A tense day of Middle East news: Trump slipped away from a NATO summit on a decoy plane over an Iranian threat, while the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz keeps escalating with no deal in sight.

• Reports say Trump was snuck off the main Air Force One in an airport catering truck and moved to a smaller jet, leaving the big plane as a decoy with reporters aboard.
• Iran still controls key parts of the Strait of Hormuz, blocking free shipping, and even friendly outlets now admit it is not really open.
• US forces fired on a Panama-flagged ship from a helicopter as America tightens its blockade of Iranian ports, setting the vessel on fire but causing no casualties.
• Talks are stalled — Iran refuses to negotiate directly with Washington and shows a high tolerance for economic pain, betting US midterms will shift policy.
• More violence is spreading, with a commercial ship attacked near the Bab el-Mandeb strait and unrest in the West Bank.

The huge US debt and rising war costs are also being raised as a national security risk, weakening America's hand.

Outlook: Expect the Hormuz blockade and shooting incidents to continue, with little chance of a US-Iran deal before the midterms.