🇺🇸🇮🇷 Trump says if Iran agrees to the deal, the war ends and the Strait opens to all. If not, the bombing resumes at a higher intensity than before.
- Trump calls it "a big assumption" that Iran will follow through - The Strait of Hormuz would reopen to all vessels, including Iranian ones - No agreement = renewed strikes at a "much higher level" than Operation Epic Fury
🇦🇪🇮🇷 Iran is launching ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones at the UAE. Air defenses are actively engaging.
- The UAE Ministry of Defense confirms the sounds heard across the country are interceptions, not explosions on the ground - Residents are being told to remain in a safe location and follow official channels
🇺🇸🇮🇷 The U.S. isn't escorting every ship through the Strait. It's building a defensive umbrella over the whole thing.
- CENTCOM chief Adm. Bradley Cooper says a mix of ships, planes, helicopters and drones is creating a zone of protection over the Strait - 2 U.S.-flagged merchant ships passed through safely as U.S. forces neutralized Iranian threats. More are waiting - Analysts question whether the U.S. has enough assets to get back to pre-war levels of 120 ships crossing daily - Retired Navy Capt. Carl Schuster says zone defense means Iran can't overwhelm it by adding more threats inside the Strait - Schuster's warning: Iran will likely shift its strategy toward attacking loading terminals and oil facilities instead