President Donald Trump signals that the Iran conflict could be nearing its end, while simultaneously weighing America’s control over the critical Strait of Hormuz. Ahead of an international press briefing, Trump reportedly urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to push for a rapid settlement, signaling high-stakes diplomacy at a global level. Meanwhile, Russia remains firmly in support of Iran, backing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, even as explosions continue to shake Tehran and other Gulf regions. Israel has intensified strikes targeting missile launch sites and rocket engine facilities in central Iran, while Iran retaliates with strikes across Gulf nations. Bahrain has been forced to sound emergency sirens and move citizens into safe shelters after Iranian attacks on its BAPCO refinery caused major disruptions. WATCH

The war rhetoric between Iran and the United States is intensifying. In a dramatic warning directed at Donald Trump, Iranian security chief Ali Larijani has vowed revenge for what he called “the blood of Iran’s leader and its people.” Larijani, a close ally of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, claimed that Iranian forces have inflicted heavy losses on American troops during the ongoing conflict. According to Tehran, several U.S. soldiers were captured and Washington is allegedly reporting them as “killed in action” to conceal the truth. The claims have been strongly rejected by U.S. CENTCOM, which dismissed Iran’s statements as misinformation and insisted that no American troops have been taken prisoner. The exchange comes as the conflict triggered by U.S.-Israeli strikes continues to widen across the region. WATCH