Aisha Wahab has made history by becoming the first Afghan American elected to the US Congress after winning a special election to fill the remaining term of former Representative Eric Swalwell.

According to a report by East Bay Times, Wahab defeated BART Board President Melissa Hernandez, securing 53% of the vote against her opponent’s 47%.

Wahab received 51,610 votes, compared with 45,598 for Hernandez, giving her an unassailable lead with only a small number of ballots remaining to be processed.

“This victory belongs to the voters who made clear that our district cannot be bought,” Wahab said following her historic win. She added that her journey from foster care to Congress demonstrates the possibility of achieving the American Dream.

The closely watched race drew more than $5 million in outside political spending, much of it supporting Hernandez or opposing Wahab. Despite the intense campaign, Wahab maintained her lead and secured victory in the special election.

Wahab will serve the remainder of Swalwell’s term, which expires in January, before facing Hernandez again on November 3 in the election for a full two-year congressional term.

The 14th Congressional District includes parts of southern Alameda County and the Tri-Valley, including Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Dublin and Pleasanton.

A former Hayward councilwoman and California state senator, Wahab’s victory marks a historic milestone for the Afghan American community and representation in the US Congress.

Two Afghan national staff members of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) have been released after being detained for more than a week, a UN spokesman said.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Thursday that the two employees had been released earlier in the day and appeared to be in good health.

“We understand that the charges against them have been dropped, so we are delighted they are out,” Dujarric said.

He added, however, that UNAMA had not been informed of the reasons behind their arrest and detention.

“We’re continuing to follow up with the de facto authorities,” he said, noting that the United Nations is also seeking assurances that the privileges and immunities of its personnel will be respected.

Dujarric also raised concerns over the continued detention of UN staff in Yemen, saying that 73 UN personnel remain in the custody of the Houthis.

“We continue to do everything we can to seek their immediate release,” he said.

U.S. Treasury chief Scott Bessent said the United States will impose “the toughest sanctions in history” on Iran, a move he suggested would lessen the need for new major military operations, Reuters reported.

Bessent’s comments on Thursday followed President Donald Trump’s threat a day earlier of “Economic Warfare” and warning of economic consequences against any country that provided “any type of lifeline to Iran.” Bessent promised details next week.

Oil prices rose to more than a three-week high on Thursday following those U.S. threats of financial penalties aimed at forcing an end to a nearly six-month-old war that has stranded millions of barrels of Middle Eastern oil.

“I’m not sure why oil has popped up on this,” Bessent told CNBC. “If we are doing the maximum economic pressure, then that means that likely there will not be a large-scale kinetic restart,” he said, using a term referring to military force.

Thousands have been killed in the conflict, which drew in Gulf nations and shocked markets as Iran flexed its ability to curb shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — a ⁠waterway that carried about a fifth of all traded oil before February.

The U.S. and Iran have twice announced ceasefire deals, in April and June, aiming to restore the free flow of shipping through Hormuz on a path towards ending the conflict, but both quickly crumbled, read the report.

Iran has weathered near-continuous, punishing economic sanctions for nearly 50 years, since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

Before Bessent spoke, Iran’s foreign ministry said it condemned U.S. economic and trade sanctions, calling them “economic terrorism” that would not “create even the slightest hesitation in Iranians’ determination to safeguard Iran’s independence, dignity and national sovereignty.”

Bessent told CNBC he would share more details on the latest package and “talk about exactly what we’re going to do” on Iran at a press conference on Monday.

“It is a one-two punch. We have the blockade (on Iran), and we are going to have the toughest sanctions in history,” he added, referring to a U.S. naval blockade imposed on Iran in April and paused for a month in mid-June.

“It is going to work in Iran and we are going to collapse this regime. It is time for our allies and the ⁠rest of the world to make a decision,” he said.

China buys more than 80% of Iran’s shipped oil, according to 2025 data from analytics firm Kpler, but engaging in further economic warfare with China, a major exporter to the U.S. including vital rare-earth minerals, risks retaliation against Washington.

When asked if the United States could target China for doing business with Iran, Bessent said many conversations were best to have in private.

“Keep in mind that the Chinese get 50% (of their) energy… from the Gulf. So it would do them a big service to get with the program,” he said.

China’s embassy in Washington said “sanctions ⁠and pressure do not help resolve the problem.”

“China calls on the relevant parties to take responsible actions and resolve the issue through political and diplomatic means,” according to an embassy spokesperson.

In a social media message on Wednesday, Trump promised “Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale.” He did not say what specific steps the U.S. would take or name any country, though the warning would appear to ⁠extend to U.S. allies that have helped mediate peace talks.

“ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences,” Trump wrote.

Trump, however, is under pressure at home to end the unpopular war, with high fuel prices dragging down his approval ratings and potentially threatening his ⁠party’s control of Congress in midterm elections in November, Reuters reported.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi called Trump’s comments an attempt to divert American public opinion from domestic financial problems, including record debt and rising interest rates.

He said Washington’s insistence on policies he described as failed would bring further failures and alienate Iranians.

Trump’s social media threats and announcements are not always implemented as written.