Iran is nearing a deal with China to acquire supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, a move that could significantly raise the stakes in the Middle East as U.S. carrier strike groups assemble within striking distance of the Islamic Republic.

Reuters reported Tuesday that Tehran is close to finalizing an agreement for Chinese-made CM-302 missiles, citing six people with knowledge of the negotiations.

The supersonic weapons, which can travel roughly 180 miles and fly low to evade ship defenses, would enhance Iran’s ability to target U.S. naval forces operating in the region.

The deal is near completion, though no delivery date has been agreed, the people said. It is unclear how many missiles are involved, how much Iran has agreed to pay, or whether China will ultimately proceed given heightened regional tensions.

The CM-302 supersonic anti-ship missile weapon system is shown during the Zhuhai Airshow in Zhuhai, China, Nov. 2, 2016.(Dickson Lee/South China Morning Post via Getty Images)

Reuters reported that negotiations accelerated after last year’s 12-day war between Israel and Iran, which left Tehran’s military infrastructure strained and heightened regional tensions.

The reported deal comes as President Donald Trump warns Tehran of consequences if it fails to curb its nuclear program, while the Pentagon has deployed multiple carrier strike groups to the region, including USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford. The buildup marks one of the largest U.S. naval deployments in the region in recent years.

Trump said on Feb. 19 he was giving Iran 10 days to reach an agreement over its nuclear program or face potential military action.

WITKOFF WARNS IRAN IS ‘A WEEK AWAY’ FROM ‘BOMB-MAKING MATERIAL’ AS TRUMP WEIGHS ACTION

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln docks at Souda Bay on the Greek Mediterranean island of Crete, Feb. 24, 2026, following orders by U.S. President Donald Trump to increase the American naval presence in the region.(Costas Metaxakis/AFP via Getty Images)

A White House official told Fox News Digital that the president remains firm that Iran cannot develop nuclear weapons or enrich uranium.

“The president would like to see a deal negotiated, but he has been clear that ‘either we will make a deal or we will have to do something very tough like last time,’” the official said when asked for comment on the reported approaching Iran-China deal.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last week appeared to threaten U.S. warships directly.

“More dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea,” Khamenei wrote on Feb. 17 on X.

Military analysts say a Chinese transfer of supersonic anti-ship missiles could complicate U.S. naval operations in the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters.

“It’s a complete game-changer if Iran has supersonic capability to attack ships in the area,” Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli intelligence officer and senior Iran researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, told Reuters. “These missiles are very difficult to intercept.”

IRAN ANNOUNCES TEST OF NEW NAVAL AIR DEFENSE MISSILE IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS US MILITARY BUILDUP CONTINUES

The reported deal comes as President Donald Trump, left, warns Tehran of consequences if it fails to curb its nuclear program. Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is pictured right.(Chip Somodevilla; Iranian Leader Press Office/Anadolu)

Still, U.S. forces maintain layered defenses against Iranian threats, including Patriot missile batteries, Navy destroyers equipped with Standard Missile interceptors and F-35 stealth fighters, Fox News Digital reported.

Last year, Navy destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles using SM-3 interceptors, while Marine Corps F-35Cs operating from USS Abraham Lincoln shot down Iranian drones that approached U.S. assets, according to U.S. Central Command.

Iran has also relied on swarming fast boats, ballistic missiles and drones in past confrontations with U.S. forces.

The White House did not directly address the reported missile negotiations when asked by Reuters. China’s foreign ministry told the outlet it was not aware of the talks.

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The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier docks at Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete, Feb. 24, 2026.(Stefanos Rapanis/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The potential transfer would mark one of the most advanced Chinese weapons systems supplied to Iran in decades and could test U.S. sanctions authorities if finalized.

As U.S. forces fan out across the region, defense officials have stressed that the buildup is designed to deter Iranian aggression — but warned they are prepared for combat if diplomacy fails.

Reuters contributed to this report.

DNA from Nancy Guthrie’s house may not provide enough evidence to help investigators, sources say

February 24, 2026 / 1:33 PM EST / CBS News

DNA recovered from inside Nancy Guthrie’s house may not provide enough evidence to help investigators identify the people behind the disappearance of the mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie.

According to sources close to the investigation, there are concerns that DNA recovered from Nancy Guthrie’s Tucson, Arizona, home may not yield a usable profile for comparison in federal and private sector DNA databases. One source called the recovered DNA “low-level.”

Another law enforcement source said that a low-level sample would likely mean there was not enough DNA material present to get a clean and reliable result. However, they said, even a low-level sample can be enhanced by scientific techniques in the lab but would take longer to achieve.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said its contracted lab in Florida is continuing to analyze the samples and has not reached a conclusion on whether they’re usable.

With the investigation into Guthrie’s disappearance now in its fourth week, authorities haven’t named a suspect or a person of interest in the case. Last week, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said in a statement that all of Nancy Guthrie’s three adult children and their spouses were cleared as possible suspects in the case.

Earlier Tuesday, Savannah Guthrie announced that her family was offering a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to her return. The FBI also separately announced a$100,000 reward.

A DNA profile from a set of gloves found about 2 miles from Guthrie’s house didn’t match any entries in the national database maintained by the FBI known as the Combined DNA Index System, or CoDIS, the sheriff’s department said. The database contains DNA profiles of individuals with a previous arrest for certain crimes who had supplied a DNA sample.

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Authorities have turned to an investigative technique called genetic genealogy as they try to make the most of the DNA evidence. The process has been used to crack some notable cases in the past decade, including identifying the so-called Golden State Killer in California who’d eluded authorities for over 40 years and the man behind the high-profile killings of four Idaho college students.

The method involves using publicly available genealogy sites to find genetic relatives of an unidentified DNA sample that may belong to a potential suspect.

Claire Glynn, the director of the graduate-level program in forensic investigative genetic genealogy at the University of New Haven in Connecticut, told CBS News that law enforcement agencies are generally allowed to use two databases for such investigations, GEDmatch Pro and FamilyTreeDNA.

FamilyTreeDNA recently told CBS News that the company doesn’t work directly with authorities on genetic genealogy cases, but instead conducts such work through an independent third-party partner that uses a separate consent-based database.

“Participation in investigative genetic genealogy matching at FamilyTreeDNA is strictly voluntary and opt-in only,” the company said. “We place the highest priority on customer privacy, data security, and ethical use in all aspects of our operations.”

GEDmatch PRO told CBS News that law enforcement agencies use its database to identify criminals as well as human remains. Tom Osypian, an official at the company, said in a statement that it’s a self-serve platform so the company often doesn’t get contacted when authorities upload DNA profiles to its database.

“In fact, we don’t usually find out that our service was used to solve a case until we learn about it from a press announcement from law enforcement,” Osypian said.

Other publicly available DNA submission sites don’t allow law enforcement agencies to use their services as freely without going through the legal process.

Grace Samuelson and Alex Sundby contributed to this report.

‘Plenty of time to change that’: Rep. Jim Jordan reacts to CNN poll showing Trump’s approval with independents at 26% | CNN Politics

2026-02-24T18:44:54.547Z / CNN

Republican Rep. Jim Jordan joins CNN’s Manu Raju on “Inside Politics” hours before President Trump delivers the State of the Union address. Pressed on Americans’ dissatisfaction with the state of the economy, Jordan tells Raju, “The tax cuts are just now kicking in… I think you’re going to see all this really begin to happen, where the Big, Beautiful Bill and the things we did there are going to kick in and improve the economy.”

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US senators back Ukraine ahead of major Trump speech, text shows

By Patricia Zengerle
February 24, 2026 7:03 PM UTC Updated 51 mins ago

节点运行失败

Item 1 of 2 A woman reacts as she sits in front of a grave at a local cemetery, decorated with flowers to pay tribute to the victims of the Russian attack on Ukraine, on the day marking the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion, in Chernihiv, Ukraine. REUTERS/Maksym Kishka

[1/2]A woman reacts as she sits in front of a grave at a local cemetery, decorated with flowers to pay tribute to the victims of the Russian attack on Ukraine, on the day marking the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion, in Chernihiv, Ukraine. REUTERS/Maksym Kishka

• Summary

• Trump speech comes on fourth anniversary of Ukraine conflict
• Resolution supported by group of Republicans and Democrats
• Measure meant to illustrate support in Congress for Kyiv

WASHINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) – A group of Democratic and Republican U.S. senators will introduce a resolution on Tuesday supporting Ukraine as it battles Russian invaders, hours before President Donald Trump was due to make his nationally televised State of the Union address to the nation.

The resolution was led by Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Thom Tillis, who are co-chairs of the Senate NATO Observer Group. It had at least 26 other co-sponsors, about evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, according to an early copy of the resolution seen by Reuters.

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Other provisions include condolences for the loss of Ukrainian lives, commendation of Ukrainians’ bravery, encouragement of strong cooperation among NATO allies and a call for any negotiated settlement to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and “include Ukraine as the central party to discussions regarding its future.”

The resolution comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s government faces mounting U.S. pressure to secure a peace deal. Although it does not have the force of law, it illustrates the strong support for the government in Kyiv from many in Washington, and its release on Tuesday sends a signal that lawmakers want more support for Ukraine from Trump.

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Trump’s Tuesday night speech coincides with the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a reminder of a conflict that the Republican president has yet to end despite his past vow that he could stop it “in 24 hours.”

Members of Congress, including some of Trump’s fellow Republicans as well as Democrats, have urged him to do more to help Zelenskiy’s government, including sending all of the financial and military aid they have authorized over the past several years.

Tuesday’s resolution was co-sponsored by Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as well as Democratic Senators Michael Bennet, Richard Durbin, Richard Blumenthal, Sheldon Whitehouse and Tim Kaine.

Republican co-sponsors include former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Tillis, John Curtis, Chuck Grassley, Roger Wicker, Jerry Moran, Dave McCormick and Susan Collins.

Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Don Durfee, Rod Nickel

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe will brief top congressional leaders on rising tensions in Iran on Tuesday ahead of President Donald Trump’s annual State of the Union address.

Ratcliffe and Rubio, who also serves as Trump’s national security advisor, will brief the so-called “Gang of Eight,” congressional leadership as well as top lawmakers on the Intelligence committees, from the White House Tuesday at 3 p.m.

The closed-door session comes as the administration weighs next steps in the escalating standoff with the Islamic Republic. Talks with Iran, where the U.S. is pushing for full denuclearization and a limit on its ballistic missile program, are scheduled to resume on Thursday. White House envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff led talks last week with Iran that did not result in a tangible deal.

The White House has made clear that diplomacy is Trump’s first priority, but the Middle East has seen the largest U.S. military buildup in decades: one carrier strike group under the USS Abraham Lincoln is already in the region and another under the USS Gerald R. Ford is heading that way.

Meanwhile, Iran is digging in. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X Tuesday: “Our fundamental convictions are crystal clear: Iran will under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon; neither will we Iranians ever forgo our right to harness the dividends of peaceful nuclear technology for our people.”

In a message directed at the American side, he added: “A deal is within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority.”

The U.S. has insisted Iran cannot have any nuclear enrichment capacity, even for energy purposes.

Araghchi said last week that the two sides had come to a “general agreement on a number of guiding principles” and agreed to begin drafting text for a possible agreement, with plans to exchange drafts and schedule a third round of talks.

Meanwhile, reports have swirled that Trump is considering a “limited” strike on Iran aimed at pressuring its leaders into acquiescing to a deal.

Rubio’s classified briefing comes at a pivotal moment — just hours before Trump steps to the podium for his State of the Union address. The timing suggests the administration wants congressional leaders fully briefed on Iran’s nuclear posture, U.S. intelligence assessments and potential next steps before the president publicly lays out his strategy to the nation.

By meeting with the “Gang of Eight” ahead of the speech, the White House is also locking in oversight consultation before Trump speaks. That gives top lawmakers the same classified context the president is working from — and makes it harder for critics to argue they were blindsided if Trump signals tougher action, new diplomatic parameters or a shift in posture toward Tehran during his address.

Trump plans to honor 100-year-old veteran during State of the Union, sources say

Updated on: February 24, 2026 / 12:06 PM EST / CBS News

President Trump is planning to honor a 100-year-old veteran Tuesday night by awarding E. Royce Williams the Medal of Honor for his actions in a secret mission during the Korean War, sources with knowledge of the matter told CBS News.

This would mark the first time that a president has awarded the medal, the U.S. military’s highest honor for valor in combat, during a State of the Union address.

White House spokespeople didn’t respond to requests for comment. The plan, which has not previously been reported, could change.

Williams, a retired Navy captain, was part of the longest aerial engagement in U.S. Navy history when he fought seven Soviet MiG fighter jets, shooting down four, during a half-hour dogfight in 1952.

Soviet involvement was top secret at the time, so the records of the event were classified for decades. At the height of the Korean War, Williams and another American pilot were flying off the coast of the Korean Peninsula when they encountered seven Soviet miG-15 fighter jets. The Soviet aircraft opened fire, he would later recall: “Since they started the fight, he said, “I shot back.”

Williams struck one of the MiGs, and his fellow American pilot pursued it. Then, flying alone, he engaged the remaining aircraft, downing three more Soviet planes while maneuvering through what military accounts later described as hundreds of rounds of incoming fire. In recent years, the U.S. military has published detailed descriptions of the encounter, portraying it as one of the most intense aerial engagements of the war.

“In the moment I was a fighter pilot doing my job,” Williams told news outlet Task & Purpose in a 2022 interview. “I was only shooting what I had.”

Retired U.S. Navy Capt. E. Royce Williams receives a Navy Cross for his actions during the Korean War Jan. 20, 2023. US Navy / Petty Officer 2nd Class T. Logan

After his aircraft was struck, Williams turned back toward an American aircraft carrier, guiding the damaged plane in for a landing at high speed. He later said he had considered ejecting but concluded that the frigid conditions over the water made such a decision perilous.

Williams has said that he was instructed to keep the airborne clash a secret — a rare and politically fraught confrontation between American and Soviet forces at a moment when the two Cold War adversaries were intent on avoiding open war. For decades, he spoke of it to no one, not even his wife.

Details of the operations surfaced only years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, as archival records and military histories were made public. Three years ago, Williams was awarded the Navy Cross, the highest combat award that can be given to a service member of either the Navy or Marine Corps for valor in combat.

Republican Rep. Darell Issa of California, whose San Diego-area district includes Williams home, pressed for the retired Navy pilot to receive the Medal of Honor. Last year, lawmakers authorized the president to bestow the decoration, waiving the longstanding requirement that it be awarded within five years of the act of valor.

“The heroism and valor he demonstrated for more than 35 harrowing minutes almost 70 years ago in the skies over the North Pacific and the coast of North Korea unquestionably saved the lives of his fellow pilots, shipmates, and crew,” Issa wrote in a statement earlier this month.

Mr. Trump called Williams earlier this month.

The timing of the medal presentation is notable as Mr. Trump is set to award the Medal of Honor to a veteran recognized for killing Russian pilots decades ago, on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine four years ago —a conflict now shadowed by negotiations in which Kyiv has faced pressure to consider ceding territory seized by Moscow.

Democratic Senator: We are skipping ‘very divisive & exhausting’ address to tell the story of a ‘rough year’ for Americans

By Manu Raju, CNN
Published 1:49 PM EST, Tue February 24, 2026

Minnesota Senator Tina Smith joins Inside Politics to weigh in on her and her colleagues’ plans to skip President Trump’s State of the Union address, in favor of an alternate event “The People’s State of the Union”. Senator Smith argues, “This is not about just a president that we don’t like, this is about a president who has imposed illegal tariffs that have cost Americans billions of dollars. It’s about a president who is seeking to overturn our elections by demanding voter files… this is about what is a lawless administration.”

6:39 • Source: CNN

U.S. Attorney’s Office drops effort to indict 6 Democratic lawmakers who posted video on illegal orders, sources say

February 24, 2026 / 11:30 AM EST / CBS News

Washington— The top federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C. has decided to table efforts to try to indict six Democratic lawmakers for posting a video urging military members not to follow orders they believe are illegal, sources told CBS News on Tuesday.

The decision by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro to end the case comes after a grand jury in Washington, D.C. earlier this month refused to return an indictment, CBS News previously reported.

It was not yet clear whether the Justice Department could still explore pursuing other venues for the case, one of the sources cautioned. It was unlikely, another source said.

A spokesman for Pirro declined to comment. The decision to table the case in Washington, D.C., was reported earlier by NBC News.

The grand jury’s rejection of the charges is historically rare, but is becoming more commonplace in Washington and other federal districts as grand jurors are seemingly becoming more concerned about whether some of the cases are politicized and designed to exact retribution against President Trump’s enemies.

Several politically-hired attorneys who work with Pirro were assigned to the case against the lawmakers, sources told CBS News, and they tried to indict the six under a criminal statute known as 18 U.S.C. § 2387.

That law threatens a 10-year maximum prison sentence for anybody who “advises, counsels, urges, or in any manner causes or attempts to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty by any member of the military.”

After presenting the case to the grand jury, several sources told CBS that the grand jurors unanimously rejected the indictment, which is even more unusual.

All six Democrats later publicly condemned the move and applauded the grand jury.

After the rejection of the case became public, Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, wrote a letter to Pirro telling her that he was putting her and her office “on notice of the legal ramification” if they continue to pursue charges.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/democrat-illegal-orders-video-court-battle-isnt-over-grand-jury-tosses-charges/

Erika Kirk to be Trump’s guest at State of the Union

Erika Kirk’s attendance comes months after her husband was killed at Utah Valley University and posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom

By Rachel Wolf
Fox News
Published February 24, 2026 2:29pm EST

[Erika Kirk], widow of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, will be President [Donald Trump]’s guest at Tuesday night’s State of the Union.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Kirk’s attendance as “one of President Trump’s special guests” in a post on X that included the Daily Wire article first reporting the announcement.

During his speech, the president will reportedly affirm that America is “one nation under God” and will call on Congress to “firmly reject [political violence] against our fellow citizens,” the Daily Wire reported on Tuesday. The Daily Wire said the call comes after years of political violence, including the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Trump is no stranger to this wave of political violence, as he was shot during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., in July 2024.

Erika Kirk, wife of slain conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, receives the Medal of Freedom posthumously awarded to Charlie Kirk by U.S. President Donald Trump during a ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C., Oct. 14, 2025.(Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Trump administration officials rallied around Erika Kirk after her husband’s assassination in September during a debate event at Utah Valley University. Charlie Kirk’s casket was flown from Utah to his home state of Arizona aboard Air Force Two and Vice President [JD Vance] escorted the casket as it was carried onto the plane. Later, second lady Usha Vance was seen holding Erika’s hand as they departed Air Force Two.

Several members of the Trump administration, including the president and vice president, took part in a memorial service for Charlie Kirk in Arizona on Sept. 21, 2025, just 11 days after the outspoken conservative icon was killed. During his address at the memorial service, Trump called Charlie Kirk a “martyr for American freedom.”

President Donald Trump joined Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika, on stage at the Turning Point USA founder’s memorial service in Arizona on Sept. 21, 2025.(Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

[HILLSDALE LAUNCHES ‘LEARN LIKE CHARLIE’ CAMPAIGN TO URGE AMERICANS TO STUDY THE BIBLE, CONSTITUTION]

A little more than a month after his assassination, Charlie Kirk was posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom on what would have been his 32nd birthday. Erika Kirk accepted the medal from Trump on behalf of her late husband. She said that in awarding Charlie with the nation’s highest civilian honor, the president had given her late husband “the best birthday gift he could ever have.”

“Charlie always admired your commitment to freedom, and that’s something that both of you shared. So thank you,” Erika Kirk said to Trump during the event. “Your support of our family and the work that Charlie devoted his life to will be something I cherish forever.”

With supporters gathered along the route, Erika Kirk waves as a motorcade brings the body of her husband, Charlie Kirk, to Hansen Mortuary Chapel in Phoenix on Sept. 11, 2025.(Diannie Chavez/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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Erika Kirk also thanked the vice president and second lady, saying that their friendship had been an “unbelievable encouragement.”

Charlie Kirk was 31 when he was killed and left behind his wife and two young children — a son and a daughter.

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.

Johnson calls it “detestable” that some Democrats are boycotting Trump’s State of the Union

Updated on: February 24, 2026 / 2:09 PM EST / CBS News

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he thinks it’s “detestable” that some Democrats are boycotting President Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, adding that “we’re all for America.”

“I think it’s detestable that members would boycott the speech,” Johnson told “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil in an exclusive interview ahead of the speech. “We’ve never done that. It doesn’t matter if there’s a Democrat president, you go and respect the office, you respect the decorum, the institution, the tradition of having had this speech made.”

Johnson called it “sad” that some Democrats are “choosing to opt out of that.”

Dozens of Democratic lawmakers said they will not be attending Mr. Trump’s annual address, after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said last week his caucus could choose to either “attend with silent defiance or to not attend, and send a message to Donald Trump in that fashion.”

Some Democrats plan instead to go to the “People’s State of the Union,” which will take place at the National Mall at the same time as the president’s address. Sens. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Tina Smith of Minnesota and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland night plan to attend, along with Reps. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Becca Balint of Vermont and Greg Casar of Texas. Others plan just to skip the address.

There have been a number of outbursts in recent years from members of both parties. In 2024, former GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene shouted “liar” at former President Joe Biden. Johnson insisted Tuesday that “at every turn, I have encouraged my colleagues to maintain decorum and the dignity of the office.”

Johnson said he urged his Republican colleagues at their weekly conference meeting to put on display “what the USA hockey teams did in the Olympics.” Both the men’s and women’s U.S. teams won the gold medal in Milan.

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“We play for one team,” Johnson said. “We’re all for America.”

Johnson told CBS News on Tuesday that the men’s hockey team will attend the speech. Mr. Trump, who spoke with them after their victory, invited them.

Watch more of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s exclusive interview with “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Kaia Hubbard contributed to this report.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/johnson-on-democrats-boycott-trump-state-of-the-union/