First Thing: Tensions rise over Hormuz as Trump threatens to blow Iran ‘off the face of the earth’

The launch of ‘Project Freedom’ in the strait of Hormuz has brought the region back to the brink of full-scale war. Plus: The electoral battle for Congress Good morning. Donald Trump has again raised the stakes in the Gulf region with the Monday launch of “Project Freedom” to open a route through the strait of Hormuz. More than 800 ships and roughly 20,000 crew members remain stranded in the region. Have any vessels made it out of the strait? US Central Command (Centcom) said two US-flagged merc