First Thing: Trump urged to end Iran escalation as US deaths and injuries rise

Democrats have called for an end to the war’s resumption amid widespread anxiety over climbing casualties. Plus: Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham on finding stardom in her 50s

Good morning. Democrats have seized on the killing of three US troops in Iranian strikes to urge Donald Trump to reverse his resumption of the war with Iran. Amid widespread anxiety over climbing casualties, Chris Murphy, a Democratic senator for Connecticut, accused the president of having “frighteningly lost control of this war”.

Even as US forces launched a 10th consecutive wave of attacks against Iranian targets, concern over the deaths of American service personnel threatened to complicate moves to escalate the conflict, which has reignited after Trump last week walked away from a memorandum of understanding agreed with Iran in June.

How has Iran responded to continued US strikes? Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday they had targeted US military sites, including air defence systems and a radar installation in Bahrain and Kuwait, while the crew of a tanker in the strait of Hormuz reported being ⁠struck by an unknown projectile. Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan said they had activated defences to repel the attacks.

How many people have been killed and injured in the war so far? The latest casualties brought the number of US service members killed since the start of the war on 28 February to at least 17. More than 1,700 Iranian civilians are estimated to have been killed. Nearly 100 US service members have been injured over the last two weeks of escalating strikes.

What is happening with Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat? Darline Graham, the South Carolina interim senator and sister of the late Lindsey Graham, said she plans to run for a full Senate term after Trump endorsed her last week. In an interview with Sean Hannity, Graham – who was appointed by Governor Henry McMaster to finish the remainder of her brother’s term – said she had “made a decision. I’m in.”

Why are their fresh concerns about AI chatbots and elections? A European study, published by the civil liberties group Liberties and based on research during this year’s Hungarian parliamentary elections, has concluded that AI chatbots provide inaccurate, inconsistent and unreliable guidance to voters asking which party they should back.
Continue reading...