Trump Hits Pause on Iran Escalation

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Luke Vargas (0:33)

President Trump holds off on an Iran escalation amid declining stocks of US munitions. Plus, Apple and Micron lobby the White House on competing visions of whether American firms should be able to use Chinese memory chips.

Amrith Ramkumar (0:48)

That's sort of the pickle for President Trump and his advisors, how to sort of thread this needle. They really don't want consumer prices to continue increasing, but they also don't want to jeopardize negotiations with the Chinese.

Luke Vargas (1:02)

And wildfires bear down on Bordeaux as low rainfall turns southwestern Europe into a tinderbox. It's Monday, July 27th. I'm Luke Vargas for the Wall Street Journal, and here is the AM Edition of What's News, the top headlines and business stories moving your world today.

President Trump is delaying a major escalation of his military campaign against Iran in order to open the door for diplomacy around the Strait of Hormuz. According to officials, the US military had been set on Friday to kick off a series of strikes on Iran that could have lasted for up to two weeks. But the operation was paused as officials discussed the effect that a major attack could have on a shrinking stockpile of Patriot and other air defense interceptors, a warning that came from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In a statement to the Journal, Trump denied that dwindling munitions are a problem, and his UN ambassador Mike Walz, heard here on NBC News' Meet the Press, ratcheted up efforts to shut down that narrative.

Mike Walz (2:06)

I want to be crystal clear, the US military, and I've verified this every which way, has everything that it needs to conduct this campaign as effectively as it needs to be. And I have to tell you, the people that are leaking this nonsense deserve to be in jail.

Luke Vargas (2:23)

Analysts outside the government have repeatedly cautioned that the large number of interceptors used to defend against Iranian missile attacks could hurt the U.S.'s ability to deter adversaries around the world, including China.

Troy Jackson (2:37)

Well, thank you, Maine, and thank you, brother and sister.

Luke Vargas (2:40)

Former Maine State Senate President Troy Jackson has secured the Democratic nomination for US. Senate at a special nominating convention as the party tries to rebound in the aftermath of Graham Plattner's decision to step down earlier this month. National politics reporter Ken Thomas was at the convention and says that a victory in Maine's Senate race is crucial if Democrats hope to retake control of the chamber.

Troy Jackson (3:03)

Jackson is a fifth-generation Mainer who worked as a logger in Northern Maine before serving two decades in the Maine legislature. He'll now face off against Republican Senator Susan Collins in the November election. Collins is considered the most vulnerable Senate Republican running for re-election this fall. Kamala Harris won the state in 2024 Democrats see it as central to their quest to win back a Senate majority during President Trump's final two years in office. Jackson now has a 100-day sprint to the fall election, and he'll need to raise money to compete with Republicans. He told reporters he expects to be outspent, but he believes he'll have the money he needs to get his message out. A Republican-aligned super PAC has already sought to define Jackson, referring to recent reports about his shifting stances on issues like abortion and same-sex marriage, and reports that he had a hot temper in the state legislature. The Senate Leadership Fund said, Jackson is like Graham Plattner, but worse.

Luke Vargas (4:03)

A survey released by the University of New Hampshire shows Jackson holding a slight edge over Collins, thanks in part to a small lead among independent voters.

For decades, politicians and business leaders have worried about congestion on the privately-owned Ambassador Bridge linking Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, and particularly for the automakers that depend on a just-in-time delivery model. Well, after more than 10 years in the works, the Gordie Howe International Bridge will finally open to traffic today, but hold the champagne as that's coming at a new low point in US-Canada relations. US officials were uninvited from a Friday ribbon cutting, which came after the opening was delayed over President Trump's trade grievances. Journal reporter Amanda Coletta says it's just the latest saga for a project that's been shrouded in political fog for more than a decade.