In a strategic move to influence the upcoming U.S. midterm elections, Iran is aiming to heighten tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, as revealed by sources in Tehran and foreign policy specialists.

Recently, President Trump acknowledged a shift towards a more subdued approach in peace negotiations with Iran following the failure of a ceasefire agreement.

With the midterm election date quickly approaching and less than three months away, Trump’s approval ratings face challenges, exacerbated by persistently high gas prices averaging over $4 per gallon nationwide.

Jonathan Wachtel, a former U.S. diplomat, reflected to the Daily Mail that Iranian leaders meticulously observe both American military readiness and the timing of political events.

According to two Iranian insiders aware of the nation’s strategic planning, the midterm elections represent a critical leverage point, one that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is keen to utilize to their advantage.

Retired General Jack Keane said that Iran is gambling on Trump being unwilling to restart major military action ahead of November. 

‘My gut feel is that they’re likely going to get more aggressive because they don’t believe the President will do much prior to the midterms in terms of military actions,’ Keane told Fox News.

But Keane warned that Tehran has already ‘miscalculated’ Trump repeatedly, adding that the President is ‘totally capable of shutting them down once and for all and crushing [them] with the ability that he has literally at his fingertips.’

Wachtel agreed ‘this is a high–risk gamble,’ adding that ‘major confrontations often begin when one side misunderstands the other’s willingness to respond.’ 

Jonathan Schanzer, executive director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told the Daily Mail: ‘The regime understands that this war is not wildly popular with segments of the Republican Party and much of the American left.

‘Oil prices and the reported munitions crisis have added to Trump’s political challenges.’

Schanzer warned, however, that Tehran’s strategy could backfire catastrophically: ‘The regime believes it can exacerbate those problems by maintaining the current course or even escalating.

‘The question for the regime is: at what cost? The regime is brittle, bankrupt and weak. By extending the crisis or escalating, the risk of regime collapse is real. They are playing with fire.’

Trump claimed earlier this week that the US currently has ‘total’ control of the Strait of Hormuz, even as oil prices remain sky high.

Iran has meanwhile claimed it maintains the upper hand in the conflict, seizing on recent reports that Trump secretly switched planes to avoid an assassination threat as he departed last month’s NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. 

The Islamic Republic’s embassy in South Africa posted a graphic depicting Trump inside a catering box alongside food items. The embassy’s official X account – which is verified on its website and frequently produces viral content highlighted by Iranian state news – warned that Trump ‘will be hidden in a trash can before long.’

Iranian state television also targeted the incident, labeling it a ‘humiliation’ for the president.

‘Again, Trump, with his new scandal, has become the top subject in the US media these days,’ a state TV presenter declared. ‘A scandal stemming from fear of Iran’s military power, a power that caused Trump, last month, while returning from Turkey, to secretly switch his plane.’

Tehran forcefully rejected Trump’s assertions of American dominance in the region, maintaining that the strategic choke point operates strictly under Iranian authority.

Hossein Taeb, head of Iran’s Basij paramilitary unit, asserted today that the Strait of Hormuz remains under the direct ‘management and control’ of the Islamic Republic, adding that Iran is continuing its naval operations in complete security.

Taeb claimed the US had sought to disrupt Iran’s regional popularity by launching another war in the Strait, but insisted Washington had failed once again despite claiming Iran possessed neither an air force nor a navy.

Trump, however, doubled down in a post on Truth Social, declaring that the US would ‘keep’ control of the vital shipping lane, describing the American naval blockade as a ‘Wall of steel’ and insisting there was ‘nothing Iran can do about it.’

Trump further claimed that Iran has ‘no Navy’ and ‘no Air Force,’ that its remaining soldiers go unpaid, and that the country’s leadership remains ‘uncertain, at best.’

In the tranquil setting of Missaukee County, Michigan, a tragic series of events has left six individuals, including a man suspected to be the gunman, dead. The devastating news unfolded across multiple locations in this rural area, as reported by local authorities.

On Friday morning, Michigan State Police took to social media to alert the public about an ongoing investigation into a shooting spree. The authorities were in pursuit of 39-year-old Chad Hickman, whom they warned was “armed and dangerous,” urging caution to residents in the vicinity.

The pursuit came to a conclusion later when law enforcement officials confirmed they had located Hickman.

The investigation commenced following a grim discovery early Friday—three victims were found deceased and another person injured inside a residence situated near LaChance Road and Kelly Road, in Richland Township, as reported by UpNorthLive.

A fourth person was reportedly found dead in another home, and a fifth person was found dead in a wooded area.

News Media has reached out to Michigan State Police.

Hickman was later found dead, according to UpNorthLive.

“Not only is this difficult for our investigators and our troopers, but it’s very hard for this community. You know, this type of loss is tragic,” MSP Public Information Officer Lt. Ashley Miller told the outlet. 

“And we’re going to conduct a thorough investigation. And we want to make sure to keep our community members up to date on our current situation and what we’re discovering throughout this process.”

Police haven’t given any more details about what led to the shootings.

Pacific Palisades is joyously welcoming back its cherished Village.

After enduring the extensive damage from the destructive Palisades fire over 18 months ago, the community is set to revive its spirit as Palisades Village reopens this Saturday. This grand reopening promises to restore a vibrant hub of restaurants, shops, and entertainment, providing a familiar haven for a neighborhood still healing and rebuilding.

The fire that ignited on January 7, 2025, left a trail of devastation in its wake, ravaging over 23,000 acres. The inferno obliterated 6,845 structures and inflicted damage on an additional 975. Tragically, it claimed the lives of twelve individuals and injured four others, including a firefighter bravely combating the flames.

Today, the Village stands as a testament to resilience and resurgence, rising from the ashes to symbolize hope and renewal.

Before the celebratory reopening, The California Post had exclusive access to a preview of the dramatically transformed Village. The scene was bustling with workers eager to apply the final touches to the monumental $100 million reconstruction project that developer Rick Caruso initiated almost immediately following the devastating fire.

The massive 19-month overhaul included rebuilding restaurant kitchens and replacing drywall, appliances and air-conditioning ducts in apartments across the property ahead of its Aug. 15 reopening.

“We made a critical decision … right after the fires,” Caruso told The Post. “We’re going to bring back the Village as quickly as possible and better and stronger.”

The goal, he said, went far beyond reopening stores.

“I really believe that hope alone can be an empty promise unless it’s attached to something tangible,” Caruso said.

The luxury retail and residential property will welcome back longtime tenants including Erewhon, Blue Ribbon Sushi, Buck Mason and Anine Bing, along with local businesses rebuilding after losing their storefronts in the fire, including K Bakery, Loomey’s Toys and LUDUS martial arts studio.

About one-third of the Village’s tenants are new.

Newcomers include Nancy Silverton’s Italian steakhouse Spacca Tutto, The h.wood Group’s Alphabet Bar & Grill, beauty retailer Violet Grey, L.A.-based designer Xirena and apparel brand LESET, which is opening its first West Coast store.

The dining scene is also roaring back.

Angelini Osteria will return with its Italian fare, while Porta Via will reopen alongside Alphabet Bar & Grill, a new restaurant from James Beard Award-winning chef Tim Hollingsworth in partnership with The h.wood Group.

Caruso said his company stripped interior spaces down to the wood studs, tested and treated the wood and rebuilt only after determining the spaces were clean and free of toxins.

The Village is 99% leased, Caruso said, and roughly 70% of its tenants are expected to be open Saturday. That stands in sharp contrast to the surrounding neighborhood, where the residential recovery is still grinding forward.

Only 1,000 rebuilding permits have been issued since the fire, according to Pali Builds, including 99 in June. Just 17 new homes have received certificates of occupancy, meaning they were cleared for residents to move in.

The permitting process also remains lengthy, averaging about 141 days in June, up from 106 days in March. Insurance battles, financing and infrastructure concerns have slowed families trying to return.

But bringing the Village back has been no easy feat either.

While the property escaped the worst of the flames, smoke poured into the complex, forcing crews to essentially gut and rebuild the interiors from scratch.

“There’s no playbook for this,” Caruso said. “We’ve never been through a whole community burning down.”

Caruso said the Village was designed with fire-resistant, noncombustible materials because it sits in a high-risk fire zone. His company also had an emergency response plan that included deploying private firefighters when wildfire threatened a property. “When it’s predictable, it’s preventable,” he said.

The result will finally be unveiled Saturday.

The celebration kicks off with a 10:30 a.m. ribbon cutting, followed by the opening of stores and restaurants at 11 a.m.

Pop-ups, tastings, live entertainment and family activities will run throughout the day before an 8 p.m. finale.

In a heart-wrenching lawsuit, a Montana mother seeks justice after her teenage son tragically lost his life due to a malfunctioning fairground ride.

Thirteen-year-old Clayton Phillips was ejected from the Yo-Yo swing ride at a carnival in Butte last June, suffering critical injuries from the high-speed incident that ultimately cost him his life.

Initially treated at a local hospital in Butte, Clayton’s condition required an emergency airlift to a Kalispell hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries two weeks later, leaving a community in mourning.

Clayton’s mother, Ashley Hossack, has taken legal action against Butte-Silver Bow, Midway West Amusements, Shady Acres Safety Services, and its owner, Dennis Sutherland, seeking damages for her immense loss.

The lawsuit also calls for punitive damages from 20 additional parties allegedly responsible for various aspects of the ride’s safety, including inspection, maintenance, and operation, as detailed in documents obtained by NBC Montana.

According to the lawsuit, at least 10 of the chairs of the Yo-Yo ride were defective and had missing restraints which were ‘visible and readily discoverable.’

The chairs remained on the ride on the day of the accident, with Midway West owner Michelle Jensen admitting that the only precaution given was operators verbally instructing riders to not use them. 

She admitted that to law enforcement after the crash, saying that replacement parts for the faulty chairs had been ordered, the suit claimed. 

The ride was inspected twice in the month before the fatal incident, with Sutherland allegedly signing off on the inspection. 

Butte-Silver Bow, which received a portion of the gross revenue from the carnival, is accused in the suit of failing to implement ‘reasonable procedures to verify the safety of the Yo-Yo’ ride. 

The suit added that Butte-Silver Bow did not require Midway West to provide an inventory of each ride. 

It said that Butte-Silver Bow had a duty of care in the ‘ownership, management, supervision, and control of its premises’.

The suit also claimed that Butte-Silver Bow had the authority to ‘reasonably inspect the carnival premises and the passenger-loading areas of the rides.’

The lawsuit also included a copy of the permit for the carnival that said Midway West was required to have public liability insurance of $1 million for each occurrence, and another $1.5 million for bodily injury and property damage. 

It is unclear at this time the exact amount being sought but it will extend to ‘all compensatory, general, special, economic, and noneconomic damages,’ recoverable by the youngster’s estate.

This will include the cost of the victim’s suffering, lost earnings, funeral expenses, costs of the emergency and medical response, loss of earnings and more, the suit added.

Butte-Silver Bow has three weeks to provide a formal response in court to the lawsuit, which was filed on August 7. 

County Attorney Matt Enrooth previously told MTN News that an investigation found no criminal culpability.  

An obituary for Clayton said: ‘Clayton attended Butte Central Elementary and Junior High School, where he recently graduated from 8th grade on May 27, 2026. 

‘He was part of the Orphan Girl Theater for the past 6 years, where he shared his heart, his humor, his curiosity, and wonderful sense of character with everyone.

‘Clayton had many hobbies, including Legos, Music (Eminem), YouTube, Harry Potter, reading, traveling with family, hanging out with friends, and playing Minecraft.’