Hawk’s Wednesday Brief: Trump doubles down on Iran blockade threat as talks floated; IMF trims outlook; Manila quells health rumors; culture notes from Nightline

The U.S.–Iran standoff tightened another notch as President Donald Trump warned he would order any Iranian ships that approach the U.S.-led military blockade of Iranian ports to be sunk—even as Washington explores a second round of in-person talks with Tehran, according to CNN’s Nic Robertson. The mix of saber-rattling and tentative diplomacy underscores the precariousness…