Trump’s Iran Peace Push Falters as Escalation Widens

The U.S. and Iran traded fire across multiple fronts as Washington pressed an aggressive stance amid renewed hostilities after a U.S. attack on an oil tanker. CENTCOM said it intercepted missiles and drones and destroyed a tanker engine, while Iran billed the strikes as retaliation. Trump insisted diplomacy was ongoing even as Rubio urged that a deal could be within reach, and Democrats accused him of hiding as new polling shows his popularity sinking. The episode highlights renewed uncertainty over whether a diplomatic path to ending the conflict can hold amid mounting military actions.