Trump announces Iran Task Force Iron Gate blockade; expects Xi and Putin talks next week
President Donald Trump announced that the US naval blockade and "Task Force Iron Gate" are fully operational in Iran, claiming the operation severely restricts goods movement in and out of the country. Trump also said he expects to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at next week's APEC summit, with discussions potentially covering denuclearisation and ending the Iran war. He is scheduled to meet Qatar's Prime Minister on Monday amid ongoing peace efforts. Separately, a drone attack on the Khor Mor gas field in Iraqi Kurdistan cut electricity generation by 2.8 gigawatts, and Iranian state media reported projectiles launched from southern Iran toward the Strait of Hormuz with explosions heard on Qeshm Island.