US-Iran war news LIVE: Turkish President Erdogan urges Trump to pursue talks

US-Iran war news LIVE: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan urged US President Donald Trump in a recent phone call to pursue negotiations with Iran to de-escalate tensions between the two countries and offered Ankara’s support. Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest army, has made repeated calls to end the war. While additionally acting as an intermediary between the parties, further, it has also maintained close ties with the US, Iran, and mediators like Pakistan and Qatar. As stockpiles have come under strain in the five-month war on Iran, following the phone call, the Turkish presidency stated in an official note, “Erdogan stated that it is of great importance to make the utmost of diplomacy regarding the tensions between Iran and the United States, that we hope the talks will continue, and that Turkey will continue to support peace efforts.”

RTX awarded with $23 billion contract from US Navy

RTX Corp. won a contract worth $23 billion from the US Navy to boost production of more than 7,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles, one of the US’s most potent offensive weapons. Monday’s multi-year contract runs through 2032 and stems from one of the numerous “framework” agreements announced earlier this year by the Pentagon’s undersecretary for acquisition, Michael Duffey. As part of the contract, RTX said it will boost capacity and work closely with hundreds of US suppliers to “rapidly scale output to meet long-term needs.” Among the 7,000 are an unspecified number of kits to convert the land-attack missile into a ship-killer, the Navy stated.

Trump reiterates making Hormuz a US territory

Trump on Monday (local time) reiterated his remarks about declaring the Strait of Hormuz a “US territory,” asserting Washington has “total control” in the region. Speaking to reporters, the US President highlighted the effectiveness of the naval blockade that the US military has been enforcing on Iranian ports and stressed that oil prices are now coming down and the Strait of Hormuz is open. He said, “I think it’s a great idea. I mean, we control it with the blockade. I like the idea of declaring it a territory. We have total control over the Strait. Now, they can be a nuisance; they can put a mine in the water, and people don’t like having mines hit their billion-dollar ships. But the blockade has been very effective. Now, maybe that will stop, or maybe it’ll open up even further, but we’re taking out millions of barrels of oil a week if you look at the kind of numbers that we’re doing.”

He added that Iran is in big trouble, noting, “They have 300 per cent inflation, the country’s a mess, and their military is totally defeated.”