Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian appointed hardliner Admiral Ali Shamkhani as Secretary of the Supreme Defence Council just before U.S.–Iran nuclear talks in Oman, triggering fears of imminent war. Shamkhani, a fierce critic of the West, recently threatened strikes “deep into the heart of Tel Aviv” and warned any U.S. attack would spark all-out regional conflict. The appointment signals Tehran is centralizing military power after the June war with Israel. Meanwhile, Washington issued an urgent advisory urging Americans to leave Iran immediately, while Netanyahu admitted he remains unsure of Trump’s final decision on Iran.