Trump’s military chiefs ‘push to speed up weapons production’ amid Hormuz deal deadlock

UAE accused Tehran of ‘acts of piracy’ after an Iranian missile attack on its carrier through Strait of Hormuz

by Arpan Rai & Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The US is pushing for defence companies to “dramatically” accelerate weapons production as the Iran war drains through their missile supplies, it is understood.

Deputy defence secretary Steve Feinberg gave companies three weeks to lay out how they would “drive significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules and/or increased production for critical capabilities.”

“Years-long development cycles are not acceptable,” Mr Feinberg added in the memo, which was obtained by The Washington Post.

“We must dramatically accelerate our program schedules and expand our production capacity now.”

It comes as the head of Iran’s supreme national security council, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, said the Strait of Hormuz will remain shut until the US meet six conditions, including ending the war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq forever.

It comes as the UAE condemned an Iranian missile attack on its carrier as it passed through the Strait yesterday.

State news agency WAM initially reported ADNOC as saying one of its vessels had been targeted by a missile early on Saturday and that the situation was under control.

Trump has lost his war on geography in the Strait of Hormuz. What now?

A desperate scramble to find alternative routes is in overdrive as the world realises there is no ‘back to normal’ – but Trump’s insulted allies are determined to make him pay for the leverage his war has handed to Iran, says Anchal Vohra:

No one is holding their breath for a miracle as he US and Iran enter the final stages of negotiations over the future of the Strait of Hormuz.

Donald Trump says the Strait is "sort of open right now", even as Iran remains firm on charging a toll as high as seven per cent of the cargo price.

A desperate scramble to find alternative routes is in overdrive as the world realises there is no ‘back to normal’ – but Trump’s insulted allies are determined to make him pay for the leverage his war has handed to Iran, says Anchal Vohra

What compensation does Iran want from the US to reopen the Strait of Hormuz

The head of Iran’s supreme national security council, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, has said that the Strait of Hormuz will remain shut until the US meets six conditions.

In comments carried by Iran’s IRNA news agency on Saturday, Zolghadr laid out his terms.

Included in full, in his words, these were:

• Never threaten Iran with any language or insult the sanctities of this nation

• End the war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq forever

• Lift the naval blockade and withdraw its military forces (naval and air) from around Iran

• Pay the damages of the two wars of aggression and imposition on Iran without any reduction or reduction

• Lift the cruel and illegal sanctions against the Iranian nation

• Unconditionally release the frozen and stolen assets of the Iranian people

Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Trump’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs seeking ‘off-ramp’ from Iran war, report says

President Donald Trump’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Dan Caine, is seeking an “off-ramp “ from the ongoing war in Iran, according to a new report.

Caine has privately told other top administration officials that the country needs to find a way to exit the war, according to CNN, which cited three sources familiar with the matter.

Despite Trump claiming throughout the war that a peace deal, which would include his demand that Iran never obtain a nuclear weapon, was within reach, fighting has continued for more than five months.

“Caine is looking for an off ramp,” one of CNN’s sources said.

The Iran war, which is both costly and unpopular to Americans, has dragged on for more than five months

The forgotten Iranians caught in the deadly stalemate of Trump’s war

Struggling to find food, work or any semblance of normality - as well as living with the daily risk of bombing under a shaky ceasefire - the people of southern Iran tell Amirhossein Miresmaeili how they feel entirely on their own:

“We’re constantly terrified by the sound of explosions. The electricity and water keep being cut off. We are without jobs and have no food. It feels like no one is coming to help the people of southern Iran. We don’t want war.”

These remarks reflect dozens of messages and first-hand accounts received by Independent Persian from residents of the southern provinces of Hormozgan, Bushehr, Khuzestan and Sistan and Baluchestan.

Struggling to find food, work or any semblance of normality - as well as living with the daily risk of bombing under a shaky ceasefire - the people of southern Iran tell Amirhossein Miresmaeili how they feel entirely on their own.