Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have escalated beyond the Persian Gulf today, with the U.S. military reporting a new strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific that killed two men. This brings the total death toll from U.S. strikes on vessels in the Pacific and Caribbean to at least 170 since last September. Meanwhile, U.S. warships continue to enforce the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has officially warned could lead to "global retaliation" and threats to all ports in the Gulf and Arabian Sea. 

President Trump has vowed that the U.S. will sink any Iranian boats that challenge the naval blockade, which began officially today. Despite the military posturing, he claimed that Tehran wants a deal "very badly," even as China reportedly prepares to deliver new air defense systems to Iran within weeks.