All options are on the table. For example, look at the Bab al-Mandab Strait option as narrated by Press TV! https://t.co/Y7P6JfFCRU

— Peyman Jebelli بيمان جبلّي (@PJebelli_ir) May 19, 2026

Moon of Alabama | As long as Trump is politically (through the bond market) and personally (through stocks) bound to rising markets he will likely avoid anything that might lead to a large tumble of bond and stock values or even a crash. | At Naked Capitalism Yves Smith has held for a while that only ‘the markets’ can prevent U.S. President Donald Trump from further attacks on Iran. ● ‘The markets’ here are for one the bond market where any slump would mean lower treasuries, higher interest rates and problems for the U.S. to finance its debt. It is here where inflation hits Trump the most. Any interest increase is a political burden for Trump who has argued for the Federal Reserve to lower its benchmark interest rate. ● But ‘the markets’ are also the stock market where Trump is privately engaged. A recent filing to the US Office of Government Ethics revealed that more than 3,600(!) transactions were made between January and the end of March on Trump’s personal account, which is (allegedly) handled by his sons through a brokerage

While Tehran has said it does not trust Washington, it maintains the standoff cannot be resolved through military means | The US and Israel are actively preparing for a renewal of hostilities with Iran and could resume attacks as early as next week, The New York Times has reported, citing sources. ● Indirect negotiations between Iran and the Trump White House have remained deadlocked since a fragile ceasefire was established in April following over a month of hostilities. Both sides have repeatedly dismissed the other’s demands as unrealistic, and both Tehran and Washington still insist they hold the upper hand. ● Meanwhile, disruptions continue in the Strait of Hormuz, which has heavily affected global shipping and caused oil shortages worldwide. While Iran has announced its own mechanism to regulate maritime traffic in the waterway, Washington has rejected the scheme and is enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports in retaliation. ● Two unnamed Middle East officials told the NYT on Friday that preparations for new strikes by Israel and the US have greatly accelerated over the past few days, and the conflict could resume as early as next week, according to the sources.

■ Iran submits new 14-point proposal to US via Pakistan to end war: Report (Press TV)
■ Ten-point plan for talks with US is 'red line' for Iran — lawmaker (TASS)
■ Still threatening Iran, US sets five more demands for talks: Fars (Al Mayadeen)
■ Explainer: Iran's 10-point proposal that forced US surrender after 40 days of aggression (Press TV)
■ Trump says US could ‘easily’ take Strait of Hormuz, ‘make a fortune’ over oil exports (NYP) (April 3, 2026)

"There won’t be anything left” of the country if it doesn’t agree to American demands, the US president has threatened | US President Donald Trump has threatened Iran with a new attack if Tehran doesn’t agree to make swift concessions to Washington. ● Indirect talks between the sides have remained stalled since a fragile ceasefire was established in early April after a month of hostilities initiated by the US and Israel. Both Washington and Tehran have repeatedly dismissed each other’s demands, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier this week singling out the Trump administration’s “maximalist approach” and provocative rhetoric as main obstacles to reaching a deal. ● Meanwhile, disruptions continue in the Strait of Hormuz, which has heavily affected global shipping and sent oil prices soaring. While Tehran has announced its own mechanism to regulate maritime traffic through the waterway, which accounts for some 25% of global crude trade, the US has rejected the scheme and is enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports in retaliation.

Washington for years rejected Russian allegations of the existence of the secret program, before finally admitting it | Russia’s allegations that the US-funded clandestine biological laboratories near its borders – claims denied until recently by Washington – have remained a persistent flashpoint in the steadily deteriorating relationship between Russia and the West for nearly a decade. ● The biolabs affair was revealed in a 2017 exposé by RT that questioned a shady US military tender seeking the genetic material of living Russians. Over the years, Moscow has raised allegations against Washington of conducting clandestine bio-research, including potential WMD development and illicit human testing, in a network of labs located across multiple nations, the bulk of which operated in Ukraine. The claims were met with a blanket denial in the West, which repeatedly dismissed them as “Russian propaganda.” ● This abruptly changed the past week when US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said that her department had identified more than 120 US-funded biological laboratories in 30 countries, with over a third of them located in Ukraine. The agency is now working to “identify where these labs are, what pathogens they contain, and what ‘research’ is being conducted to end dangerous gain-of-function research that threatens the health and wellbeing of the American people and the world,” according to Gabbard.

■ US and Israel preparing to renew attack on Iran [this] week – NYT (05/18/26)
🚩 Remember how the West laughed at Russia’s ‘biolabs’ claims? The facts: (05/14/26)

A senior Pentagon official has provided an updated estimate regarding the financial implications of the war on Iran, claiming that the war has already cost the United States approximately $29 billion since its onset on February 28, while estimates point to higher figures. | Defense Undersecretary for Comptroller Jules Jay Hurst made the revelation in a testimony before a House Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday. The updated estimate marks an increase from an earlier figure of $25 billion mentioned during a hearing on April 29. ● Hurst attributed this rise in costs to the continuous reassessment by the joint staff and comptroller teams, reflecting updated costs associated with equipment repair and replacement, as well as general operational expenses for personnel deployed in the region.

■ US lawmaker says Washington lost 39 aircraft in Iran war, citing defense report (Anadolu Ajanasi)

The US secretary of state insists that Washington’s policy on the island is “unchanged” after Xi Jinping said mishandling the issue could lead to conflict | Washington’s policy on Taiwan remains unchanged and any attempt by China to break the status quo would be a “terrible mistake,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said. [...] During the trip, Chinese leader Xi Jinping named Taiwan as “the most important issue in China-US relations,” warning that if the two nations fail to handle it correctly, they “may clash or even come into conflict.”

■ Xi, Trump have restricted meeting in Beijing (Global Times)
✅ China Sent a Tough Message to Trump… Did He Understand It? (Larry C. Johnson)
✅ Trump Goes To China (Moon of Alabama) (05/13/26)

Elena Panina | Washington is preparing to bring charges against 94-year-old former Cuban leader Raúl Castro in connection with a 1996 case involving aircraft belonging to the humanitarian organization Brothers to the Rescue, which the Cuban military was accused of shooting down, Reuters reports.

❖ In a wider perspective, this points to a familiar pattern. First come sanctions, economic strangulation, and attempts at international isolation. Then come charges of some form of “terrorism” against symbolic figures. And then the opportunity arises to speak not of a political conflict, but of “the prosecution of criminals.” This is precisely the model the U.S. used against Nicolás Maduro—right up to his abduction by U.S. special forces. ● According to Reuters, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida is exploring the possibility of bringing criminal charges against other high-ranking officials from the Island of Liberty. ● It is telling that the case against Castro was revived nearly 30 years after the events in question. This is clearly no coincidence. Nor is the full-blown energy crisis that has erupted in Cuba recently due to the U.S. blockade, accompanied by statements from American officials calling for “fundamental changes.”

❖ Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov emphasized Cuba’s importance. And this is entirely justified, especially since we are capable of neutralizing the U.S.’s main leverage—the energy stranglehold on Cuba. Cuba, as well as the stability of its society, is critically dependent on fuel imports. Organizing regular fuel deliveries, for example, as part of humanitarian efforts, appears to be a perfectly feasible task for Russia. (DeepL) (Photo: Reuters)

■ Cuba hosts CIA chief as US blockade pushes island into worst blackout crisis in decades (The Cradle)
■ CIA chief delivers message from Trump to Cuba (PHOTOS) (RT)

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) is investigating over 120 US-funded biological laboratories abroad. DNI Tulsi Gabbard said her team will identify lab locations, pathogens, and research, aiming to halt dangerous gain-of-function experiments that threaten global health and safety. | The US operates over 300 biological laboratories abroad, including more than 40 in Ukraine. A US intelligence investigation into these facilities signals growing concern over biosafety and security risks.

🚩 Remember how the West laughed at Russia’s ‘biolabs’ claims? The facts: (05/14/26)

Leo Hohmann | The answer is hiding in plain sight but nobody is looking or asking the right questions. | If you ask the typical Georgian why this extremely costly war was launched in the first place, many will parrot Trumpian talking points about having to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. Some might also repeat the dubious claim that we had to get revenge on a regime that’s been “killing Americans for 47 years.” ■ I have discussed the real reasons this war was launched in multiple articles, and tops among them is an effort, a very risky effort, to cut China off from the vital oil and gas resources it relies on from the Middle East. Roughly 54 percent of China’s energy resources come from the Middle East. ■ And with President Trump’s big summit with Chinese leader Xi Xinping approaching on May 14, I felt it was timely to remind my readers of one of my most important articles, first published on Feb. 9, three weeks before the war started on Feb. 28. To understand this war, you must understand that it has every bit as much to do with China as it does Iran. ■ So please read the Feb. 9 article here and reread it if you don’t remember the details.

Declassified intelligence files reveal details about Cold War-era CIA behavioral programs, including interrogation research and psychological testing conducted on prisoners held in US custody. | Korean prisoners of war in the 1950s were reportedly subjected to early MK-ULTRA experiments while in US custody, according to a report published in The Intercept by North Carolina-based writer Garrett Kim, citing recently declassified CIA documents that confirm these activities for the first time. ■ Prior to this disclosure, the only widely cited reference to Koreans being used in such experiments appeared in journalist John Marks’s influential 1979 book, The Search for the “Manchurian Candidate.” Drawing on CIA records, Marks traced the origins of MK-ULTRA back to its earlier phase, known as Project Bluebird. In that work, he describes how, in October 1950, 25 unnamed DPRK POWs were selected as initial test subjects for “advanced” interrogation methods, aimed explicitly at “controlling an individual to the point where he will do our bidding against his will and even against such fundamental laws of nature as self-preservation.”

The US is now investigating the same Ukrainian biolabs it once wrote off as a conspiracy theory

● US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has confirmed that her team is investigating more than 40 US-funded pathogen laboratories in Ukraine. Here’s what you need to know about the story that was written off as “Kremlin propaganda” in 2022.

● In a statement to the New York Post on Tuesday, Gabbard said that her department had identified more than 120 biological laboratories in 30 countries that had been funded by the US taxpayer for decades. More than a third of these labs are located in Ukraine. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) is going...

Gain of function research refers to the modification of animal viruses to increase their transmissibility in order to study their effect on humans. The ODNI is currently investigating the origins of the Covid-19 coronavirus, which Gabbard and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. maintain was created in a US-funded biolab in Wuhan, China.

■ Unknown virus emerges in Russia (03/31/25)
■ Africa is ‘new focus’ of US biolab activities – Moscow (12/24/24)
■ Public Extent of U.S. Involvement in Armenia: CIA Cutouts, Generous Funding, and Biolabs (10/04/23)
■ US Seeks to Encircle Russia, China, With 'Offensive Strategic Bio-labs' (08/20/23)
■ US Biolabs in Georgia: An Investigative Documentary–D. Gaytandzhieva (07/01/23) (VIDEO)
■ US Bio-Programs Likely Pursuing 'Race-Targeted' Viruses, Russian Security Chief Says (06/24/23)
■ 'Chilling and Frightening': US Bioweapons in Ukraine Pose Massive Risks (04/14/23)
■ US resumes biolabs program in Ukraine – Russian MOD (04/08/23)
■ U.S. Department of Defense issued a contract for ‘COVID-19 Research’ in Ukraine 3 months before Covid was known to even exist (04/05/23)
■ Reuters Article Confirms Ukrainian Biolabs are Creating High-Threat mRNA Pathogens (04/02/23)
■ Al Mayadeen Documentaries from 2018 describes the secret American funding of research into biological weapons using dangerous pathogens in Eastern Europe (12/14/22 )
■ The UNSC Refused to Look Into US Biolabs in Ukraine (11/03/22)
■ Final Draft on US Biological Activity in Ukraine Presented to UN Security Council (10/30/22)
■ The US Biolabs in Ukraine Were Engaged in Prohibited Military Activities (10/06/22)
■ New Information Released about ILLEGAL U.S. Bio-Weapons Research in Ukraine (09/05/22)
■ Russian Military Points to Presence of US-Funded Biolabs in Nigeria Amid Global Monkeypox Scare (05/27/22)
■ And Now it’s Time for Monkeypox! (05/23/22)
■ Key Russian lawmaker reveals illicit Ebola, smallpox research at US-run Ukraine biolabs (05/21/22)
■ Documents Reveal How US Biolabs In Ukraine Attempted To Create Controlled Epidemics (05/14/22)
■ Russia names EU countries linked to Ukrainian biolabs (05/12/22)
■ Russia REVEALS ALL in Bombshell BioLabs Briefing - Inside Russia Report (05/12/22) (VIDEO)
■ U.S. Bioweapons expert speaks out about US biolabs in Ukraine (04/18/22)
■ Extremely interesting thread, on the American biolabs in Ukraine (04/15/22)
■ Russia makes new allegations about US-funded biolabs in Ukraine (04/01/22)
■ Biolabs in Ukraine: Who are Metabiota’s investors? (03/21/22)
■ The Obama-incubated Pentagon global Biolab program in Georgia and Ukraine (03/19/22)
■ Pentagon contractors worked in Ukrainian biolabs under $80 million program (03/16/22) (VIDEO)
■ Russian biological samples ‘collected for research’ – US Air Force (03/14/22)
■ Crimean Authorities Expose US Plans to Set up Biolab on Peninsula (03/12/22)
■ Russia Convenes UN Security Council Meeting to Present BioLab Evidence (03/11/22)
■ Russian MoD on US Biolabs: One Goal Was to Create Bioagents That Can Target Certain Ethnic Groups (03/11/22)
■ US-Funded Bio Labs in Ukraine Conducted Research Into Bat Coronavirus, Russian MoD Says (03/10/22)
■ National Endowment for Democracy Deletes Records of Funding Projects in Ukraine (03/09/22)
■ Why did the US embassy official website just REMOVE all evidence of Ukrainian bioweapons labs? (03/05/22)
■ US bioweapons labs in Ukraine and Central Asia near Russia as a motivating factor in Putin’s moves (02/25/22)

Moon of Alabama | A big hope for U.S. financial interest is to open the Chinese (consumer) markets for their virtual ‘products’. | His larger plan had been to take Venezuela, Iran and their oil before pressing China, via tariffs and energy restrictions, to concede to U.S. hegemony. ■ That plan has failed. Trump has lost two wars. His tariff schemes ended in retreat after China restricted the export of its rare earth products. His war on Iran has is one big failure. ■ Trump is coming to Beijing with his cap in his hand. He, as usual, will try to bluff a way to ‘victory’. He will proceed as if the U.S. were in a great position. The Chinese will be polite, but won’t have any of it. ■ There have been little preparations for the trip. The sherpas did not convene beforehand to straighten out serious issues between the countries. There are no big contracts or treaties to sign. ■ Trump will want to sell soybeans and Boeing airplanes. The Chinese are only mildly interested in any such deals. They may sign some contracts to give Trump something to boast about. But they will hedge their deals as the U.S. is known to be a unreliable partner. ■ Trump will want support for making peace (on U.S. conditions) with Iran. There will be some solemn and wise responses to that. ■ It is in Chinese interest to see the U.S. bogged down in the Middle East. Any U.S. airplane, ship, gun and soldier in the Middle East is one less to worry about in east Asia. Any munition fired against Iran can not be used against China. ■ China does not want Iran to lose the war. It will support it, as it already does, wherever needed.

✅ The future of China-US relations is bright: Global Times editorial (Global Times Editorial)
■ Trump arrives in Beijing for state visit after almost 9 years (Global Times)
■ Washington slaps new sanctions on China–Iran oil network ahead of Trump's visit to Beijing (The Cradle)

In a noteworthy mea culpa from one of America's most influential neoconservative commentators, Robert Kagan believes the United States has suffered a "total defeat" in its ongoing war against Iran, which has permanently shattered its global standing. | Kagan, a co-founder of the Project for the New American Century and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, was a vocal advocate of the war against Iraq and a lifelong champion of American military interventions in West Asia. But in a recent article for The Atlantic, he offered a grim verdict on the current war of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran, launched on February 28.

■ Trump dismissed Iran’s response since it wasn’t a ‘letter of surrender’ (Press TV)
■ Iran sues US at Hague tribunal, demands war reparations for June 2025 aggression (Press TV)

The Strait of Hormuz operational scope has expanded into a broader strategic maritime zone including Jask and Sirri, according to an IRGC Navy official. | Iran has “significantly expanded” the operational scope of the Strait of Hormuz as part of a new plan, extending it to include the area stretching from the coasts of Jask and Sirri to beyond the major islands, describing it as a “strategic zone", Mohammad Akbarzadeh, political assistant to the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Navy, stated. ● "We closely monitor the movements of the enemies, and recently we spotted an American frigate attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz. However, our forces fired warning shots toward it and forced it to change its course," Akbarzadeh added.

■ Strait of Hormuz now a 500-kilometer operational ‘crescent’: IRGC Navy (Press TV)

In the latest episode of MintCast, MintPress director and host speaks with Dr. Seyed Mohammad Marandi, professor at the University of Tehran and a prominent voice in Western media debates, to unpack the latest developments in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran — and why Tehran is increasingly dismissive of Washington’s calls for negotiations. ● The interview comes amid a dramatic shift in rhetoric from Donald Trump, who moved from threatening to “annihilate” Iran to calling for renewed talks. According to Marandi, who was present during recent backchannel negotiations in Pakistan, the U.S. approach has been inconsistent and ultimately unconvincing to Iranian officials.

Moon of Alabama | Russia is still hoping to make a deal with Trump. But I am sure that it is well aware that it is the U.S. which is pushing for further European’s aggression against Russia. | Lavrov/Excerpts:

Moon of Alabama | Two remarkable pieces appeared during the last days. They are related to each other as both authors are seasoned right-wing strategist who were deeply involved with the George W. Bush administration and its war on Iraq. | The first piece is by Turki Al-Faisal:

A second op-ed, by arch-neoconservative Robert Kagan in the pro-war Atlantic, confirms that take. Kagan, who had pushed the Bush/Cheney administration towards its war on Iran is conceding that the U.S. has lost its war on Iran:

The spokesperson for #Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Bloc in Parliament, Ebrahim Rezaei, warned on X that "as of today, our restraint is over," declaring, "Any aggression against our vessels will be met with a heavy and decisive response from Iran, targeting both the… pic.twitter.com/E652rxIWlG

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 10, 2026

📌 There is no good option left for Washington. Only harsh but predictable consequences. (The Islander)
■ Iran warns of 'decisive response' to any European naval deployment in Strait of Hormuz (Press TV)
✅ The important change in Iran’s latest response to Trump (Trita Parsi)

The circus that is the negotiations between the United States and Iran, continues. Sunday afternoon, Iran responded to the latest US peace proposal and President Trump says the response is "totally unacceptable." | If Trump commences attacks again, Iran has already made clear "all bets are off." They will respond massively, targeting all American bases in the region, the oil infrastructure of American allies, and perhaps even the water desalination infrastructure of American allies. ● This would utterly smash any possibility of resolving the lack of oil flow from the now-closed Strait of Hormuz because the oil infrastructure which would fill ships to/from a re-opened Strait, could no longer fill-up when the oil infrastructure is destroyed. ● Then, too, is the Diesel fuel situation. Without Diesel fuel, trucks and trains cannot operate. The United States presently has about 43 days of Diesel fuel remaining in its commercial supplies. ● Meanwhile, in an ominous sign that things are about to get very hot, an Ohio-class US nuclear submarine arrived in Gibraltar today, entering the Mediterranean Sea.

■ Trump rejects ‘unacceptable’ Iranian response after call with Netanyahu (The Cradle)

■ Iran says its proposal was generous as US insists on ‘unreasonable demands’ (Press TV) | "We did not demand any concessions. The only thing we have demanded is Iran's legitimate rights. Is it unreasonable for Iran to demand an end to the war in the region, a halt to maritime piracy against Iranian ships, and the release of assets belonging to the Iranian people that have been unjustly blocked for years? Is our proposal for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz unreasonable? Is establishing peace and security across the entire region irresponsible?"

No immediate U.S. military statement on the incident was available at the time of reporting. | U.S. Air Force (USAF) F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter squawked emergency transponder code 7700 while flying over the Sea of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media outlets Fars News Agency and Tasnim reported. The code indicated an immediate emergency requiring landing, the media reported. The cause of the emergency was not immediately clear. Transponder code 7700 is a standard international aviation emergency squawk used to indicate a general in-flight emergency requiring immediate priority and assistance from air traffic control. Its activation does not in itself identify the nature of the emergency, which can range from mechanical failure to medical incidents to combat damage.

The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force has stated that Iran’s advanced missiles and aerospace drones are fully locked on American targets and enemy ships across the Persian Gulf region, with forces standing by for the final order to strike. | “The missiles and aerospace drones are locked on the enemy and we are waiting for the firing order,” Brigadier General Seyyed Majid Mousavi said in a statement posted on social media on Saturday evening. ● The senior IRGC commander’s statement comes amid escalating US provocations in the Persian Gulf and sends a crystal-clear message that the Islamic Republic will not tolerate further American aggression. ● This firm warning follows the IRGC’s recent decisive response to hostile American actions. After US forces launched strikes on Iranian ships and tankers near Jask, the IRGC Navy swiftly mounted a precise and overwhelming counter-operation using anti-ship ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and high-explosive drones. ● The Iranian strikes inflicted heavy damage on enemy assets and forced the US vessels to flee the area in disarray. ● Iranian officials have condemned these reckless US maneuvers as a dangerous threat to regional maritime security and international navigation.

Moon of Alabama | Time is on the Iranian side. Its economy is used to work under sanctions and pressure. The U.S. (and global) economy can not do without the oil, gas, fertilizer and minerals which are currently blocked in the Persian Gulf. The U.S. can not win militarily. It is losing economically. | The current situation around the Strait of Hormuz is vague. We currently have what Chas Freeman calls (vid) a “ceasefire with Israeli characteristics”. Both sides continue to fight but try to avoid a larger escalation. The destroyers were driven off under intense Iranian fire:

■ Iran Caused Far More Damage to US Bases Than the Trump Administration Has Acknowledged (Antiwar)

Iran's Army Navy has struck American destroyers with cruise missiles and combat drones near the Strait of Hormuz after US forces attacked Iranian oil tankers in violation of a ceasefire, forcing them to flee the area. | In a statement Friday, the Islamic Republic of Iran Army announced that its naval forces attacked American destroyers Thursday night “using various missiles, combat drones, and rockets,” after the aggressor vessels “in violation of the ceasefire, assaulted Iranian oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and in territorial waters.” ● The operation came after a series of US military attacks on Iranian ships and port areas. According to a statement by a spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the “aggressive, terrorist, and outlaw” US military targeted an Iranian oil tanker transiting from the Jask coastal region toward the Strait of Hormuz.

■ US disaster in Strait of Hormuz detailed (Press TV)
■ US Bombs Iran’s Qeshm Port and Bandar Abbas (Antiwar)
■ US fires on Iranian-flagged tanker during Strait of Hormuz standoff (AOL)
■ US Project Freedom fell apart after 'backlash' from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait (The Cradle)
✅ Саудовская Аравия запретила США использовать свои базы и воздушное пространство (Елена Панина)

Washington and Tehran have exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing each other of “unprovoked” violations | The US military has launched a wave of strikes on Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran accused Washington of violating the ceasefire and retaliated against American warships in the area. ● US President Donald Trump downplayed the latest strikes as “just a love tap,” after Tehran “trifled” with Washington, while warning that the US would strike Iran “a lot harder, and a lot more violently” unless Tehran signs a deal “fast.”

The US president has abruptly put ‘Project Freedom’ on hold after just two days | US President Donald Trump has temporarily paused a military operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, but said the blockade of Iranian ports will “remain in full force and effect” until a final agreement with Tehran is reached. ● Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ was launched to guide tankers and other commercial vessels through the key energy chokepoint, which accounts for around one-fifth of global oil flows. Announcing the mission on Sunday, Trump described it as a humanitarian effort rather than an offensive operation. ● Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also appeared to be caught off guard by the announcement. Earlier on Tuesday, he boasted at a press conference that “hundreds more ships from nations around the world are lining up to transit,” after US forces “embarrassed” Iran with the success of Project Freedom. ● The now-aborted operation is the latest flashpoint between Washington and Tehran. Iran warned that any foreign military entering the strait would be targeted, insisting that safe passage through the waterway must be coordinated with Iranian forces.

■ Trump's war on Iran a 'catastrophe' with zero gains, made Tehran 'very strong’: Ex-US jurist (Press TV)
✅ 'Project Freedom' perishes in 48 hours as Trump retreats under the wall of Iran's asymmetric deterrence

A new poll has revealed deep skepticism among the American public regarding US President Donald Trump’s ability to lead, with a majority declaring him mentally and physically unfit for the presidency as the fallout from Washington’s reckless war on Iran continues to hammer the US economy. | The Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll, released on Monday, found that 59 percent of respondents believe Trump lacks the mental sharpness required to serve effectively as commander-in-chief, compared to just 40 percent who said he is equipped for the role. ● On physical health, 55 percent said the president is not in good enough condition to lead, while 44 percent disagreed. ● More than half of those surveyed, 54 percent, said they do not view Trump as a strong leader, and a striking 67 percent believe he does not carefully consider important decisions, pointing to the erratic and impulsive policymaking that has defined his approach to the Iran war. ● Other recent surveys show Trump’s disapproval ratings climbing to new highs, fueled largely by affordability crises triggered by the US-initiated war on Iran and sweeping tariffs.

The head of Central Command earlier claimed the US military had struck Iranian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz | Iran has dismissed claims that US forces sank six Iranian naval vessels that were allegedly threatening commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. ● The head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, told journalists on Monday that the US military “eliminated” a small Iranian naval force in the region. ● The reported strike was part of Project Freedom – an initiative announced by US President Donald Trump on Sunday to escort tankers and other vessels that have been stuck in the Strait of Hormuz since the US and Israel attacked Iran in late February.

■ Araqchi Condemns Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ as Recipe for Deadlock in Hormuz (Tasnim)
■ Iran reports 5 civilians killed in US attack on civilian boats (Al Mayadeen)
■ Iranian news reports deny Maersk ship crossed strait under US escort (Al Mayadeen)

Two missiles have struck a US Navy vessel near the strategic Strait of Hormuz after it ignored warnings from Iran's naval forces, according to a report. | Fars News Agency reported that the American warship was moving in the vicinity of Jask port on Monday with the intention of transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, in violation of maritime security protocols. ● The vessel reportedly disregarded multiple warnings issued by the Islamic Republic of Iran's naval forces before being targeted. ● According to the report, the US vessel suffered damage from the strikes, forcing it to abandon its course and retreat from the area. ● The Islamic Republic of Iran had previously announced that any transit through the Strait of Hormuz without official authorization from Iran is not permitted, and that any disregard for this warning would be met with a decisive response from the country's armed forces.

■ Iran hits US Navy ship with missile strike (RT)
■ IRGC Rejects CENTCOM Claim over Passage of US-Flagged Merchant Ships Through Strait of Hormuz (Fars)
■ IRGC vows to 'forcefully stop' ships violating Strait of Hormuz regulations (Press TV)
■ Local Reports Say Two Missiles Hit US Navy Vessel in Southern Iranian Waters (Fars News)
■ Iran says it turns back US warship from Strait of Hormuz, US official denies missile strike (Reuters)
■ Iran releases new map outlining areas in Hormuz under its control (Anadolu Ajansi)