Military disables tanker trying to get through Strait of Hormuz after repeated warnings

U.S. military forces disabled a tanker trying to get through the Strait of Hormuz on July 24, stopping what officials said was a deliberate attempt to run a regional blockade after the crew repeatedly ignored warnings.

John Cornyn settles into ‘liberating’ leverage role on his way to retirement

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) appears to be living his best life. That is, at least for someone who will soon be out of a job. The fourth-term GOP senator is making the most of his remaining months in office, in part by using the time since losing his May primary runoff to Trump-backed Ken Paxton […]

Ships transiting Strait of Hormuz go dark, hug Iran’s Coast to evade Tehran’s wrath

Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed dramatically since the US resumed strikes on Iran two weeks ago, with traffic falling to levels not seen since the height of the conflict as insurance costs soar and security risks mount — but some vessels secretly continue to brave the waterway anyway.

Trump just turbocharged Iran's nuclear ambitions in a big way: report

President Donald Trump has repeatedly said the main rationale for the Iran war is to stop Tehran from getting a nuclear weapon.But according to The New York Times, everything he has done may have actually made it more likely.New assessments from U.S. intelligence have determined "that Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, is far more interested than his father and predecessor in pursuing a nuclear weapon," said the report. Mojtaba Khamenei assumed command of Iran after his father, the longtime supreme leader, was taken out as part of the U.S. offensives."American officials caution that most of the intelligence on Mojtaba Khamenei’s views comes from before the war," the report noted. The new supreme leader has not made many public appearances since he was injured in the war, out of concern for his own security and public image.U.S. officials believe the Iranian regime has not truly restarted its nuclear program. However, per reports, Israeli intelligence identified that Tehran is moving centrifuges to a secret underground facility U.S. officials call "Pickaxe Mountain," which they believe is more secure from conventional airstrikes than the facilities damaged by U.S. forces at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan.Trump has spoken openly about a strike against Pickaxe Mountain in response.After the initial round of airstrikes, Trump had promised that Iran's nuclear capabilities had been "obliterated," even though the stated basis for the war is to stop Iran's nuclear capabilities.

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Scoop: U.S. and U.K. planning international conference on Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. and U.K. are planning to convene a high-level meeting in London next week that will focus on a potential international coalition to protect maritime shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, two European diplomats and two other sources with knowledge told Axios. Why it matters: The reopening of the strait for commercial shipping is a key element of any U.S. exit strategy from the war with Iran and of efforts to stabilize global energy markets.The itinerary and date are still under discussion and haven't been finalized. It will potentially bring together defense ministers and top military commanders from Western countries and countries from the region, the European diplomats said.Defense Secretary Hegseth and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine would potentially attend. The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The British embassy in Washington declined to comment. Driving the news: Since Iran started attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz two weeks ago, the U.S. has been conducting daily strikes against Iranian military targets along the country's southern coast.Over the last four days, there have been no Iranian attacks against commercial ships. Some U.S. defense officials say the reason is that Iran's military capability around the strait has been all but eliminated due to the U.S. strikes. Other officials say Iran is still capable of attacking ships in the area.On Wednesday, President Trump threatened to bomb bridges and power plants, including in Tehran, if Iran attacks more ships in the strait. Iran responded by threatening infrastructure in Gulf countries allied with the U.S. The big picture: The escalation over the Strait of Hormuz started after negotiations between Oman, Iran and Qatar on a new arrangement there ended without results.Shortly after, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi went back to Tehran for consultations and the IRGC began firing at ships in the strait. On Friday, an Omani delegation arrived in Tehran to resume talks on the mechanism for reopening the strait. Behind the scenes: The U.S. wants to build on discussions that the U.K. and France had with multiple countries in recent months about a potential international coalition for the Strait of Hormuz, the sources said. One of the key conditions many countries have set is that fighting in the strait ends so that conditions on the ground are safe enough for an international maritime mission. The sources said the U.S. wants its allies to send assets to the region like de-mining vessels, naval vessels and drones to help secure shipping lanes. "The Americans are looking for a way, out and they want our help," the European diplomat said.

Trump’s hands are tied in Hormuz. Here’s ‘Plan B’

By attacking Iran, President Donald Trump triggered a crisis over the Strait of Hormuz that he’s struggled to resolve as commander-in-chief. His only way out now may be as a statesman — but the window to avoid uncontrolled escalation could be closing. Multiple U.S. troops were recently killed in Iranian missile strikes. The memorandum of […]