Kelly, among the Illinois Democrats vacating other offices to seek Durbin's Senate seat, was first elected to the House in a 2013 special election. In the years since, she's been easily reelected in the heavily Democratic district.

Date of announcement: May 5.

Reason: Retiring

First winning the seat in 1998, Schakowsky has been easily reelected ever since. The heavily Democratic 9th District includes Chicago neighborhoods along Lake Michigan and a mix of wealthy and middle-class suburbs north and northwest of the city.

Date of announcement: April 29.

Reason: Running for Senate

Craig has represented the suburban-to-rural 2nd District south of Minneapolis and St. Paul since unseating Republican Jason Lewis in the 2018 election. While her territory was once considered a swing district, it has trended Democratic in recent years — running as a centrist, she won reelection by a 13 percentage point margin in 2024 — and could conceivably become competitive again with her out.

Date of announcement: April 22.

Reason: Running for Senate

Stevens sailed to victory in her last election representing Michigan's Oakland County, a key voting block in the battleground state. After flipping what had been a reliably Republican seat in 2018 and narrowly defeating her 2020 opponent in 2020, she cruised to reelection in 2022 and 2024 after her district was redrawn and became more favorable to Democrats.

Date of announcement: April 22.

Reason: Running for Senate

Defeating a Democratic incumbent in 2012, Barr has — in all but one contest — been reelected by wide margins ever since. Now that he's entered the robust 2026 primary to succeed retiring Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, Barr’s decision not to return to the House sets up what Democrats see as a potential pick up opportunity. Democrats have signaled that they plan to target Barr’s seat among others in trying to win back the House next year, drawing derision from Republicans, who say the Lexington-area district is more GOP-friendly following the last round of redistricting.

Date of announcement: April 7.

Reason: Running for governor

James' April 2025 announcement — just months into his second term — that he's running to replace term-limited Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer leaves open one of the nation's most competitive congressional seats. Democrats have aggressively targeted the 10th District, which covers parts of northern Detroit suburbs in Oakland and Macomb counties since James flipped it in 2022.

Date of announcement: April 3.

Reason: Running for Senate

Pappas announced in April 2025 that he would run to replace retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Making history in 2018 by becoming New Hampshire's first openly gay member of Congress, Pappas in 2022 defeated GOP opponent Karoline Leavitt, who is now Trump's White House press secretary.

Date of announcement: March 20.

Reason: Running for governor

Rose, who announced his bid for governor in March 2025, has voiced strong support for Trump in a state he's easily won in the past three presidential elections. The wealthy businessman, farmer and former state agriculture commissioner is among those vying for Trump's backing in the GOP gubernatorial primary.

Date of announcement: Feb. 25.

Reason: Running for governor

A staunch Trump ally since he was elected to the House in 2020. Donalds has been part of the conservative congressional Tea Party Caucus. A frequent surrogate for the president, Donalds was also on a short list of people considered to be Trump’s vice presidential running mate last year and had Trump's backing immediately upon announcing his gubernatorial bid in February 2025.

Date of announcement: Jan. 22.

Reason: Running for governor

Biggs' departure from the House means the departure of one of Trump's top congressional defenders, but his deep red district is likely to stay in GOP hands. First elected to the House in 2016, the former chair of the House Freedom Caucus supported Trump's false claims about the 2020 presidential election being stolen, and he was among the Republicans who helped oust McCarthy as speaker in 2023. Announcing in January 2025 that he was pursuing the GOP nomination for governor, Biggs received backing from Trump — who had already officially endorsed another Republican in the race. Trump said he had a “problem” when Biggs jumped in, and now says both candidates have his “COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT.”

Date of announcement: Nov. 28, 2024

Reason: Running for governor

Sherrill announced the impending end of her House career less than a month after winning her fourth term in November 2024, subsequently launching her bid for governor. She won last month as part of Democrats' successes across a handful of high-level, off-year elections and then resigned her seat Nov. 21. A special election has been set for early 2026.

Visitors walk the steps in front of the the U.S. Capitol, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

A visitor and his son walk along the National Mall near the Capitol, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

The U.S. Capitol is seen from the base of the Washington Monument, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

The U.S. Capitol is seen shortly before sunset, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday would be the most intense day yet of U.S. strikes inside Iran. The Islamic Republic, its firepower diminished, vowed to fight on. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war’s aim is a popular overthrow of Iran’s government, and “we are breaking their bones.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said U.S. President Donald Trump “is not making anything up” as he offers varying justifications for launching the war.

The U.S. stock market and oil prices were holding relatively steady Tuesday after Trump's signals about how long the war could last caused wild swings in financial and fuel markets. The Pentagon, meanwhile, offered its first tally of American wounded, saying about 140 U.S. troops have been injured, eight severely.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf dismissed any suggestion of seeking a ceasefire, while another top Iranian security official, Ali Larijani, warned Trump himself, writing on X that “Iran doesn’t fear your empty threats. Even those bigger than you couldn’t eliminate Iran. Be careful not to get eliminated yourself.”

Here is the latest:

The short draft resolution “condemns in the strongest terms all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, and calls for their protection.”

It strongly encourages a quick return to negotiations and diplomacy but does not specifically name Iran, the United States or Israel.

The proposed resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, recalls the U.N. Charter’s prohibition on the use of force against a country’s territorial integrity or political independence.

It underlines the importance of ensuring the security of all countries in the Middle East and beyond.

The Ministry of Defense said early Wednesday that it intercepted and destroyed six ballistic missiles launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base, a major U.S.- and Saudi-operated facility in eastern Saudi Arabia.

The ministry also said it intercepted and destroyed two drones over Hafar al-Batin, a major eastern city.

Since the conflict resumed between Hezbollah and Israel after Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel early last week, at least five Lebanese soldiers have been killed.

The man succumbed to his wounds early Wednesday, two days after the strike on his team while they were rescuing people following an earlier attack, the Lebanese Health Ministry said.

It is the first time a Red Cross worker has been killed since the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel erupted March 2.

The Health Ministry and the Lebanese Red Cross have condemned repeated strikes on medical and rescue teams. Another, separate strike Monday wounded one member of a team.

Pyongyang also criticized the United States and Israel for what it called “illegal” attacks on Iran and interference in its internal affairs.

In comments attributed to an unidentified Foreign Ministry spokesperson, North Korea said it respects Iranians’ right to choose their leader.

The spokesperson denounced the United States and Israel, saying their military actions against Iran and efforts to “interfere in its internal affairs and openly advocate the attempt to overthrow its social system deserve worldwide criticism.”

Separately, state media reported that leader Kim Jong Un supervised tests of nuclear-capable cruise missiles from a prized new warship for the second time in two weeks.

Some analysts say the display of naval power is meant to showcase Kim’s military capabilities after the killing of Iran’s previous supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the U.S. sinking of Iranian naval assets — signaling that, unlike Iran, his ships could carry nuclear warheads.

An Israeli strike killed five people and wounded five others in the town of Qana in the Nabatieh district, the Health Ministry said early Wednesday.

Another strike in the Tyre district killed one and wounded eight, while a separate strike in the Bint Jbeil district killed one and injured two, the ministry added.

The attacks happened late Tuesday, two security officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists.

Some drones fell near Iraqi security positions, while others landed near logistical support sites used by U.S.-led coalition forces, one official said. The military installations include Victoria Base, a U.S.-operated compound.

No injuries or damage were reported, and it was not immediately clear who carried out the attack. Pro-Iranian Iraqi militias, including Saraya Awliya al-Dam, have previously targeted the base.

The Iraqi Ministry of Defense condemned the repeated drone and rocket attacks, emphasizing that the air bases are sovereign Iraqi facilities hosting Iraqi Air Force squadrons and army personnel responsible for safeguarding the country’s security.

— Qassem Abdul-Zahra

The Israeli military struck multiple areas early Wednesday after it said it was launching a series of strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure. No injuries were immediately reported.

Tens of thousands had already fled the area following Israel’s evacuation notice for all the southern suburbs.

The minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz were among multiple Iranian vessels taken out by U.S. forces on Tuesday, according to U.S. Central Command.

The military published the figure and unclassified footage of some of the vessels after Trump warned Iran against laying mines in the critical waterway.

They were granted asylum before their teammates departed the country, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.

The two were reunited with five players who were granted humanitarian visas a day earlier, Burke said. One was a player and the other a team staffer.

The rest of the team’s departure from Sydney late Tuesday happened amid outraged protests at the team’s hotel and at the airport. Iranian Australians sought to prevent the women from leaving the country, citing fears for their safety in Iran.

Two Israeli airstrikes killed three people in the town of Hanaouayh, in the Tyre district in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Health Ministry said Tuesday. In a separate strike, a person was killed in Ouzai, a coastal area south of Beirut near the capital’s southern suburbs.

The ministry said the first strike wounded two people. When a paramedic arrived to treat them, a second one hit, killing the paramedic and the two wounded individuals.

In a statement, the ministry condemned what it called the repeated targeting of paramedics carrying out humanitarian work and called on the international community to intervene.

The paramedic worked for the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Authority, which also condemned the attack.

Meanwhile the Lebanese Red Cross condemned the wounding of two of its paramedics by Israeli strikes while responding to casualties in southern Lebanon on Monday.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry has said Israeli strikes since March 2 have killed 486 and wounded 1,313 after Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel, triggering the latest round of fighting.

The North Dakota Republican told reporters that an investigation into whether the U.S. military struck a school in Iran needs to “get to the bottom of it,” and then “admit if you know whose fault it is.”

If it the U.S. was behind it, Cramer said, the military must “do everything you can to eliminate those mistakes going forward.”

“But you also can’t undo it.”

The South Carolina Republican told reporters that he does not support an independent investigation into whether the U.S. military struck a school in Iran.

“I’m not worried about that right now,” said Graham, a staunch supporter of the war. “I’m sorry anybody died. I’m not taking the Iranian bait and listening to them.”

Graham added that if the U.S. were responsible for the deadly strike, it would be “a mistake.”

“These things happen in war.”

Leaders of the Group of Seven most advanced economies will hold the meeting via videoconference Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said in a statement.

The talks will focus on “the economic consequences of the war in the Middle East, in particular the energy situation and measures to mitigate its impact,” it said.

France currently holds the rotating presidency of the G7.

Earlier Tuesday a meeting of G7 energy ministers discussed a potential use of strategic oil reserves to bring down prices.

A spokesperson said the video clip posted by Energy Secretary Chris Wright was deleted from his official X account after it was determined that it was incorrectly captioned by department staff. The post, which claimed that the U.S. Navy had helped an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, was quickly taken down.

Spokesperson Ben Dietderich said the secretary and other officials are “closely monitoring the situation” in the strait, a key access point for oil and natural gas shipments in the Middle East. The military is considering additional options to keep it open “including the potential for our Navy to escort tankers,” Dietderich said.

The prospect of military escorts could help reduce price pressures created by the war.

Trump says the U.S. military “completely destroyed” 10 inactive Iranian mine-laying vessels after reports of Iranian action in the Strait of Hormuz.

And in his social media post he added that there would be “more to follow.” The announcement came soon after two other social media postings by the U.S. president in which he said he has no reports of Iran putting explosive mines in the strategic waterway, but also warned Tehran that if it did, he wants them immediately removed.

The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations once again criticized the U.N. and its most powerful body — the Security Council — for what he characterized as continued silence while the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran stretches into its 11th day.

“The Council is turning a blind eye to these grave violations, despite its primary responsibility under the U.N. Charter to maintain international peace and security,” Amir Saeid Iravani told reporters Tuesday.

“Today it is Iran,” he said, “tomorrow it could be any other sovereign state.”

The S&P 500 fell 0.2% Tuesday after giving up an early gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite was essentially flat.

Oil prices pulled back from where they were in the final moments of the U.S. stock market’s trading late Monday. That was after they plunged from nearly $120 per barrel toward $90 on hopes for a quick end to the war.

Stocks rose in Asia and Europe in their first chance to trade after that fall for oil prices.

The U.S. president said he has no reports of Iran putting explosive mines in the strategic waterway. But if Tehran did, “we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!” he posted on social media.

“If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before,” Trump wrote.

The concern is that mines could make it impossible for tankers to pass through the strait, which could cause oil and natural gas prices to rise. Trump has been sensitive to higher energy prices as a domestic political issue, as his economic argument to voters is based on keeping gasoline costs low.

A fifth of the world’s oil passes through the strait, which is only about 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point.

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The draft resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, condemns Iran’s attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. The measure calls for an immediate end to all strikes and threats against neighboring states, including through proxies.

A vote has been scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, three diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of an official announcement.

The draft, sponsored by Gulf Cooperation Council members, would be the first Security Council resolution considered since Israel and the United States launched airstrikes on Iran and Tehran responded with attacks against Israel and across the region.

— Edith M. Lederer

Military escorts could reopen the Strait of Hormuz for oil and natural gas shipments and reduce a global supply shortage created by the Iran war. And Trump has said the U.S. Navy would escort oil tankers through the strait if necessary. But those escorts haven’t happened yet, the White House said Tuesday.

For now, the Trump administration is providing ship reinsurance — $20 billion on a rolling basis, the U.S. International Development Finance Corp. said — so that shipping companies operating in the Gulf region can be insured against financial losses caused by unstable political conditions, government actions or violence.

There are currently about 400 oil and product tankers idle in the Gulf, and one oil tanker passed through the Strait of Hormuz without incident on Monday, according to data from MarineTraffic, a project that tracks the movement of vessels around the globe using publicly available data.

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The Qatari Defense Ministry says it intercepted another missile attack from Iran. Earlier in the day, Qatar said it intercepted five Iranian ballistic missiles launched, with no casualties or damage reported.

The defense ministry of Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters, said it has intercepted 105 ballistic missiles and 176 drones since the war began. One hit a residential building in Bahrain’s capital, Manama, killing a 29-year-old woman and wounding eight others, the Interior Ministry said.

Israel’s military said it launched new airstrikes targeting Iran’s capital, Tehran, where witnesses reported some of the heaviest bombing yet. Hegseth said Tuesday's U.S. bombardments would be the most intense so far in the war.

The United Arab Emirates’ Defense Ministry said nine drones hit the country on Tuesday, while it intercepted eight missiles and 26 drones, and that the attacks have killed six people and injured 122 others.

A ship likely came under attack in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Abu Dhabi, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center reported. If confirmed, that would expand the radius of ongoing assaults against shipping by Iran.

“If they were ready for a diplomatic solution, it is achievable,” Johann Wadephul said during a visit to Jerusalem. “But for now, this is what we hear from Tehran, they are not ready for a diplomatic solution. And as long as this is not the case, we still have to wait.”

Wadephul met with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar. It is the first visit by a European official to Israel since the beginning of the war with Iran.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt didn’t answer why Trump falsely asserted on Monday that Iran has access to the U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missile, the weapon likely used to strike a girls school in Iran, killing 165 people.

She responded in part that “the president has a right to share his opinions with the American public” while noting “he has said he’ll accept the conclusion of that investigation.”

Raytheon, the U.S. manufacturer of the Tomahawk, sells the weapon to some allies, but there is no evidence to suggest that Iran has gotten its hands on the cruise missile.

Israel says Iran has been firing cluster munitions throughout this war, adding a complicated and deadly challenge to Israel’s already-stretched air defenses.

The warheads burst open at high altitudes, scattering dozens of smaller bomblets across a wide area. The smaller bombs, which at night can resemble orange fireballs, are difficult to intercept and have proved lethal.

Normally restrictive about releasing information on Iranian hits and damage, Israeli authorities in recent days have sought to educate the public about their dangers, which can persist as unexploded bombs on the ground even after civilians leave shelters. At least three people have been killed, including two at a construction site in central Israel on Tuesday.

Over 120 countries have signed an international convention banning the use of cluster munitions. Israel, the United States and Iran are among the nations that have not joined the treaty. Israel used the weapon when it fought the Iran-allied Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in 2006.

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The Pentagon says about 140 U.S. service members have been wounded in conflict with Iran.

“The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and 108 service members have already returned to duty,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in an emailed statement. Eight are currently “severely injured,” Parnell added.

These numbers are the first insight into the broader toll of injuries sustained by U.S. troops after a barrage of retaliatory rocket and drone strikes from Iran that also killed seven soldiers in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

They say extensive strikes led to electricity cuts in many western neighborhoods. One resident who lives in the western part of the capital said his neighborhood was shaking for half an hour because of strikes around midnight.

Another resident said he didn’t think he would survive the night.

A 27-year-old mother of a toddler said she witnessed a residential building get hit. She and others reached by The Associated Press spoke on condition of anonymity to prevent reprisals.

Iranian media said civilians were the main casualties in the overnight strikes. AP could not independently confirm the claims.

On Tuesday, Tehran’s streets were less crowded and many private businesses closed their offices earlier, fearing more strikes.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday would be the most intense day yet of U.S. strikes inside Iran.

— Jon Gambrell

Humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher will brief the Security Council at an emergency meeting Wednesday morning, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

France called for the meeting with support from the council’s other European members: the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece and Latvia. Paris expressed deep concern about escalating violence in Lebanon, where Israel has resumed deadly airstrikes, and condemned Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel since March 1.

France’s Foreign Ministry urged Hezbollah “to end its operations and hand over its weapons” and on Israel “to refrain from any land-based or long-term interventions in Lebanon.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin noted the need for a political settlement to the war during his phone call Tuesday with Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian.

Putin also reaffirmed his “principled position in favor of a quick de-escalation of the conflict,” the Kremlin said in a readout, adding that Pezeshkian thanked Putin for Russia’s support, including humanitarian assistance.

The two men last spoke by phone on Friday, and their second official call of the war comes a day after the Russian leader discussed the conflict with Trump.

Several people also were wounded when Israeli forces fired at a house in central Gaza’s Zawaida area on Tuesday, according to Al-Aqsa Hospital. The Israeli military did not immediately comment.

Gaza has seen near-daily Israeli strikes during the current war with Iran, killing at least 18 Palestinians, Gaza’s Health Ministry says. Nearly 650 people in Gaza have been killed since Israel and Hamas agreed to a fragile ceasefire deal in October, according to the ministry.

Gaza’s militants have so far stayed on the sidelines during the current U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

Toronto Police Deputy Chief Frank Barredo said two individuals emerged from a white Honda CRV SUV at around 4:30 a.m. and fired multiple shots at the building before fleeing. Nobody was injured.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Chief Superintendent Chris Leather called it a national security incident and said the American and Israeli consulates as well as embassies in Ottawa will see more security.

Two Toronto-area synagogues were struck by gunfire last weekend. Toronto has a large Iranian community and there have been demonstrations outside the U.S. consulate both in support and in protest of the war.

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Three fully equipped teams will arrive this week in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told journalists Tuesday.

Answering a follow-up question, Zelenskyy’s communications adviser said an expert team was also being sent to a U.S. base in Jordan. An official in the president’s office confirmed that these are military personnel.

Last week, he said the U.S. and its allies in the Middle East were seeking Ukraine’s expertise in countering Iran’s Shahed drones.

Russia has fired tens of thousands of Shaheds at Ukraine since it invaded its neighbor just over four years ago.

A boy runs inside cement pipe turned into a bomb shelter as air raid sirens warn of incoming Iranian missile strike in Michmoret, Israel, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

A displaced woman holds a child as another stands beside her between rows of tents at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, which has been turned into a shelter for people displaced by Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon and Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Smoke rise from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

People walk past closed shops at the nearly empty traditional main bazaar in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Protesters wave Iranian flags and hold a portrait of the late Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his son Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to support his selection as the new Iran's Supreme Leader in Baghdad, Monday, March 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

A man passes in front of a destroyed building that housed a branch of Al-Qard Al-Hassan, a non-bank financial institution run by Hezbollah, which was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listens as President Donald Trump speaks to reporters while traveling aboard Air Force One en route from Dover Air Force Base, Del., to Miami, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Motorbikes drive past a billboard depicting Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center, handing the country’s flag to his son and successor Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, right, as the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stands at left, in a square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Flames rise from an oil storage facility south of the capital Tehran as strikes hit the city during the U.S.–Israel military campaign, Iran, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iraqis hold a portrait of the new successor to Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei at a bridge leading to the fortified Green Zone where the U.S. embassy is located in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, March 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

A coffin is carried during the funeral of mostly children killed in a strike Feb. 28 at a girls' elementary school in Minab, Iran, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Abbas Zakeri/Mehr News Agency via AP)

This image taken from video provided by Iran state TV shows Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Iran's slain supreme leader, who has been named as the Islamic Republic's next ruler, authorities announced Monday, March 9, 2026. (Iran state TV via AP)