Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi declared the Strait of Hormuz will open and close "only under Iran's command," rejecting Trump's suggestion that the strait would soon become U.S. territory and calling on him to "accept the reality of defeat." Iran's judiciary chief added that Trump was a "fully fledged loser," while Trump has urged Americans to accept higher gas prices as the price of stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Talks to end the standoff remain stalled, with Iran demanding roughly $270 billion in war reparations, an end to the U.S. naval blockade, sanctions relief, troop withdrawal, and release of frozen assets before resuming negotiations; Trump has countered by demanding Iran pay for U.S. soldiers' deaths and threatening an indefinite blockade. Both economies are straining, with Americans facing higher fuel prices and Iranian families struggling to afford staples like oil and bread amid soaring inflation.
Separately, a truce between Israel and Hezbollah was described as hanging by a thread after Israeli strikes killed 11 people overnight, including three children, among the deadliest incidents since that ceasefire began.
The full dispatch is available from the source below.