Exile outlets stayed with Washington's explanation that 12 B-1s left Fairford over a specific IRGC drone threat, reported by the New York Times, with Trump also holding Tehran responsible for the FlyDubai diversion despite Vance seeing no conclusive evidence.
Attention shifted to the Strait of Hormuz after a projectile hit a Panama-flagged tanker, wounding 12 crew and drawing Indian condemnation, while an IRGC adviser told Al-Alam the waterway remained closed under Iranian control. Reuters put Iranian exports at zero, Chinese refineries turned to Iraqi and Qatari crude, Shell put Gulf flows at 80% of pre-war levels, and traders warned of $200 oil; Washington said 130 ships had been diverted and banks dealing with Iran faced sanctions.
Qatar said indirect messaging continued after Pezeshkian called talks meaningless, as Tehran claimed arms output at 2.5 times pre-war levels and Yemen claimed strikes on Saudi Arabia.