Trump Warns Iran Against Red Sea Escalation Amid Ceasefire Extensions

Tensions between Washington and Tehran intensified over the last 24 hours after a senior Iranian lawmaker threatened to enlist Houthi allies to target the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The threat to the critical Red Sea shipping lane follows ongoing U.S. interceptions of Iranian vessels. In response, President Donald Trump issued a social media warning, urging Iran to "get smart soon" and engage in negotiations to end the ongoing conflict. On Capitol Hill, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine testified before the House Armed Services Committee. The hearing focused on the U.S. military involvement in Iran surpassing the 60-day threshold set by the War Powers Resolution. While the administration maintains the necessity of current operations, Democratic lawmakers criticized the conflict as unauthorized. Simultaneously, the IAEA has renewed demands for inspections at the Natanz and Fordo nuclear sites, noting that nuclear material remains present despite stalled diplomatic progress. Despite the rhetoric, diplomatic back-channels remain active through Pakistan. Deputy Prime Minister Sharif confirmed that high-level engagements between the U.S. and Iran are ongoing, contributing to the recent indefinite extension of a ceasefire. This pause is intended to provide the Iranian leadership time to submit a formal peace proposal, though the Trump administration recently rejected a shipping proposal from Tehran, citing concerns that it would delay critical nuclear oversight negotiations.