U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler catapulting off the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln, heading out to support an Iran strike package.

Speaking to House Republicans at his golf resort in Miami, Donald Trump said: “When you want to do something that’s good for the people but bad for the insurance companies, it’s very, very hard for them to go in a different direction. Now, Republicans never do that kind of thing, right? You’re owned by nobody, right? Nobody. See, a young girl up here saying ‘yes.’ Some of them are a little bit shaky, but they’re Republicans. We love them. We love them anyway, right, Mike?”

Speaking with NBC News, U.S. Senator John Kennedy addressed the bombing of a girls’ primary school in Iran on the first day of Operation Epic Fury, an incident that reportedly killed around 175 children and which evidence suggests may have been carried out inadvertently by U.S. forces. “It was terrible. We made a mistake,” Kennedy said. “Other countries do that sort of thing intentionally, like Russia. We would never do that intentionally. I think the United States Department of Defense is investigating it now, and I'm sorry. I’m just so sorry it happened. It was a mistake.”

Donald Trump on the Strait of Hormuz: “I want to keep it open. I want to keep it good. It doesn’t pertain to us as much as it does to China. We’re really helping China here and other countries, because they get a lot of their energy from the straits. But look, we have a good relationship with China. It’s my honor to do it.”

President Trump threatens Iran with airstrikes “TWENTY TIMES HARDER” if they stop the flow of oil within the strait of Hormuz. “Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them”

According to the latest update from United States Central Command (CENTCOM), expanding on earlier statements by Donald Trump, U.S. forces have now destroyed or damaged more than 50 Iranian naval vessels and struck over 5,000 targets during Operation Epic Fury.

Bahrain Government: A 29-year-old Bahraini woman died and eight people were injured as a result of the blatant Iranian aggression against a residential building in Manama.

Hezbollah Statement: “We inflicted confirmed damage on two Merkava tanks, one of which was seen burning. During the enemy's attempts to withdraw the tanks, the Resistance fighters again targeted the evacuation forces with appropriate weapons, amidst fierce clashes with the advancing Israeli force. These clashes are ongoing as of the time of this statement.”

Speaking on Fox News, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham commented on the ongoing military campaign known as Operation Epic Fury: “And to all those who died in this endeavor called Epic Fury — you’re protecting America. Because I believe with all my heart and soul that if the regime in Iran still stands when this is over, we’ve made a mistake.”

South Korea President Lee Jae Myung said on ‌Tuesday that his country could ‌not stop U.S. forces in Korea from shipping ‌some weapons out of the Asian country, but that it would not impact deterrence against ⁠North Korea.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) posted this with the caption: "The Iranian regime can try to hide their missile launchers, but U.S. forces won’t stop looking. When we find them, we’re taking them out."

REPORTER: “You just suggested that Iran somehow got its hands on a Tomahawk cruise missile and bombed its own elementary school on the first day of the war. But you’re the only person in your government saying this. Even your Defense Secretary wouldn’t say that when he was asked, standing over your shoulder on your plane on Saturday. Why are you the only one saying this?” Donald Trump: “Because I just don’t know enough about it. I think it’s something I was told is under investigation. But Tomahawks are used by others, as you know. Numerous other nations have Tomahawks—they buy them from us. But I will certainly—whatever the report shows—I’m willing to live with that report.”

In a CBS News interview, Donald Trump said the war with Iran could be nearing its end, arguing that Iranian military capabilities have been largely destroyed.  “I think the war is very complete, pretty much. They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no Air Force.” Trump added that U.S. forces are “very far ahead” of the original timeline he estimated for the conflict, which he initially said could last four to five weeks. 

Senior leaders of Hezbollah, speaking through Nabih Berri, the Speaker of Parliament in Lebanon, have proposed initial ceasefire talks with Israel. Inside Israel, a debate is unfolding over the next step. One option is a broader military campaign aimed at eliminating Hezbollah, which has launched attacks reaching as far as Tel Aviv. Another path would seek a strategic victory by weakening or severing Iran’s influence over the group. Analysts say Hezbollah—long viewed as a proxy of Tehran—may be signaling a willingness to stand down, presenting Israel with what some see as a rare opportunity to reshape the balance of power in the region.

According to the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense, three Iranian drones were tracked and shot down as they headed to the highly profitable Shaybah Oil Field.

According to a release from Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the company has declared an End of Voyage for all export shipments originating from the Arabian Gulf and Persian Gulf, citing the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel. Under this measure, affected cargo will be discharged at a designated safe port, where responsibility for the shipment will transfer to the cargo owners. Shippers may arrange onward transportation under a new contract if they wish to continue moving the goods. The decision reflects the growing security risks to maritime traffic in the Gulf region and the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping chokepoint.

Hezbollah publishes footage of strike on Stella Maris base of the Israeli army in the city of Haifa with heavy missiles.

Oil tankers are slowly returning to cross the Strait of Hormuz. As shown by the animated map from MarineTraffic, ships are switching off their AIS transponders at the entrance to the strait, crossing it in “invisible mode,” and then turning AIS back on after the transit. It’s a dangerous measure—especially in such a heavily trafficked maritime corridor—but it is being seen as the safer alternative in the face of an Iran that has repeatedly threatened to attack tankers observed transiting the strait.

Odds on Mojtaba Khamenei remaining as Iran’s Supreme Leader by the end of 2026 is only 32%. Do you see him defeating the U.S and Israel and remaining power?

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to review as early as Monday a set of options to tame oil prices, ​which have spiked to more than $100 a barrel due to the Iran war, according to two people familiar ‌with the matter. - Reuters