Trump Demands Iran Pay, Iran Hardens Its Security Command, Oil Jumps

Trump demands Iran pay for the human and economic costs of the war as Tehran carries out a sweeping reshuffle of its military and security leadership.

In this episode of Epic Fury: The US-Iran War Podcast, we examine Iran's appointment of new military commanders and the return of veteran IRGC figures to senior positions, including Mohsen Rezaee as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. The reshuffle points to a harder security posture in Tehran as negotiations with Washington continue.

We also examine the latest Strait of Hormuz standoff. Iran says the waterway cannot fully reopen while the US naval blockade remains in place, while Washington is demanding compensation from Tehran. Oil markets reacted immediately, with Brent crude and WTI rising sharply as hopes for a lasting Hormuz agreement weakened.

The episode also covers escalating Houthi attacks in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, the growing dispute over the disarmament of Iran-backed militias in Iraq, the widening disagreement between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu over Gaza, and the unresolved question of Iran's underground Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility.

Today's key developments:
• Trump demands compensation from Iran for wartime deaths and damage
• Iran reshuffles its military and security command
• Strait of Hormuz negotiations remain unresolved
• Oil prices jump as traders reassess the risk to Gulf shipping
• Houthi attacks and threats against Saudi Arabia escalate
• Iraq's deadline for Iran-backed militias to disarm approaches
• Trump and Netanyahu remain divided over Gaza
• Questions remain over Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility

Epic Fury provides a daily briefing on the US-Iran war, Iran, Israel, the Middle East, Strait of Hormuz, oil markets, US military strategy and the geopolitical consequences of the conflict.