New York Times: The day-old cease-fire between the United States and Iran was being tested on Wednesday by uncertainty over the status of the economically vital Strait of Hormuz and disagreement over whether the truce applied to Lebanon, where Israel continued to carry out punishing attacks.
Iran, which said Lebanon was included in the cease-fire, accused the United States of not upholding its end of the deal. And Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Washington had to choose between a cease-fire or continued war via Israel, and “cannot have both.” Pakistan, which mediated the truce, said the deal covered Lebanon, a claim disputed by the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt…
Iran says shipping stopped in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed shipping through the critical Strait of Hormuz stopped following what it said was an Israeli ceasefire violation in Lebanon. The White House previously said the ceasefire would continue if the strait stays open…
Is Strait of Hormuz Open Again? Maybe, but Few Ships Are Using It.
As the cease-fire between the United States and Iran neared the 24-hour mark, it remained unclear on Wednesday when Iran might begin allowing vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the economically vital waterway brought to a near standstill by the war.
No oil or gas tankers have traversed the strait since the cease-fire was struck on Tuesday, according to data provided to The New York Times by Kpler, a global ship-tracking firm. Four bulk carriers — vessels that carry dry cargo — did make it through…
Iran Tightens Its Grip on Hormuz Despite Cease-Fire
Iran told mediators it would limit the number of ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz to around a dozen a day and charge tolls under the cease-fire struck by President Trump, showing Tehran plans to tighten its grip on the world’s most important energy-shipping lane…
Iran demands crypto fees for ships passing Hormuz during ceasefire
Iran will demand that shipping companies pay tolls in cryptocurrency for oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz, as it seeks to retain control over passage through the key waterway during the two-week ceasefire.
…Decisions on the conditions for passing the strait are taken by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Hosseini’s remarks suggest Iran will require any tankers to use the northerly route close to its coastline, raising questions over whether western or Gulf state-linked vessels will be willing to risk transit.
Trump Allies, U.S. Officials Fear Iran Victory Lap Is Premature
President Trump’s declaration of “total victory” in Iran left some close allies and several senior aides worried Wednesday that he is overstating what is a fragile cease-fire with Tehran, which remains capable of blocking ships in the Strait of Hormuz and attacking U.S. forces in the region.
The president has been advised on the risks that could cause the cease-fire to crater and warned that Iran still retains dangerous military capabilities, according to multiple officials…
‘Seems like losing’: What the US hasn’t won in Iran
American forces have dominated on tactics, sinking the Iranian navy, crippling its ballistic missile and drone-making capabilities, and decimating most of its air defenses.
Yet the hardliners who have ruled Tehran for the past 47 years are still in charge. Iran still possesses its stockpile of highly enriched uranium — one of President Donald Trump’s key reasons for starting the war. And it can claim a newfound dominance over the Strait of Hormuz, a growing threat to world energy markets…
‘We lose the midterms’: Republicans worry Iran might have already cost them Congress
Behind the public celebration by many Republicans of the temporary two-week ceasefire announcement, longtime party operatives continue to warn of a bleak political reality as the cost-of-living concerns around the war including spiking gas prices that are likely to continue for weeks if not longer even if the fragile ceasefire holds.
A person close to the White House, granted anonymity to speak candidly, put it bluntly.
“This war in Iran almost cements the fact that we lose the midterms in November — the Senate and House,” the person said…
Saudi Arabia’s key east-west oil pipeline hit as Middle East energy attacks continue
Saudi Arabia’s key east-west pipeline carrying oil to the Red Sea was attacked on Wednesday, as energy sites on both sides of the Middle East conflict continue to be targeted despite the start of a two-week ceasefire…
Traders Pounce on the Cease-Fire, Even as Missiles Keep Flying
Stocks surge and oil prices plunge in market moves that some investors fear are premature…
A Closer Look at Iran’s 10 Demands—and Which the U.S. Might Accept
President Trump said a 10-point plan proposed by Iran is the starting point for talks to resolve their conflict, calling it “a workable basis on which to negotiate.” But the 10 points are a long way from the White House position in February, before the war, when the U.S. was demanding the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program and constraints on its ballistic missiles…
New Deadline Looms for U.S. and Iran as Truce Wavers
President Trump faces new diplomatic tests as he prepares for weekend talks with Tehran amid doubts about the durability of his day-old cease-fire with Iran and the prospects for building it into a broader peace settlement…
Gulf States Fear an Emboldened Iran after Trump’s Cease-Fire
U.S. allies in the region are concerned that Tehran has emerged from the battle with control of the Strait of Hormuz…
Why Iran Thinks It Won the War Despite Huge Military Losses
The Islamic regime survived and appears to possess a new strategic prize in the Strait of Hormuz…
Son of former Iranian commander: officials fear US talks are a ‘trap’
CNN’s Erin Burnett talks to Hamzeh Safavi, a Political Science Professor at Tehran University whose father is also a senior official in the Iranian government and the former chief commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
A teetering ceasefire bodes ill for treacherous US-Iran talks ahead
First up is the question of the Israeli offensive in Lebanon that could scupper the talks even before they begin. The intense attacks on Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters there suggested Israel was taking advantage of a lull in operations over Iran. Tehran insisted that the attacks were a breach of the ceasefire and used them to justify closing the Strait of Hormuz. Washington insisted that Lebanon was not included in the deal. Vance tried to ease the situation by insisting that Iran had fallen prey to a good-faith misunderstanding about the scope of the ceasefire…
Trump Team Explores Punishment for NATO Countries That Didn’t Support Iran War
The proposal would involve moving U.S. troops out of North Atlantic Treaty Organization member countries deemed unhelpful to the Iran war effort and station them in countries that were more supportive of the U.S. military campaign. The proposal would fall far short of President Trump’s recent threats to fully withdraw the U.S. from the alliance, which by law he can’t do without Congress…
Trump Rebukes NATO Over Iran After Meeting With Alliance’s Chief
“NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN. REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!!” the president wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday evening.
Asked at a briefing earlier Wednesday if he might try to pull the US out of NATO, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “it’s something the president has discussed, and I think it’s something the president will be discussing in a couple of hours” when he meets Rutte…
Trump vents at NATO but avoids rupture after meeting with alliance’s leader
President Donald Trump was planning to discuss the possibility of the United States exiting the NATO defense alliance in a meeting with its top leader on Wednesday, the White House said, a threat to the organization that for generations has been at the core of how the United States protects itself and its partners…
US Asks Allies for Quick Plans to Secure Hormuz After Ceasefire
The US wants specific commitments from European allies on their pledge to help secure the Strait of Hormuz after the fighting in Iran stops, requesting that the countries present concrete plans to ensure navigation through the waterway within days, according to a senior NATO official…
China Tankers Join Line to Test Hormuz Exit and Iran Truce
The Chinese oil tankers are part of a growing armada amassing at the entrance to the strait, off the United Arab Emirates. Indian-flagged Desh Vibhor is fully laden with crude off the coast of Ras Al Khaimah, signaling government of India ship and crew in their destination. A Saudi Arabian-flagged VLCC, the Jaham, is also steaming east toward a nearby holding area off Dubai.
The Chinese vessels’ position is indicative of a desire to cross the strait, but not a guarantee, as others have approached only to turn back at the last moment…
36 Hours of Chaos: The Scramble for a Cease-Fire in Iran
After careening from one diplomatic extreme to another, President Trump finds himself with a fragile deal that is already showing signs of fraying…
White House Knew About Pakistan’s Cease-Fire Post on X Before It Was Sent
Pakistan’s prime minister posted a public plea on X for President Trump to extend his Tuesday evening deadline for Iran. The White House was directly involved in shaping the message…
US oil exports to hit record as Iran war triggers race for supplies
Oil research group Kpler estimates exports will jump by almost a third to 5.2mn barrels per day this month, up from 3.9mn b/d in March. Demand from Asian customers will rise by 82 per cent to 2.5mn b/d.
There are currently 68 empty tankers on their way to the US, according to Kpler, compared to 24 in the week before the war began on February 28. Last year the average was 27 tankers. Kpler bases its data on tanker bookings and expected arrivals.
“An armada of tankers are heading this way,” said Matt Smith, a Kpler analyst…
EU will still be hit by ‘stagflationary shock’, Brussels warns
EU economy commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said the European Commission is preparing to cut its growth forecast for this year as the fallout from the Middle East conflict remains highly uncertain…
The madness of the Madman Theory
An idea that didn’t work for Richard Nixon probably won’t for Donald Trump…
As Trump Swings on Iran, Congress Is Absent and G.O.P. Leaders Mum
In a week in which President Trump has veered from threatening to wipe out Iranian civilization to declaring a cease-fire, Congress is out of session and lawmakers with the power to declare war are mostly in the dark…
Even as They Praise Iran Cease-Fire, World Leaders Are Whipsawed by Trump
Across Europe and the globe, the war has damaged economies, roiled politics and underscored a lack of options in dealing with the president’s whims…
Stuck in ‘Limbo,’ Iranians Take Stock After Six Brutal Weeks
With a tenuous cease-fire in place, Iranians are left picking up the pieces of their lives. Some fear the government will crack down on its domestic critics…
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