Updated

US House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, publicly defended the ongoing US-Israel military campaign against Iran, praising President Trump's handling of the conflict as 'steady hands at the wheel.' In doing so, Johnson made controversial comments suggesting that lying is part of acceptable wartime conduct, drawing criticism. Amid growing strain on the US military from the war effort, Republican Senator Thom Tillis publicly called on Trump to fire Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing the Pentagon chief of 'inept mismanagement' of the campaign against Iran. The comments reflect emerging fractures within the Republican Party over the conduct and toll of the conflict.