CNN: An Iranian military official has said countries enforcing sanctions against Iran will “face problems” when their vessels use the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran earlier said it would launch a “heavy assault” on US assets in the Middle East if its ships face further attacks during the ceasefire.
• Ships attacked: A bulk carrier was reportedly struck by an unknown projectile in the Persian Gulf off Qatar, according to a UK maritime agency…
US, Iran no closer to ending war as Qatari tanker sails toward Strait of Hormuz
Relative calm prevailed around the Strait of Hormuz early on Sunday after days of sporadic flare-ups, as the United States waited for Iran’s response to its latest proposals to end more than two months of fighting and begin peace talks…
Strait of Hormuz Remains Effectively Blocked After Naval Skirmishes
The U.S. Navy’s blockade continued to intercept ships trying to leave or enter Iranian ports, while fear of Iranian attacks kept other ships from attempting passage through the narrows…
Long Overlooked, Caspian Sea Provides Strategic Trade Route for Iran
The landlocked body of water has taken on new significance, with Russia shipping military and commercial goods to bolster Tehran’s ability to withstand the U.S. assault…
Iran War Puts the World’s Most Used Chemical in Short Supply
War in the Persian Gulf and new Chinese export restrictions have sent sulfuric-acid prices soaring and raised concerns about the availability of a chemical that the world relies on for food, metal, paper, computer chips and clean water…
Israel Built and Defended a Secret Iran War Base in Iraq
Israel built the installation, which housed special forces and served as a logistical hub for the Israeli air force, just before the war started with the knowledge of the U.S., the people said…
Iran War Is Draining World’s Oil Buffer at an Unprecedented Pace
The world has burned through oil inventories at a record speed due to the Iran war, eating into the buffer that protects against supply shocks. The rapidly shrinking stockpiles mean the risk of extreme price spikes and shortages is getting closer, leaving governments and industries with fewer options to cushion the impact. Global visible oil stocks are already close to their lowest since 2018, with some signs that the drawdown may have slowed slightly in recent days, but the market remains vulnerable to future disruptions…
UK Moves Warship to Middle East for Potential Hormuz Mission
HMS Dragon, a Type-45 warship capable of destroying guided missiles, is likely to form part of the UK’s offer for the defensive naval mission, designed to reassure commercial ships attempting to pass through the waterway. Such a mission will only begin once sustained ceasefire or peace deal is agreed to…
Iran War Tests Wall Street Firms’ Addiction to Mideast Money
Mubadala Investment Co.’s Camilla Languille said the strategy of the $385 billion sovereign wealth fund does not change, and it will continue going straight even when the world around it changes. Many private market executives claimed the spigot of Middle Eastern sovereign wealth remains open, but with caveats, and some reported getting smaller checks or none at all from investors in the region. Despite the uncertainty, firms are still enthusiastic about the Gulf, with some setting up offices and sending senior executives to meet with officials and scout out new deals, and Gulf countries are expected to invest billions of dollars in infrastructure and military defense capabilities…
Trump Is ‘Bored’ With the War He Started
Patience is not Trump’s strength. One outside adviser, who speaks with him regularly, told me the president is “bored” with the war. Others believe he is frustrated at Iran’s intransigence…
Iran war is crushing Asia’s farmers, threatening global food supply
Prices of fuel and fertilizer are pushing farmers to make irreversible cuts as they enter key planting seasons…
China can far outlast America over the Middle East conflict
The price is becoming clearer. Xi Jinping will use his sway in Iran – and it is China that supplies the critical components for the regime’s missiles and drones – to push for a face-saving settlement and a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
In exchange, China wants the US to hand over Taiwan’s future on a silver platter, and with it the global epicentre of advanced semiconductor production…
Iran war disruptions spark higher costs and lost income in Bangladesh
Higher fuel costs are leading to inflation and squeezing household budgets, while industries from manufacturing to transport are facing rising operating costs and supply disruptions…