Trump seeks $1.5tn for defense department in budget request to Congress – US politics live

Request includes a 10 per cent decrease in non-defense spending, a reduction of $73bn

• Sign up for the Breaking News US email

A reminder that my colleagues are covering the latest out of the Middle East at our dedicated live blog.

This includes Donald Trump’s recent comments on Truth Social that “with a little more time” he could open strait of Hormuz. The president added that reopening the vital passageway would allow the US to “TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE. IT WOULD BE A ‘GUSHER’ FOR THE WORLD.”