Iran's supreme leader's military adviser Mohsen Rezaee said Iran possesses missiles and self‑defense capabilities and would strike U.S. warships entering the Strait of Hormuz via unauthorized routes.

Pentagon has signed framework agreements with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to expand production capacity for missile interceptor components.

The ruling party’s tax and social security committee approved a government proposal to cut the food consumption tax from 8% to 1% from April next year for a two-year period. Cabinet approval is sought early next month and the government aims to table legislation at an autumn extraordinary Diet session; the party’s top decision body may review the draft as soon as Wednesday. From June the plan includes roughly ¥600 billion a year in cash transfers to low- and middle-income households, with payments scaled by income. Funding remains unspecified; the government plans to rely on non-tax revenue, tax receipts and savings from reviewing tax preferences and subsidies to plug the gap.