Iran War Escalates as Hormuz Stays Shut
Iran continues striking Israel and regional US allies after the killing of security chief Ali Larijani, while the Strait of Hormuz blockade has sent Oman crude above $150 a barrel — the largest-ever disruption to fuel supply according to the International Energy Agency. Trump rebuffed NATO, Japan, Australia, and South Korea when he asked for a multinational naval force to reopen the strait, then declared the US doesn't need any of them. Baghdad took explosions near the US embassy, Dubai watched missile debris rain from the sky, and Trump's own counterterrorism chief Joe Kent resigned, calling Iran no 'imminent threat' to America.
Ali Larijani's killing marks a dramatic escalation in what had been a tense but managed confrontation. Larijani — a former parliament speaker and longtime Revolutionary Guard-linked power broker — represented the pragmatic conservative wing of Iran's leadership. His death removes one of the few figures who historically…
