US General Seeks End to Iran Conflict as Tehran Attacks Tanker in Strait of Hormuz

Tensions in the Gulf region have escalated amid ongoing negotiations between Iran and Oman over control of the Strait of Hormuz. The United Arab Emirates reported that Iran attacked a tanker in the strategic waterway, despite signs of progress toward an agreement to reopen the passage for regular oil shipments. A US official indicated that a deal allowing the resumption of oil transit could be imminent.

Meanwhile, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan McKenzie has been quietly urging President Donald Trump's advisors to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict with Iran, warning that military escalation risks backfiring. The US has imposed a naval blockade that has nearly halted Iranian oil exports, with satellite data showing no tanker activity at Iran's main export terminal on Kharg Island for over a week.

In Tehran, political turmoil deepened as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian threatened to resign to force an urgent meeting with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, signaling an unprecedented leadership crisis. Separately, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif criticized the new security alliance between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey, labeling Israel as an illegitimate state and calling for a united Muslim military front.

Additional news includes a sharp decline in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's approval ratings, with only 31% support in a recent poll, and revelations from Netanyahu's former chief of staff Yoav Horowitz about internal dynamics in the Prime Minister's Office. Two fatal traffic accidents occurred in Jerusalem and the Negev, and Hunter Biden disclosed that former US President Joe Biden's cancer has worsened, spreading to his bones.