Overview
- U.S. forces said they boarded the stateless tanker M/T Majestic X in the Indian Ocean, describing it as an interdiction of a vessel carrying Iranian oil under the ongoing naval blockade.
- President Trump ordered the Navy to shoot and kill any boats believed to be laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, signaling a harder line on suspected IRGC tactics.
- Iran’s Revolutionary Guard seized the MSC Francesca and the Epaminondas in the strait on Wednesday and later touted first deposits from a new shipping toll system.
- Talks brokered by Pakistan are on hold as Tehran demands an end to the U.S. blockade and Washington insists on free passage through Hormuz, even as the ceasefire is extended without a set end date.
- Strategic strain is building, with CSIS analysts estimating it will take one to four years to rebuild key U.S. missile stocks expended in the Iran campaign.