US, Iran Agree to Two-Week Ceasefire

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically vital maritime chokepoints, with about 20% of the world’s seaborne crude oil and liquefied ‌natural gas flows passing ​through it, says Reuters. President Donald Trump said his main priority is the reopening of the strait without ‌any limitations. (NASA satellite image)

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Late Tuesday, two hours before a deadline US President Donald Trump had set for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz or face the destruction of its “whole civilization,” a two-week ceasefire was agreed upon. Relief over the truce was short-lived as fighting continued Wednesday across the region, as Israel launched attacks on Lebanon, reports The Hill. The Jerusalem Post reports via yahoo!news that Iran struck oil facilities in neighboring countries.

A small number of tankers are now moving through the Strait of Hormuz, reports Fox Business on MSN. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that Trump wants to see the ‌shipping lane opened up for ‌oil tankers and other traffic without any limitations, reports Reuters on yahoo!news. “The immediate priority of the president is the reopening of the strait without ‌any limitations, whether ⁠in the form of tolls or otherwise,” Leavitt said.

Iran revealed a 10-point plan for peace with the US on Tuesday, reports Fox News. But Trump on social media wrote, “There is only one group of meaningful ‘POINTS’ that are acceptable to the United States, and we will be discussing them behind closed doors during these Negotiations.” The White House says the US plan differs with the one Iran released to the public. There is a proposal for a meeting with representatives of both countries Saturday in Pakistan, reports Reuters.

DefSec Pete Hegseth said the US military will take a backseat during the ceasefire, reports Washington Examiner. He said his department “for now, has done its part. We stand ready in the background to ensure Iran upholds every reasonable term” of the peace plan, he said.

Trump used the language of annihilation to threaten Iran, reports AP News. His comments were condemned by congressional Democrats and the pope, while some Republicans suggested the comments were a negotiating tactic.

US troops deployed for Operation Epic Fury can receive combat pay of up to $225 each month, a number that varies on their location (Imminent Danger Pay) and proximity to direct hostile fire (Hostile Fire Pay), reports Task & Purpose. According to DoD policy, service members can only receive one of those forms of payment and up to a maximum of $225 each month.

The CIA and Defense Department early this week outlined the rescue of the airman caught behind enemy lines in Iran after his US Air Force F-15E was shot down, reports Military.com. CIA Director John Ratcliffe said the rescue depended on intelligence capabilities that allowed US forces to locate the airman while keeping Iranian forces off his trail. “This was a no-fail mission,” Ratcliffe said, describing it as a race against time to find the downed aviator before Iranian forces could reach him. After the jet went down, the pilot was quickly rescued; it would take nearly 48 hours before the crewman was found after transmitting his location using survival equipment.

A CIA “deception campaign” bought time for US forces to rescue the downed airman in Iran, reports Politico. As special forces raced to locate the airman stranded inside Iran, the CIA spread word inside Iran that US forces had already found the weapons systems officer, which gave the CIA time to locate him and not let the Iranians know of their location.

Soldiers in the Army taking part in the Operation Epic Fury can now reenlist up to two years before their service ends, reports Task & Purpose. The Army announced the change last night as part of several authorizations and bonuses for troops participating in the war in Iran.

Automatic registration into the US military draft pool for eligible men is slated to begin in December, following efforts from lawmakers and the selective service agency to streamline the previous self-registration process, reports Navy Times.

The second-youngest living Medal of Honor recipient, who served as an active-duty Marine during the war in Afghanistan, recently graduated from the Corps’ Basic Reconnaissance Course, reports Marine Corps Times. Dakota Meyer, 37, was presented the Medal of Honor in 2011 by President Barack Obama for heroism in Afghanistan. Meyer reenlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in April 2025 because he believed he “had more to give.”

The Artemis II space mission took humans farther from Earth than ever before, flying around the far side of the Moon on Monday afternoon. At 1:57pm Tuesday, the crew surpassed the Apollo 13 distance record of 248,655 statute miles from Earth, reports NPR. For several hours, the astronauts took turns making observations of the moon during the flyby. The crew of NASA latest mission is now on its way home after looping around the moon. Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean is expected at 8:07pm Friday.

The crew of Artemis II took a quiet moment during the journey to ask mission control to name a crater on the Moon after Carroll Wiseman, the late wife of mission commander Reid Wiseman, reports Financial Express. Mrs. Wiseman died from cancer in 2020 at the age of 46. According to The Baynet, Carroll Wiseman was a school nurse in St. Mary’s County when her husband was stationed at Pax River.

The first flyby images of the moon captured by NASA’s Artemis II astronauts reveal regions no human has ever seen before—including a rare in-space solar eclipse. NASA has released the photos taken April 6 during the crew’s seven‑hour pass over the lunar far side.

The FBI has labeled a recent data breach, which reportedly targeted an FBI surveillance system, a “major incident” and notified Congress about the cyber intrusion, reports The Hill. Several outlets reported that China-linked hackers are suspected of being behind the breach.

The US Army is seeking prototypes for the Precision Grenadier System, which will replace the M203 and M320 grenade launchers, reports Army Times. The system will incorporate drone-killing technology in addition to offering troops the capability to engage targets behind natural or artificial obstacles.

NAS Patuxent River leadership recently cut the ribbon on its refurbished hot pit refueling station, reports dvidshub.net. The multi-year $3.9 Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization project enhances the air station’s ability to support rapid-turnaround flight operations and ensure full compliance with NAVAIR safety standards.

New legislation introduced by military veterans serving in Congress would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to responsibly evaluate and implement emerging mental health treatments for veterans, including psychedelics, reports Military.com. Advocates see Senate Bill 4220 as a “major step” in providing veterans new therapeutic modalities.

Four soldiers with the US Army Marksmanship Unit qualified to represent the United States at the International Shooting Sports Federation World Cup in Germany and China later this year, reports army.mil. The soldiers– Staff Sgt. Brandon Muske, Alison Weisz, Sgt. Levi Clark, and Staff Sgt. Sagen Maddalena–competed alongside more than a hundred of the nation’s top marksmen in the Olympic disciplines of 10-meter air rifle and 50-meter three-position rifle.

Former master sergeant Alan Hayward James, 51, has pleaded guilty to defrauding the Air Force of $37 million, reports Task & Purpose. James, who called himself “Al Capone,” inflated costs of IT contracts to enrich himself and others. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rig bids, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and bribery as part of a nine-year-long fraud plot.

Contracts awarded in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., April 6-8, 2026:

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, is awarded a $12,846,275 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-only ceiling increase modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-22-C-5520) for Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program Block 3 Electronic Attack systems design agent engineering support. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract action to $52,011,440. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by August 2026. If all options are exercised, work will continue through August 2027. Fiscal 2026 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,379,390 (81%); fiscal 2026 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $905,815 (14%); and fiscal 2026 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $331,550 (5%), will be obligated at time of award, of which $905,815 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) (only one responsible source and no other type of property or services will satisfy the needs of the agency). Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-22-C-5520).

Arcadis U.S. Inc, Highlands Ranch, Colorado (W912DW-26-D-A003); Ayuda Auxilio Solutions JV LLC,* Denver, Colorado (W912DW-26-D-A004); Bluestone Geo JV LLC,* Malvern, Pennsylvania (W912DW-26-D-A005); Brice Integrated LLC,* Anchorage, Alaska (W912DW-26-D-A006); and Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., Arlington, Virginia (W912DW-26-D-A007), will compete for each order of the $90,000,000 firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for hazardous, toxic, and radiologic waste-related services required for military, interagency and international services, civil works, and operating project sites primarily within the Seattle area of responsibility. This total cumulative face value is $90,000,000. Bids were solicited via the internet with 19 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 5, 2033. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District, is the contracting activity. (Awarded April 6, 2025).

BreakPoint Labs LLC,* Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a firm-fixed-price contract to provide cybersecurity subject matter expertise services for advanced computing and software technologies within the Department of Defense High Performance Computing Modernization Program, titled Software Factory for Modernization, Accelerated Innovation, Resilience, and Technological Advantage. The amount of this action is $50,000,000. Bids were solicited via the internet with 158 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 5, 2031. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineering Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi, is the contracting activity (W912HZ-26-D-A003).

CDM Federal Programs Corp., Fairfax, Virginia, is awarded a $90,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to assist in management of the Navy’s electric, civil, and mechanical utility systems. Work will be performed within the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) area of responsibility worldwide and is expected to be completed by April 2031. Fiscal 2026 operations and maintenance, (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,000 will be obligated at time of award for the minimum guarantee and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the System for Award Management (SAM) Contract Opportunities website with three offers received. NAVFAC Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. (N62470-26-D-0007).

Anduril Industries Inc., Costa Mesa, California (FA881926DB0011); Astranis Space Technologies Corp., San Francisco, California (FA881926DB013); BAE Systems, Space Mission Systems Inc., Broomfield, Colorado (FA881926DB006); General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, San Diego, California (FA881926DB008); Intuitive Machines LLC, Houston, Texas (FA881926DB014); L3Harris Technologies Inc., Rochester, New York (FA881926DB003); Lockheed Martin Corp., Littleton, Colorado (FA881926DB004); Millennium Space Systems Inc., El Segundo, California (FA881926DB005); Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Dulles, Virginia (FA881926DB001); Quantum Space LLC, Rockville, Maryland (FA881926DB002); Redwire Space Missions LLC, Littleton, Colorado (FA881926DB012); Sierra Space Corp., Louisville, Colorado (FA881926DB007); True Anomaly Inc., Centennial, Colorado (FA881926DB009); and Turion Space Corp., Irvine, California (FA881926DB010), were awarded a ceiling $1,843,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Andromeda program. This contract provides for the procurement of space-based space domain awareness capability. Work will be performed at various vendor facilities as indicated above and is expected to be completed by April 8, 2036. These contracts were competitive acquisitions and 32 offers were received. Fiscal 2025 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,400,000 are being obligated at time of award. The Space Systems Command, El Segundo, California, is the contracting activity. (Awarded April 7, 2026).

General Dynamics Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $55,059,996 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-19-C-6407) to exercise options to design, develop, integrate, test, and deliver the tactical control system for the AN/BYG-1 submarine combat control system. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by July 2027. Fiscal 2026 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,690,377 (5%) will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

*Small Business