6 months into the Iran war, here's where things stand

Six months have passed since the United States and Israel initiated strikes on Iran, a conflict President Trump declared would only last a few weeks. The aftermath of the war's initial days still lingers, with ruined buildings scattered throughout Iran. In Minab, a southern city, parents are still mourning over 100 children who were killed when their school was bombed on the war's first day.

Khadijeh Ahmadizadeh, a bereaved mother, lamented the loss of her son, stating that the pain in Minab's heart will never fade despite the passage of time.

In the occupied West Bank, Israel carried out a rare airstrike, resulting in the death of a Hamas operative and two accomplices. The militant group confirmed the target and condemned the attack. Meanwhile, President Trump honored the Artemis II crew with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. The four astronauts, comprising three Americans and one Canadian, became the first to travel beyond Earth's orbit in over half-a-century, embarking on a lunar mission earlier this year.

Anthropic, an A.I. company, affirmed its commitment to working productively with the Trump administration following a judge's ruling that the Pentagon's measures against the company were illegal and baseless. A federal judge had previously denied due process to Anthropic, labeling it a national security risk after the company refused to allow the military to use its AI models for surveillance or autonomous weapons. The Trump administration plans to contest the ruling.

On the National Mall, thousands gathered for a Defend the Vote March on Washington, led by civil rights activist Martin Luther King III. The event aimed to highlight threats to voting rights and other freedoms ahead of the November midterm elections. Meanwhile, British right-wing agitator Milo Yiannopoulos faces deportation after overstaying his visa in the United States.

Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee and Nashville International Airport announced plans to rename the airport in honor of country music legend Dolly Parton, a decision supported by over 150,000 signatures on a petition. On Wall Street, stocks closed slightly lower for the week, with the Dow Jones industrial average remaining flat and the Nasdaq and S&P 500 ending in negative territory.