Trump Touts Progress In Iran Talks, UFC White House Freedom 250, DNI Nomination

June 12, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Trump’s Iran Deal Claims, a UFC Weekend at the White House, and a New DNI Pick

President Trump predicted “death and destruction” in the morning, then by afternoon was telling reporters that a peace deal with Iran had already been approved by all sides and could be signed “very soon.” Iran’s foreign ministry says no deal has been finalized. The contradiction was the latest in a week of whiplash moves that have threatened to unravel a tenuous ceasefire in the region — and that have moved markets, with U.S. inflation passing 4% and gas prices rising.

The Iran conflict: war talk, then a claimed deal

The week began with Israel bombing Lebanon’s capital Beirut on Sunday, followed by Iran firing missiles at Israel in defense of Hezbollah. Israel then bombed Iran, and Yemen’s Houthis launched missiles at Israel. The U.S. attacked Iranian military sites twice this week, including hitting water reservoirs that thousands of Iranians rely on for drinking water. The U.S. also disabled three ships heading to Iranian ports as part of a naval blockade. One of those attacks killed three Indian sailors. Throughout, Iran has been striking U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:02) **President Trump's Conflicting Statements on Iran** - Trump threatens new strikes on Iran in the morning, then claims a peace deal is "approved" and ready to sign by afternoon, despite no confirmation from Iran.
2 (02:31) **Escalating Regional Conflict and Fragile Ceasefire** - A week of whiplash attacks threatens to unravel the ceasefire, with Israel, Iran, Yemen's Houthis, and the US trading strikes.
3 (03:36) **Trump's "Done Deal" Narrative on Iran** - Trump tells reporters everyone has approved a deal, but provides no clear timeline for signing, while Iran pushes back.
4 (04:54) **Regional Mediation and Israel's Isolation** - Qatar takes a larger mediating role, and the UAE shifts from a hawkish stance to supporting a diplomatic track, leaving Israel as the main holdout.
5 (05:41) **UFC Fights and America's 250th Celebration on White House Lawn** - Trump hosts a UFC event on the White House lawn as part of the 250th anniversary celebrations, alongside a rally and an Indy car race.
6 (06:37) **Trump's Side Projects and Distractions** - Trump is fixated on building projects like a new ballroom, a military complex, and a pedestrian bridge, often going on tangents about them during official events.
7 (07:53) **Historical Contrast and Conflict of Interest Concerns** - A Princeton historian notes the unprecedented scale and conflict-of-interest issues of the UFC event, contrasting it with President Ford's bicentennial speech in 1976.

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Guests on this episode

Daniel Kurtzleben

Show Notes

President Trump canceled planned strikes on Iran citing progress in negotiations and says a deal that reopens the Strait of Hormuz could be signed within days, capping a week of whiplash that saw the U.S. bomb Iran three nights in a row and Trump threaten to seize an Iranian island.
The UFC holds seven fights on the White House lawn Sunday for America's 250th birthday, one of a growing list of side projects taking up President Trump's time as a watchdog group sues over his stake in UFC's parent company.
President Trump named federal prosecutor Jay Clayton to be the next Director of National Intelligence, after the backlash over his temporary pick was so fierce that Congress let a major surveillance tool expire.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Tina Kraja, Rebekah Metzler, Jason Breslow, Mohamad ElBardicy and HJ Mai.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

And our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.

(0:00) Introduction
(01:59) Trump Touts Progress In Iran Talks
(05:46) UFC White House Freedom 250
(09:41) DNI Nomination

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