CNN: President Donald Trump says the US will “destroy one bridge or power plant” every time Iran targets a ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iran in turn will hit infrastructure and energy facilities across the region, an official told Iranian media.
Pickaxe Mountain: Tehran has accused Washington of using Pickaxe Mountain as a pretext for further attacks, after Trump earlier also threatened to attack the suspected underground nuclear site…
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drone attacks on CIA facilities in the Gulf have prompted U.S. intelligence analysts to investigate whether Russia assisted by providing targeting information or advanced drone technology, said four people familiar with U.S. intelligence.
These people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss national security matters, said U.S. intelligence officials have not yet reached firm conclusions about the possible Russian involvement in the attacks on CIA facilities. But they cited the strikes’ effectiveness and apparent precision, as well as Russia’s broader technical support for Iran, as possible evidence…
Houthis Say They Attacked Tankers in Red Sea, Widening War
The Houthis said they had targeted two oil tankers in the Red Sea, and the UK Maritime Trade Operations Center reported that a tanker had been struck southwest of Al Shuqaiq on the Saudi Red Sea coast.
US Central Command said it had begun more strikes on Iran, marking the 12th night of the latest phase of the American military campaign, and Kuwait said it was fending off an incursion of Iranian drones.
The conflict appears to be widening, with both the US and Iran showing little inclination to return to the negotiating table, and the US saying it will intensify its bombing campaign until Iran agrees to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and cease attacks on energy tankers…
House Adopts $95 Billion G.O.P. Budget for Iran War
Republican leaders muscled through resistance in their own ranks to approve the budget blueprint for the war and other measures, but its prospects were far dimmer in the Senate…
House Passes Defense Bill Amid Iran War Divide
Passage marked a victory for Republicans seeking to reshape the Department of Defense in line with President Trump’s aims, but the near party-line vote on what is normally a broadly bipartisan bill reflected major obstacles that could complicate its path to enactment…
Pakistan seeks $10 billion fund from US after mediating Iran talks, sources say
Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb made the request in a letter delivered during a meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, on Tuesday, a U.S. official said.
In it, Islamabad asked for creation of a Bilateral Exchange Stabilization Support Facility between the U.S. and the Pakistani government worth $10 billion with maturity of up to five years.
The facility, if agreed to, would bolster Pakistan’s reserves, ease pressure on the rupee and reduce its reliance on multilateral financing, even as Islamabad undertakes tighter fiscal and monetary policies in line with its International Monetary Fund program…
U.S. Surges Forces Toward Middle East, Giving Trump Options to Expand Iran War
The U.S. is surging forces, medics and weaponry to the Middle East to give President Trump more muscular military options as he considers expanding the conflict against Iran, according to people familiar with the matter.
In the past week, special-operations forces have deployed to the region from their U.S. bases, according to flight-tracking data and U.S. officials. Squadrons of jet fighters have been staged across the Middle East, and bomber aircraft at bases in the U.S. and U.K. are on high alert to ramp up operations, according to one of the officials…
Trump greets the fallen as he faces a decision point on Iran
Perhaps nothing underscores the weight of responsibility for a president more than traveling to Dover for the solemn ritual. Trump acknowledged as much as he was departing Washington.
“For me, it’s one of the hardest things to do as a president, but has to be done,” he said before taking off on his new, Qatari-donated Air Force One…
What Visuals Show About Recent Damage to U.S. Military Sites in the Middle East
Iranian attacks on nine U.S. locations across the Middle East in the two weeks since the cease-fire broke down show that the country maintains an ability to inflict damage on precise targets, despite the Trump administration’s repeated claims that Iran’s military capabilities have been diminished or destroyed…
A new front is opening in the Iran war. Oil faces ‘no way out’
A significant chunk of that oil would normally have been destined for the Persian Gulf, but Saudi Arabia instead has sent it via its massive East-West pipeline to its major Red Sea port of Yanbu. The Saudis have diverted roughly 4 million to 5 million barrels of oil per day from the Persian Gulf through Yanbu, according to Helima Croft, head of global strategy at RBC Capital Markets.
“If that route becomes inoperable, then the oil supply disruption becomes more serious and we start talking again about a ‘no way out’ situation,” Croft said…
US signs deal with Saudi Arabia that could allow kingdom to enrich nuclear fuel
The deal, known as a 123 agreement, would last 30 years, according to one US official, who added that it would involve American companies providing technology and expertise to develop the Saudi program…