Good morning. The Strait of Hormuz is becoming the flashpoint everyone feared as Trump's blockade continues to escalate tensions with Iran. Oil prices could spike to $150 a barrel if the standoff persists, while Xi Jinping warns the world is "beset by disarray" from the conflict. Meanwhile, JD Vance returned to Washington empty-handed after failed diplomatic missions to both Iran and Hungary, where Viktor Orban has surprisingly conceded power amid jubilant celebrations from Hungarians exhausted by economic struggles and fears of EU isolation.
Closer to home, Lord George Robertson is taking aim at Starmer with accusations of "corrosive complacency" on defense spending, warning that Treasury bean-counters are committing "vandalism" against national security. In Wales, there's better news with the green light for a nuclear power station promising 8,000 jobs. On a darker note, an inquiry into the Southport attack reveals the killer's parents and various agencies missed multiple chances to prevent the tragedy, while Greek police are reportedly using masked migrants as mercenaries to push other asylum seekers back across borders.