TRUMP FLOATS CLAIMING HORMUZ AS US TERRITORY. IRAN IS NOT AMUSED.

Speaking Friday at a New York police academy, Trump said he would "be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States" after defeating Iran. 4CRD Trump says ready to declare Strait of Hormuz ‘US territory’ A White House official then told the Wall Street Journal it was a joke with no formal policy behind it. 4CRD Trump says ready to declare Strait of Hormuz ‘US territory’ File it alongside the Greenland comment: a maximalist position floated to see what sticks. Iran's deputy foreign minister answered within hours that the strait "cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order." 4CRD Trump says ready to declare Strait of Hormuz ‘US territory’ That line is the cleanest summary of where this war stands. Iran believes it is winning the endurance contest, and that belief is structuring every decision they are making right now.

Iranian FM Araghchi confirmed no decision has been made to resume direct negotiations with the US. 9MHR No decision made so far on resuming talks with US 10AJE Iran says no decision yet on a return to talks with the US Qatar and Pakistan are passing messages, but Araghchi was explicit: that "does not at all constitute negotiations." The one live thread is a technical working group with Oman to define a new temporary Hormuz shipping route, since the old lanes are no longer functional. 9MHR No decision made so far on resuming talks with US Araghchi immediately clarified that defining a route and reopening the strait are completely separate things, and that transit "depends on the fulfilment of other conditions that the United States must adhere to." 10AJE Iran says no decision yet on a return to talks with the US Iran is not giving up its leverage for a new route map.

Iran struck an Abu Dhabi National Oil Company vessel transiting Hormuz on Friday, the third such ADNOC strike in under seven days. 3JPM UAE says Iran attacked ADNOC vessel in Hormuz, urges Iran to halt attacks, reopen waterways UKMTO separately confirmed an unknown projectile hit a bulk carrier in the strait the same day, though it is unclear if these are the same vessel. 8CNN Trump defends war with Iran, says he ‘did the right thing’ The UAE called it unprovoked and demanded Iran halt attacks, while diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash said Abu Dhabi would "safeguard its rights to freedom of navigation while continuing the path of dialogue." That is the language of a country being repeatedly struck that is not yet ready to escalate. The IRGC has said vessels linked to Iran's adversaries transit at their own risk, which is not a policy with an obvious endpoint.

The USS George Washington departed Vietnam to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East, leaving the Pacific without an American carrier. 2AJE US aircraft carrier expected to relieve USS Lincoln in Middle East 5TOI US pulls last aircraft carrier in Pacific as Trump focuses on Iran, Western Hemisphere The Lincoln has been deployed for more than 266 days (a record), with sailors facing rationed food, plumbing failures, water contamination, and at least two overboard jump attempts. 6CRD US sailors 'hungry, suicidal' across multiple warships deployed for war: Report Trump dismissed the concerns Friday, saying the duration was "not nearly enough." 2AJE US aircraft carrier expected to relieve USS Lincoln in Middle East Meanwhile China ran naval exercises with Indonesia this week and has shown fresh assertiveness toward Japan and the Philippines, both US treaty allies. CSIS analyst Greg Poling noted the US is doing "the exact opposite" of its stated priority of pivoting away from the Middle East. 5TOI US pulls last aircraft carrier in Pacific as Trump focuses on Iran, Western Hemisphere Beijing is happy to wait.

The IRGC Aerospace Force said in a nationally broadcast interview that 85 percent of air defence manufacturing infrastructure survived the war, and that production rates of key missiles have actually risen since February. 11MHR Production, delivery of Iran's air defense sys. go on: IRGC They displayed wreckage from downed US and Israeli drones including MQ-9 Reapers and Hermes 900s, plus parts from an F-15. This is domestic messaging, but it answers a question the Pentagon has been avoiding publicly: did the strikes on Iranian military industry actually degrade anything? Iran's answer is no. The US has not offered a public counter-assessment, which is its own kind of answer.