Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah say they will release abducted American journalist Shelly Kittleson.

Source: Reuters

Trump is described by senior officials as emboldened and “in a mode of defiance,” proud of a recent rescue operation and open—but not expecting—a diplomatic deal with Iran.

The administration plans to keep “maximum pressure” on Iran, with no final decision yet on next steps if a deal isn’t reached.

Source: WSJ

JD Vance in Hungary:

Will you stand against the bureaucrats in Brussels? Will you stand for sovereignty and democracy? Will you stand for Western civilization? Will you stand for freedom, for truth, and for the God of our fathers?

Then, my friends, go to the polls this weekend. Stand with Viktor Orbán, because he stands for you—and he stands for all these things.

White House:

The Iranian regime has until 8 p.m. Washington time to seize the moment and reach an agreement.

White House:

Trump alone knows where things stand and what he will do.

The US war against Iran is costing about $500 million per day, totaling roughly $22–31 billion over five weeks so far.

Around $2–3.6 billion of that is from destroyed or damaged military equipment.

Source: FT

Sen. Ron Johnson:

I am hoping and praying that Trump is—that this really is bluster.

I do not want to see us start blowing up civilian infrastructure. I do not want to see that.

We are not at war with the Iranian people.

Talks between the U.S. and Iran have shown some progress, but reaching a deal before Trump’s 8pm deadline still seems unlikely.

U.S. officials say the focus has shifted from whether a deal is possible to whether it can happen in time.

Source: Barak Ravid, Axios

U.S. official to Axios:

The last proposal we got wasn't really what we wanted, but it was a lot better than we expected.

Marco Rubio:

Iran is violating every law known by striking commercial vessels in the Straits of Hormuz.

Iran is a regime that doesn’t believe in laws, rules, or anything like that.

Megyn Kelly:

Trump could drop a nuke and I would still vote Republican.

Democrats want to nuke our own country.

U.S. officials say Pete Hegseth’s portrayal of the war with Iran is overly optimistic and risks misleading leadership.

One administration official warned, “Pete is not speaking truth to the president. As a result, the president is out there repeating misleading information.”

Officials also dispute Hegseth’s assertions about Iran’s weakened capabilities. Despite claims that missile and drone programs are “overwhelmingly destroyed,” intelligence assessments indicate that more than half of Iran’s launchers remain intact and thousands of drones are still available.

Internal reporting further contradicts his public statements, with one official saying, “Documents sent around internally contradict Hegseth’s claims.”

Source: WaPo

BIG: Iran told mediators it still has a huge arsenal of weapons (≈15k missiles, 45k drones) and believes it’s winning, so it’s not backing down.

Mediators think those numbers are likely exaggerated, but Iran is staying hardline as U.S. and Israeli strikes continue.

Source: WSJ

How Trump Took the U.S. to War With Iran

Before Iran War, Netanyahu privately briefed Trump in the White House Situation Room.

He presented a bold, “quick win” plan to strike Iran, destroy missiles, avoid retaliation, and even trigger regime change.

Trump liked it immediately: “Sounds good to me.”

But U.S. intelligence pushed back hard:

Military strikes = doable.

Regime change = “farcical” (CIA).

Advisers warned Israel was overselling, but Trump brushed off concerns:

“Regime change… that’s their problem.”

He focused on killing leadership + crushing Iran’s military, believing it would be fast and decisive.

Trump asked each adviser for input: Vance: “Bad idea, but I’ll support you”. Rubio: Only support if goal = military, not regime change. Military: outlined risks, but didn’t oppose. Legal: said it was permissible. Political team: warned of backlash, but deferred.

No one firmly blocked the decision.

And here we are.

Source: NYT

The Video, the Promise, the War: How Trump Was Sold on Iran by Netanyahu

Netanyahu presented Trump with a “near-certain victory” plan:

Destroy Iran’s missile program in weeks, prevent retaliation (including closing the Strait of Hormuz), and trigger regime collapse.

The pitch included:
A video of potential replacement leaders (e.g. Reza Pahlavi).
Claims protests would restart and could be fueled by covert support.
Possibility of Kurdish fighters opening a second front.

Israeli intelligence suggested Iran would be too weakened to respond effectively, and U.S. interests would face minimal risk.

Trump was convinced:

“Sounds good to me.”

Source: NYT

Israeli TV has begun a countdown to Trump’s deadline on Iran.

Ukrainian forces used a British-made Malloy T-150 drone to help destroy a Russian-controlled bridge over the Dnipro River near Kherson.

A suspected North Korean hacker was exposed during a job interview when asked to say:

“Kim Jong-un is a fat ugly pig.”

The candidate hesitated, stalled, and stayed silent, refusing to say it.