Reuters: “To reveal how Iran has been consolidating control over this strategic chokepoint in recent weeks, Reuters interviewed 20 people with knowledge of the evolving mechanism, including Asian and European shipping sources and Iranian and Iraqi officials, reviewed Iranian documents related to the vetting process, and analysed movements of ships.”

“Taken together, they offer rare insight into how the Iranian scheme functions, with the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps playing a central role.”

“I’m not doing this politically. Look, everyone tells me it’s unpopular, but I think it’s very popular. When they hear that it’s having to do with nuclear weapons, weapons that could take out Los Angeles, take out major cities very quickly… I don’t really have enough time to explain it to people, I’m too busy getting it done — but when they understand, I think it’s frankly very popular. But whether it’s popular or not popular, I have to do it.”

— President Trump, quoted by Politico, on the Iran War.

Playbook: “It’s not just domestic policy where Trump is handing Dems an open goal, with the president showing no sign of stepping back from his foreign affairs obsession. It’s pretty clear now that something big is coming on Cuba — you don’t send the CIA director to Havana and then indict a country’s 94-year-old figurehead on a whim.”

“Trump has been telling us all year that Cuba is on his intervention list, and we’re now at the point where Secretary of State Marco Rubio is addressing the Cuban public directly in Spanish.”

However: “The idea of military intervention is not popular with the American public. A recent YouGov/CEPR poll found 64 percent of Americans oppose the U.S. going to war against Cuba. Only 15 percent were in support.”

“Iranians are enduring the longest and most intense internet blackout in history, compounding an economic crisis that sparked nationwide protests in December,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“For nearly three months, businesses have been disconnected from clients and suppliers. Merchants have struggled to work with longstanding international business partners. Many businesses have closed, hurling more Iranians into unemployment.”

Punchbowl News: “House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) said Wednesday the Defense Department will run out of money this summer to fund the Iran war.”

“That comes as appropriators from both parties are sounding unconfident about delivering a quarter of the Pentagon’s budget through reconciliation.”

“The U.S. believes it is making progress with Iran in peace talks, but disagreements between Washington and Israel threaten to derail the diplomacy,” Semafor reports.

“President Trump reportedly held a tense call on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who railed against a pact under consideration. Markets rebounded Wednesday after Trump said Washington is in the ‘final stages’ with Tehran.”

“But he has warned of US strikes if talks fail, prompting Iran to threaten to spread the war beyond the Middle East if attacks resume.”