The U.S. military says it shot down four Iranian drones that were launched toward the Strait of Hormuz on Friday and then struck some of the Islamic Republic’s coastal surveillance radar sites in response. U.S. Central Command said on social media that the “attack drones posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic.” Hours later, Iran fired seven ballistic missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain, Central Command said. Kuwaiti’s military said forces intercepted missiles and drones attacking the country, while Bahrain activated air raid sirens and told residents to move to the nearest safe location and follow official instructions. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it targeted “enemy bases” in the region

A federal judge has struck down a Trump administration policy that made it harder for immigrants from dozens of countries to enter and stay in the U.S. The judge criticized the policy for putting immigrants' lives in "indeterminate legal limbo" and accused the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of ignoring the law. Also Friday, the Senate passed a $70 billion bill to fund Trump's immigration enforcement agencies after weeks of delays. And the American job market shows surprising strength, with employers adding 172,000 jobs in May, despite high costs from the Iran war.

The Defense Department has announced a significant reduction in the number of religious affiliations it officially recognizes. The new list of 31 is down from more than 200 previously recognized traditions that troops could choose from. The list no longer includes atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans and Wiccans. Service members can also choose to identify as “no religion,” “other religions” or agnostic. Also included are Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, the Baha’i faith and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Lebanon’s president and prime minister are criticizing Iran for rejecting the latest ceasefire deal between the Lebanese government and Israel. In separate remarks on Friday, they said their country should not be used by Tehran as a “bargaining chip” in its talks with Washington. The comments by the Lebanese leaders came as the Israeli military struck multiple parts of southern Lebanon and issued evacuation warnings for nine villages, including one that has sheltered thousands of people displaced by the three-month war. The strikes killed nine people in six locations in southern Lebanon, the state news agency reported.

U.N. peacekeepers and Lebanese troops patrol at an entrance of the village of Dibbine, near the town of Marjayoun, after Israeli forces withdr…

The U.S. military is waiting for clarity from the Pentagon following President Donald Trump’s back-and-forth on troop levels in Europe. That's upending the lives of military personnel and potentially costing taxpayers millions of dollars. That's according to two U.S. defense officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters. NATO allies were bewildered in May when Trump said he would send 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland just weeks after ordering the same number pulled out of Europe. U.S. Transportation Command says sending all the equipment to Europe for the canceled unit cost the military $32 million.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea next week in what will be his first visit in years. His trip will the latest in a series of steps by China to reinforce its close ties with its nuclear-armed neighbor, whose leader Kim Jong Un has reached out to Russia in recent years, notably by sending troops and conventional weapons to support its war against Ukraine. The announcement was made by both countries Friday a day after North Korea unveiled a new facility to produce nuclear fuel. Experts say the plant’s disclosure implies that Kim is eager to cement his country’s status as a nuclear weapons state ahead of Xi’s visit.

President Vladimir Putin says Russia will strengthen its air defenses to counter recent Ukrainian drone attacks. Those attacks have reached deep inside his country and cast a cloud over his showcase economic forum in his hometown of St. Petersburg. Replying to a question from The Associated Press during a meeting Thursday with heads of international news agencies, Putin vowed to bolster Russia's air defenses. The media session came on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. That event is his annual showcase for investment. Hours before the forum opened Wednesday, a Ukrainian drone attack set ablaze an oil terminal in the city and also hit a historic nearby naval base.