Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine testified before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee reviewing President Donald Trump's proposed 2027 defense budget as lawmakers raised concerns about US military strategy, Iranian resistance and instability in global energy markets.

DUBAI, May 12 (Reuters) - Iran has expanded its definition of the Strait of Hormuz into a "vast operational area" far wider than before the Iran war, according to a senior officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy.

Robert Kagan of the Brookings Institution, on "PBS News Hour" with Amna Nawaz, discusses his new piece in The Atlantic: "Trump Is Checkmated In Iran" "This conflict has revealed in America that is unreliable and incapable of finishing what it started.

Trump, who will discuss the war with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his trip to Beijing this week, said Iran's response threatened the status of a ceasefire announced on 7 April.

“The presence of French and British warships, or those of any other country potentially accompanying the illegal and internationally unlawful actions of the United States in the Strait of Hormuz, will be met with a decisive and immediate response from the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

U.S. gas prices average $4.50; experts say a closed Strait of Hormuz and rising oil costs could push prices past $5 by summer.

Iran has reportedly introduced a new transit regime for ships passing through the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns across global shipping and energy markets. According to shipping industry publication Lloyd's List,

Energy Secretary Chris Wright appeared on “Meet the Press” Sunday morning, addressing the volatile global energy market and the possibility of using military force to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. During a pointed exchange with moderator Kristen Welker,