The United Arab Emirates has asked the United Nations to approve urgent action — including possible military force — to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed.

WATCH: Aftermath of U.S. or Israeli strikes on another artillery ammunition depot near Isfahan, Iran.

The area reportedly hosts massive artillery stockpiles, as two Iranian Army ground artillery groups are based there.

A U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter jet pursued an Iranian Shahed-136 drone but could not shoot it down over Iraq.

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker:

President Trump is evaluating and reevaluating everything.

Whether that is our involvement at NATO… whether that is our support to the European efforts in Ukraine… or anything else the United States is doing.

Everything is on the table.

BREAKING: Trump will deliver a primetime Oval Office speech declaring the Iran war is “winding down” and that U.S. objectives have been met.

He is expected to declare victory while shifting responsibility for reopening the Strait of Hormuz to European and Gulf allies.

Source: Politico

European leaders appear unmoved on Trump's NATO frustration on Iran.

One EU official said:

“Nobody is buying the narrative he’s trying on Iran.”

Source: Politico

Steve Bannon said Trump will use his address to effectively declare victory in the Iran conflict, framing it as a short campaign with clear, achieved objectives.

According to Bannon, Trump will signal a near-term end to U.S. involvement—possibly within weeks—and float a ceasefire, while shifting responsibility for unresolved issues like the Strait of Hormuz to European and Gulf allies.

He described the message as: “I came, I saw, I conquered” — followed by a push to exit the conflict and “declare victory.”

Source: Politico

INTERESTING: Iran is effectively running a “tollbooth” in the Strait of Hormuz, allowing ships from friendly countries to pass — for a price.

Vessels must submit ownership and cargo details to an IRGC-linked intermediary, undergo background checks, and negotiate fees — typically starting at about $1 per barrel for oil tankers.

Payments are reportedly made in Chinese yuan or crypto (stablecoins).

Approved ships receive a permit code and naval escort.

Some are even asked to temporarily change flags to countries like Pakistan to qualify.

Source: Bloomberg

The U.S. has removed interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez from its sanctions list.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a letter to Americans that Iran “harbors no enmity towards ordinary Americans.”

He added that portraying Iran as a threat is “neither consistent with historical reality nor with present-day observable facts.”

Senior Iranian official Mohsen Rezaee:

We, Iran, can close the Strait of Hormuz.

But even if the whole world gathers, they cannot reopen it.

Geographically, it’s like a horseshoe bend.

It takes seven to eight hours for a ship to enter, turn, pass the narrowest part, and exit.

WATCH: Iranian ballistic missile striking Bahrain, reportedly targeting the headquarters of the U.S. 5th Fleet.

U.S. intelligence says Iran is not ready for serious negotiations, believing it holds the upper hand and distrusting Trump’s diplomacy.

Source: NYT

Trump:

Tonight I'm making a little speech at 9 o'clock, and basically I'm gonna tell everybody how great I am.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will visit Washington next week to meet Trump.

The trip was planned in advance but comes as Trump questions U.S. involvement in NATO, criticizing allies over Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.

Source: WSJ

Trump on Iran:

We’re sort of pretty much winding that up.

Have to take a few more hits.

Trump:

The last thing I needed was NATO stepping in our way because they’re a paper tiger.

So we didn’t need them.

Trump mocks Macron again:

I called up France, Macron, whose wife treats him extremely badly and he’s still recovering from the right to the jaw.

Trump:

We didn’t have to go into Ukraine. Ukraine’s thousands of miles away across the ocean.

We had a president who’s a stupid individual. Gave them $350 billion. Got nothing for it. Gave them so much money, used so much ammunition.

We’re making ammunition all over the place because we need it because he gave so much away to Ukraine.

Trump on Iran:

The war was going to be over in three days. My prediction.

Trump:

If the Iran deal doesn’t happen, I’m blaming JD Vance.

If it does happen, I’m taking full credit.