Overview
- President Donald Trump said he was "an hour away" from ordering strikes before he delayed action at Gulf Arab requests, giving Tehran a matter of days to reach a deal.
- Vice President JD Vance described tangible progress in indirect talks that are being mediated by Pakistan and Gulf states, but negotiators report key gaps remain.
- U.S. maritime pressure has redirected dozens of commercial ships and disabled some vessels since April, even as two Chinese supertankers carrying about four million barrels recently transited the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that renewed U.S. or Israeli attacks would expand the conflict "beyond the region" and Tehran publicly pressed demands including lifting sanctions and ending the U.S. naval blockade.
- The U.S. Senate moved to curb the president's war powers and energy markets stayed volatile as the International Energy Agency and banks reported large supply shortfalls from Gulf output cuts.