Iran on Thursday pushed back against President Trump's assertion that the U.S. has "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz, with multiple Iranian officials saying the strategic waterway remains under the Islamic republic's control and management. Tehran also signaled it is seeking accountability for an oil spill that has reached Qeshm Island, with Iranian officials saying preliminary evidence points to a foreign bulk carrier and raising questions over compensation for environmental damage. The dispute over Hormuz unfolded as the U.S. repositioned military assets and the broader Middle East conflict widened. The USS George Washington aircraft carrier, accompanied by a cruiser and a destroyer, was moving from Asia toward the Indian Ocean and is expected to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has faced scrutiny over conditions during its record-setting deployment. Senate Democrats demanded answers over reported food shortages, plumbing failures and mental health problems aboard the Lincoln, while the Navy said the ship still had access to clean water, air conditioning and healthy meals. Regional tensions also spread across Yemen, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels claimed a drone strike on an Aramco refinery in Jizan and were also blamed for deadly attacks on shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait (waterway linking the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden). Britain urged Iran at the U.N. Security Council to stop backing the Houthis, saying their actions were worsening Yemen's already severe humanitarian crisis. In parallel, Turkey said it plans joint military exercises with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan under the newly formed Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. Against that backdrop, the U.S. military launched Task Force Falcon Strike to develop one-way attack drones with Middle East partners, reflecting how regional militaries are adapting to fast-changing drone warfare. Jared Kushner marked six years since the Abraham Accords, arguing the region is again at an inflection point and expressing optimism about current negotiations with Iran, though he said earlier efforts had been hampered by broken promises.