Though President Trump has told officials he doesn't want to go to war with Iran, tensions continue to rise between the two countries as U.S. sanction campaign are likely to devastate the Iranian economy.
Driving the news: U.S. diplomats warned commercial airliners on Saturday that they may be at risk of being “misidentified” when flying over the Persian Gulf, the AP reports. The warning, which stemmed from the Federal Aviation Administration, also stated that there could be interference in aircrafts' navigation instruments and communications “with little to no warning.” Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways all told the AP they were aware of the warning and operations would not be affected.
A new interpretation of U.S. intelligence by some senior officials shows that Iran's leaders engaged in a military buildup because they believed the U.S. planned to attack them first, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Why it matters: The Iranian buildup caused the U.S. to increase its military assets in the region and order non-essential staff to leave its embassy in Iraq this week, spurring fears that the tension could burst into outright conflict.
A Russian aluminum company has approved a $200 million investment in a planned mill in Ashland, Ky., to which Democrats wrote a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, calling on the Trump administration to investigate the deal, expressing concern about Russian influence and national security.
"Russia remains a central threat to U.S. national security and prosperity and is, along with China, one of our most aggressive and capable adversaries. The proposed investments by En+ - a company that is majority owned by a U.S.-sanctioned Russian national and Russian state bank - in an American aluminum mill, raises serious questions of national security, particularly given the mill promises to supply materials to the Department of Defense."
— House Democrats in a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin
