The day began with the fallout from Navy Secretary John Phelan's firing amid tensions with Pete Hegseth over the Strait of Hormuz blockade. Iran continued seizing ships, tightening its grip. By early afternoon, Trump ordered the Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boats laying mines in the strait, escalating the conflict after firing Phelan. Iran responded that opening the strait was impossible and rejected talks. Domestically, Trump reclassified medical marijuana as less dangerous, and his net approval hit a new low amid GOP revolt. In the evening, a shooting at the Mall of Louisiana injured 10, with one dead. Late coverage focused on Trump ruling out nuclear weapons against Iran and extending the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire by three weeks. A U.S. soldier was charged with betting on Maduro's removal using inside intel.