It’s been 135 days since the start of the Iran War, with Tehran and Washington still vying for control of the Strait of Hormuz. After a weekend of attacks on Iran as well as Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Oman further threatened any diplomacy, both governments said Monday they’ve commandeered the formerly freely navigable waterway.
Iran and the U.S. are nearly halfway through the 60-day interim deal period intended to establish talks for a permanent
end to the war.
After Iran struck a container ship in the strait on Sunday, the U.S. military said it hit some 140 targets, including missile and drone launch sites, ammunition dumps and communication equipment — a far-heavier set of attacks than two previous rounds last week. “We bombed the hell out of them last night,” U.S. President Donald Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Iran retaliated and insisted that it alone must control the strait.
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Congress is returning after a summer break, with the Senate convening following the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham. His death after a tear in his aorta Saturday leaves Republicans with just 51 members, with Mitch McConnell still recovering and South Carolina’s governor needing to appoint Graham’s interim successor.
This makes Trump’s already contentious congressional agenda even more uncertain. It also leaves Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy without a key ally who had Trump’s ear: Graham was a strong supporter of Ukraine, pressing the president to be firmer on Russia President Vladimir Putin. Now Zelenskyy and Kyiv are reeling from his death.
