Iran War

Following the collapse of peace talks, the US Navy is set to enforce a sweeping maritime blockade on Iranian ports starting Monday; Tehran calls it piracy.

Tehran plans to cap traffic through the world's most critical oil chokepoint at 15 ships a day, while the White House warns NATO allies that political declarations are no longer enough.

The US has given Iran a 36 hour deadline to meet the ceasefire terms, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz and halting all fire. The message came amid fears of violations on the ground and growing pressure on Tehran to honor its commitments. US officials stress that without full compliance, the conflict could resume.

Iranian television once again read out a statement attributed to the new supreme leader of the Islamic Republic referring to the ceasefire. The Times claims that Khamenei’s son is hospitalized in a coma in the city of Qom.

Just an hour and a half before he was due to carry out his threat to Iranian civilization, Trump announced a ceasefire. He also claimed that Iran had agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Israel had reportly agreed to the ceasefire and would suspend its strikes in Iran.

Iran continues to insist on collecting payments in Hormuz as compensation for war damage. Israel is preparing three lines of attack targeting energy facilities, research institutes and senior officials. The most important of them, Mohammad Vahidi, has already evaded more than one assassination attempt.

US officials say targets struck on Iran’s Kharg Island included bunkers, a radar station and ammunition depots. Trump: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.”

With about a day left before the deadline expires, the US president held a marathon of calls with regional leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At the center of the talks was the possibility of a significant escalation in the fighting against the Iranian regime.

Tehran insists on a permanent end to hostilities, war reparations, sanctions relief, and international recognition of its control over the Strait of Hormuz – as Trump warns of strikes on power plants and bridges.

With roughly 36 hours left on his self-imposed deadline, Trump has threatened to strike power stations and bridges if the Strait of Hormuz is not opened – and Gulf states are watching in dread, fearing their critical desalination plants could be next.