Tensions between the United States and Iran surged after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps held fresh live-fire naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz, briefly halting ship traffic as missiles and drones lit up the Gulf. IRGC Navy commander Alireza Tangsiri said Iran is ready to shut the strait if ordered, while Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned U.S. carriers could be sunk. Meanwhile, Washington deployed over 50 fighter jets and sent the USS Gerald R. Ford to the region, even as indirect nuclear talks in Geneva cautiously continue.