U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said President Donald Trump supported the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, after Australia on Friday confirmed its first $500 million payment under the defense pact.

Within hours of his inauguration, Mr. Trump began to pull security details from nearly a half-dozen people who had served in his first term, most of them under threat for enforcing his Iran policy.

President Donald Trump has revoked the security detail assigned to his former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, a person familiar with the matter confirmed Wednesday, adding to the growing list of officials who have faced retribution from their onetime boss.