The day's editorial focus shifted sharply in the afternoon when Mohsen Rezaei, the newly appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, declared the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the US accepted Iran's conditions. State-aligned outlets framed this as a defiant stance, while foreign Persian media highlighted Trump's counter-threats of economic collapse or a 'very hard' strike. Earlier, coverage centered on Trump's claim of controlling Iran's finances as their 'banker' and Pakistan's defense minister suggesting a US-Iran deal was near. The Houthi attack on a Saudi military ship in Bab al-Mandab, killing six, added regional tension. By evening, Rezaei's ultimatum dominated, sidelining diplomatic signals and reinforcing the narrative of military escalation over negotiation.