Jun 25, 2019 - World

Trump sets new red line, threatening Iran with "obliteration"

Photo: Xinhua/Ting Shen via Getty Images

President Trump tweeted on Tuesday that any "attack by Iran on anything American will be met with great and overwhelming force."

Why it matters: It's a new red line for Trump in the latest round of heightened tensions with Iran. The president previously called off a military strike in response to the downing of a U.S. drone, claiming the death toll would be disproportionate. His tweet on Tuesday strikes a markedly new tone.

"Iran leadership doesn't understand the words "nice" or "compassion," they never have. Sadly, the thing they do understand is Strength and Power, and the USA is by far the most powerful Military Force in the world, with 1.5 Trillion Dollars invested over the last two years alone. The wonderful Iranian people are suffering, and for no reason at all. Their leadership spends all of its money on Terror, and little on anything else. The U.S. has not forgotten Iran’s use of IED's & EFP's (bombs), which killed 2000 Americans, and wounded many more. Iran's very ignorant and insulting statement, put out today, only shows that they do not understand reality. Any attack by Iran on anything American will be met with great and overwhelming force. In some areas, overwhelming will mean obliteration. No more John Kerry & Obama!"

Context: The U.S. imposed new sanctions against Iran's leadership and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday. Iran's foreign ministry responded by saying these sanctions have led to the "permanent closure of the path of diplomacy," while President Hassan Rouhani blasted the White House's move as "useless" and indicative of a "mental handicap."

Go deeper... Timeline: How Trump and Tehran came to the brink of war

Go deeper

Axios

Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 12 p.m. ET: 10,920,457 — Total deaths: 522,385 — Total recoveries — 5,789,032 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 12 p.m. ET: 2,753,754 — Total deaths: 128,871 — Total recoveries: 781,970 — Total tested: 33,462,181 — Map.
Public health: The states where face coverings are mandatory — Fauci says it has been a "very disturbing week" for the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S.
Business: Top business leaders urge the White House to develop mandatory mask guidelines.
Economy: The economy may recover just quickly enough to kill political interest in more stimulus.
States: Florida reports more than 10,000 new coronavirus cases, and its most-infected county issues curfew.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)

Rashaan Ayesh

2 hours ago - Sports

Washington Redskins to review team name amid public pressure

Photo: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

The Washington Redskins have announced they will be conducting a review of the team's name after mounting pressure from the public and corporate sponsors.

Why it matters: This review is the first formal step the Redskins are taking since the debate surrounding the name first began. It comes after weeks of discussions between the team and the NFL, the team said.

Go deeper (1 min. read)

Dan Primack

3 hours ago - Economy & Business

Scoop: Instacart raises another $100 million

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios Visuals

Grocery delivery company Instacart has raised $100 million in new funding, on top of the $225 million it announced last month, the company tells Axios. This brings its valuation to $13.8 billion.

Why it matters: This funding comes at what could be an inflection point for Instacart, as customers it acquired during coronavirus lockdowns decide whether they want to continue with the service or resume in-person grocery shopping.