Balance of Power

President Donald Trump announced he was extending a ceasefire with Iran indefinitely a day before it was set to expire, even as plans for a fresh round of talks between the two countries fell apart. In a Truth Social post, Trump said Tuesday he would maintain a blockade over ships coming to and from Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. He said Pakistan, which had mediated between the two sides, asked for the US to hold off on fresh strikes and he was extending the ceasefire until Iran submits a new proposal “and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.” For instant reaction and analysis, Bloomberg Businessweek Daily hosts Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec speak with: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A preview of Kevin Warsh's nomination hearing at the Senate Banking Committee to become the next chairman of the Federal Reserve led Bloomberg Intelligence's April 20 Washington Policy Pulse. While Warsh likely has the votes, Senator Thom Tillis will probably stick to his vow not to advance Warsh until an investigation into the Fed is resolved. We also discussed upcoming testimony from US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and the likelihood of future tariffs. Finally, we discussed ongoing efforts to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement via the reconciliation process. Instructions for a deal around $75 billion could be released as soon as tomorrow. The Bloomberg Intelligence Financial Policy weekly call is designed to provide investors an opportunity to learn about the most recent relevant policy research, information regarding forthcoming political catalysts and other on-goings within Washington DC. The call is open to all and is held every Monday at 10:00 a.m. EST. You can register for the call here: https://bloomberg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__PqCkwY-S2m3hbQqvVC1_Q#/registration See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. US President Donald Trump said he’s not likely to extend the two-week ceasefire with Iran, increasing the urgency for negotiators to conclude a deal to end the war. Trump said in a Monday phone interview that the truce, which he announced April 7, expires on “Wednesday evening Washington time” — possibly buying more time for negotiations. But the president also said it’s “highly unlikely that I’d extend it” if no deal is reached before then. “I’m not going to be rushed into making a bad deal. We’ve got all the time in the world,” the president said. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. President Donald Trump said Iran has agreed to suspend its nuclear program indefinitely, fueling optimism that a deal to end their war is in reach after Tehran announced the Strait of Hormuz was open again. In a Friday phone interview, Trump asserted that any moratorium on Iran’s nuclear activities would not expire, saying it would be “unlimited.” Talks over a lasting agreement will “probably” be held this weekend, the president said. “Most of the main points are finalized. It’ll go pretty quickly,” Trump said. He also denied that the US would release any frozen funds to Iran — a key demand of the regime that he and his supporters have long decried. Details of any potential deal remained murky and Iran has yet to comment on Trump’s claim, which is virtually certain to go against its longstanding insistence that it has the right to enrich uranium. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. US President Donald Trump said that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, a move that would ease broader tensions between Washington and Tehran. There was no immediate confirmation from Israel or Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group that the Jewish state has been waging war against in Lebanon, of an agreement to halt hostilities. Trump, posting on Truth Social on Thursday, said he had held “excellent conversations” with Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “These two Leaders have agreed that in order to achieve PEACE between their Countries, they will formally begin a 10 Day CEASEFIRE” at 5 p.m. Washington time, he said. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. The US and Iran are considering extending their ceasefire that ends on Tuesday by another two weeks to allow more time to negotiate a peace agreement, according to a person familiar with the matter. Mediators between the warring sides are trying to set up technical talks to resolve the most contentious issues, said the person, who asked not to be named discussing sensitive matters. Those include reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear enrichment, they said. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. The US and Iran are looking to arrange a second round of peace talks in the coming days, with Tehran mulling a pause in shipments through the Strait of Hormuz to help ease the path toward an agreement on time and place. The objective is to hold more discussions before an April 7 ceasefire expires next week, according to people familiar with the matter. One proposal is to return to Pakistan, where initial negotiations were held last weekend, though other venues are being considered, the people said. US President Donald Trump said talks could resume “over the next two days” in Pakistan, the New York Post reported. That would build on a marathon yet inconclusive session in Islamabad on Saturday night. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A review of Congressional plans for 2026 -- including funding the Department of Homeland Security, anticipated war powers resolutions tied to the Iranian conflict and defense spending outlooks -- led Bloomberg Intelligence's April 13 version of the Washington Policy Pulse. A reconciliation bill focused on specific funds for the DHS doesn't have much market impact, in our view, but debates over crypto, housing, and farming will continue throughout 2026. We also provided an update on Kevin Warsh's nomination hearing at the Senate Banking Committee and why a recent delay shouldn't be much of a concern. The Bloomberg Intelligence Financial Policy weekly call is designed to provide investors an opportunity to learn about the most recent relevant policy research, information regarding forthcoming political catalysts and other on-goings within Washington DC. The call is open to all and is held every Monday at 10:00 a.m. EST. You can register for the call here: https://bloomberg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__PqCkwY-S2m3hbQqvVC1_Q#/registration See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. President Donald Trump said Iran reached out to his administration over peace negotiations, as the US began a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in the war’s seventh week. Even as Trump sought to jawbone negotiations back on track, there were few signs that was taking place after weekend negotiations failed in Islamabad. Iran blamed the collapse of talks on the US and Tehran has not confirmed further discussions on Monday. “We’ve been called this morning by the right people, the appropriate people, and they want to work a deal,” Trump said at the White House, without elaborating on who participated in the conversation. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. President Donald Trump sought to ratchet up pressure on Iran to cut a deal as the two sides prepared for direct talks in Pakistan to turn their fragile truce into a lasting peace. Trump posted on social media Friday that Tehran’s only leverage is “short term extortion of the world by using International Waterways” — a reference to the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane for oil and natural gas that remains largely shut — and declared that the “Iranians don’t seem to realize they have no cards.” While the two-week ceasefire was broadly holding across the Middle East, the continued closure of the strait and fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon threatened to complicate negotiations due to begin over the weekend in Islamabad. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Kailey speaks with: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. The US and Iran prepared for peace talks in Pakistan with a fragile ceasefire largely holding, though issues such as Israel’s offensive in Lebanon and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz remain unresolved. US Vice President JD Vance is expected to lead the American delegation in discussions scheduled for Islamabad on Saturday, while Iranian officials were due to arrive in the Pakistani capital on Thursday. Both sides appear to have paused strikes across the region after President Donald Trump’s announcement of a truce after nearly six weeks of fighting. The exception is in Lebanon, where Israel’s ongoing campaign against Tehran-aligned Hezbollah risks undermining the negotiations. Israel’s military on Thursday told residents in eight Beirut neighborhoods to leave ahead of strikes, after a major operation that killed more than 200 people the previous day. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Kailey speaks with: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. The US and Iran said they are prepared to hold talks to end the war in the Middle East during a proposed two-week pause in hostilities, even as Israeli strikes on Lebanon threatened to derail the fragile truce. Further adding uncertainty, sporadic fighting continued throughout the region and the Strait of Hormuz remained largely blocked. President Donald Trump has said that reopening the strait was a condition for halting the fighting. Trump’s announced ceasefire Tuesday night was a retreat from threats to unleash massive devastation on Iran, easing fears of a protracted global energy crisis. Mediator Pakistan has floated negotiations later this week in Islamabad, and Trump said they could start very soon, according to the New York Post. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Kailey speaks with: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire that’s expected to halt the American-Israeli military campaign in exchange for Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump announced the agreement Tuesday on social media hours after Pakistan, a mediator in talks, implored the US leader to back off his deadline to unleash massive devastation on Iran if it did not meet his demands. The deal buys time for the two sides to reach a longer agreement to end the six-week-old war, which has killed thousands of people and sparked a global energy crisis. Trump said he had agreed “to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks” as long as Iran agrees to “the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz.” For instant reaction and analysis, Bloomberg Radio host Doug Krizner speaks with: - Bloomberg State Department and Foreign Policy Reporter Eric Martin - Bloomberg This Weekend co-host Christina Ruffini - Bloomberg White House and Washington correspondent Jeff Mason -Terry Haines, founder of Pangea Policy - Daniel Byman, Director of the Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program at the Center See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. President Donald Trump threatened Iran with civilizational destruction as the US attacked military targets on the country’s key oil export hub, ramping up pressure on Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by his Tuesday deadline or face massive strikes on critical infrastructure. Iran halted participation in ceasefire talks in response to Trump’s social media post, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations. Those discussions have been conducted through third-party channels. Mediators were scrambling to resuscitate negotiations ahead of the deadline, the person said. A senior White House official downplayed Iran’s maneuver and said that legitimate negotiations continue to take place. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Kailey speaks with: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A review of President Donald Trump's fiscal year 2027 budget request -- and the implications for the defense sector given the White House's $1.5 trillion ask for national security -- led Bloomberg Intelligence's April 6 version of the Washington Policy Pulse. While White House budget requests are never fully implemented by Congress, Trump's goal of $350 billion in additional funding for the Iranian conflict could come during another round of reconciliation. We also dove into the latest on efforts to re-open the Department of Homeland Security and previewed the funding fights for the rest of 2026. The Bloomberg Intelligence Financial Policy weekly call is designed to provide investors an opportunity to learn about the most recent relevant policy research, information regarding forthcoming political catalysts and other on-goings within Washington DC. The call is open to all and is held every Monday at 10:00 a.m. EST. You can register for the call here: https://bloomberg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__PqCkwY-S2m3hbQqvVC1_Q#/registration See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. US allies are reportedly pressing for a last-minute deal with Iran, as President Donald Trump extended his deadline to Tuesday for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, keeping markets on edge over whether a breakthrough can be reached. Axios reported that Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey are pushing to secure a potential ceasefire — lasting about 45 days — to head off threatened US strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure and retaliation by the Islamic Republic against countries in the region. Fighting continued, with Israel, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates reporting Iranian attacks overnight into Monday. Israel struck Iran’s biggest petrochemical facility, which is responsible for 50% of the petrochemical production in the country, Defense Minister Israel Katz said. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe speaks with: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Attorney General Pam Bondi is leaving her post as head of the US Justice Department, ending a tumultuous tenure as the nation’s top law enforcement official after stumbles in her efforts to carry out President Donald Trump’s agenda. “We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future, and our Deputy Attorney General, and a very talented and respected Legal Mind, Todd Blanche, will step in to serve as Acting Attorney General,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe speaks with: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump said the war in Iran is “very close” to completion, even as he signaled strikes could escalate in the near term. Trump in a rare prime-time address on Wednesday cast the war as a success, saying the operation had nearly achieved its military goals, including destroying Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, air force, navy and industrial base. He said those steps would prevent Tehran’s proxies from destabilizing the region and cut off the country’s path to nuclear weapons. “Tonight I’m pleased to say that these core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” Trump said from the White House in a roughly 20-minute speech. “We are going to finish the job. and we’re going to finish it very fast, we’re getting very close.” The speech came as the president is grasping for an off-ramp in a conflict that has quickly slipped out of control. For instant reaction and analysis, Bloomberg Radio host Doug Krizner speaks with Bloomberg This Weekend co-host Christina Ruffini and Bloomberg White House and Washington correspondent Jeff Mason. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. US President Donald Trump said he’ll only consider a halt to attacks on Iran when the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, sowing further confusion about how long he’s prepared to continue the war. Iran’s “New Regime President” has asked the US for a ceasefire, Trump said in a social-media post on Wednesday, possibly referring to comments Masoud Pezeshkian made Tuesday that the Islamic Republic has “the necessary will” to end this war — with certain guarantees. “We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear,” Trump said. “Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion.” Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.