Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill.

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The White House said the Iranian regime has been “absolutely crushed” while the timeline for military operations remained deeply unclear on the fifth day of the Middle East war, which continued to stress financial and energy markets.

The US has sunk more than 20 Iranian vessels, eliminated 49 Iranian officials, struck more than 2,000 targets and is moving toward “complete and total control of Iranian airspace” in a “remarkably successful” mission, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Wednesday.

The conflict showed no sign of abating, with Tehran again targeting Israel and Gulf states. Meanwhile, Israeli and US forces made good on pledges to bomb more targets in the Islamic Republic. The US sank an Iranian warship in international waters, marking the first time since World War II that an American submarine has attacked a surface vessel.

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:

• Bloomberg This Weekend Co-Host David Gura.
• Harvard Kennedy School Ash Center Visiting Democracy Fellow Jeanne Sheehan Zaino and Bluestack Strategies Founder Maura Gillespie.
• Former US Central Command Commander Gen. Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie (Ret.).