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The U.S. and regional mediators are exploring high-level peace talks with Iran as soon as Thursday, but are still waiting for Tehran’s response. Trump wants to wind down the war, though tensions remain high. Israel is wary Trump could strike a deal that falls short of its goals and limits its military options. Source: Axios

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An Israeli official says the senior Iranian figure the U.S. is in contact with is Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Source: Amit Segal

WSJ: Thousands of U.S. Marines are set to arrive in the Middle East on Friday, including ~2,200 Marines from the 31st MEU aboard USS Tripoli and USS New Orleans - the same day as Trump’s Iran deadline. Another Marine unit, the 11th MEU aboard USS Boxer, has also been ordered to deploy and will arrive in the coming weeks

BREAKING: Trump: If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!

Our Syrian flag is sacred; it is not merely colors and fabric, but our lofty ceiling and the emblem of our dignity. Every thread within it tells a story of blood, heroism, and an unyielding history, and under its shadow, we enjoy freedom and pride. Insulting the flag is an insult to every honorable Syrian and a stab in the heart of the national identity. Long live the Syrian Arab flag, standing tall, and long live Syria, cherished and powerful.

I asked a retired U.S. Marine familiar with amphibious operations about a MEU on Kharg Island. Granted, this person doesn't have "OSINT" in his Twitter bio, so what the hell would he know? But this is what he told me, contra Trump's claim this is a "simple military maneuver": "Amphibious landings are by nature high risk and a lot can go wrong even in the best conditions. The Marine Corps has lost equipment during exercises, for example when an Abrams tank was sunk during an exercise on the coast of Spain in the 2010s. "An amphibious landing on Kharg is within the capability of the United States to accomplish, but at what cost and to what end? Once the Marines fight their way ashore and take their objective, they will be on an island with limited cover, very close to hostile Iran. How long could the Marines hold this island, under bombardment, before they would need to be withdrawn? "As for the danger, I think of amphibious assault as being akin to airborne assault. A lot of this depends on the tactical advantage of speed and surprise. "What the Marines are working against here is that everyone knows they're coming. And there are only so many places that are suitable for a landing. Need a suitable approach, favorable tides, etc. the Iranians understand this and will plan for it. "It is reasonable to expect that they will try to attack the transports en route, that they will attack while the ships unload, that they will attack the landing craft while they move from the ships to the beach, and that the troops will be attacked as they assault from the beach to their objectives. "Once the Marines are at their objective, they'll be attacked there too because Iran, and any other interested party to the conflict, will know exactly where the Marines are. "We're also 13 years removed from major combat operations in GWOT. There are still combat veterans at middle and upper echelons, but the majority of troops are not combat veterans. They're new guys."

Repeat after me:- To get amphibious ships to Kharg, you need to clear the SOH and AFTER, hundreds of miles of coastline first. It’s like some accounts don’t know the geography of the PG.