AS IT HAPPENED: Trump says Kimmel should be fired over shooting joke; Shooting suspect charged with attempted assassination; King and Queen touch down in the US

Thanks for following our coverage of US politics and the conflict in the Middle East.

As we wrap up, here is a recap of today's key developments

- Cole Tomas Allen, the suspect in the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting, has been charged with attempting to assassinate US President Donald Trump. He is also likely to face additional charges.

- King Charles and Queen Camilla have touched down in the US for an official tour.

- Trump, meanwhile, has called for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel to be fired after he made a joke saying the president's wife, Melania Trump, "had the glow of an expectant widow".

- Kimmel defended Americans' right to free speech and was adamant the joke was not "by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination".

- The Trump administration nominated former congressman David Brat as US ambassador to Australia.

- Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with Iranian leaders today, declaring "our relationship continues to grow".

Russia today hosted Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Al Jazeera is reporting Moscow may be trying to position itself as a mediator in the conflict with the United States.

It comes as the Trump administration looks unlikely to accept Iran's offer to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the US agrees to postpone its discussions on Iran's nuclear program.

The White House today said Trump's national security team would discuss the offer and Trump would address it later.

Late night host Jimmy Kimmel has defended Americans' right to free speech after a morbid joke he made prompted calls from the White House for him to be fired.

"You know sometimes you wake up in the morning and the first lady puts out a statement demanding you be fired from your job? We've all been there, right?" Kimmel asked at the beginning of his monologue on Monday's (today AEST) episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!

"What a day."

Kimmel joked Trump's wife Melania had the glow of an "expectant widow" days before a gunman opened fire outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday.

Trump and his supporters have since framed the joke as a call to violence.

"It was not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination," Kimmel said in today's monologue.

"And they know that. I've been very vocal for many years speaking out against gun violence in particular.

"I agree that hateful and violent rhetoric is something we should reject.

"I also should point out Donald Trump is allowed to say whatever he wants to say, as are you and as am I and as are all of us, because under the First Amendment we have as Americans the right to free speech."

There is no indication that Disney, which owns ABC (American Broadcasting Corporation), is thinking about firing Kimmel.

You can watch Kimmel's full joke here.

Democrats in Congress have forced a sixth vote on their War Powers Resolution as they seek to end the United States' involvement in the Middle East conflict.

"Senate Democrats will force a SIXTH vote on our War Powers Resolution ending Trump's war of choice in Iran," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a post on X.

"As we reach 60 days of a reckless and unpopular war, will Republicans continue to back Trump and dig themselves deeper into this hole?"

According to US law, any use of the armed forces in conflict must be halted after 60 days unless Congress has declared war or passed legislation authorising the action.

Neither of these has happened yet.

However, the president has the power to extend the period by an extra 30 days if they certify in writing to Congress the need for continued use of force.

The 60 days for the current conflict run out tomorrow.

US Vice President JD Vance has reportedly questioned whether the country's military is telling the whole truth about the Iran war and the health of the USA's missile stockpiles.

Two senior administration officials and two advisors to Vance told The Atlantic that Vance has repeatedly questioned how the Department of Defence had depicted the war.

Vance also queried whether the depletion of the United States' missile stocks was deliberately understated by the Pentagon.

"He has also expressed his concerns about the availability of certain missile systems in discussions with President Trump," the report in The Atlantic said.

This goes against what Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth and General Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have said.

"The vice president has presented his concerns as his own rather than accusing Hegseth or Caine of misleading the president," The Atlantic reported, citing two of Vance's advisors.

Opposition spokesperson for Defence James Paterson claims Australia should look at investing in a fleet of B-21 Raider aircraft, colloquially known as stealth bombers.

Despite the government recently committing to spending billions to boost Australia's production of drones, Paterson claims Australia's geographic nature means they may not always be appropriate for defence purposes.

"Now I realise — in the age of missiles and drones — another US-origin, expensive, crewed platform seems incongruous with the lessons of Ukraine and Iran. But Australia's geography is different. Our primary theatres for potential conflict are thousands of kilometres away," he told the National Press Club today.

"Our primary theatres for potential conflict are thousands of kilometres away. B-21's operating altitude means it is not as vulnerable to the kinds of cheap capabilities being fielded in Ukraine."

However, he clarified he wasn't saying the government must invest in them, only that they should "take a careful second look at this."

"I'm not here banging the lectern demanding the government place an order tomorrow," Paterson said.

"I'm not even saying that a future Coalition government would buy them."

Iran is being forced to revive derelict oil storage facilities and containers to store a backlog of oil caused by the crisis within the Strait of Hormuz.

According to reports from the Wall Street Journal, Iran is concerned that its infrastructure will not be able to keep up with the growing surplus of oil it has, as shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz are choked by an American blockade.

Iran is looking to avoid having to turn off its spigots, further impacting its already dwindling revenue reserves.

"The shutdown will add pressure and motivate the negotiations," Dr Sanam Vakil, Middle East and North Africa program director at Chatham House, a nonpartisan London think tank, said.

US President Donald Trump claims Iran only has three days before their oil storage supplies are fully backed up, but other analysts believe it could be less than two weeks.

Despite fears that the Middle East conflict and fuel crisis would have dented travel numbers, figures from Australia's biggest airport suggest the opposite is true, at least for the first month of the conflict.

Sydney Airport released its figures for people travelling in and out of its international terminal between January and March this year, and found it rose by 5.8 per cent compared to the same period last year, with 4.57 million passengers passing through.

It is also the highest number of travellers in the first quarter at Sydney Airport ever.

That said, these can be taken with a slight grain of salt, as it hasn't taken into account April. And as jet fuel prices increase, so will airfares, meaning travellers may be wary of jetting off overseas in the usually busy winter months.

Read our full analysis from Lara Pearce here.

The meeting between Iran and Russia has turned into a diplomatic love-in, as Iran's foreign minister posted a fawning message on social media, as well as a photo with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Pleased to engage with Russia at the highest level as the region is in major flux," Seyad Abbad Araghchi said on X.

"Recent events have evidenced the depth and strength of our strategic partnership.

"As our relationship continues to grow, we are grateful for solidarity and welcome Russia's support for diplomacy."

Russian President Vladimir Putin claims to have received a message from new Iranian Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

Khamenei has not been seen or given a public message since the beginning of the war, when he was installed as Supreme Leader in place of his slain father, Ali Khamenei.

There have been reports that the younger Khamenei has been badly injured and requires surgery for disfiguring burns as well as a prosthetic leg, but his status has not been confirmed.

Other reports suggest his injuries are much milder.

Meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Moscow, Putin said the pair had been in touch.

"Please convey to the Supreme Leader my appreciation for his message and my best wishes for his good health and well-being," Putin said, according to a transcript from the Kremlin.

"We see how courageously and heroically the Iranian people are fighting for their independence and sovereignty."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the US has no information that Khamenei is dead, but that intelligence is unsure whether he is in firm control of the regime.