Overview
- King Charles, who spoke to a joint session Tuesday, urged reconciliation, defended democratic values, and won bipartisan ovations in the first such speech by a British monarch since 1991.
- At the White House earlier, President Trump called Britain America’s closest ally as he hosted full honors and held a closed-door Oval Office meeting with the King focused on Iran and Ukraine.
- The show of unity came as a leaked recording, reported by Sky News, appeared to capture UK ambassador Christian Turner calling the “special relationship” outdated, highlighting strains behind the ceremony.
- U.S. pressure on Iran featured a continuing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and reported planning for short, intense strikes, while Trump warned he could pull some troops from Germany, Italy, and Spain over what he called poor support.
- In a 90‑minute call, Vladimir Putin told Trump he is ready to consider a May 9 Ukraine truce and offered ideas on Iran’s nuclear file, a move that keeps back‑channel diplomacy active even as policy rifts persist.