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The U.S. military announced that it launched attacks yesterday on Iranian boats and missile launch sites in Southern Iran. U.S. Central Command Spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said that Iran's boats were trying to lay mines, and the military acted in "self-defense." President Trump raised expectations for peace over the weekend when he said that an agreement had been “largely negotiated.” Trump and other officials have since lowered those expectations again.

🎧 Iran’s semi-official state media reports that it plans to negotiate a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within one month and aims for an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program within two months. U.S. sanctions are a key obstacle in these talks, NPR’s Daniel Estrin tells Up First. Iran seeks a deal that would release its frozen assets abroad. President Trump has said that Iran must destroy its enriched uranium. Israeli officials view this potential agreement as a bad deal, as it would allow the Strait to reopen without ensuring significant progress in preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the conflict would eliminate the Iranian threat to Israel. But Iran would still possess missiles and maintain proxy militias, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, leading many in Israel to believe that another conflict with Iran is only a matter of time.

Russia issued a warning that it will continue its mass strikes on Ukraine following weekend attacks that targeted every district in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. The recent Russian attacks on Kyiv are viewed as a response to Ukrainian strikes targeting Russian oil facilities and military logistics. Negotiations to end Russia's war in Ukraine have stalled as the U.S. focuses on its conflict with Iran. The Trump administration has eased some sanctions on Russian oil exports to alleviate energy shortfalls during the war with Iran.

🎧 NPR’s Joanna Kakissis, who is in Kyiv, said that by dawn Tuesday, after hours of loud explosions, the air smelled burnt and there were fires all over the city. This was one of Moscow's biggest attacks, according to Kakissis. Ukraine's military says Russia launched 600 drones and 90 missiles over the weekend. Russian President Vladimir Putin says that Russia is retaliating against a drone strike that killed more than 20 people, many of whom were teenagers, at a college in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine. Ukraine denies targeting the school and says it struck a nearby elite Russian drone unit. The Kremlin has expressed agitation over Ukraine's long-range drone attacks on a vital part of the Russian economy: oil facilities. Kakissis recently joined a Ukrainian military team during the launch of these long-range drones. A Ukrainian soldier, identified by his military callsign UKI for security reasons, says that these strikes serve as Ukraine’s version of sanctions on Russia, aiming to force the Kremlin toward peace that is fair to Ukraine.

The Department of Justice is using a new tactic to drastically accelerate immigration hearings, with the goal of issuing more deportation orders. The department is scheduling massive master calendar sessions that include 100 or more individuals at a time. Immigration attorneys and the American Immigration Lawyers Association, which tracks immigration court trends, have shared this unprecedented strategy with NPR. Previously, about two or three dozen people would be seen at a time for a first hearing. Attorneys say that these new hearings predominantly target individuals without legal representation. Those who show up late or not at all get removal orders, further truncating the already limited due process available to immigrants.

Trump visits Walter Reed National Military Medical Center today for a doctor's appointment, marking his third visit in 13 months. The frequency of his medical visits has raised concerns about his health. The White House announced the "routine annual dental and medical assessment" two weeks ago and described it as a "part of his regular preventive health care." Trump, who turns 80 next month, is the oldest person to take the oath of office. The president's age, swollen ankles and bruised hands have raised repeated questions about his health and fitness. Trump had his last annual physical in April of last year, after which the White House announced he was in "excellent health."