The Pentagon is moving a Marine expeditionary unit and more warships to the Middle East, as Iran steps up its attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has approved a request from Centcom for an element of an amphibious ready group and attached Marine expeditionary unit, typically consisting of several warships and 5,000 Marines and sailors, according to three U.S. officials.
All six crew members aboard a KC-135 refueling aircraft that went down in western Iraq on Thursday have died, according to U.S. Central Command. Thirteen servicemembers have been killed in action during Operation Epic Fury, according to the military.
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Hegseth said Iran’s new supreme leader is likely wounded and disfigured.
NATO intercepted a missile in Turkish airspace for the third time this month.
Some Iranian leaders attended pro-regime demonstrations on Friday as the country held an annual day of pro-Palestinian, anti-Israeli rallies, amid Israeli strikes in the Tehran area.
Oil prices rose back above $100, after dipping below that level following the U.S. decision to allow countries to purchase sanctioned Russian crude already at sea.