The briefing for Wednesday, July 29.

Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles targeting American forces in the Middle East on Tuesday evening, with US Central Command reporting all missiles were successfully intercepted. The attack occurred at 17:45 EDT and shattered a three-day lull in fighting that had raised hopes for diplomatic progress. Hours later, US and Saudi Arabian forces struck Iran-aligned militia positions in eastern Iraq in retaliation for over 30 drone attacks in the previous 72 hours.

Jordan's military intercepted five Iranian missiles early Wednesday aimed at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and US Central Command headquarters. Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for the strikes. The renewed hostilities sent oil prices spiking, with Brent crude jumping 3.1% to $84.58 per barrel as markets worried about potential disruptions to energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

The escalation came just a day after President Trump spoke of 'very friendly negotiations' with Iran and during Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's visit to Washington. At least 624 US military service members have been wounded since Trump ordered strikes against Iran in February. The Pentagon warned that Iran and its proxies 'must cease these attacks to avoid further US military response.'

The Senate voted 86-12 to advance sweeping Russian sanctions legislation hours after Ukrainian President Zelenskyy met with lawmakers in the Capitol. The bipartisan bill would penalize countries continuing to buy Russian oil and gas, targeting major purchasers like China and India. Zelenskyy watched the vote from the Senate gallery and told Fox News afterward that Trump had agreed to give Ukraine licenses for domestic production of Patriot missiles.

The sanctions legislation allows the president to impose tariffs on the world's top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas, with exceptions for countries importing less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia while taking steps to reduce those imports. The bill also sanctions Putin, senior Russian officials, Russian financial institutions, and targets older reflagged oil tankers Russia uses to circumvent existing sanctions.

Zelenskyy told senators that Ukraine is now 'winning the war' after years of survival and stabilization, though the country still needs more US support. The Patriot air defense system can intercept ballistic missiles with ranges up to 1,000 kilometers, but each missile costs between $3 million and $5 million. Ukraine says it needs 25 Patriot systems total. The White House has not officially confirmed the production agreement.

The Senate confirmed Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence by a 51-47 party-line vote, ending the temporary appointment of Bill Pulte, a housing regulator with no intelligence experience. Clayton, who served as US attorney for the Southern District of New York and former SEC chairman, lost Democratic support after repeatedly refusing during his confirmation hearing to say that Joe Biden won the 2020 election.

Democrats initially welcomed Clayton as a more conventional nominee than Pulte, who had used his role to refer Trump's political opponents for prosecution and oversaw significant staffing cuts at intelligence agencies. Virginia Senator Mark Warner said he was 'bitterly disappointed' in Clayton after the hearing, expressing concerns about whether he would stand up to political pressure from the White House.

Pulte was Trump's original pick after Tulsi Gabbard resigned in early June, but his appointment alarmed both parties due to his lack of qualifications and controversial actions in office. Shortly before Clayton's confirmation vote, Pulte announced a fifth round of terminations representing approximately 30% staff reduction. Clayton's confirmation could help revive negotiations on reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced plans to create a $20 billion commercial subsidiary to run the World Cup and other competitions, with private investors including the Kushner family's Thrive Eternal firm purchasing minority stakes. The proposal would give each of FIFA's 211 member associations access to up to $20 million in one-off capital if they approve the plan by a September 19 deadline, with $20 million available immediately from January 2027.

UEFA immediately condemned the proposal, saying it 'crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross.' European soccer's governing body criticized the lack of transparency about who would gain financially and argued that 'the soul and governance of football are not assets to trade.' The Football Association said it was completely unaware of the proposal and deeply concerned about the lack of process and governance.

FIFA says it would retain control of the new FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) subsidiary and exclusive authority over football governance, competitions, and regulatory decisions. The plan requires approval by vote of FIFA's 211 member nations, potentially at the FIFA Congress in Morocco next March. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said going ahead with the idea would mean FIFA had 'sold out,' stating that football 'belongs to the people who fill the stands.'

The Federal Communications Commission banned imports of foreign-made humanoid robots, four-legged robot dogs, and power inverters on Tuesday, citing national security risks. The move primarily targets China, which controls roughly 85% of the global humanoid robot market. Chinese manufacturers Unitree and AGIBOT each shipped more than 5,000 humanoid robots in 2025, while US competitors like Tesla and Figure AI shipped only a few hundred.

The FCC said advanced robots produced in foreign countries pose supply chain vulnerabilities and cybersecurity risks, allowing malign actors to surveil Americans, enhance foreign intelligence capabilities, or remotely commandeer the robots. The ban also covers power inverters used in data centers and solar panels, which the FCC warned could be turned off remotely, facilitate surveillance, or enable cyberattacks by foreign actors.

The Chinese embassy in Washington said Beijing 'firmly opposes' the US politicizing trade issues and imposing sanctions based on 'groundless pretexts.' China has been rapidly scaling production and reducing costs faster than overseas competitors, with analysts forecasting China's humanoid robot market could reach $15 billion by 2030. The ban applies only to new imports and does not affect existing models previously authorized by the FCC.

Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay $5.5 billion to resolve remaining lawsuits claiming its talc products caused ovarian cancer, ending more than a decade of litigation. The settlement is conditioned on at least 95% of remaining claimants participating and includes an initial payment of no more than $3 billion next year, with no additional payments due until 2028.

A federal judge last week ordered plaintiffs to show why pending talc claims should not be dismissed after their witnesses could not provide a direct link between the company's product and cancer. Johnson & Johnson said the court's order placed plaintiffs in 'an untenable position of having to present specific causation evidence that does not exist.'

The drugmaker previously settled about 95% of filed lawsuits for mesothelioma, all state consumer protection claims, and talc-supplier disputes. A US bankruptcy court judge denied a $9 billion settlement proposed by J&J subsidiary Red River Talc last year that would have been one of the biggest mass tort settlements in history. Johnson & Johnson shares rose more than 2% on the news.