Episode Details

Trump stood in the Oval Office on Tuesday and declared the war won. Then his Defense Secretary said he was disappointed there might be a ceasefire. Then the US sent a fifteen-point ceasefire plan to Iran through Pakistan. Then Iran's military aired a prerecorded video on state television mocking the Americans for negotiating with themselves.

Day twenty-six of Operation Epic Fury, and the diplomatic and military tracks are running in full parallel — bombs falling on Tehran while Vance, Rubio, Witkoff, and Kushner are named as active negotiators.

Also in this episode: Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant struck — Russia's symbol of its strategic relationship with Tehran hit during a notional diplomatic pause. Israel confirms it has now struck more than three thousand targets in Iran. Iran fires twelve waves of missiles at Israel. A drone hits Kuwait International Airport. Lebanon expels Iran's ambassador. Israel's finance minister says the Litani River should be the new border with Lebanon. One thousand troops from the Eighty-Second Airborne Division are deploying to the Middle East. Iran grants temporary assassination immunity to its Foreign Minister and Parliament Speaker for the five-day window. Iran signals it will permanently charge a fee for Strait of Hormuz transit — even after any deal. Trump's approval rating hits thirty-six percent, the lowest of his second term. The Philippines declares a national energy emergency. Japan begins releasing strategic oil reserves. And Republicans again kill a war powers resolution as Congress holds no public oversight hearings on a war now in its fourth week.

The five-day window has four days left.