Trump extends Jones Act waiver as oil prices remain elevated

Former Israeli military spokesperson Jonathan Conricus said on Friday the Strait of Hormuz remains closed because no order has been given by President Donald Trump to reopen it.

"The only reason the Strait of Hormuz is closed is that President Trump hasn’t yet given CENTCOM the order to open it. Once the order is given, CENTCOM will get the job done," he posted on X.

Iranian MP and head of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Ebrahim Azizi said on Friday Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s visit to Pakistan is limited to bilateral issues and has no connection to nuclear negotiations.

"Just met with foreign journalists in Tehran and thanked them for coming to capture a true picture of our country. In the meeting, I made it clear that FM Araghchi’s trip to Pakistan is only for discussions on bilateral relations and he has no assignment related to nuclear talks, which remain one of Iran’s firm red lines," Azizi posted on X.

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US special envoy Steve Witkoff and White House adviser Jared Kushner will travel to Islamabad on Saturday for talks with Iran, after Tehran initiated contact with the Trump administration, the White House said.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran had requested in-person discussions, adding that “the Iranians want to talk in person,” in remarks aired on Newsmax.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continues to maintain a potent asymmetric naval threat in the Strait of Hormuz despite heavy losses to Iran’s conventional naval forces, a Hudson Institute report said.

The report said the IRGC relies on so-called “mosquito fleet” tactics, including swarm operations, naval mines and drones, to preserve its ability to disrupt maritime traffic in the Gulf.

"Many of the IRGC Navy’s fast-attack crafts are inexpensive, lightly built, highly mobile, and often armed with short-range anti-ship missiles, rockets, and heavy machine guns. Some vessels are even configured as explosive-laden suicide crafts," the report said.

It added that while Iran’s conventional navy has been significantly degraded, its asymmetric capabilities remain largely intact.

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The US Navy tested a new long-range air-launched weapon designed for maritime strike and sea mining missions, USNI News reported on Wednesday, citing service officials.

Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) said the system, referred to as the JDAM Long Range (GBU-75) in the test briefing, is a Boeing-developed extension of the Joint Direct Attack Munition concept.

Officials said Navy aircraft conducted multiple test flights, with the weapon travelling more than 200 nautical miles and designed for a range of up to 300 nautical miles.

The system extends stand-off range beyond existing weapons such as the Harpoon and SLAM-ER missiles, which reach about 140–150 nautical miles.