US Politics As It Happened: Man scoping out Trump golf course arrested

President Trump says the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened “soon” or he would launch a harsh new attack on Iran.

Speaking in an interview on Fox News, Trump said “very good discussions” were underway with Tehran, but warned if Iran backed out of their commitments, he would return to strikes.

“The Strait’s going to be open very soon or they are going to get hit very hard,” he said.

He added later: “If they back out again, they are going to get hit really hard. They know that. They understand that. I have no choice.”

The man arrested outside Trump National Golf Club in California was also wanted in connection with a robbery investigation, authorities have revealed.

CNN said deputies identified the man as Jeanine John Taele, 38.

He has pleaded not guilty on four charges, including second degree robbery linked to an alleged incident in November 2025, and three weapons charges filed after his latest arrest.

It’s not clear whether the arrests were linked.

A judge set his bail at US$250,000 ($355,078) and ordered him to stay away from Trump’s golf club.

The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz will by no means mean the US will celebrate a victory, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.

“The denuclearisation of Iran is the ultimate deal,” Rubio told reporters at a press conference in Washington DC.

“I think the immediate deal, and the one that you’re seeing a lot of focus on is the straits. There are, there’s oil moving right now through the Straits, so the straits are open.

“Nonetheless, I think that there’s a conversation and negotiation we are involved in between Oman and Iran on how more ships can be able to go through there safely in the short term as we move towards these longer term talks about denuclearisation, and suffice it to say there’s been progress made in those talks but not finality yet.

“We’re hoping that will happen very shortly.”

America’s missile problem isn’t purely about how much they’ve fired off, but also about what’s coming through the gate to replace it.

Analysts have told CNN that the Department of Defence receives about 15 new Tomahawk missiles (for attack) and 20 new Patriot missiles (for defence) a month.

At current manufacturing rates, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies expects it to take three or more years to rebuild stocks of those crucial weapons.

Less high-end weapons like Precision strike missiles could be topped up by mid-next year.

US Central Command continues to insist the southern - that is, the non-Iran-approved - corridor through the Strait of Hormuz remains “free and open for all commercial vessels”.

“Over the past three months, US forces have assisted more than 1000 vessels in successfully transiting the strait despite unwarranted Iranian aggression, and these transits continue today,” CENTCOM said in a post.

Nonetheless, ship trackers show traffic is well down on pre-war levels, while vessels continue to report being struck in transit.

The world’s largest oil company saw its latest profits increase by a third, despite crucial sea lanes being blocked in its native region.

Saudi Aramco reported quarterly income from April to June at US$33.4 billion ($47.4 billion), up from US$25.2 billion ($35.76 billion) for the same period last year.

The same thing that has squeezed domestic and household budgets around the world - oil supply disruption due to the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz - has been a massive boon for oil companies as prices skyrocket.

Trump said yesterday he believed the companies were making “too much money”.

President Donald Trump has returned to the AI well, this time comparing himself to two of America’s more famous military figures.

Trump’s Truth Social account this morning showed an image of Trump, in military uniform, in between WWII generals George Patton and Douglas Macarthur.

Both men were leaders of the US military in WWII, with Macarthur reaching the rank of General of the Army.

Trump undertook no military service, and received multiple draft deferments during the Vietnam War.

He criticised former Republican presidential candidate John McCain, a Vietnam veteran, for being “captured” during the war.

Nonetheless, Trump’s chosen image shows “him” wearing multiple service decorations on the left breast of his jacket.

His figure carries significantly more than either Patton or Macarthur.

A man appeared to be walking the grounds of Trump’s California golf course and appeared to be monitoring security two days ahead of the US president’s visit to the site, LA authorities have said.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement the man had been recording video, taking photos, and that he had a 16-round loaded magazine in his pocket.

They also found a loaded pistol in the man’s car.

The 38-year-old was arrested on August 2 on weapons charges, The Associated Press said.

A search of the man’s home uncovered multiple guns, ammo, body armour, and notebooks with “concerning statements”.

Police said there was no ongoing threat.

Drafts of a potential agreement to progress the end of the US-Iran war are “being circulated”, according to Qatar Foreign Minister Majed al-Ansari.

Overnight, al-Ansari told reporters that conflict resolution efforts were in “very progressive stages”.

“We can confirm that the efforts are still ongoing with all the parties. We are looking towards a diplomatic resolution as we are speaking right now,” al-Ansari said, according to CNN.

However, these efforts are currently focused simply on returning the US and Iran to the negotiating table, where direct talks can resume.

“We are hopeful that if we can get a resumption of the talks anytime soon, we’d be able to push forward towards a major deal that would help us walk back into a situation of peace in our region,” al-Ansari said.