July 28, 2026

Good morning! Today is Tuesday, July 28th 2026, and this is The American Conservative's Morning Brief. Zelensky and Netanyahu arrive at the White House today as the Ukraine and Iran wars begin to merge—and Andrew Day argues both leaders should leave empty-handed. The Iran War enters day 150 with a fragile pause, munitions worries at the Pentagon, and Houthi drones still burning Saudi oil infrastructure. Maine Democrats overwhelmingly tap Troy Jackson to challenge Susan Collins in a race that could decide control of the Senate. and now for the details. Our lead story this morning: two foreign leaders arrive at the White House today, and the wars they're fighting are beginning to merge into one. On Saturday, Ukraine announced it had struck vessels in the Caspian Sea that it said were transporting Iranian-linked military cargo. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi countered that Ukraine had actually hit an Iranian commercial vessel, killing a sailor, and warned the attack would not go unanswered. For now, Tehran has responded diplomatically, summoning a Ukrainian envoy, but Iran experts say military retaliation is likely. Hours after announcing the Caspian strike, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alluded to intelligence suggesting Russia has been helping Iran target U.S. bases in the Middle East. Zelensky arrives at the White House today. So does Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will meet with President Trump for the eighth time this term. As Andrew Day reports for The American Conservative, the timing is not accidental. Day writes that Zelensky, who has struggled to win over a transactional President Trump, appears to be trying to showcase Ukraine's usefulness to Washington by tying his war effort to the Iran conflict. Day cites Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute, who argues Zelensky is attempting to merge the two conflicts to make America a belligerent in the Ukraine war. Day notes that Netanyahu stands to benefit from the same convergence. With the Iran War paused, and with MAGA voters cooling on it, a merger with the Ukraine conflict would, in Parsi's words, reframe war with Iran as defending Ukraine rather than defending Israel. Day writes that both men will arrive in Washington framing their asks as serving American interests, and that it is imperative, in his view, that both leave empty-handed. The Iran War entered its 150th day on Monday with both the United States and Iran holding fire, at least for now. The Associated Press reported that regional mediators had coaxed the two sides back toward negotiations, though Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei denied Tehran had requested any restart, telling reporters that negotiating with the U.S. is, quote, "not in our DNA." Harrison Berger, writing for TAC, reports that a return to hostilities is complicated by concerns over the Pentagon's munitions stockpile. According to a Wall Street Journal account cited by Berger, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Caine believes munitions shortfalls would not preclude a resumption of major combat operations, but would add to the risk. Sources close to CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper indicated Cooper believes stepped-up American strikes could blunt Iran's missile response and offset limited stocks of Patriot interceptors. Berger also reports that Yemen's Houthis claimed responsibility for fresh drone attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure, with satellite imagery showing fires still burning at the Jazan oil plant more than two days after the strike. Brent crude settled at $90.20 a barrel Monday morning, and AAA put the national average price of regular gasoline at $4.11 a gallon. Turning to domestic politics. Maine Democrats have chosen former state senate president Troy Jackson as their nominee to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins this fall. Jackson, a fifth-generation logger from northern Maine, won the special convention in Bangor by a lopsided vote of 566 to 5, ending a two-week scramble after the party's June primary winner, Graham Platner, ended his campaign amid sexual misconduct allegations. As Joseph Addington reports for The American Conservative, Jackson used his acceptance speech to hit health care, labor, and economic inequality, accusing the five-term incumbent Collins of failing to look out for everyday Mainers. Addington notes that with Republicans holding a narrow 53-to-47 Senate majority, this closely watched race could determine control of the upper chamber. Those are today's highlights. For the full stories and more, visit theamericanconservative.com. Thank you for starting your morning with us.