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The Latest: Iran deal progress is murky after US military says it carried out ‘self-defense’ strikes

May 26, 2026, 6:26 AM

President Donald Trump, from left, Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth atten...

President Donald Trump, from left, Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attend a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2026, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Credit: AP Photo/Alex Brandon

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump insists a peace deal is close on this 88th day of the Iran war, but Iran on Tuesday denounced U.S. air strikes as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability” as negotiations continue. Meanwhile, state media in Lebanon reports that Israel has killed 12 more people in another strike. Iran has demanded that any deal must include an end to hostilities in Lebanon and Gaza.

In Washington, the president has a medical check-up on his schedule, and the redistricting war also continues — the Congressional Black Caucus is urging corporate America to get involved to save voting rights, ending a collective retreat during Trump’s second presidency. in Texas, the Trump-backed, scandal-plagued Ken Paxton is favored over Sen. John Cornyn in Tuesday’s GOP primary runoff election.

The Latest:

Trump arrives at Walter Reed military hospital for his latest physical

The White House said Trump would participate in a greeting with service members and hospital staff before he spends hours being examined by a team of doctors.

It is the Republican president’s fourth publicly disclosed medical exam since he returned to office in January 2025, and it comes as the nearly 80-year-old Trump tries to project strength going into November elections that will test his sway with voters.

The White House says the visit is an annual preventative medical and dental checkup. Trump was last at Walter Reed in October and also had a physical there in April 2025.

Last July, the White House said he’d been diagnosed with a condition common in older adults that causes blood to pool in his veins, causing the swollen ankles seen in some photos of Trump.

The White House also has blamed handshaking for visible bruising on Trump’s hands.

Presidents aren’t required to disclose health information

There’s no law requiring these disclosures and the degree of transparency varies.

Presidents for decades have released medical test results to try to reassure the public that they are up to the high-pressure job.

But the president signs off on what is released, which raises questions about what isn’t being shared.

Trump’s past medical reports have been criticized for offering scant detail and including statistics that some medical experts eyed with skepticism.

It will be several hours before the White House releases any information about Tuesday’s exam.

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The Latest: Iran deal progress is murky after US military says it carried out ‘self-defense’ strikes