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President Donald Trump says the United States Navy will begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz “immediately” after peace talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan ended without an agreement.

Trump, in a social media post on Sunday, accused Iran of “extortion” and said the US Navy would hunt down and interdict ships in international waters that have paid Iran a toll to traverse the strait.

“So, there you have it, the meeting went well, most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not,” Trump said. “Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.”

Iran has essentially taken control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for the global energy market, since the US and Israel launched a war on Iran on February 28.

Traffic through the narrow strait has slowed to a trickle, nearly paralysing about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments and sending shockwaves through the global economy.

Iran has denied US claims that two of its warships recently passed through the strait for mine-clearing operations, warning that any military vessels seeking to do so would receive a “strong response”. Trump called Iran’s control over the waterway “world extortion” in his social media post and added that any Iranian forces who fire at US forces or “peaceful vessels” would be “BLOWN TO HELL”.

He added that the blockade would involve unspecified “other countries” and he would not allow Iran to benefit from the closure of the strait.

Iran has continued to send its own ships through the strait since the war began and has allowed a handful of vessels from other countries to pass through. Iranian officials have also discussed setting up a toll system after the fighting ends whereby users would pay a fee to Iran for traversing the strait.

“I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran,” Trump said on Sunday. “No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.”

President Donald Trump says the United States Navy will begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz “immediately” after peace talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan ended without an agreement.

Trump, in a social media post on Sunday, accused Iran of “extortion” and said the US Navy would hunt down and interdict ships in international waters that have paid Iran a toll to traverse the strait.

“So, there you have it, the meeting went well, most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not,” Trump said. “Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.”

Iran has essentially taken control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for the global energy market, since the US and Israel launched a war on Iran on February 28.

Traffic through the narrow strait has slowed to a trickle, nearly paralysing about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments and sending shockwaves through the global economy.

Iran has denied US claims that two of its warships recently passed through the strait for mine-clearing operations, warning that any military vessels seeking to do so would receive a “strong response”. Trump called Iran’s control over the waterway “world extortion” in his social media post and added that any Iranian forces who fire at US forces or “peaceful vessels” would be “BLOWN TO HELL”.

He added that the blockade would involve unspecified “other countries” and he would not allow Iran to benefit from the closure of the strait.

Iran has continued to send its own ships through the strait since the war began and has allowed a handful of vessels from other countries to pass through. Iranian officials have also discussed setting up a toll system after the fighting ends whereby users would pay a fee to Iran for traversing the strait.

“I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran,” Trump said on Sunday. “No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.”

President Donald Trump says the United States Navy will begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz “immediately” after peace talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan ended without an agreement.

Trump, in a social media post on Sunday, accused Iran of “extortion” and said the US Navy would hunt down and interdict ships in international waters that have paid Iran a toll to traverse the strait.

“So, there you have it, the meeting went well, most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not,” Trump said. “Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.”

Iran has essentially taken control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for the global energy market, since the US and Israel launched a war on Iran on February 28.

Traffic through the narrow strait has slowed to a trickle, nearly paralysing about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments and sending shockwaves through the global economy.

Iran has denied US claims that two of its warships recently passed through the strait for mine-clearing operations, warning that any military vessels seeking to do so would receive a “strong response”. Trump called Iran’s control over the waterway “world extortion” in his social media post and added that any Iranian forces who fire at US forces or “peaceful vessels” would be “BLOWN TO HELL”.

He added that the blockade would involve unspecified “other countries” and he would not allow Iran to benefit from the closure of the strait.

Iran has continued to send its own ships through the strait since the war began and has allowed a handful of vessels from other countries to pass through. Iranian officials have also discussed setting up a toll system after the fighting ends whereby users would pay a fee to Iran for traversing the strait.

“I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran,” Trump said on Sunday. “No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.”

President Donald Trump says the United States Navy will begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz “immediately” after peace talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan ended without an agreement.

Trump, in a social media post on Sunday, accused Iran of “extortion” and said the US Navy would hunt down and interdict ships in international waters that have paid Iran a toll to traverse the strait.

“So, there you have it, the meeting went well, most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not,” Trump said. “Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.”

Iran has essentially taken control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for the global energy market, since the US and Israel launched a war on Iran on February 28.

Traffic through the narrow strait has slowed to a trickle, nearly paralysing about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments and sending shockwaves through the global economy.

Iran has denied US claims that two of its warships recently passed through the strait for mine-clearing operations, warning that any military vessels seeking to do so would receive a “strong response”. Trump called Iran’s control over the waterway “world extortion” in his social media post and added that any Iranian forces who fire at US forces or “peaceful vessels” would be “BLOWN TO HELL”.

He added that the blockade would involve unspecified “other countries” and he would not allow Iran to benefit from the closure of the strait.

Iran has continued to send its own ships through the strait since the war began and has allowed a handful of vessels from other countries to pass through. Iranian officials have also discussed setting up a toll system after the fighting ends whereby users would pay a fee to Iran for traversing the strait.

“I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran,” Trump said on Sunday. “No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.”

Halo Infinite's art director and a developer who's worked on the franchise for 17 years, Glenn Israel, is accusing senior Halo Studios staff of "numerous unethical and/or unlawful acts."

In a series of LinkedIn posts, the long-time Halo developer says he either witnessed or was personally subjected to "blacklisting, fraud, rampant favoritism/cronyism" and "multiple harassment campaigns designed to provoke the constructive discharge of "unwanted" employees otherwise in good standing" between January 2024 and June 2025 - a few months before his eventual departure from the Xbox Game Studio.

"After filing several documented complaints with Microsoft ‘s Human Resources department in June 2025, a senior Global Employee Relations (GER) representative threatened retaliation on first contact and promised to quash any further investigation," Israel continues. He also claims that "senior Halo Studios representatives engaged in a four-day-long act of harassment intended to manufacture a cause for my termination," and that Microsoft's HR departments apparently "failed to take any appropriate disruptive action" during and after the alleged incident.

Israel adds that "the catastrophic mismanagement of Halo Campaign Evolved created an opportunity for senior Halo Studios representatives to temporarily reassign the art team from my unannounced project and falsely characterize my role as "redundant", a plainly retaliatory act."

The Halo Infinite lead makes a number of other allegations aimed at both Halo Studios and Microsoft as a whole, and in a follow-up post, he also says he suspects that "Microsoft routinely contrives or otherwise exploits layoffs to rid itself of employees who have filed proper and effective complaints."

As an ex-MSFT employee myself:

Yup, this is endemic throughout the entire company, and it's been this way for a long time.

Halo Infinite's art director and a developer who's worked on the franchise for 17 years, Glenn Israel, is accusing senior Halo Studios staff of "numerous unethical and/or unlawful acts."

In a series of LinkedIn posts, the long-time Halo developer says he either witnessed or was personally subjected to "blacklisting, fraud, rampant favoritism/cronyism" and "multiple harassment campaigns designed to provoke the constructive discharge of "unwanted" employees otherwise in good standing" between January 2024 and June 2025 - a few months before his eventual departure from the Xbox Game Studio.

"After filing several documented complaints with Microsoft ‘s Human Resources department in June 2025, a senior Global Employee Relations (GER) representative threatened retaliation on first contact and promised to quash any further investigation," Israel continues. He also claims that "senior Halo Studios representatives engaged in a four-day-long act of harassment intended to manufacture a cause for my termination," and that Microsoft's HR departments apparently "failed to take any appropriate disruptive action" during and after the alleged incident.

Israel adds that "the catastrophic mismanagement of Halo Campaign Evolved created an opportunity for senior Halo Studios representatives to temporarily reassign the art team from my unannounced project and falsely characterize my role as "redundant", a plainly retaliatory act."

The Halo Infinite lead makes a number of other allegations aimed at both Halo Studios and Microsoft as a whole, and in a follow-up post, he also says he suspects that "Microsoft routinely contrives or otherwise exploits layoffs to rid itself of employees who have filed proper and effective complaints."

As an ex-MSFT employee myself:

Yup, this is endemic throughout the entire company, and it's been this way for a long time.

U.S. President Donald Trump said in a social media post this morning that "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," as his threatened attacks on Iranian infrastructure loom ahead of an 8 p.m. ET deadline.

Iran has rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal and says it wants a permanent end to the war.

UN Secretary General António Guterres warned the U.S. that attacking civilian infrastructure is banned under international law.

The death toll so far includes more than 1,900 people in Iran, 1,400 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel, about two dozen in other countries in the region, 13 U.S. service members and 11 Israeli soldiers.

The TruthSocial Post:

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116363336033995961

UPDATE (5:32 PM EST / UTC-04:00):

Motherfucking TACO Tuesday.

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116365796713313030

U.S. President Donald Trump said in a social media post this morning that "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," as his threatened attacks on Iranian infrastructure loom ahead of an 8 p.m. ET deadline.

Iran has rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal and says it wants a permanent end to the war.

UN Secretary General António Guterres warned the U.S. that attacking civilian infrastructure is banned under international law.

The death toll so far includes more than 1,900 people in Iran, 1,400 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel, about two dozen in other countries in the region, 13 U.S. service members and 11 Israeli soldiers.

The TruthSocial Post:

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116363336033995961

UPDATE (5:32 PM EST / UTC-04:00):

Motherfucking TACO Tuesday.

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116365796713313030

U.S. President Donald Trump said in a social media post this morning that "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," as his threatened attacks on Iranian infrastructure loom ahead of an 8 p.m. ET deadline.

Iran has rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal and says it wants a permanent end to the war.

UN Secretary General António Guterres warned the U.S. that attacking civilian infrastructure is banned under international law.

The death toll so far includes more than 1,900 people in Iran, 1,400 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel, about two dozen in other countries in the region, 13 U.S. service members and 11 Israeli soldiers.

The TruthSocial Post:

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116363336033995961

UPDATE (5:32 PM EST / UTC-04:00):

Motherfucking TACO Tuesday.

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116365796713313030

So, not sure if this breaks the rules here, but apparently, two weeks ago, Yoko Kanno & SEATBELTS released an extended cut of the incredible TANK! from Cowboy Bebop.

The original anime debuted in 98 in Japan, so... perhaps this counts as 90s music?

I dunno, when it come to exact rules...

... I try not to think.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A channel affiliated with Iranian state television claimed Friday that a U.S. fighter pilot ejected from their aircraft over southwestern Iran. The U.S. did not respond immediately to requests for comment on the claim.

It was not clear what may have happened to the plane, including whether Iran was claiming it was shot down or had another issue. If the claim is confirmed, it could lead to yet another dramatic escalation in the war, nearing the end of its fifth week.

...

Television anchor urges residents to hand over pilot

The anchor on the Iranian channel urged residents to hand over any “enemy pilot” to police and promised a reward for anyone who did. The channel is in Kohkilouyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, an intensely rural and mountainous region that spans over 15,500 square kilometers (5,900 square miles).

Authorities also urged the public to search for the pilot in neighboring Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province.

Throughout the war, Iran has made a series of claims about shooting down piloted enemy aircraft that turned out not to be true. Friday was the first time that Iran went on television urging the public to look for a suspected downed pilot.

An on-screen crawl earlier urged the public to “shoot them if you see them,” referring to social media footage circulating of what appeared to be U.S. aircraft in the area. The channel showed metal debris in the back of a pickup truck while making the announcement but provided no other immediate details.

...