Diddy Trial Highlights From 27th Day of Witness Testimony

It's the penultimate day of witness testimony in Diddy's criminal trial in New York ... and his defense is kicking the tires on some interesting strategies ... including invoking the Iran war.

Prosecutors and Diddy's defense team spent Monday questioning a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations ... the agency that started this whole Diddy sex trafficking case.

Nothing really new in terms of testimony but the most interesting stuff happened when there was no witness on the stand ... the defense told the judge it plans to rest its case Tuesday after prosecutors rest their case, without calling Diddy or any defense witnesses to testify.

Frankly, Diddy was never going to testify no matter what his defense attorney Marc Agnifilo told us ... that would have been a huge, and possibly unnecessary risk.

Sources tell us the defense thinks prosecutors didn't make a strong enough case here and they are going to get this thing to closing arguments ASAP ... and that's where Iran could enter the picture.

We're told the defense is considering invoking the Iran conflict ... with the argument being Homeland Security should be protecting Americans from potential terrorists and sleeper cells instead of poking around in Diddy's bedroom for kinky sex toys, lube, stripper heels, whips, lube and baby oil.

This thing is all coming to a head soon ... and we could have a verdict as early as Friday, though the jury could wait for next week to decide if Diddy is guilty or not.