White House considers dropping highly destructive payload to force diplomatic shift as part of a "fireworks show" against plethora of sites. Blast radius covers nine city blocks, informants suspect it lacks the penetrative power to shatter Pickaxe's thick granite shields.
Iran's ability to choke oil through strait fades as US Navy and Gulf producers adapt, fueling fears Tehran could escalate militarily to compensate. "Probably within the next two weeks…they are going to make their final deliveries of oil to China, and then they will have nothing," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday on Fox News.
Images obtained by CBS News expose destruction across multiple Middle East installations.
According to CNN, a the US now believes it has the upper hand in terms of denying Iran leverage in the shipping chokepoint. "We’re only going to talk to you if you want to talk about nuclear file,” an official said.
According to CNN, intelligence analysts notice surge at Iran's underground Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site using six years of satellite imagery. A source familiar with the matter told CNN that elements held a "planning sprint" on the topic, with efforts to develop plans for decisive strikes against underground facilities.
Washington has not immediately confirmed the claim that a Dive-LD drone was in Iranian hands. The operation, according to a Tuesday statement from the Revolutionary Guards' Navy, took place in the early hours of the day and was described as a "complex intelligence and operational action."
While living in Hallandale Beach, a plan was set in motion from Tehran to target him on US soil, with a source confirming Iranian agents were already "on the ground" in his vicinity. US and Israeli authorities foiled the operatives before they could strike and Netanyahu fled home. The assassination attempt on Netanyahu's son fits a wider Iranian pattern targeting high-profile US and Israeli figures and their families.
Diplomatic redeployments could begin as early as this week, internal State Department records obtained by The New York Times reveal. Staffing increases will cover outposts in Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Iraq, and Kuwait.
Tulsi Gabbard and senior commanders predicted heavy casualties and a severe drain on munitions ahead of the military campaign, with severe repercussions due to Iran using the Strait of Hormuz as a global chokepoint.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has announced plans for extensive new secondary sanctions aimed at completely isolating Iran's economy and penalizing its trade partners. Washington aims to expel any entities laundering Iranian funds from its currency system entirely.
