Trump on NATO and Iran:

Whether we get support or not, but I can say this — and I said it to them — we will remember.

Trump on the Strait of Hormuz:

I'm demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory because it is their territory.

It's the place from which they get their energy and they should come and they should help us protect it.

You could make the case that maybe we shouldn't even be there at all because we don't need it. We have a lot of oil.

Trump on Iran:

The kamikaze boats don’t exist. They’re fake. And you can almost see that when you look at them.

Because if they did exist, we’d hit them just like we hit other boats all over the place. But they don’t exist.

In fact, some of the people say, “Where are the boats? How come nobody’s seen the boats?” You know why? Because it’s AI generated. It’s fake.

Trump on Netanyahu:

They were saying, “Oh, did I have an argument with Bibi?” No. We really get along well.

My relationship with Bibi Netanyahu is, I would say, extraordinary actually.

Trump on Iran:

They've notified everybody and they put out statements that if you protest, you're going to be shot and killed.

The protesters have no guns. And I know you're a brave person, but I don't think you'd be protesting.

And so I think it's very hard for them to protest. I fully understand it. They said if you protest, you will be killed.

Trump on Iran:

They showed about 250,000 people in a square saying how much they love Khamenei — totally AI generated. It never took place.

The media knew it didn’t take place, but they built it up like they have great support. They don’t have support.

Reporter: Are there any diplomatic talks going on between the U.S. and Iran at all right now?

Trump: We’re talking to them. But I don’t think they’re ready — but they’re getting pretty close.

I don’t know that I want to make a deal because, you know what, first of all, nobody even knows who you’re dealing with because most of their leadership has been killed, as you know, right?

So I don’t even know that we want to make a deal. They want to make a deal badly — yes.

Reporter: Are you ready to officially declare victory?

Trump: No, I don’t want to do that. There’s no reason to.

Trump: Did you know that the rally of 250,000 people — the supposed rally — was fake?

Reporter: I saw reporting on it.

Trump: You wrote about it. You talked about it, and you knew it was fake. It was AI generated.

Reporter: I didn’t know.

Trump: You knew it.

Trump on Cuba:

We're talking to Cuba, but we're going to do Iran before Cuba.

Reporter: Do you have a comment on the six service members who passed last week?

Trump: (...)

Trump:

MAGA includes not allowing Iran, a Sick, Demented, and Violent Terrorist Regime, to have a Nuclear Weapon to blow up the United States of America, the Middle East and, ultimately, the rest of the World.

MAGA is about stopping them cold, and that is exactly what we are doing.

Trump:

Iran has long been known as a Master of Media Manipulation and Public Relations.

They are Militarily ineffective and weak, but are really good at “feeding” the very appreciative Fake News Media false information.

Trump said NATO could face a “very bad” future if US allies refuse to help the US secure the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war.

“It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help.”

“If there’s no response or if it’s a negative response I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO.”

Source: FT

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Trump said China should help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, arguing Beijing depends heavily on oil flowing through the waterway.

“I think China should help too because China gets 90 per cent of its oil from the Straits.”

He warned he wants Beijing’s position before his planned summit with Xi Jinping, suggesting the meeting could be postponed if China does not act.

“We’d like to know before that. We may delay.”

Source: FT

Trump criticised the UK for being slow to support US efforts in the Strait of Hormuz.

He said Britain, which he called “the number one ally, the longest serving,” initially “didn’t want to come” when he asked for help.

According to Trump, the UK only offered to send ships after the main threat had already been reduced, prompting him to complain: “We need these ships before we win, not after we win.”

He used the episode to repeat his broader criticism of the alliance, saying “NATO is a one-way street.”

Source: FT

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been regularly advising Donald Trump during the war to “keep hitting the Iranians hard.”

The two leaders have been in frequent contact throughout Iran conflict.

Source: NYT

Iranian drone strike hit a fuel tank/refueling facility near Dubai International Airport, causing a large fire overnight.

Flight operations were temporarily suspended, causing major disruptions at the airport.

Trump is considering seizing Kharg Island, which handles about 90% of Iran’s crude exports, if the Strait of Hormuz blockade continues.

U.S. officials say capturing the island could deliver “an economic knockout of the regime.”

The plan would require U.S. boots on the ground and a military occupation of the island.

Officials warn it carries major risks, including Iranian retaliation against Gulf oil facilities and pipelines, especially in Saudi Arabia.

One official said “there are big risks, there are big rewards.”

Source: Axios

At a meeting in the Oval Office, Trump pressed General Caine on why the United States could not immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Caine explained that controlling the strait is extremely difficult because Iran can disrupt shipping with small, mobile forces rather than large naval assets.

Even a single fighter in a small boat could threaten massive oil tankers moving slowly through the narrow waterway.

Source: NYT

Countries responding to Trump’s proposed Strait of Hormuz naval coalition:

🇫🇷 France: Refused to join.

🇦🇺 Australia: Declined participation.

🇯🇵 Japan: Refused deployment.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Reluctant.

🇰🇷 South Korea: Reviewing the proposal.

🇨🇳 China: Rejecting military involvement.