Franco Ordonez

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Kaine, brief reporters, Trump also took questions.

And it just comes at such a big moment in the conflict as Americans continue to feel kind of the economic pinch of all this.

And Rubio said that Iran needed to make a sensible choice that leads them to reconstruction and prosperity.

Yeah, I mean, the message boils down to a mix of de-escalation combined with this kind of tough talk.

And it can be confusing at times.

Thank you, Leila.

President Trump announced he was pausing the military escorts after declaring, quote, great progress has been made toward a complete and final agreement with representatives of Iran.

He added that he was also acting on a request by the leaders of Pakistan, which is helping negotiate an agreement, as well as other countries.

Trump said on social media that the pause will only be for a short period of time to see whether or not an agreement can be finalized and signed.

But he emphasized that the U.S.

blockade on Iranian ports would continue.

Earlier in the day, Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Project Freedom as a defensive operation and that the U.S.

would only respond if fired upon.

Franco, Ordonez, NPR News, the White House.

President Trump signed a proclamation restoring the award that dates back to the 1960s, but was later changed to focus more on individual health and to minimize competition.

Details of how the new tests will be conducted have not been released.

The earlier version looked at students' performance in a number of exercises, including running and sit-ups and push-ups.

Those who scored above the 85th percentile were eligible for the Presidential Physical Fitness Award.

Franco, Ordonez, NPR News, the White House.

Speaking to voters in the retirement community of the villages, President Trump boasted of the tax benefits and decreases in prescription drug prices that came out of his signature tax and spending bill that passed last year.