Pakistan’s interior minister landed secretly in Iran in an urgent bid to mediate between Tehran and Washington, as Iranian television airs weapons lessons for civilians.
Aboard Air Force One returning from China, the president said Tehran must show "real commitment" and signaled he may lift sanctions on Chinese firms buying Iranian oil.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United Arab Emirates of actively participating in the war against Iran, saying Abu Dhabi had "actively joined the aggression." The comments were made at a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers in New Delhi, attended by a UAE representative.
The UK’s maritime security center said armed men boarded a commercial ship near the port of Fujairah and began sailing it toward Iran. Iranian foreign minister: “From our perspective, the strait is open to anyone who wishes to pass through.”
The Revolutionary Guards practiced shooting down American helicopters with RPGs and exploding drones – but their only real experience with US ground combat ended in an embarrassing failure.
According to the Fars news agency, Tehran also demands a relief from international economic sanctions and formal control over the critical Strait of Hormuz.
US intelligence assessments say Iran has restored most of its missile sites and underground facilities. The report contradicts statements by Trump and the Pentagon that Iran’s military has been “crushed” and no longer poses a threat.
According to Kuwait's Interior Ministry, four suspects affiliated with Iran were arrested after attempting to reach Bubiyan Island in a fishing boat. Two security personnel were injured during the arrest. Kuwait blamed Tehran and demanded an end to its "hostile actions."
The US president’s visit to China has become the central axis on which the continuation of the war with Iran depends, as a power that proved in the past that it can influence Iran and set limits for it is a key player. After being harmed by the blockade of Hormuz and helping the Iranians with intelligence, China could advance the US terms in negotiations in exchange for demands of its own on Taiwan.
As the regime hardens its stance against Washington and presents a facade of "business as usual," life for the people of Iran have become a nightmare. The technology and industrial sectors have laid off hundreds of thousands of workers, and 2 million people have been pushed out of the labor market. Medicine prices have jumped 400%, and patients are giving up treatment. As the economy collapses, the regime is only tightening the pressure.
