NATO F-18 Shoots Down Russian-Origin Drone Over Romania

The day after the MoU formally lapsed, Washington’s rhetoric sharpened rather than cooled. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that declaring the Strait of Hormuz US territory is ‘a great idea,’ saying ‘we have total control over the strait,’ and separately threatened to bomb Oman if it ‘gets in the way’ of US efforts to reopen the waterway and end the war. That threat sits awkwardly next to a same-day statement from Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman that Tehran has actually reached an agreement with Oman on future shipping-management arrangements in the strait — suggesting Muscat is deepening ties with Tehran even as Trump threatens it. Global oil flow through Hormuz fell to a three-month low over the weekend. On Ukraine, Russia knocked out power to more than 10,000 Chernihiv customers overnight in a strike on a power facility, while a fire broke out at the Yevpatoria Aircraft Repair Plant in occupied Crimea. Diplomatically, Jared Kushner met Israeli PM Netanyahu in Israel, a day after holding talks with Hamas leaders in Egypt on the latest US-backed Gaza peace proposal.